Immediately as a reader we are thrown into the theme of uncertainty due to the ambigious title. The word ‘But’ for the start of a poems title gives the reader the idea of Thomas being halfway through a sentance, and therefore they feel as if they have missed something so they do not have a full understanding. The word ‘these’ tells the reader nothing about the poem because it doesn’t refer to anything in particular therefore giving the reader a sense of uncetainty as they had no idea of what they are about to be thrown into by reading this poem. The fact that Thomas has chosen to start the poem with the title is also a clever way of introducing the theme of uncertainty , because even though he is repeating the line, as a reader we still do not have an understanding of this poem. Thomas also uses a wide variety of imagery in order to inflict the theme of uncertainty upon the
The narrator explains in the first line that he “may cease to be” and rushes to include he is afraid to die “before [his] pen has glean’d [his] teeming brain”. It almost seems as though Keats was unable to fit his ideas neatly into spaced lines, with punctuation marks because he is afraid to lose valuable time while he is still living. In Longfellow’s poem, however, pauses, punctuation and composition of multiple sentences produce a relaxed tone and overall feel of the poem. The poem is filled with caesuras that decrease the entire speed of the poem. “Half of my life is gone,” the comma allows for a pause and a deep breath to continue on to say “and I have let the years slip from me”.
His loneliness is a more tangible expression of his alienation problem. Loneliness is what the novel revolves around, because the novel is mostly Holden going from one place to another, doing one thing to the next to find the desired friendship and love. He constantly recoils from introspection, which was the reason why he could not figure out why he was behaving the way he was. But introspection hit home with him after he met Phoebe again when she alleges that Holden “[doesn’t] don’t like anything that’s happening” (Salinger 169). This was when Holden realized his cynicism and negative outlook on life when he struggled to think of anything or anyone that he actually liked.
The Haunter Imaginatively, and most pathetically, Hardy writes this plaintive and moving poem from the point of view of Emma. It is written in the first person, with her as the imaginary narrator. It is almost as if, in putting these words in the mouth of Emma (who, in the poem, sees Hardy as oblivious of her presence) Hardy is trying to reassure himself that she forgives him and continues to love him. Detailed commentary Though Hardy does not know it, Emma's phantom follows him in his meanderings, hearing, but unable to respond to, the remarks he addresses to her in his grief. When Emma was able to answer Hardy did not address her so frankly; when she expressed a wish to accompany him Hardy would become reluctant to go anywhere - but now he does wish she were with him.
Question 3 (15 marks) Explore how perceptions of belonging and not belonging can be influenced by connections to places. In your response, refer to your prescribed text and at least ONE other related text of your own choosing. An individual’s sense of belonging or not belonging can be strongly influenced by their ability to connect to places. Emily Dickinson’s poetry has a degree of complexity as it explores the notion of belonging and not belonging simultaneously, depending on her place and the connections she experiences. Emily Dickinson explores the concept of not belonging due to a lack of connection experienced with her place in society.
The fact Gatsby does not turn his lights on and does not have a party shows that something is really wrong. In The Great Gatsby, light is used to set the mood, Tom thinks, “For a moment the last sunshine fell with romantic affection upon her glowing face; her voice compelled me forward breathlessly as I listened- then the glow faded, each light deserting her with lingering regret, like children leaving a pleasant street at dusk.” (Fitzgerald 14) “The novels elaborate use of light and dark imagery symbolizes emotional states.” Lighting plays a huge roll in The Great Gatsby, it sets the tone and mood for the
The techniques Eliot disposes throughout the poem ineffectively illustrate Prufrock’s social reclusion and cultural detachment. Prufrock’s social and cultural isolation is representational of a combination of his personal attributes and the part they play in holding him back from realising his true potential in life. His bleak view on life is impacted by his indecisive nature where he is always thinking over everything and never acting on impulse. These kinds of occurrences in Prufrock’s mind establish a well-built barrier separating himself, the hopeless individual, from all aspects of society. Eliot conveys these notions to the reader through the development of Prufrock’s introspective identity.
Derek Walcott’s Codicil has some of the anger of his earlier work, but for the most part his tone in this poem is one of exhaustion. It is autobiographical rather than historical; in it, he reflects on his own writing and his frustration with the need to write in two different styles. For this reason, it is likely that writers, particularly those who write for a living, and non-writers would react differently to this poem. Walcott was working as a journalist when this poem was published in 1965. The language used in Walcott’s poetry is clearly different from the journalistic conventions he was confined to at work (“Schizophrenic, wrenched by two styles”).
Philip Larkin`s Pessimism in “This be the Verse” and “Fiction and the Reading Public” When I think about poetry, I often get a feeling of depression and loneliness. It is not because I do not like poetry, but it seems that a lot of poems talk about a lost love or a doomed society. I rarely read a poem that contains an optimistic ending or has a positive message. Philip Larkin takes the idea of pessimism to another level. Larkin`s pessimistic view of the world is so deep, that it is almost impossible to find a single positive line in his dreary poems.
Self Portrait at 28 by David Berman Self Portrait at 28 by David Berman starts off with a somber and dire tone in that author appears to spend an entire day having accomplished very little and as the day is ‘nearly canceled by sunlight’ he realizes he has been lost in thought. The title of the poem implies that we may learn about the writer through some revealing autobiography, rather we are drawn into a chatty but thoughtful mediation. My initial reaction was one of hopelessness and despair originally thinking this was a poem by someone who was dying and reflecting on their life or even someone who was suicidal however after a second and third read, I am left with the thought with that the poem is about a writer who has spent a day seeking inspiration. Which ponders the open question, where does inspiration come from? Inspiration can be drawn from a variety of sources, in the first paragraph we see the writer struggle to identify content that would be of interest to the reader, implying that he was trying to connect to reader so that “we are both comforted by the honesty” hoping to drawn on real-life memories for inspiration.