"...I would
Love you ten years before the Flood,
And you should, if you please, refuse
Till the conversion of the Jews."
The speaker in this poem is an older man and he has set his sights on a much younger woman. He is trying to express to her his great love for her by saying that if death did not exist and they had all the time in the world, he would spend it all praising her beauty and greatness. He would have loved her for all of eternity, even before the Flood, and she could refuse him for a long time. His love would not fade, though. He would spend years upon years telling her the beauty of each aspect of her appearance. And, he would spend ages upon those qualities which make up her personality, her heart being last because it is the greatest and most important. He says that she deserves all this praise and glorification before anyone he would even try to physically be with her. However, they don't have all the time in the world. He says that they must use the time they have been given and not waste it on coyness. The speakers tone is mostly lustful and desiring. He is praising this woman that he greatly craves so that she will give in to him.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Symbolism: Hazel Tells LaVerne
"an i hitsm with my mop
an has ta flush
the toilet down three times
me
a princess"
On the surface of the poem, the reader recognizes a somewhat humorous tone. The story told of a hotel maid beating down and flushing a talking frog who has promised her that he can make her a princess is funny to consider. However, the real symbolism in the poem is that of the frog as the maids aspirations. It seems as ridiculous to her that she could be anything more than a hotel maid as it is to consider the fact that kissing a frog that hopped out of a toilet might make one into a princess. She has no confidence in becoming anything more than a hotel maid. She really has no confidence in herself at all. In fact, she considers it completely ridiculous to even believe that she could ever be a princess. She has become so comfortable in this hard-working and defensive lifestyle that she doesn't even dare to imagine anything else. She's almost become scared of change. But, the ending line of the poem that says "me a princess" almost gives the feeling that she imagines it for a moment after her speech has concluded. She lets herself dream for a bit. But, she doesn't really feel that she is good enough to be a princess or anything of the sort that is better than the lifestyle she already leads.
an has ta flush
the toilet down three times
me
a princess"
On the surface of the poem, the reader recognizes a somewhat humorous tone. The story told of a hotel maid beating down and flushing a talking frog who has promised her that he can make her a princess is funny to consider. However, the real symbolism in the poem is that of the frog as the maids aspirations. It seems as ridiculous to her that she could be anything more than a hotel maid as it is to consider the fact that kissing a frog that hopped out of a toilet might make one into a princess. She has no confidence in becoming anything more than a hotel maid. She really has no confidence in herself at all. In fact, she considers it completely ridiculous to even believe that she could ever be a princess. She has become so comfortable in this hard-working and defensive lifestyle that she doesn't even dare to imagine anything else. She's almost become scared of change. But, the ending line of the poem that says "me a princess" almost gives the feeling that she imagines it for a moment after her speech has concluded. She lets herself dream for a bit. But, she doesn't really feel that she is good enough to be a princess or anything of the sort that is better than the lifestyle she already leads.
Allegory: Dover Beach
"The Sea of Faith
Was once, too, at the full, and round earth's shore
Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled.
But now I only hear
It's melancholy, long, withdrawing roar..."
The author of this poem expresses his feelings on science and religion through the speaker's view of the ocean and nature. The sea symbolizes the world. As it washes upon the shore when the writer is listening, he hears the repetitive sound of the misery of humankind. This is caused by science and its destruction of faith in God and believing in his power. The speaker says that there was once goodness in the world when the Sea of Faith washed upon the earth's shore, and it was beautiful. This was before science and when people trusted in God. But now, men don't believe in love or feelings; they believe in science. the the world lacks the joy, love, and light that it once possessed. The author doesn't understand how people could so easily abandon God. He himself only has to look at the ocean, the stars, and the wonderful land forms around him to feel God's presence. He asks the question how can Darwin support evolution when "the cliffs of England stand glimmering and vast" and how can Lamarck have supposed this theory when "on the French coast the light gleams". To the author, these are proof that God must exist, and he is sad that humanity has gone so far astray.
Was once, too, at the full, and round earth's shore
Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled.
But now I only hear
It's melancholy, long, withdrawing roar..."
The author of this poem expresses his feelings on science and religion through the speaker's view of the ocean and nature. The sea symbolizes the world. As it washes upon the shore when the writer is listening, he hears the repetitive sound of the misery of humankind. This is caused by science and its destruction of faith in God and believing in his power. The speaker says that there was once goodness in the world when the Sea of Faith washed upon the earth's shore, and it was beautiful. This was before science and when people trusted in God. But now, men don't believe in love or feelings; they believe in science. the the world lacks the joy, love, and light that it once possessed. The author doesn't understand how people could so easily abandon God. He himself only has to look at the ocean, the stars, and the wonderful land forms around him to feel God's presence. He asks the question how can Darwin support evolution when "the cliffs of England stand glimmering and vast" and how can Lamarck have supposed this theory when "on the French coast the light gleams". To the author, these are proof that God must exist, and he is sad that humanity has gone so far astray.
Mood: The Apparition
"And then, poor aspen wretch, neglected, thou,
Bathed in a cold quicksilver sweat, wilt lie
A verier ghost than I."
The atmosphere conveyed by the author's diction in this poem is somewhat frightening and threatening. The speaker in the poem is a man who is in love with a woman who constantly rejects him, and he is bitter for that reason. He even resents her for it and believes it will be the death of him. But he says that even in death he will not leave her alone. When she is lying in another man's arms believing she is safe, he will come back and haunt her. This new man will not respond to her cries, and she will be left alone to face the words of this rejected lover. She will be terrified by his mere presence, and his words will only make it worse. However, he does not want to reveal what he will say to her in that moment for fear that it may not scare her anymore. And, he doesn't even want to threaten her anymore because it makes her less at fault for his situation. It is safe to say that the speaker both loves and hates this woman that he so desperately seeks. He loves her enough to keep going after her day after day knowing that she will never love him, but he also must hate her enough to want to haunt her after death and make her feel absolute guilt and fear.
Bathed in a cold quicksilver sweat, wilt lie
A verier ghost than I."
The atmosphere conveyed by the author's diction in this poem is somewhat frightening and threatening. The speaker in the poem is a man who is in love with a woman who constantly rejects him, and he is bitter for that reason. He even resents her for it and believes it will be the death of him. But he says that even in death he will not leave her alone. When she is lying in another man's arms believing she is safe, he will come back and haunt her. This new man will not respond to her cries, and she will be left alone to face the words of this rejected lover. She will be terrified by his mere presence, and his words will only make it worse. However, he does not want to reveal what he will say to her in that moment for fear that it may not scare her anymore. And, he doesn't even want to threaten her anymore because it makes her less at fault for his situation. It is safe to say that the speaker both loves and hates this woman that he so desperately seeks. He loves her enough to keep going after her day after day knowing that she will never love him, but he also must hate her enough to want to haunt her after death and make her feel absolute guilt and fear.
Syntax: My mistress' eyes
"I grant I never saw a goddess go, --
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare."
The author's use of inverted sentences really adds to the artistic value of this poem. The speaker compares his lover to a variety of different common objects, but he states that his lover does not even possess the beautiful qualities that these objects have. Her eyes are not bright like the sun, nor are her lips red like coral, and she doesn't have good smelling breath either. It seems at first that the speaker must be completely repulsed by his lover. He is describing her in such a negative way. But, the truth is the opposite. He admires her dearly and believes she is at least as beautiful and fair smelling and lively as any woman. She is equally good. The real point that the speaker is trying to prove is that when people describe their lovers as having the most beautiful white skin, the reddest lips, the voice of an angel, and rosy cheeks, there is at least some hint of exaggeration. These types of people don't exist. The author puts forth the point that his lover does not need all these traits and he doesn't need to lie and say that she has them. He knows her real value, and he doesn't have to exaggerate it.
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare."
The author's use of inverted sentences really adds to the artistic value of this poem. The speaker compares his lover to a variety of different common objects, but he states that his lover does not even possess the beautiful qualities that these objects have. Her eyes are not bright like the sun, nor are her lips red like coral, and she doesn't have good smelling breath either. It seems at first that the speaker must be completely repulsed by his lover. He is describing her in such a negative way. But, the truth is the opposite. He admires her dearly and believes she is at least as beautiful and fair smelling and lively as any woman. She is equally good. The real point that the speaker is trying to prove is that when people describe their lovers as having the most beautiful white skin, the reddest lips, the voice of an angel, and rosy cheeks, there is at least some hint of exaggeration. These types of people don't exist. The author puts forth the point that his lover does not need all these traits and he doesn't need to lie and say that she has them. He knows her real value, and he doesn't have to exaggerate it.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Satire: Mr. Z
"Not one false note was struck-- until he died:
His subtly grieving widow could have flayed
The obit writers, ringing crude changes on a clumsy phrase:
'One of the most distinguished members of his race.'"
This poem was both somewhat sad and somewhat angering to me. While I feel bad for Mr. Z who lives in a society where he is looked down upon for what he is, another part of me wants to scold him for not even trying to make a difference. He completely relinquished his entire background and person for social acceptance, which is something that many people do which angers me. However, the poet uses the story of Mr. Z in order to satirize society for its lack of vision beyond skin color. Mr. Z played the perfect part of a white man. He gave up all cultural associations that he had with the African American community and rather adopted white culture. He clung to the "Anglo-Saxonized" ground rather than that of his own race. He strove to be as "white" as he possible could and even considered the status of the woman he married so that he may not even be judged by that. But, even through all his efforts, through all his accomplishments and every assimilation to white society that was possible for him, in his death, he was only seen as an accomplished black man. He was not just a distinguished member of society but rather "one of the most distinguished of his race".
His subtly grieving widow could have flayed
The obit writers, ringing crude changes on a clumsy phrase:
'One of the most distinguished members of his race.'"
This poem was both somewhat sad and somewhat angering to me. While I feel bad for Mr. Z who lives in a society where he is looked down upon for what he is, another part of me wants to scold him for not even trying to make a difference. He completely relinquished his entire background and person for social acceptance, which is something that many people do which angers me. However, the poet uses the story of Mr. Z in order to satirize society for its lack of vision beyond skin color. Mr. Z played the perfect part of a white man. He gave up all cultural associations that he had with the African American community and rather adopted white culture. He clung to the "Anglo-Saxonized" ground rather than that of his own race. He strove to be as "white" as he possible could and even considered the status of the woman he married so that he may not even be judged by that. But, even through all his efforts, through all his accomplishments and every assimilation to white society that was possible for him, in his death, he was only seen as an accomplished black man. He was not just a distinguished member of society but rather "one of the most distinguished of his race".
Dramatic Irony: APO96225
"So the next time he wrote, the young man said,
'Today I killed a man. Yesterday, I helped drop napalm
on women and children.'"
This one particular statement in the poem is the central idea that is communicated. The entire poem consists of a mother trying to relate to her boy at war, but he knows she can't handle it. In order to prove it to her, he writes her one letter that tells her the truth of what is actually going on, and consequently she becomes very upset. The poem communicates both a negative and positive aspect of the world. While it states that war is horrible, unjust, and cruel, it also effects the idea that we as Americans are lucky to live in a country where war doesn't occur on the home front, and we are not subject to the awful sights that accompany it. We all like to believe that we are more emotional sturdy than we actually are. Before the mother is presented with the actual occurrences of war, her mind and perception of the concept tell her that she can handle whatever her son needs to relate to her. She wants to be there for him, and she believes she is strong enough. But in reality, the truth is that no one is ready for the reality of war. Some people are just forced into it because it is necessary, but no one is actually ever ready for it.
'Today I killed a man. Yesterday, I helped drop napalm
on women and children.'"
This one particular statement in the poem is the central idea that is communicated. The entire poem consists of a mother trying to relate to her boy at war, but he knows she can't handle it. In order to prove it to her, he writes her one letter that tells her the truth of what is actually going on, and consequently she becomes very upset. The poem communicates both a negative and positive aspect of the world. While it states that war is horrible, unjust, and cruel, it also effects the idea that we as Americans are lucky to live in a country where war doesn't occur on the home front, and we are not subject to the awful sights that accompany it. We all like to believe that we are more emotional sturdy than we actually are. Before the mother is presented with the actual occurrences of war, her mind and perception of the concept tell her that she can handle whatever her son needs to relate to her. She wants to be there for him, and she believes she is strong enough. But in reality, the truth is that no one is ready for the reality of war. Some people are just forced into it because it is necessary, but no one is actually ever ready for it.
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