Analytical Commentary—Song of Myself Section 1: “I celebrate myself, and sing myself” By Walt Whitman Arguable one of greatest works by Walt Whitman, “Song of Myself”, contains 52 sections. It was published in 1867 under “Leaves of Grass” poetry collection. The first section of the poem, “I celebrate myself, and sing myself”, consists of 4 stanzas and 13 lines. The major theme in this section is “All humans are from nature, thus we shall all return to nature”. Walt Whitman discusses the fact that all of us will reunite back to where we came from.
Planting a Sequoia - Commentary ‘Planting a Sequoia’ by Dana Gioia is a father planting a sequoia tree to mark the death of his first born infant son. Upon reading the title, I guessed that the poem would focus on appreciating nature and sequoia trees. I was dramatically incorrect. However, my first impressions after reading the entire poem was that it was quite upsetting although towards the end, the tree becomes a symbol of how ‘good things’ can still take place after ‘bad things’ in someone’s life. The most noticeable feature of the poem at first was the apostrophe, that is, the poem seemed to be addressed to the tree being planted.
Frost achieves so well. These three points or emotions combined with the strong use of imagery are the fundamentals for an unusually short yet profound piece of literature. Interpretation is left to the reader through identification and when simplicity is applied towards the joys of living, an easiness or happiness, is successfully achieved. The title itself, “The Pasture” expresses open-mindedness to beauty, pure and simple. My interpretation of a pasture in New England is of rolling hills of grasses, with the dampness of early morning dew, and the coolness of an early spring morning.
If you rub your finger on them, they pop and seeds fly out. Thats it, no more flowers. One week of pretty than the rest stringy and ugly. My pansies on the other hand, show off their flowers for nearly a whole summer. One plant comes up on its own every year, the other I have to bring in the new.
This slowly leads to a clear understanding of the poem’s theme, further on in the text; “Late August, given heavy rain and sun for a full week, the blackberries would ripen.” This emphasizes that the poet, as a young boy, is aware that they need these conditions of ‘rain and sun’ for the blackberries to ripen. We can see that the young boy is relying on nature, and an atmosphere of anticipation can be sensed throughout the first verse. The poet then goes on to describe the blackberries as he tastes it;
This poem is the transition of a child to an adult. The word spring is used many times in the poem, “in Just”. Spring is the renewal in life and a part of the cycle of nature. Not only does nature goes through a cycle, but we too go through a cycle in life changing constantly too. During the spring, a person come out to celebrate the disappearance of winter and greets the world from its long nap.
And although both stories have a strong resemblance in theme, both authors present it very differently especially when using symbolism. As stated in our text, “A symbol is something that has a literal identity but also stands for something else”. (Clugston, 2010) Also, symbolism was a “19 century movement in art and literature which made extensive use of symbols to indicate or evoke emotions or ideas” (Credo Reference, 2010) Within this paper, I will discuss on how both narratives utilize symbolism to convey the essence of their theme. As stated, “story writers want you to understand and learn from the imaginary world they are creating, they find ways to make the theme stand out clearly, and they use symbols to convey feelings, describe settings, present characters, heighten conflict, and create various moods”. (Clugston, 2010) Also, I will explain the difference between the poem “The Road Less Taken” and the short story, “I Used to Live Here Once”.
Jacob Collins “Fern Hill” By Dylan Thomas Dylan Thomas’ “Fern Hill”, set on his aunt’s farm, is a well written, enjoyable text. Many images, symbols, and literary techniques increase the depth of the speaker's message to the reader. “Fern Hill” is a poem in which the speaker recalls his childhood and its inevitable end. The poet recreates and communicates the untroubled experience of his early years whilst in a state of blissful ignorance. Throughout the poem time is portrayed as an authority figure with strict control over his life, eventually revealing the inescapable realisation of his mortality.
To prove that point as showed “the dust replaced in hoisted roads, the birds jocose sung ;”( Lines 9-10) The following poem “apparently no surprise” uses nature as well, however as metaphor of life. A flower, a symbol of delicate beauty and on the other hand frost, has nothing against flower. It is circle of life which god created”To any happy flower the beheads it at its play”( Lines 2-3) Ultimately ”A light exist in spring” shows the certain light that only occurs in specific time of year, another element if nature, and also colors, fields, lawns, tree slope, horizons. Which is spring time, that can be proved by any line of this poem, such as ”at any other period-when march is scarcely here”( Lines 3-4) In conclusion, Emily Dickinson uses nature elements to reveal perception on everyday life and associates different
Often poets provide their audience with hints to discover the meaning inserted in their work. It is the job of the reader to be an investigator and reveal what that is. Reading a poem and understanding it doesn’t always come easy to some readers. That’s why there are several methods presented to use to help explicate a poem. The form of Thomas’s poem, “Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night,” provides rhyme, repetition, and length that present the concealed theme to fight death.