I intend to discuss the use of metaphor in the poem entitled "Harlem" by Langston Hughes. I believe that Hughes used this
figure of speech extensively in the poem and that it is used to better express meaning in the poem. I would like to believe
that the poem is making reference to the community of Harlem in New York. Apparently it is discussing what I would assume
is the dreamed or hoped for advancement of Harlem. It asks questions about what happens to a dream deffered or
postponed, to be realized at another time. I intend to show how metaphor is used in the poem by explaining the meaning
that I have drawn from the poem, line by line.
In the first five lines of the poem the author asks the question "what happens to a dream deferred?." He continues:
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or feser like a sore--
And then run?
In the first three lines I believe the metaphor refers to if the dream would simply fall apart and become mute, ineffective or
something that is no longer pursued. In lines four and five the author seems to ask if accomplishment of the dream would be
hoped for but action not taken and the dream simply die-away.
In lines six to eight it appears that the author uses metaphor to ask the question whether a dream deferred could be
likened to is pondered on by people with no action taken until it becomes an irritant and begins to seem like it is nothing
more than wishful thinking. This can be seen in the excerpt of these lines from the poem:
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over ---
like a syrupy sweet.
In lines nine and ten the author appears to use metaphor to ask whether a dream deferred could become like a huge
burden born by the persons "bearing" these dreams. According to the poem:
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
In line eleven the author apparenly uses metaphore to question whether the stress of the dream deferred is so much that
people who share the dream do anything to make the dream become a reality. This question is asked in the final line of the
poem:
Or does it explode?.
It is my contention that Hughes uses metaphore in the poem extensively to better impart meaning to almost every line in
the poem.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
POETIC INFLUENCES OF TWO POETS
I will discuss two poets who I believe have been influenced by two other poets in the writing of their poems both thematically and as concerns other style similarities that can be observed in the poems. The poets and poems that I will discuss are Edna St. Vincent Millay and her poem entitled "[ I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed]," which I believe was influenced by the poet John Keats and his poem " This living hand;" and the poet Carl Stranburg and his poem "Grass," which I believe was influenced by the poet Archibald MacLeish and his poem "Snowflake." It is my contension that Millay was possibly inspired to write a poem that thematically was the opposite of the poem written by Keats, while maintaining a similarity in use of figures of speech such as metaphore and language use. I also maintain the position that Stranburg was influenced by MacLeish to write a poem that I believe is thematically similar to the poem written by MacLeish while also maintaining similarity in the use of figures of speech in his poem.
I feel that Millay was influenced to write her poem "I Being Born Woman and Distressed" from the poem written by Keats. Both poems were written as dialogues between the protagonists directed at an antagonist. In Keats' poem it described a situation in which the lead character had escaped or survived a murder, manslaughter or accident. He was describing the possible guilt that would or coud have been visited on the antagonist if the protagonist had died. At the end of the poem however it appears that the protagonist is extending the "hand" of friendship to the antagonist as described in the poem:
And thou be conscience-calmed--see here it is--
I hold it towards you.
In the poem written by Millay, she describes a protagonist who is also speaking directly to an antagonist. In this poem, the protagonist (who obviously had some sort of falling-out with a former lover (the antagonist), is telling him that even though she is pysically attracted to him she will be logical and does not consider that fact as a sufficient reason to continue to be friendly with him:
Think not for this, however, the poor treason
Of my sout blood against my saggering brain,
I shall remember you with love, or season
My scorn with pity,--let me make it plain:
I find this frenzy insufficient reason
for conversation when we meet again.
Even though Millay may have written a similar poem where the protagonist is speaking directly to the protagonist, the protagonist in Keats poem attempts to reconcile with the antagonist while the protagonist in Millay's poem does not.
Other similarities include the use of metaphore in both poems, and language used is readily understandable.
In tracing the influence of MacLeish's poem on Stranburg's one can note the thematic similarities. Both poems appear to espouse the notion that life itself can be seen as vain as people, places, things and events that once may have been regarded as important can dissappear and fade-away, forgotten by society with the passage of time. An example of this thematic similarity can be seen from excerpts of both poems:
In MacLeish's poem:
Pile the bodies high at Austerlitz and Waterloo.
Shovel them under and le me work--
I am the grass; I cover all.
From Millay's poem:
Will it last? he says.
Is it a masterpiece?
Will generation after generation
Turn with reverence to the page?
Both poems make use of metaphore and language in a similar way.
I believe that it can thus be seen how Millay and Stranburg were possibly influenced in their writing of these poems by MacLeish and Keats.
I feel that Millay was influenced to write her poem "I Being Born Woman and Distressed" from the poem written by Keats. Both poems were written as dialogues between the protagonists directed at an antagonist. In Keats' poem it described a situation in which the lead character had escaped or survived a murder, manslaughter or accident. He was describing the possible guilt that would or coud have been visited on the antagonist if the protagonist had died. At the end of the poem however it appears that the protagonist is extending the "hand" of friendship to the antagonist as described in the poem:
And thou be conscience-calmed--see here it is--
I hold it towards you.
In the poem written by Millay, she describes a protagonist who is also speaking directly to an antagonist. In this poem, the protagonist (who obviously had some sort of falling-out with a former lover (the antagonist), is telling him that even though she is pysically attracted to him she will be logical and does not consider that fact as a sufficient reason to continue to be friendly with him:
Think not for this, however, the poor treason
Of my sout blood against my saggering brain,
I shall remember you with love, or season
My scorn with pity,--let me make it plain:
I find this frenzy insufficient reason
for conversation when we meet again.
Even though Millay may have written a similar poem where the protagonist is speaking directly to the protagonist, the protagonist in Keats poem attempts to reconcile with the antagonist while the protagonist in Millay's poem does not.
Other similarities include the use of metaphore in both poems, and language used is readily understandable.
In tracing the influence of MacLeish's poem on Stranburg's one can note the thematic similarities. Both poems appear to espouse the notion that life itself can be seen as vain as people, places, things and events that once may have been regarded as important can dissappear and fade-away, forgotten by society with the passage of time. An example of this thematic similarity can be seen from excerpts of both poems:
In MacLeish's poem:
Pile the bodies high at Austerlitz and Waterloo.
Shovel them under and le me work--
I am the grass; I cover all.
From Millay's poem:
Will it last? he says.
Is it a masterpiece?
Will generation after generation
Turn with reverence to the page?
Both poems make use of metaphore and language in a similar way.
I believe that it can thus be seen how Millay and Stranburg were possibly influenced in their writing of these poems by MacLeish and Keats.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
ANALYSIS OF THE POEM "PIANO" BY D.H.LAWRENCE EXAMINING POETIC ELEMENTS USED BY THE POET
I make an analysis of the poem entilted "Piano" by D.H. Lawrence examining the poetic elements used in the poem. I will examine the use of Language and Figures of Speech in the poem.
The poem "Piano" by D.H. Lawrence appears to tell the story of a protagonist who is being serenaded by a woman. The woman's singing triggers a state of yearning and nostalgia in the protagonist that makes him recollect fondly memories of his childhood and a wish to return to the uphoria of his past. The language used in the poem is relatively casual and direct. The author begins the story relating how a woman is singing to the protagonist and it causes him to begin to remember the musical enjoyment he used to enjoy as a youth. In casual language this can be seen in an excerpt from the poem:
Softly, in the dusk, a woman is singing to me;
Taking me back down the vista of years, till I see
A child sitting under the piano, in the boom of the tingling strings
And pressing the small, poised feet of a mother who smiles as she sings.
I believe that the poem has been written in the midst of emotion. The protagonist is depicted as going through a serious yearning for the uphoric existence he experienced as a child and really wants to return to that innocent time in his life. An excerpt from the poem depicts this:
The glamour
Of childish days is upon me, my manhood is cast
Down in he flood of remembrance, I weep like a child for the past.
Figures of speech used in the poem include metaphores and paradoxes. I believe that explicit metaphore is used when the protagonist is depicted as yearning for the time of his childhood in lines 11 and 12:
The glamour of childish days is upon me, my manhood is cast
Down in he flood of remembrance.
The metaphore does contribute to the meaning observed in the poem.
I can see a paradox used when the author describes the protagonist expressing what I believe to be the notion that at a certain point it would not matter how well the singer sang with a piano accompaniment it would not improve his situation or satisfy his yearning. This can be seen from an excerpt from the poem in lines 9 and 10
So now it is vain for the singer to burst into clamour
Wih the great black piano appassionato.
I believe that poetic elements were effectively used in the poem.
The poem "Piano" by D.H. Lawrence appears to tell the story of a protagonist who is being serenaded by a woman. The woman's singing triggers a state of yearning and nostalgia in the protagonist that makes him recollect fondly memories of his childhood and a wish to return to the uphoria of his past. The language used in the poem is relatively casual and direct. The author begins the story relating how a woman is singing to the protagonist and it causes him to begin to remember the musical enjoyment he used to enjoy as a youth. In casual language this can be seen in an excerpt from the poem:
Softly, in the dusk, a woman is singing to me;
Taking me back down the vista of years, till I see
A child sitting under the piano, in the boom of the tingling strings
And pressing the small, poised feet of a mother who smiles as she sings.
I believe that the poem has been written in the midst of emotion. The protagonist is depicted as going through a serious yearning for the uphoric existence he experienced as a child and really wants to return to that innocent time in his life. An excerpt from the poem depicts this:
The glamour
Of childish days is upon me, my manhood is cast
Down in he flood of remembrance, I weep like a child for the past.
Figures of speech used in the poem include metaphores and paradoxes. I believe that explicit metaphore is used when the protagonist is depicted as yearning for the time of his childhood in lines 11 and 12:
The glamour of childish days is upon me, my manhood is cast
Down in he flood of remembrance.
The metaphore does contribute to the meaning observed in the poem.
I can see a paradox used when the author describes the protagonist expressing what I believe to be the notion that at a certain point it would not matter how well the singer sang with a piano accompaniment it would not improve his situation or satisfy his yearning. This can be seen from an excerpt from the poem in lines 9 and 10
So now it is vain for the singer to burst into clamour
Wih the great black piano appassionato.
I believe that poetic elements were effectively used in the poem.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Engl. 2306 Paper 1
I intend to do a comparison and contrast of two poems that have been reviewed by the class this semester. These poems are
from the Norton Anthology of Poetry and are authored by George Gordon, Lord Byron "Written after Swimming from Sestos to
Abydos," and Percy Bysshe Shelley "Stanzas Written in Dejection, Near Naples."
I will compare and contrast the themes of the two poems as well as the poetic elements used in the writing of the poems.
The poem entitled "Written after Swimming from Sestos to Abydos" possesses themes dealing with great endeavor,
comparison of different outcomes and the vanity sometimes associated with the effort to accomplish great feats. The poem
entitiled "Stanzas Written in Dejection" deals with themes concerning talk of gloom and dejection, comparism of different
realities experienced by different peoples in society and gives the portrait of a person seemingly rejected by society. Poetic
elements drawn from both poems that I will compare and contrast include Figures of speech, Images (sensory), and
Language.
Themes from the two poems "Written after Swimming from Sestos to Abydos" by George Gordon, Lord Byron and "Stanzas
Written in Dejection" by Percy Bysshe Shelley are very different. "Written after Swimming..." talks about great endeavor and
two men who reached out and took action to accomplish their goals--to cross from Europe to Asia Minor over the
Dardanelles strait for differing reasons. The poem describes a tale of one man who made a noble effort to swim across the
Dardanelles strait from Abydos to Sestos inorder to be with his lover. This can be seen from the following lines in the poem:
"But since he crossed the rapid tide,
According to the doubful story,
To woo-and Lord knows what beside,
And swam for Love, as I for Glory." 1.
In contrast the poem "Stanzas Written in..." has talk of gloom and dejection in its theme. The protagonist seems to be in a
current state of dejection and outcast from society. No great feats of courage are being attempted here. Apparently the
protagonist seems to feel that success and prosperity have eluded him unlike the experience of others in society. An excerpt
from the poem can show this:
"Alas I have nor hope nor health,
Nor peace within nor calm around,
Nor that content surpassing wealth
The sage in meditation found,
And walked with inward glory crowned-
Nor fame, nor power, nor love, nor leisure.
Others I see whom these surround-
Smiling they live, and call life pleasure;
To me that cup has been dealt in another measure." 1.
A poetic element that can be observed from these two poems is that of -figures of speech. Both poems use metaphors,
however it is of my opinion that the poem "Written after Swimming..." contains both implied and explicit metaphors while the
poem "Stanzas Written..." contains mainly implied metaphors.
In Byron's poem, he spoke of the difference between the quests of the mythical Leander and compared with those of the
protagonist using these words in what I believe to be an explicit metaphore:
"But since he crossed the rapid tide,
According to the doubtful story,
(To woo-and -Lord knows what beside),
And swam for Love, as I for Glory;" 1.
An implicit metaphore was used to explain the results of the efforts of the two men who swam accross the Dardanelles strait seen from an excerpt from the poem:
"'Twere hard to say who fared the best:
Sad mortals! thus the gods still plague you!
(He lost his labor, I my jest);
For he was drowned, and I've the auge." 1.
The poem written by Byron appears to only feature explicit metaphors as compared to the poem written by Shelley. In
contrast the poem written by Shelley contains both explicit and implied metaphors and also endeavors to
compare and contrast the state of affairs of the protagonist with that of other more prosperous members of society, as seen
from lines 28-36 in the poem:
"Alas! I have nor hope nor health,
Nor peace within nor calm around,
(Nor that content surpassing wealth)
(The sage in meditation found),
And walked with inward glory crowned-
Nor fame, nor power, nor love, nor leisure.
Others I see whom these surround-
Smiling they live, and call life pleasure;
(To me that cup has been dealt in another measure)." 1.
Another theme from Byron's poem is the comparison of similar results experience by the two men in the poem as well as
the signifcance of those results. This can be contrasted with the theme from Shelley's poem which describes a comparison of
different realities as they are experienced from the point of view of the protagonist and that of the society that is described in
the poem. In Byron's poem, the two men attempted to cross the Dardanelles strait, but experienced different outcomes. One
of them-Leander-lost his life while the other, the protagonist, became ill. They experienced similar results because both of
them lost something from the effort. As explained in the poem:
"'Twere hard to say who fared the best;
Sad mortals! thus the gods still plague you!
He lost his labor, I my jest;
For he was drowned, and I've the ague." 1.
In Shelley's poem the author strives to show the difference between the reality of life as experienced by a seemingly dejected
protagonist as compared to members of the society at large that have appeared to have rejected him and consider him to be
an outcast. An excerpt from the poem can illuminate this:
"Nor fame, nor power, nor love, nor leisure.
Others I see whom these surround-
Smiling they live, and call life pleasure;
To me that cup has been dealt in another measure." 1.
There is an ample amount of imagery used in both poems. I believe that the imagery used in Shelley's poem was used
extensively to advance the meaning and the readers understanding of the poem. The use of imagery in this poem was also
much more extensive and prevalent as compared to Byron's poem and the images did connect to each other. Byron's poem
used imagery much more sparsely and I consider it to be much more decorative.
In Shelley's poem the author used imagery extensively in the first part to describe the breath-taking environment that the
protagonist was surrounded by and this was a good set-up to use for the later contrast with the protagonist's pitiable state
of life. An example of this use of imagery to explain the environment can be seen in the following lines:
"The sun is warm, the sky is clear,
the waves are dancing fast and bright,
Blue isles and snowy mountains wear
The purple noon's transparent might.
The breath of the moist earth is light,
Around its unexpanded buds;
Like many a voice of one delight,
The winds, the bird, the ocean floods,
The City's voice itself is soft like Solitude's." 1.
In Byron's poem the use of imagery is much more sparse and as I noted appears to be more decorative. The author was
explaing the custom of the mythical and love-struck Leander to cross the Dardanelles strait (or Hellespont), to visit his
girlfriend Hero. Byron described this and gave a description of the Hellespont in the following lines:
"If, when the wintry tempest roared,
He sped to Hero, nothing loath,
And thus of old thy current poured,
Fair Venus! how I pity both!" 1.
Another difference in themes between the two poems can be seen by the focus in the Shelley's poem on what appears to be
the vanity sometimes involved in the attempt to accomplish great endeavours by successful people, as compared to the
theme in Byrons poem which seems to focus on a portrait of a person rejected and outcast by society.
In Shelley's poem the author relates a story of two people who are very successful in their endeavours but who unfortunately
experience what could amount to moments of truth when it becomes apparent that their efforts might have been in vain and
could be regarded as mere vanity. An example of this can be seen in the following excerpt:
"If when the wintry tempest roared,
He sped to Hero, nothing loath,
And thus of old thy current poured.
fair Venus! how I pity both!
For me, degenerate modern wretch,
Though in the genial month of May,
dripping limbs I faintly stretch,
And think I've done a feat today." 1.
Comparing this to Byron's poem, the theme of this poem does not focus on two successful people who had their efforts end
ultimately in vain but on a seemingly unsuccessful person who appears to be an outcast from society and despised by other
members of the public. An excerpt from the poem can show this:
"Some might lament that I were cold,
As I, when this sweet day is gone,
Which my lost heart, too soon grown old,
Insults with this untimely moan;
They might lament-for I am one
Whom mwn love not-and yet regret,
Unlike this day, which, when the sun
Shall on its stainless glory set,
Will linger, though enjoyed, like joy in memory yet." 1.
When comparing the language used in two poems I believe that the diction used in Byron's poem is rather mixed being
neither casual or elevated completely, while that used in Shelley's poem is comparatively elevated. Byron's poem also seems
to have been written at some emotional distance while Shelley's poem appears to have been written in the midst of emotion.
An example of the mixed diction and relative emotional distance found in Byron's poem can be seen in the following excerpt:
"If in the month of dark December,
Leander, who was nightly wont
(What maid will not the tale remember?)
To cross thy stream, broad Hellespont!" 1.
When reading Shelley's poem in contrast one can notice the emotional investment of the author while describing the
circumstance of the protagonist. The diction used is also comparatively elevated as compared to Byron's poem. An example
of this can be seen from the poem:
"Some might lament that I were cold,
As I when this sweet day is gone,
Which my lost hear, too soon grown old,
Insults with this untimely moan;
they might lament-for I am one
Whom men love not-and yet regret,
Unlike this day, which, when the sun
Shall on its stainless glory set,
Will linger, though enjoyed, like joy in memory yet." 1.
It is possible to see from the foregoing that the poems "Written after Swimming from Sestos to Abydos" and "Stanzas
Written in Dejection, Near Naples," have several contrasts in themes and characteristics as well as the use of poetic elements
such as Figures of Speech, Images and Language.
WORKS CITED:
1. George Gordon, Lord Byron. "Written after Swimming from Sestos to Abydos". Ferguson, Salter and Stallworthy. 833-834.
Ferguson, Margaret; Mary Jo Salter and Jon Stallworthy,
The Norton Anthology of Poetry. New York: Noron, 2005.
Percy Bysshe Shelley. "Stanzas Written in Dejection, Near Naples." Ferguson, Salter and Stallworthy. 870-871.
from the Norton Anthology of Poetry and are authored by George Gordon, Lord Byron "Written after Swimming from Sestos to
Abydos," and Percy Bysshe Shelley "Stanzas Written in Dejection, Near Naples."
I will compare and contrast the themes of the two poems as well as the poetic elements used in the writing of the poems.
The poem entitled "Written after Swimming from Sestos to Abydos" possesses themes dealing with great endeavor,
comparison of different outcomes and the vanity sometimes associated with the effort to accomplish great feats. The poem
entitiled "Stanzas Written in Dejection" deals with themes concerning talk of gloom and dejection, comparism of different
realities experienced by different peoples in society and gives the portrait of a person seemingly rejected by society. Poetic
elements drawn from both poems that I will compare and contrast include Figures of speech, Images (sensory), and
Language.
Themes from the two poems "Written after Swimming from Sestos to Abydos" by George Gordon, Lord Byron and "Stanzas
Written in Dejection" by Percy Bysshe Shelley are very different. "Written after Swimming..." talks about great endeavor and
two men who reached out and took action to accomplish their goals--to cross from Europe to Asia Minor over the
Dardanelles strait for differing reasons. The poem describes a tale of one man who made a noble effort to swim across the
Dardanelles strait from Abydos to Sestos inorder to be with his lover. This can be seen from the following lines in the poem:
"But since he crossed the rapid tide,
According to the doubful story,
To woo-and Lord knows what beside,
And swam for Love, as I for Glory." 1.
In contrast the poem "Stanzas Written in..." has talk of gloom and dejection in its theme. The protagonist seems to be in a
current state of dejection and outcast from society. No great feats of courage are being attempted here. Apparently the
protagonist seems to feel that success and prosperity have eluded him unlike the experience of others in society. An excerpt
from the poem can show this:
"Alas I have nor hope nor health,
Nor peace within nor calm around,
Nor that content surpassing wealth
The sage in meditation found,
And walked with inward glory crowned-
Nor fame, nor power, nor love, nor leisure.
Others I see whom these surround-
Smiling they live, and call life pleasure;
To me that cup has been dealt in another measure." 1.
A poetic element that can be observed from these two poems is that of -figures of speech. Both poems use metaphors,
however it is of my opinion that the poem "Written after Swimming..." contains both implied and explicit metaphors while the
poem "Stanzas Written..." contains mainly implied metaphors.
In Byron's poem, he spoke of the difference between the quests of the mythical Leander and compared with those of the
protagonist using these words in what I believe to be an explicit metaphore:
"But since he crossed the rapid tide,
According to the doubtful story,
(To woo-and -Lord knows what beside),
And swam for Love, as I for Glory;" 1.
An implicit metaphore was used to explain the results of the efforts of the two men who swam accross the Dardanelles strait seen from an excerpt from the poem:
"'Twere hard to say who fared the best:
Sad mortals! thus the gods still plague you!
(He lost his labor, I my jest);
For he was drowned, and I've the auge." 1.
The poem written by Byron appears to only feature explicit metaphors as compared to the poem written by Shelley. In
contrast the poem written by Shelley contains both explicit and implied metaphors and also endeavors to
compare and contrast the state of affairs of the protagonist with that of other more prosperous members of society, as seen
from lines 28-36 in the poem:
"Alas! I have nor hope nor health,
Nor peace within nor calm around,
(Nor that content surpassing wealth)
(The sage in meditation found),
And walked with inward glory crowned-
Nor fame, nor power, nor love, nor leisure.
Others I see whom these surround-
Smiling they live, and call life pleasure;
(To me that cup has been dealt in another measure)." 1.
Another theme from Byron's poem is the comparison of similar results experience by the two men in the poem as well as
the signifcance of those results. This can be contrasted with the theme from Shelley's poem which describes a comparison of
different realities as they are experienced from the point of view of the protagonist and that of the society that is described in
the poem. In Byron's poem, the two men attempted to cross the Dardanelles strait, but experienced different outcomes. One
of them-Leander-lost his life while the other, the protagonist, became ill. They experienced similar results because both of
them lost something from the effort. As explained in the poem:
"'Twere hard to say who fared the best;
Sad mortals! thus the gods still plague you!
He lost his labor, I my jest;
For he was drowned, and I've the ague." 1.
In Shelley's poem the author strives to show the difference between the reality of life as experienced by a seemingly dejected
protagonist as compared to members of the society at large that have appeared to have rejected him and consider him to be
an outcast. An excerpt from the poem can illuminate this:
"Nor fame, nor power, nor love, nor leisure.
Others I see whom these surround-
Smiling they live, and call life pleasure;
To me that cup has been dealt in another measure." 1.
There is an ample amount of imagery used in both poems. I believe that the imagery used in Shelley's poem was used
extensively to advance the meaning and the readers understanding of the poem. The use of imagery in this poem was also
much more extensive and prevalent as compared to Byron's poem and the images did connect to each other. Byron's poem
used imagery much more sparsely and I consider it to be much more decorative.
In Shelley's poem the author used imagery extensively in the first part to describe the breath-taking environment that the
protagonist was surrounded by and this was a good set-up to use for the later contrast with the protagonist's pitiable state
of life. An example of this use of imagery to explain the environment can be seen in the following lines:
"The sun is warm, the sky is clear,
the waves are dancing fast and bright,
Blue isles and snowy mountains wear
The purple noon's transparent might.
The breath of the moist earth is light,
Around its unexpanded buds;
Like many a voice of one delight,
The winds, the bird, the ocean floods,
The City's voice itself is soft like Solitude's." 1.
In Byron's poem the use of imagery is much more sparse and as I noted appears to be more decorative. The author was
explaing the custom of the mythical and love-struck Leander to cross the Dardanelles strait (or Hellespont), to visit his
girlfriend Hero. Byron described this and gave a description of the Hellespont in the following lines:
"If, when the wintry tempest roared,
He sped to Hero, nothing loath,
And thus of old thy current poured,
Fair Venus! how I pity both!" 1.
Another difference in themes between the two poems can be seen by the focus in the Shelley's poem on what appears to be
the vanity sometimes involved in the attempt to accomplish great endeavours by successful people, as compared to the
theme in Byrons poem which seems to focus on a portrait of a person rejected and outcast by society.
In Shelley's poem the author relates a story of two people who are very successful in their endeavours but who unfortunately
experience what could amount to moments of truth when it becomes apparent that their efforts might have been in vain and
could be regarded as mere vanity. An example of this can be seen in the following excerpt:
"If when the wintry tempest roared,
He sped to Hero, nothing loath,
And thus of old thy current poured.
fair Venus! how I pity both!
For me, degenerate modern wretch,
Though in the genial month of May,
dripping limbs I faintly stretch,
And think I've done a feat today." 1.
Comparing this to Byron's poem, the theme of this poem does not focus on two successful people who had their efforts end
ultimately in vain but on a seemingly unsuccessful person who appears to be an outcast from society and despised by other
members of the public. An excerpt from the poem can show this:
"Some might lament that I were cold,
As I, when this sweet day is gone,
Which my lost heart, too soon grown old,
Insults with this untimely moan;
They might lament-for I am one
Whom mwn love not-and yet regret,
Unlike this day, which, when the sun
Shall on its stainless glory set,
Will linger, though enjoyed, like joy in memory yet." 1.
When comparing the language used in two poems I believe that the diction used in Byron's poem is rather mixed being
neither casual or elevated completely, while that used in Shelley's poem is comparatively elevated. Byron's poem also seems
to have been written at some emotional distance while Shelley's poem appears to have been written in the midst of emotion.
An example of the mixed diction and relative emotional distance found in Byron's poem can be seen in the following excerpt:
"If in the month of dark December,
Leander, who was nightly wont
(What maid will not the tale remember?)
To cross thy stream, broad Hellespont!" 1.
When reading Shelley's poem in contrast one can notice the emotional investment of the author while describing the
circumstance of the protagonist. The diction used is also comparatively elevated as compared to Byron's poem. An example
of this can be seen from the poem:
"Some might lament that I were cold,
As I when this sweet day is gone,
Which my lost hear, too soon grown old,
Insults with this untimely moan;
they might lament-for I am one
Whom men love not-and yet regret,
Unlike this day, which, when the sun
Shall on its stainless glory set,
Will linger, though enjoyed, like joy in memory yet." 1.
It is possible to see from the foregoing that the poems "Written after Swimming from Sestos to Abydos" and "Stanzas
Written in Dejection, Near Naples," have several contrasts in themes and characteristics as well as the use of poetic elements
such as Figures of Speech, Images and Language.
WORKS CITED:
1. George Gordon, Lord Byron. "Written after Swimming from Sestos to Abydos". Ferguson, Salter and Stallworthy. 833-834.
Ferguson, Margaret; Mary Jo Salter and Jon Stallworthy,
The Norton Anthology of Poetry. New York: Noron, 2005.
Percy Bysshe Shelley. "Stanzas Written in Dejection, Near Naples." Ferguson, Salter and Stallworthy. 870-871.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
USE OF FREE VERSE IN POEMS
The poems that I will discuss, use free-verse in the structure and I believe there are a few reasons why the author chose to use this form. The poems that I will discuss include "Danse Russe," and "This is just to say," by William Carlos Williams.
The poem "Danse Russe" by Williams portrays a man dancing naked in his room (while his family sleeps) declaring and reiterating his guardianship of his household. The lines in the poem are self explanatory and end just in time to make the point in the phrase as well as prepare the reader for continued explanation of meaning in the line to follow. An example can be seen in the following excerpts from the poem:
If I in my north room
dance naked, grotesquely
before my mirror...
and singing softly to myself:
"I am lonely, lonely'
I was born to be lonely.
I am best so!"...
Who shall say I am not
the happy genius of my household?
In the poem "This is just to say" by Williams, it portrays the protagonist eating someone else's plums. Each line possesses great and strong meaning on its own. No ryhme scheme or metrical pattern is needed or necessarily desirable. The significance of each line to the relaying of the story encourages the reader to really look at the sentences or phrases and get their impact. An example of this can be seen from an excerpt from the poem:
I have eaten
the plums..
you were probably
saving
for breakfast
Forgive me
they were delicious
I believe that the author's use of free-verse and not metrical patterns or a rhyming scheme is appropriate for these poems.
The poem "Danse Russe" by Williams portrays a man dancing naked in his room (while his family sleeps) declaring and reiterating his guardianship of his household. The lines in the poem are self explanatory and end just in time to make the point in the phrase as well as prepare the reader for continued explanation of meaning in the line to follow. An example can be seen in the following excerpts from the poem:
If I in my north room
dance naked, grotesquely
before my mirror...
and singing softly to myself:
"I am lonely, lonely'
I was born to be lonely.
I am best so!"...
Who shall say I am not
the happy genius of my household?
In the poem "This is just to say" by Williams, it portrays the protagonist eating someone else's plums. Each line possesses great and strong meaning on its own. No ryhme scheme or metrical pattern is needed or necessarily desirable. The significance of each line to the relaying of the story encourages the reader to really look at the sentences or phrases and get their impact. An example of this can be seen from an excerpt from the poem:
I have eaten
the plums..
you were probably
saving
for breakfast
Forgive me
they were delicious
I believe that the author's use of free-verse and not metrical patterns or a rhyming scheme is appropriate for these poems.
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