"I will put Chaos into 14 lines"

Edna St. Vincent Millay's "I will put Chaos into 14 lines" sonnet is very vague on the surface. If you dig deeper, there could be a variety of interpretations. One interpretation is that this sonnet could be about a man. 'Him' is referred to constantly throughout the sonnet. If you go with that theory, then the sonnet would be about a relationship with the man who seems chaotic to the narrator. The 'I' is trying desperately to make some sense of 'him'. Her goal is to 'make him good' (14). That is only one possible argument, which could be argued, based on textual clues. The more likely interpretation is that this sonnet is about writing a sonnet. What helps lead the reader to that conclusion is evidence from the first line: "I will put Chaos into fourteen lines" (1). 'Fourteen lines' is typically the length of a sonnet, and this particular sonnet is 14 lines. Now that we know what this particular sonnet is about, what does Millay have to say about writing sonnets and how does she say it? These questions will be explored in this paper. The first step is to look at the sonnet structure itself. This is a Petrarchan sonnet and follows the typical structure for this form. There is an octave, sestet and there is a rhyming scheme. The octave follows the typical rhyming scheme of ABBAABBA. The rhyme scheme in the sestet is CDCDCD and is a variation to the typical rhyme scheme. "What

  • Word count: 1042
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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"In Mrs. Tilscher's Class" by Carol Ann Duffy deals with one central theme. The theme of growing up is the main idea within the poem and is repeatedly imprinted throughout the poet's childhood

In Mrs. Tilscher's Class "In Mrs. Tilscher's Class" by Carol Ann Duffy deals with one central theme. The theme of growing up is the main idea within the poem and is repeatedly imprinted throughout the poet's childhood. This theme leads on to the more abstract idea of the child already maturing into a great poet. Her mind's eye is unbounded as she transforms her classroom into a place of riches and resides in her own world of imagination. Written improbably through the 2nd person viewpoint, the poem expresses these ideas personally to the reader, hence allowing us to empathise with the poet. The poet is able to recall several aspects of her primary school days, and is consequently able to paint a picture of her memories from the viewpoint of a young child. The writer not only conveys an inviting warm atmosphere of a 1960's classroom, but also unveils a liberal outlook to her childhood. A colourful classroom with numerous displays is made known to the reader: "The classroom glowed like a sweet shop." The classroom is made into a place of riches with this visual simile, used to radiate wonders of the child's mind. The word "glowed" in this line is a metaphor all on its own. The metaphor allows the reader to visualise the sweetshop gleaming due to the light refracting through the glass jars and translucent sweets. The poet can also bring to mind the teacher's

  • Word count: 2352
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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"in the park"

Gwen Harwood's "in the park" Gwen Harwood's "In the park" is a poem about a lonely woman sitting in a park with her children, while a man she once loved passes by. The poem is set in Petrarchan sonnet form, with the first eight lines showing us the woman's trouble and problem. However in the last six lines we see that the woman and this man will never re ignite, the last lines offer the solution to the problem. The title in this poem is very plain and almost reflects the woman and her life. Harwood begins the poem with an image of a poor woman with "out of date" clothes; this is a powerful impression on the reader as it immediately states that she is probably poor. The woman's children "whine and bicker" which shows us that she may have lost interest in her children and is not giving them enough attention as they "tug her skirt". Another child is very bored with herself that is shown through drawing "aimless patterns in the dirt", this notion of boredom reflects directly on the life on the disheartened woman. The last line is very important, it shows us that that the woman has no self-confidence and no will to change things either. The line also shows the reader that she once had a real relationship with a man. The enjambment over the first to second stanza creates a wonderful effect as the reader sees it as "too late" to do anything but if one was to read on they would

  • Word count: 698
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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"It has been said that all war poetry is violent and depressing. By looking at poems before and after 1900 see if you agree or disagree with this view." Use at least 2 poems by the same author

"It has been said that all war poetry is violent and depressing. By looking at poems before and after 1900 see if you agree or disagree with this view." Use at least 2 poems by the same author In this essay I will be analyzing the title question and find out what my view is on the opinion that all war poetry is violent and depressing. I will be studying two poems by William Shakespeare and two poems by Wilfred Owen; this will incorporate pre-1900 poetry and post-1900 poetry in my essay by using these two poets. I will also add in any quotes from other war poetry, which I feel is relevant to this essay. Firstly, I will analyze the two poems by Shakespeare, which I have chosen, Henry V at the siege of Harfleur and Before Agincourt. The first Shakespeare poem I will be studying is Henry V at the siege of Harfleur. This poem is a speech made by Henry V during the battle of Harfleur. It is a speech, which is meant to spur the troops to victory, and also it is a very patriotic poem. The poem is all about making England and fathers proud so the king is trying to convince the army not to be scared; what do the soldiers have to be scared about? Death, although it is not talked about so the violent part of war is avoided. The poem/speech is spontaneous and frantic as it is an attempt to rally the troops for a final push. The poem implies that the battle is in course because in the

  • Word count: 1455
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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"Man for the field and woman for the hearth, man for the sword and for the needle she, man with the head and woman with the heart, man to command and women to obey" to what extent does Tennyson's poetry conform to these gender stereotypes?

"Man for the field and woman for the hearth, man for the sword and for the needle she, man with the head and woman with the heart, man to command and women to obey" to what extent does Tennyson's poetry conform to these gender stereotypes? Lord Alfred Tennyson was one of the best poets of the 19th century, his works inspiring writers even today. Tennyson uses a lot of his own experience and beliefs in his poems; it is probable that they were his medium for spreading his 'message'. One of his poems, Ulysses, tells of a brave King of Ithaca, Ulysses (also known as Odysseus) who lead the Cephallenians against Troy. Ulysses is very much a figure of masculinity, he is a brave warrior king who has travelled the oceans and is an important icon in Greek mythology. In this poem Ulysses tells of how he yearns for more adventure and finally decides to make one last voyage in search of a "newer world", he is old and it is implied that he will not return alive. As well as being adventurous and brave Ulysses takes great pride in leaving his son his kingship, "This is my son Telemachus, To whom I leave the sceptre and the isle-", it is quite stereotypical of a man to want his first born son to rule after him. The only mention of Ulysses' wife is "Match'd with an aged wife," which is hardly a positive comment, she is female and therefore is nothing to do with Ulysses' adventures and deeds,

  • Word count: 977
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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The Tollund Man

Becki Lee The Tollund Man Coursework The Tollund Man is one of Europe's best-known bog bodies. He was found, alongside The Grauballe Man in the early 1950s. Bog bodies recovered from the past are quite wide spread throughout Northern Europe, especially in Denmark, Germany and Ireland. The peat perfectly preserves the bodies due to anaerobic conditions, although the bodies are found blackened, their fingertips, hair and clothing are all still intact. Seamus Heaney uses the bog bodies in his poetry to "uncover, in their meditations, a history of Ireland's conquest, first by Viking's and later by the English". 'Tollund Man' opens quietly and effectively like Glob's initial description, "an evocative and poetic prose", and it is mirrored by the structure of quatrains which is divided into three sections. The first verse is mostly monosyllabic, 'some day I will...to see his peat...' making the words sound hard, which sets the scene as it is a serious subject. There is also no repetition of vowels or consonants which shows a lack in fluency. The repetition of p in the words 'peat' and 'pods' makes the verse sound very pronounced. Moreover, the smallness of his head is defined by the short i's and alliterated p's of the monosyllabic words in the first verse. "The balance of the initial and final p's in the fourth line seals the

  • Word count: 1209
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Choose three contrasting poems that you feel show the difference in the attitudes and experiences of those people who were part of World War One. Analyse them in relation to how they demonstrate the experiences and feelings towards war at the time.

Choose three contrasting poems that you feel show the difference in the attitudes and experiences of those people who were part of World War One. Analyse them in relation to how they demonstrate the experiences and feelings towards war at the time. The three poets that I am choosing to write about are, Wilfred Owen, Thomas Hardy, and Rupert Brooke. The reason that the three poems contrast is the tone and content of the poem. Rupert Brooke had idealistic views of the war; his poems were seen as moral support for the soldiers. Siegfried Sassoon's poems showed the realistic view of the war, the brutal truth. Thomas Hardy is more unique than the other two writers he wrote about idealistic views, but he never actually went to war, he never had the first hand knowledge that the other two poets had, his poetry was speculation and imagination. In my essay I will analyse a poem from each poet and try to demonstrate the feelings, emotions and experiences towards war. Siegfried Sassoon's 'Suicide in the Trenches' is written realistically in its views of the war. Sassoon had been born into English aristocracy and privilege and was educated in England's finest universities. When WWI broke out, Sassoon enlisted in the army and distinguished himself as an officer. Within a short time, however, his attitude about the war changed as a result of the brutality he witnessed in the

  • Word count: 1983
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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"The Charge of the Light Brigade" by Alfred Tennyson - War Poetry

War Poetry Coursework, By Matthew Stronge. War Poetry is written to express a writers feelings towards war in general. Some writers express total glorification of the war, while others convey the inanity of confrontation. One of the poems that I have studied "The Charge of the Light Brigade" by Alfred Tennyson is a poem that tells of a 19th century battle between the British and the Russians during the Crimean War in Russia. During this war, Great Britain, France, and Turkey were fighting against Russia. This battle was particularly disturbing because the lightly armored British, obviously misled, charges a line of heavily armed Russian artillery unit. The poem describes how many soldiers died due to a mistake made by a commander, a message was perceived incorrectly, and many died. They all charged straight into the centre of the Russian artillery unit, and two thirds of them were massacred in minutes. The remaining soldiers managed to realize the mistake and retreat quickly. The poem seems to describe the heroism and patriotism of the soldiers... Although many died because of an obtuse mistake. Repetition is an important element of poetry. "Rode the six hundred," shows the importance of the soldiers as a unit (stanza 1). A small group of soldiers like these must be elite. Only six hundred men of the British army were lucky enough to be part of this special force. "Cannon

  • Word count: 2016
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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What do you understand by the term “Total war”?

What do you understand by the term "Total war"? Total war is a term that till the 20th century had never been in use or practiced. Total War is the total engagement of a nation's economic, social, cultural, and political capital in the war. Till world war one wars had only occurred on the battlefields. Wars were only head to head collisions of bloodshed and casualties. Wars had till then never involved people at home. The last century of the millennium was to change that. 'Total war was the organization or mobilization of all sectors of society to support the war efforts. As a result of this mobilization of the civilian population, the term 'home front' came to be used to describe the domestic scene.' World war one involved both the war front, but also, for the first time, the home front. All elements of this total war are connected. The First World War was fought using enormous amounts of materials including weaponry, ammunition and transport vehicles, but also millions of men. This in turn led to involvement on the civilian population on the home front. It was no longer possible to relay on supplies. Further mass production of equipment, weapons, ammunition, transport and food was necessary to continue the military struggle. A problem occurred when insufficient amounts of men where present to continue to work. Both in England and in Germany, men where in the fronts and

  • Word count: 1128
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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How far does the poetry of Wilfred Owen break new ground in the tradition of war poetry?

How far does the poetry of Wilfred Owen break new ground in the tradition of war poetry? Before the First World War, war poetry was written by non-combatants, whether it was for or against war. Wilfred Owen was one of the first to break this tradition. He went to war so he was writing from experience. A lot of soldiers before the First World War were illiterate, so they could not convey their emotions in poetry. World War One was the first time when literate men joined up. Their experiences in the trenches were expressed in their anti-war poetry. Wilfred Owen was in France when war broke out, so he returned to England and volunteered to be an army officer. He was back in France at the end of 1916 in the Somme sector. In spring 1917, he took part in the attack on the Hindenberg Line, near St. Quentin. A huge shell burst near him, giving him shell shock. He wrote a letter to his mother in May 1917, which said, "Suffer dishonour and disgrace, but never resort to arms. Be bullied, be outraged, be killed, but do not kill". The war had obviously had a severe impact on him. He was treated for shell shock at Craiglockhart Hospital in Edinburgh where he wrote poems for therapy. Craiglockhart was a hospital for soldiers with war trauma. It was there, in August 1917, that he met Sassoon, a much more distinguished and renowned poet, who encouraged him to write poems. Many men died in

  • Word count: 1798
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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