Overall, as a person disconnected with the occupations of “reader” and “writer,” Woolf’s essay helps me to see that the most needs to be made out of life, because we are here for only a short time. Woolf’s essay, although describing the short life of a day moth, is also used as an interpretation on human life. Through her language, she effectively implies how the life of the moth is a model for humans to live their lives. The imagery shows the moth to be a “thread of vital light.” Even though this moth may seem irrelevant, it is exerting all of its energy into its life. He flutters around the window, not only with energy, but with “passion,” something Woolf suggests that humans should be doing.
In the poems “A Barred Owl” and “The History Teacher”, the speakers are attempting to mitigate the evils of the world. Wilbur’s short poem is much less extreme than Collins’s when doing this. Wilbur uses a simple explanation while Collins continues to make up more and more absurd stories. The intention is the same, but the way the speakers go about it is very different. The speaker in Wilbur’s poem is merely a parent trying to settle a restless child, while the speaker in Collins’s poem is a teacher trying to shield his students from the many evils of the world.
Shakespeare uses this metaphor to give the reader/audience an image in their minds of what Laertes thinks of Hamlet and what he is doing to Ophelia. The image of a blossom is beautiful, starting to grow to its full potential, sprouting, young, innocent, etc. But when a worm comes and eats/destroys the blossom, it is no longer beautiful, worthy, long-lasting, innocent, but becomes warn-down and not useful. When Laertes says this advice to Ophelia it gives her the picture that because Hamlet cannot love her, she should not become attached, for if she does, she will become warned down and tired. This strategy of a metaphor characterizes Laertes as someone who thinks of the future and is wise and logical.
Bartleby, the Scrivener The nameless narrator of Melville’s “Bartleby, The Scrivener” tries to be a charitable man, yet fails at this because of his oblivious nature. He is generally known as “an eminently safe man,” because he is “one of those unambitious lawyers who never addresses a jury, in any way draws down public applause.”(2405) Essentially, he has little to lose in the opinion of many. He believes that “the easiest way of life is the best.”(2405) He has been very successful living in such a manner; consequently, he must be inclined to believe that everything has a straightforward, simple solution. This is important when he tries to help Bartleby. He believes that giving Bartleby a small sum in addition to whatever money is owed and sending him on his way will at least put an end the difficulty of having the problematic Bartleby in the office.
People can not understand wanting to put themselves into an embarrassing situation but they can understand the death of opportunity. The death of someone you did not know. The death of a life you never lived. That they can understand. But they cannot understand anything in between the hello and good
Whereas the Duke in “My Last Duchess” is obsessed with material possessions. It is suggested to us when he talks about the Duchess and of is statue of “Neptune” “Taming a sea horse”. This also suggests that he likes to show off. Both of the poems are about death, but they are in different tense. In “My Last Duchess” the Duke is talk about his wife that has died.
Also we have to take into account that during this period, life was beginning to fall apart and reforms were highly sought after by the populace. After the Black Death, The Crusades and the Hundred Years War, people were soon realizing that their time was short and they needed to live out their short lives in ways that would bring them happiness. ‘To His Coy Mistress’ is a lyrical poem that shows an example of the use of the ‘carpe diem’ theme in poetry. Through this poem, which was written by Andrew Marvell, the author shows traits of carpe diem by trying to woo a woman into having a sexual relationship with him without waiting and wasting the time of dating. He realizes that her coyness is wasting the time they have in this life.
Many people reverse the idea and believe life is material cares and wants. These men understand this distinction and shortcut their way to true happiness by skipping the fruitless chase of more and more. They have enough. So much in fact that they are willing to share everything they get because there is no attachment. Without attachment there is no longing or pain when whatever it is runs out.
However, in Fahrenheit 451, a utopian society seems to have been reached. Perfection seemed to exist in “laws, government, and social conditions.” Compared to our modern world, this future seemed to be happier and their lives less chaotic. Humans have never liked laws because they give off a sense of restriction as well as authority. In the future, laws don’t exist and anything seemed feasible and within one’s reach. There was only a simple law, and that was to not read books as well as think, making “the mind drink less and less.” This doesn’t seem much of a sacrifice because society was filled with far more excitement than literature could offer.
Men like "simple" women, not women who are fake, stupid and can’t think for themselves (and it’s so easy to tell them apart). Remember the first time you got drunk (or stoned)? I’m sure you didn’t want to start, but a "friend" pushed you, you did it, and now you like it! That shows you can’t think for yourself. Sadly, people who are truly themselves, and stick to their values and beliefs tend to be alone and get overlooked often, but that’s not their problem.