Duffy's message in the 'Worlds Wife,' seems to be that ultimately the 'World's Wife,' wants a divorce. How far do I agree with this assessment of the anthology?
Duffy's message in the 'Worlds Wife,' seems to be that ultimately the 'World 's Wife,' wants a divorce. How far do I agree with this assessment of the anthology? Duffy explores dislocated or dissonant relationships in her anthology 'The World's Wife.' She mostly writes about the relationships between famous or mythical men and their wives. In her dramatic monologues she shows how behind every man is a strong woman. Duffy shows her dissatisfaction with the world of men, through the use of her negative sexual imagery and tone, which she uses in the majority of her poems throughout the anthology. This quote is an example of how Duffy uses sexual imagery to make fun of males, 'Ladies, dear ladies, the average penis - not pretty...,' This is a blunt quote from 'Frau Freud.' It makes fun of the male anatomy, and the quote sounds very much like it comes from Duffy's point of view. This negative attitude to men is also shown in 'Mrs Aesop.' Phrases like 'he could bore for purgatory,' clearly shows Duffy's negative attitude towards men, but the phrase 'slow as marriage,' also gives us an insight into Duffy's opinion of marriage, and as this poem comes very early on in the anthology it gives the reader a taste of what is to come Duffy explores many issues through the anthology, for example, infidelity in 'Medusa,' selfishness in 'Mrs Midas', and wanting a change for something new
'Who for the Game' By Jesse Pope, 'Dulce Et Decorum Est' By Wilfred Owen, and 'Disabled' by Wilfred Owen.
GCSE Coursework English Literature - War Poetry During the First World War many poets published their poems to encourage people to enlist in the army. Special spaces were left in newspapers for recruiting poems, for writers such as Jessie Pope. However, there were also some individuals such as Wilfred Owen who were against the idea of glorifying war. In this coursework I have firstly decided to analyse two poems by the war poet Wilfred Owen, taken from his writings on the First World War. Both 'Dulce et Decorum est' and 'Disabled' show the true reality, horror and vivid imagery of war. Then I will analyse a very different poem 'Who's for the Game?' written by Jessie Pope, and finally contrast this with the poems by Owen. The First poem I am going to analyse is "Dulce et Decorum est" written by Wilfred Owen. Dulce et Decorum est Pro patri moria translated in to English means It Is Sweet And Fitting To Die For Ones Country. Owen wrote "Dulce et Decorum est" in order to inform people about the terror, torment and realism which was experienced during the war. It was written through his own eyes and based on his own experiences and views of the war. The recruiting poems make the war seem like a game and that you would be missing out on a big opportunity if you don't go, when really you would be better off safe at home! Verse one tells us a lot about the condition, both
Understanding Place and Language in Olive Senior's "Gardening in the Tropics"
Understanding Place and Language in Olive Senior's "Gardening in the Tropics" "On a hilltop, at that, you find yourself drowning, a movement of ebbing and flowing. You recognize early (or too late) that you failed to detach From that mooring. Always, cruelty of choice. Here's the knife. Yourself: Executioner Midwife" - Olive Senior, "Leaving Home", Over the Roofs of the World Gardening in the Tropics exploded onto the literary scene from the pen of Jamaican novelist and poet Olive Senior in 1994. A collection of poems, paralleling the Tropical Garden and landscape with European tropes of an Edenic garden, Gardening in the Tropics covers a wide range of themes, inclusive of which are displacement, loss of personal, national and cultural identity, and a response to colonial and imperial oppression. Her exploration of these themes is however layered and multi-dimensional. In addition to being filled of threads of post-colonialism, her literature also surrounds a fixation on migration and the African diaspora- the historical movement of Africans and their descendants throughout the world. This is consequent of Senior's migration to Canada during the 1970's where much of her works were written. From this remote location, she was able to garner a different perspective on Caribbean life and society, and in essence reconcile a Caribbean past with a North American present
Critical Analysis- Praise Song for my Mother by Grace Nichols
This poem is a lyrical ballad written with a simple rhyme scheme of a-b-c. ab-c. The poem, as the name suggests is a song where the poet is rejoicing her relationship with her mother by making use of simple but powerful imagery. It is important to note that unlike the commemorative poems that are usually written by Western writers, "Praise for My Mother" does not have a requiem like elegiac mood. The overall tone of the poem is pleasant. "Praise Song" is a panegyric on the writer's mother. in which she celebrates a woman who gave her both roots to grow from and wings to fly with. Writing about her own mother, Nichols once commented that she was a '... warm, intelligent, loving woman who was full of stories, anecdotes and songs from her own childhood. People loved being around her and I can't remember a single day when our home wasn't visited by some friend, neighbour or relative who had dropped in "just fuh [sic] minute" but ended up staying hours.' Starting with the vocabulary, it is vivid but hard-hitting. The writer uses the images of water, moon and sun- all powerful symbols of nature, to describe her mother's character which shows her strength of personality and the extent of her love and affection towards her. The red colour of the fish's gills is reminiscent of the maternal love; a break from the clichéd usage of the colour red in "standard" English literature
Analysis of poem "Praise song for my mother" by Grace Nichols.
Critical analysis of praise song for my mother I believe praise song for my mother by Grace Nichols is a poem honoring the attributes of a mother. Thus the title praise song for my mother. She was born and brought up in the town of Guyana then moved to London where she still lives up till today. The mixture in her race is as a result of her Caribbean heritage where most people tend to be of mixed race. This then influences her use of English and Creole (a language resulting from the contact of many languages) in her poetry. Her Caribbean heritage also influences the images of the poem immensely. Praise song for my mother is a metaphoric poem using imagery to describe the intense emotional relationship she had with her mother. The poet is thankful and rejoices her mothers' presence using the term 'praise' in her poem title. The poet describes the importance of her mother in her life. the poem is one of short and simple stanzas. She uses natural imagery perhaps as a memory of her childhood days. She says that her mother was 'water' to her. This is a symbol of bringing forth life. She continues to describe her mother as 'deep and bold and fathoming' and this only emphasizes on how intense, emotional and true their relationship was. How confident, courageous and brave she was and at the same time she was a able to portray the quality of understanding making her easy to talk to.
Critical appreciation of the poem "Old Ladies' Home" by Sylvia Plath with reference to the presentation of old age
Dealing with old age and loneliness can be both complicated and perplexing. Sylvia Plath shows us this through her poem "Old Ladies' Home, where she shares her views on the harsh reality of growing into old age and awaiting death alone. In this poem, the omniscient speaker employs a detached tone to describe the old ladies in the home as fragile, lifeless and neglected. The poem takes place in a home for aged women, as can be inferred from the title of the poem and contains several images and metaphors that bring out the poem's main theme of death. Several symbols are used to represent death in this poem. A few such examples would be "black fabric", "ghosts" and "coffins". These symbols present death as dull and eerie, rather than as the celebration of a life well lived, hence building a sombre and gloomy atmosphere in the poem. This in turn reflects the old ladies' melancholic state as they await their death in the home. Death, for these old women, is also presented as being unpredictable and as an issue that lingers in their mind every night. For example, the last stanza of the poem says, "And Death, that bald-head buzzard, / Stalls in halls where the lamp wick/ Shortens with each breath drawn." Metaphor is used here to compare death to the buzzard which is a scavenging bird, similar to the vulture. Death is described as something that lurks within the home, waiting for
By close examination of "An Irish Airman Forsees his Death" and one other appropriately selected poem, discuss the effectiveness of the poetic methods used by Yeats in his presentation of heroic figures from his own lifetime.
By close examination of "An Irish Airman Forsees his Death" and one other appropriately selected poem, discuss the effectiveness of the poetic methods used by Yeats in his presentation of heroic figures from his own lifetime. Consider * Why Yeats chose to write about these figures * The ways in which the form and structure of the poems contribute to Yeats' presentation of heroic figures * Yeats' language - including imagery - and tone in presenting heroic figures. The poet W.B Yeats lived and was writing during a period of Irish history which is infamous for its rebellious historical characters and figures of public admiration. Yeats expresses his feelings with regard to a personal heroic figure in "An Irish Airman Forsees his Death". Yeats then similarly tackles this subject in poems such as "Easter 1916" where he addresses his attitude more broadly towards the heroic, but public figures involved in the rising of 1916. Yeats reveals his explicit admiration for the men whom he writes about in these poems through his dignified and respectful tone. Through his effective use of poetic methods - imagery, language, form and structure Yeats allows the reader a clear insight into his personal reaction to these heroic figures. "An Irish Airman Forsees his Death" expresses Yeats' glowing admiration for his recently deceased friend Robert Gregory, son of Lady Gregory of Coole
A Comparison of "Who's for the Game" and "Dulce et Decorum est".
A Comparison of "Who's for the Game" and "Dulce et Decorum est" For this essay I am going to compare and contrast the two poems "Who's for the game" was published by the daily mail. The poem was designed as a propaganda poem to encourage men to join the army in the war effort. This addressed the men of Britain and reassured them that if they joined it would be nothing to be scared of. It makes the war sound easier by comparing the war to a game throughout the poem. In contrast to this view of war a totally different attitude is given by "Dulce et Decorum est". Throughout the poem Owen describes to us about the tragedies and horrors of war. In the poem Owen tells us about a group of soldiers that have been at the front line for some time and are falling back as they desperately need rest, they then are attacked with gas. Owen then describes the soldiers rush for their masks, however one soldier does not get his mask on in time. Owen explains to us the feelings and emotions he felt as he had to go to war and fight. This poem is his experience and he saw the soldier dying." Dulce et Decorum est" was written in response to poets such as Jessie Pope as Owen did not agree to the way that the war was portrayed in their poems. "Dulce et Decorum est" was addressed to the people of Britain to give a realistic truthful view of war. Both poems have the same theme of war but have
Write a critical appreciation of Mending Wall exploring how far you think that Frost uses his observations of a simple rural event to make a significant conclusion.
Write a critical appreciation of Mending Wall exploring how far you think that Frost uses his observations of a simple rural event to make a significant conclusion. In Mending Wall, Frost assumes the character of a farmer who has the task of rebuilding a wall which separates him and his neighbour. The poem can be viewed from two very different angles, both which raise very different conclusions. At first glance, the poem seems harmless and innocent, whereby Frost's character questions the need for a wall to be in place - a wall that he feels symbolises the barriers of communication that people put up around themselves and other people. This idea of innocence is repeated throughout the poem. He appears to see that repairing the wall as the labour of love, gaining no reward from his efforts, but continuing anyway. He begins by fantasizing about how the wall has become broken, creating naive images in his head, such as the idea of rabbits breaking it during the spring - the 'mischief in [him]', and gives the sense that he believes that repairing the wall is a game to him; in line 21, he states that it is "just another kind of outdoor game" and incorporates the childish idea of magic into his 'game' - claiming that he needs to use "a spell to make [the stones] balanced". In this simple and gentle view of rebuilding the wall, comes an element of sadness, when Frost must
Examine how the authors of Regeneration and Journeys End show how the stresses of war affect the main characters
Examine how the authors of Regeneration and Journeys End show how the stresses of war affect the main characters 'Regeneration' is a fictional novel written by by Pat Barker. However, some of her characters in the novel like Owen and Sassoon did exist. The play 'Journeys End' is also fictional and all the characters are Sheriffs creation. 'Regeneration' is a serious and moving novel typical of war, as it shows war in a realistic way, whereas 'Journeys End' is full of black humour, in an attempt to make the play less morbid then it actually is. The writers are trying to achieve the views of the officers; they never actually saw mental ill health as serious as it was. They kept sending men back to war whether they had recovered or not. In the first chapter of 'Regeneration' we learn of the 'soldier's declaration' written by Sassoon. "I believe the war is being deliberately prolonged by those who have the power to end it". To other men in war this would be seen as "wrong and wimpish" because men weren't expected to do that, if you went to war you weren't seen as a coward. To Sassoon this declaration was the bravest thing he had ever done. For someone in war to write this they must have had enough and this shows the stress he was under. Barker could have used the declaration to portray her point on the futility of war. Another example of the stresses of war on Sassoon in
