Reaching For Dreams This essay describes the inspiring poem “I, Icarus” by Alden Nowlan, which requires very close reading. Throughout the poem, it seems there is one dominant idea; reaching for dreams. Many stanzas and lines within this poem work together to depict this theme. Not only do the lines in the poem depict the theme, but different poetic devices correlate to the theme as well (freedom and reaching for dreams). Distinct phrases like “willed myself to fly” illustrate the person’s goal of escaping his present condition and reaching for higher goals.
Mending Wall: A Wall Built of Metaphor Although there are many poetic devices skillfully used in the poem, imagery, symbolism, personification, repetition, refrain, simile, and metaphor, Mending Wall is a poem that is really built on metaphor. Frosts use of metaphors, often seasoned with a pinch of humor, is what makes him special. Metaphor is his most often used and most important tool. In his poem Mending Wall there is plenty of metaphor. This poem, like most of his poems, revolves around a common object or event.
The word minstrel means a medieval singer or musician, especially one who sang or recited lyric or heroic poetry. The persona, who is the minstrel talks about himself in the poem and tends to show what he has to grow through everyday and the circumstances under which he is living. The poem opens up with the first person and a metaphor “the road unravels as I go/ walking into the sun, the anaemic”. The use of first person at the beginning of the poem tends to incorporate and appeal to the reader to understand what the minstrel is trying to say and explain. It creates an image as if he is directly talking to the reader.
Monica Morgan Professor Broeckel English 241 October 12, 2009 Leslie Marmon Silko’s “Ceremony”: The Tale of Two Literary Styles “Ceremony” is a tale of a young man’s struggle with coming to terms with himself and the present state of his Indian people. Being of bi-racial descent and the struggle between beliefs in old and new traditions are the root problems that manifest themselves within the protagonist’s graphic mental and physical illnesses. Leslie Marmon Silko prepares us for a harmonious resolution within self and tradition by weaving poetry and prose together. Throughout the story the free verse poetry either sets up the following prose or completes or explains it, showing that two completely different styles can co-exist, or indeed depend upon each other to complete
Form and structure are used effectively in both poems to show feelings and emotions to their lovers. For example, both poems use rhyme effectively. In “Hour”, there is what seems like a regular ABAB rhyme scheme, with words such as “rich” and “ditch” rhyming, but in the second and third stanzas the “A” rhymes don’t tend to be half-rhyme “hair” with “here” and “hour” with “ear”. This could show the reader that their love carries on through hard times. Alternatively, it could mean that their love is so strong that it causes a change to the rhythm of the poem, as it conquers time.
Edgar Allen Poe demonstrates in his written works of “Lenore”, “Annabel Lee”, and “To Helen” an element that seemingly attempts to give the reader exceptional emotional sadness. Poe does this by telling the poem in a point of view where a man tells the story of the death or remembrance of a young love or woman. He also puts a sense of gloom in each of his poems. This allows for the reader to create a mental image if the setting, without him having to directly point it out. As well, the gloominess of his poetry could also be due to his longing effect of sadness that he attempts to express.
Both martin Baynton’s short story, ‘Leap of Faith’ and Frost’s poem ‘Out, Out-‘, clearly demonstrate the inevitable and fast- paced change in life, as well as the many hardships which it brings with it and in doing so, reminds us of the importance of change in one’s life, how to follow through and to cherish it. Although both texts are different in forms, times, and people they both convey their ideas in an interesting way through narrative and the use of similar techniques. Frost’s poem ‘Out, Out –‘ is a dramatic monologue which captures the faint candle of life and its ability’ to go out in a split second, emphasising the suddenness of change as well as the pain and hardships we need to follow through in order to continue. Change, it is everywhere around us, an inevitability that strikes at anytime, this starkness of change is strongly and clearly presented throughout this text as the atmosphere and situations change, where tensions begins to build and where the suddenness of change comes into play. ‘Little – less – nothing!
In this essay, I will be showing a comparison between ‘Romeo and Juliet’ (Shakespeare), ‘To His Coy Mistress’ (Marvel) and ‘Sonnet 130’ (Also by Shakespeare). The first main comparison between these three texts is that they all show different types of love. ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is based on true love as both main characters fall in love with each other at first sight. Shakespeare shows their love by the soliloquy and the sonnet that he added to this text as the words and techniques used in them project a connection between Romeo and Juliet. ‘To His Coy Mistress’ shows an idea of a sexual and lustful love.
In your view, how have poetic techniques been used to reveal memorable ideas in Harwood’s poetry? Harwood’s widespread encapsulations of human experiences are recognised through her distinctive poetry, “The Violets” and “father and child”. Harwood explores the intrinsic forces of memories and mortality as its essence immensely influences our shaping an individual’s perspective and understanding, highlighted by the structured format. Through the nostalgic and melancholic atmospheres of her poems, Harwood journeys unto the universal themes of childhood and the penetration of time through memories, accumulated in the course of human experiences. Harwood identifies memory as a key component of human experiences through the use of ‘The Violets’ as an extended metaphor to trigger the composer’s personal recollections.
The poet draws the reader's attention to the meaning and concept of life. He compares life to a play of passion or a short comedy. Man's happiness is compared to interlude between long periods of struggle and suffering. He continues his image by saying that the embargo in his mother's womb is like the actor who gets ready in the dressing room to appear on the stage. This actor gets dressed to come on the stage.