Both poems address the idea of seizing opportunity and living life to its fullest, but from different perspectives – one positive and optimistic, one negative through pessimism. The poems are similar because they both speak of love and seizing opportunity. Herrick’s first stanza begins by stating, “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may/ Old-time is still a-flying” (lines 1-2). What these lines portray is we must seize opportunity as we can because time is always moving and doesn’t slow down for anyone. Through the visual imagery of “gathering rosebuds,” the rosebuds are a symbol for purity and innocence we can draw the conclusion that the speaker is telling the virgins they are innocent and pure, but soon they will bloom and that is when life should be lived to the fullest, for example by having sex, marrying and having a family.
The Knights Tale compares Emelye to flowers frequently as she is “fressher than the may with floures newe”. The use of the month may suggest that this is when the majority of flowers are at their finest; thus by comparing his love to this it portrays his belief that she is perfection. Moreover the symbolism of flowers continues as he compares her complexion to that of Roses, which is the most common stereotypical association with love, thus showing the instant love he has towards her. Alternatively, the symbolism of roses suggests Emelye has natural beauty and appears delicate like rose petals. Similarly, The Millers Tale also uses the imagery of flowers within nature in order to describe feminine beauty.
"Thoughts on My Sickbed" opens with Dorothy Wordsworth eloquently expressing her own sense of mortality. A lyric poem utilizing the ballad stanza -- a quatrain in which only the second and fourth lines rhyme -- it has a beauty and natural grace of flowing lines and many references to the beauty and healing properties of Nature. To Dorothy, Nature has "mothering," "nurturing," and "healing" (i.e., feminine) characteristics, as she writes: And has the remnant of my life Been pilfered of this sunny Spring? And have its own prelusive sounds Touched in my heart no echoing string? Ah, say not so--the hidden life, Couchant within this feeble frame, Hath been enriched by kindred gifts, That undesired, unsought-for, came The above stanzas additionally exemplify Dorothy's concept of the aesthetics of the Romantic Period -- a continuation and further exploration of the earlier Age of Sensibility -- which are shown by Dorothy's lines: No!--then I never felt a bliss That might with that compare Which, piercing to my couch of rest, Came on the vernal air.
Browning over-exaggerates the features and beauty of the nature of England almost making them come alive with her use of personification. The poem is very descriptive and also plays on all the five senses. She shows the sense of taste with the use of the word ‘sweeter’ in line 12, ‘ Made sweeter for the step upon the grass’ and also line 20, ‘Fed full of noises by invisible streams,’ the sense of hearing is shown using the word ‘noises.’ Browning also used the repetition to give the reader a sense of continuity. She shows that nature is evergreen and will be omnipresent in this world. This can be seen with the repetition of words like ‘the’ and ‘and’.
Juxtaposed to the negative imagery the overcramped housing evokes, the words ‘roses’ and ‘myrtle’ have connotations of beauty and innocence. This could relate to the wider meaning of the poem as, despite the patriot marching towards the gallows, he knows he is going to a better place, empty of corruption and evil. The use of pathetic fallacy represents the patriot’s despondent feelings. Furthermore, the rain could also be used to reduce the patriot’s dignity. However, the rain could also symbolise the patriot becoming innocent, similarly with the roses and myrtle, as the water could be considered to be washing the patriot’s sins away.
(TS) The sunshine and shadow motif in The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, represents how darkness symbolizes shame, sin, and disgrace, and how sunshine symbolizes purity, innocence, and reveals sin. (Major A) Midway through the book, darkness is utilized to describe how, if it weren't for Pearl, Hester would fall even further from grace. (Minor 1) Reverend Dimmesdale expresses his thoughts to the governor of how .".. [Pear] was meant, above all things else, to keep the mother's soul alive, and to preserve her from darker depths of sin." (102) (Minor 2) The Reverend believes that Pearl brings love and innocence to Hester's life, and without her, Hester would become a darker, more sinful human being.
From here, we can figure out that the Garden of love is a metaphor for a woman, or Blake’s character’s love. In the first stanza, Blake’s character demonstrates familiarity of the Garden when he says, “Where I used to play on the green.” The words “used to” and “play” explains that he probably knew the Garden in his younger years because many grown up men do not usually “play” anymore. The author wants readers to know this because this poem resembles how love hopes to be rediscovered. Blake’s character wants to believe that his love still holds a place for him, but in reality, everything that once was, has now vanished. Many problems prevent Blake’s character from reconnecting with his lover of the past.
Cather made the seasons the biggest connection with the life of Burden. The spring brings lovely fruit and life with it. For example "I couldn't feel so tired that I wouldn't fret about these trees when there was a dry time (340). They were on my mind like children" (340). Cather uses Antonia’s life that is steadily growing and changing, to change the way Burden see Antonia.
Jay Gatsby loves Daisy and with her, his American dream can be completed. The words “minute” and “far away”, make it sound as though it is impossible to reach. Minute making it sound close, but then the following appreciated distance, makes it unreachable. “If it wasn’t for the mist, we could see your home across the bay” (94). The mist is covering Daisy’s house and the green light.
However in this poem she cannot find a happier memory and recalls a dream instead, “I dreamed once long ago, that we walked among day-bright flowers.” Her use of positive imagery such as the “day-bright flowers” lightens the mood and achieves the same effect of the memories in The Violets, as she stops thinking of death and causes the reader to forget the unhappy nature of the initial memory and be emotionally moved by the warmth of the following memory where she is “secure in my father’s arms.” In her poems The Violets, Father and Child and At Mornington Gwen Harwood demonstrates through her use of memories, her loss of innocence, the love for her parents and how quickly time moves. Her memories also serve to engage the reader and make us feel her sense of happiness, sorrow and