This balance of opposing elements, or contradictions, is a main theme in two famous Romantic works: "She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways," by Wordsworth and "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," by Coleridge.
The Romantic Era was a time when people embraced imagination, emotion, and freedom - quite a contrast to the preceding Neoclassic Era, which emphasized the values of reason, judgment, and authority. The values of the so-called Romantics are embodied in the poetry which developed during the period. Romantic poets, such as William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, composed poetry filled with passion and intense emotion. Both poets also incorporated into their works two elements which came to exemplify Romantic poetry: an intense love of nature, in which man interacts and becomes unified with nature, and, as Coleridge stated, "the balance or reconciliation of opposite or discordant elements or qualities." This balance of opposing elements, or contradictions, is a main theme in two famous Romantic works: "She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways," one of Wordsworth's renowned "Lucy Poems", and "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," a literary ballad by Coleridge. The first contradiction in Wordsworth's poem is present both in the title and in the very first line, which read similarly "She [Lucy] dwelt among the untrodden ways." Observe the words "dwelt" and "untrodden" - a dwelling place is a home, and a home is something familiar and welcoming. An "untrodden way" is something unfamiliar and strange - in fact, it is almost the exact opposite of a home, or a dwelling. Lucy, however,
Women are dismissed as insignificant in both the poetry of Larkin and Eliot. How far do you agree with this view?
Victoria Hughes “Women are dismissed as insignificant in both the poetry of Larkin and Eliot.” How far do you agree with this view? On the surface, the observations that Eliot and Larkin make about women in their poems suggests that they are predominantly disinterested towards them, shown in their cynicism, cruel language and the objectification of women personas. But this is only the view if you are looking at the women as literal representations of themselves. In many of the poems the women are used symbolically as a way of communicating larger messages more easily, and allowing them to be portrayed in a way which is understandable and relatable to the reader, such as directly using the voice and thoughts of a persona, or the setting in which they stand. Eliot and Larkin both explore the theme of the degradation of sex and the corruption of relationships that exist between human beings. In doing this, both poets portray women as objects that are victims of society’s exploitation, used purely for lustful and seedy encounters. Eliot’s Wasteland is amongst other things a critique on sexuality, exploring this corruption of sex, introduced first in A Game of Chess, and extending to The Fire Sermon. In A Game of Chess, Eliot parodies Cleopatra in the opening, to use as a contrast between the erotic, natural and regal Cleopatra and the “synthetic” and oppressive
The lives and works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Emily Dickinson may be different in many ways, but there are existential treads that bind these two people together by similarities.
Gosse Kaitlyn Gosse English II Honors Ms. Woods 24 January 2012 Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Emily Dickinson The lives and works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Emily Dickinson may be different in many ways, but there are existential treads that bind these two people together by similarities. Elizabeth Browning became famous while she was alive and was very influential opposed to Emily Dickinson who became famous for her poems after she died. In the eighteenth century two of the finest poets; Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Emily Dickinson are two people who are close in certain aspects but completely different individuals. Thus, looking deeper into each individual’s lives and works will give us a better perception on these two poets. The Victorian poet “Elizabeth Barrett Browning was born in 1806, March 6th Durham, England, and was the oldest child out of twelve children” (“Elizabeth Barrett Browning”). “Elizabeth’s father, Edward Barrett, was a businessman who was very wealthy from many sugar plantations in Jamaica” (“Elizabeth Barrett Browning”). As a child, Elizabeth wrote her first earliest known poem for her mother’s birthday and for her fifteenth birthday; her father had one of her poems privately printed. This poem was “The Battle of Marathon” (“Elizabeth Barrett Browning”). “Elizabeth experienced her first sorrow in 1828 when
Plath and Hughes wrote their last collections for different reasons, different audiences; there are no comparisons to be drawn between Ariel and Birthday Letters. Discuss.
It is reasonable to read the two collections and immediately come to the conclusion that they are two separate pieces of work, as each collection appears to be written for different audiences and reasons. Ted writing his work as a reaction to Sylvia’s poems, with no intention of seeking fame or even an audience. In fact his book did not meet the wants of the public at all, expecting an insight about the role he played in Sylvia Plath’s suicide or, failing that, some insight into why she did what she did. However what they received was quite different, his first poem “Fulbright scholars” being a reflection on Hughes’ first impression of the young American scholars including Plath. The very start of the poem opens with a rhetorical question “ Where was it, in the Strand” suggesting uncertainty as to the location of the newspaper display. Not quite a sweeping insight to the death of Sylvia, the poem being more of middle finger to every critic. Ted’s rejection to the public’s wants can be seen in a review in the New York Observer. The article expressing his views on Birthday letters. He tells us “So that’s it ? Readers have waited three and a half decades to hear Ted Hughes make the earth shaking revelation that he left Sylvia Plath because she was disturbed by upsetting memories of her father ? What an anti-climax.” This confirming my previous point,
Through the three texts La Belle Dame sans Merci, Lamia and The lady of Shalott by John Keats and Alfred Tennyson respectively, we see the different representations of women
Winfred Freeman 07/11/12 Representation of Women Write about some of the ways characters are created in the three texts you have studied. (42 marks) Through the three texts ‘La Belle Dame sans Merci’, ‘Lamia’ and ‘The lady of Shalott’ by John Keats and Alfred Tennyson respectively, we see the different representations of women; ranging from Keats’ hostile and misogynistic representation of women to Tennyson’s sympathetic yet somewhat limited representation of women. In ‘La Belle Dame sans Merci’, as indicated by the title, Keats instantly casts women as unremorseful and without compassion. As soon as the first three lines, we can quickly ascertain that something is askew; a knight – symbolic of power, valour and gallantry – is “palely loitering” where “...no birds sing”. We soon discover that the knight’s pale state of weakness is brought about by ‘La Belle Dame’ and this is where Keats first introduces the image of women as temptresses; he labels her “a faery’s child with ‘wild wild eyes’ which may insinuate madness. Upon meeting ‘La Belle Dame’, the knight is quick to make her the sole object of his affection, adorning her with garlands and bracelets; she in turn returns his affection with “sweet moans” and looks of love. Women are also portrayed as seductive and treacherous as ‘La Belle Dame’
How is lost innocence portrayed By Duffy and Pugh?
How is youth presented by Duffy and Pugh? In both Pugh and Duffy, youth is often presented as something innocent that is taken away too soon, whether intentionally or non- intentionally. They both also present youth as the product of their environment, which often isn't a good thing. In Lizzie 6, Duffy seems keen to present the youth of this poem (Lizzie) as very innocent and helpless. She does this straight away through the title, which could be interpreted as the age of this victim, showing the reader straight away how young and naïve she must be although it could also represent the abusers number of victims-this would also emphasise Lizzie's helplessness being at the hands of an experienced abuser and would make the reader empathise with her fragility even more. This fragility is shown through the use of language such as “play” and “wood” which has innocent and childlike connotations, despite “wood” being turned into a sexual reference- perhaps symbolising how the abuser is taking Lizzie's innocence and turning it into something more sinister. The structure of Lizzie 6 also has a twisted nursery rhyme like feel, given the poem a hugely sinister tone and may also draw attention to Lizzie's lost innocence. The vulnerability of Lizzie is further displayed through the use of language such as “bare” and “afraid” showing how exposed she is. This is written
Compare and contrast 'Originally' and 'Lanarkshire Girls' by Carol- Ann Duffy and Liz Lochhead
Duffy and Lochhead both write about journeys. Compare and contrast two poems, one by each poet, taking account of the methods (situation, form and structure, and language, including imagery and tones) which each poet uses to write about her mother. The poems ‘Originally’ by Carol-Ann Duffy and ‘Lanarkshire Girls’ by Liz Lochhead both deal with the theme of journeys. The former poem is about a situation in which the speaker and her family moved cities. It describes the speaker’s uncertainty with regards to her identity. The second poem, ‘Lanarkshire Girls’ recalls the first time the speaker as a fourteen year old took the bus into the city of Glasgow with her friends. For both the speakers, the journey and experience are new to them. They both share similar environments in which they travel, with the speaker in ‘Originally’ riding in a ‘red room’ and the speaker in ‘Lanarkshire Girls’ travelling in a ‘red bus’. In exploiting the colour red, the poets may be conveying a sense of anxiety that accompanies the speakers on their unfamiliar journeys. However, any sense of anxiety felt by the speaker in ‘Lanarkshire Girls’ is short lived and replaced with excitement as with, ‘money burning a hole’ in the girls’ pockets, they began ‘dreaming’ themselves up. On the other hand, the anxiety felt by the speaker in ‘Originally’ doesn’t
Compare and contrast '1953' by Lochhead and 'Litany' by Duffy
Duffy and Lochhead both write about the theme of periods of history/ the past. Compare and contrast two poems dealing with these themes. Duffy’s ‘Litany’ and Lochhead’s ‘1953’ are both set in the 1950s therefore both deal with this period in history. ‘Litany’ is spoken from the perspective of a young girl who sits with her mother and her superficial ‘friends’ as they subtly attempt to outdo one another and uphold artificially perfect lifestyles. The child attempts to make their meetings more interesting by using explicit language and has to wash her mouth out with soup as punishment. ‘1953’ is a dramatic monologue, also told from the perspective of a young child who is admiring her parents as they work hard to create a perfect living space for her family. A litany is a religious prayer which is recited routinely. The title of Duffy’s poem therefore has religious connotations attached which are ironic. The poem is structured into four quatrain stanzas which accurately reflect the controlled, strict nature of a litany. Enjambment is employed allowing the final sentence from the second stanza to be carried on in the first line of the third. This is to symbolise the meaning contained in these lines, ‘an embarrassing word, broken/ to bits’; the sentence is broken as are the words. ‘1953’ is formed from three stanzas of unequal length which
Edgar Allen Poe
Edgar Allan Poe is known for his ability to write poetry. He is a famous writer, and has written many pieces of literature over his lifetime. Edgar Allen Poe was a very talented writer. Edgar Allen Poe was born on January nineteenth, 1809 in Boston Massachusetts. He had a brother, named William Henry, and a sister, named Rosalie. Poe lived in England as a child. Later on in his life, Poe attended the University of Virginia. He studied Latin and poetry there, but he also loved to swim. Both of Poe's real Parents(Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins, and David Poe) died before he was three years old. When he was five years old, he traveled to England with his foster parents. After arguing with his foster father about his debts from gambling, he enlisted in the US army and served two years. When he was twenty seven, he married his cousin, Virginia Clemm, who was thirteen years old. In 1847, Virginia died of tuberculosis, and Poe began to start to drink. Poe died on October seventh, 1849. His exact cause of death is still not known for sure. ("Edgar Allen Poe") Poe mainly wrote in the genre of sci-fi and horror. From a very early age, he had a certain fascination with writing poetry and stories. His family members, and his wife, Virginia, are the people that mainly inspired him with his writings. Edgar Allan Poe has written around 1,831 poems, and one
emily dickinson
Emily Dickinson Unique and rebellious, Emily Dickinson lived for no one but herself, and is one of the most legendary poets of her time. She was raised in a traditional New England environment, and her family was very dedicated to their Christian religion. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Dickinson) Dickinson decided to reject the idea of church and Christianity and took on a more inspirational outlook of life. On December 10, 1830 Emily Dickinson was born in the state of Massachusetts, it was this state that influenced her outlook on life because of its out-of-realm and transcendental period and being a staple for religious practice. Dickinson's idols such as Emerson or Thoreau believed that answers lie within the individual. Emerson set the tone for this era when he said, "whose would be a human, must be a non-conformist." (http://www.antiessays.com/free-essays/354.html) Emily Dickinson practiced this philosophy, and took it into consideration with every poem she wrote. While growing up she was shy, isolated and different from others, as she remained by her lonesome, refusing to commit to any religion or family gathering. In Dickinson's life the most important things to her were love, life, individuality and nature. When discussing these themes she constructed her own lifestyle and broke away from traditional forms of writing and wrote with an intense energy and
