compare the way love is presented in 'valentine' and 'sonnet130'

Compare and contrast the way in which love is presented in the poems 'valentine' by Carol Ann Duffy and 'sonnet 130' by William Shakespeare. In this essay I am going to compare and contrast the way in which love is presented in the poems 'valentine' by Carol Ann Duffy and 'sonnet 130' by William Shakespeare. I will be drawing links of comparison and will explain the similarities and differences between them. The first poem 'valentine' was written by Carol Ann Duffy. It has no set rhythmic pattern and the stanzas are all different lengths. There are 7 stanzas in total. The title of the poem Valentine' sounds very romantic and suggests that the poem is about hearts and roses and other items linked with the word valentine, however, once the first line is read this assumption is wiped away. The word satin from the first line 'not a red rose or a satin heart' immediately makes the reader think of a romantic gift that is soft to the touch and quite luxurious. However the line starts with 'not' suggesting that she is not going to give her lover a normal valentine present. This line is on its own which could mean that it is important and has been left on its own to stand out to the reader. The second stanza then starts by saying 'I give you an onion. It is a moon wrapped in brown paper'. The writer uses juxtaposition to compare an onion to a 'moon wrapped in brown paper'. The

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  • Word count: 1539
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Discuss the Ways in Which the Poets Convey the Loss of Human Dignity in 'Refugee Blues' and 'Disabled'

Nuha Elzubeir Discuss the Ways in Which the Poets Convey the Loss of Human Dignity in 'Refugee Blues' and 'Disabled' There were two main wars in the 20th century: World War I and World War II. Both inspired pieces of art, some of which were poems. Wilfred Owen and W.H Auden are both war poets, each experiencing a different war, both expressing the same feeling - loss. The two poems: 'Disabled by Wilfred Owen' and 'Refugee Blues by W.H. Auden' were both a passionate response to the horrors of war. 'Disabled' talks about a warrior, in third narrative perspective, during World War I, who has lost his youth as he believed that this will make his country, friends, family and lover proud. 'Refugee Blues' is a first person voice, which conveys the plight of the German Jews during World War II. Both of these war poems refer to the same theme, a loss of human dignity, both physically and emotionally. Each poet uses different techniques and styles to expose the theme of their poem, a major aspect being the loss of human dignity. Owen and Auden both experienced war, and wrote poems that revolve around loss of dignity. In 'Disabled', the character, an ex-soldier, can't even put himself to bed, but in 'Refugee Blues', the Jews, though physically capable in the poem, have no identity. The young man represented in 'Disabled' presents a picture of a man suffering from loss of dignity

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  • Word count: 1902
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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In the Snack Bar.

In the Snack Bar The poem "In the Snack Bar" by Edwin Morgan is, in my opinion, a great poem. It tells about the disaster of a blind old man spilling his coffee and then having to announce his need of having to go to the toilet to the public in the hope that someone will find it in their heart to help him. In this I will point out the literary techniques that Morgan uses that make it a great poem. In the poem I think Morgan's word choice is excellent. He turns what most people would simply class as an everyday occurrence into a catastrophe not just saying that the man spilt his coffee. Instead he says "the cup capsizes along the formica" and the cup didn't fall to the floor and smash it "slithered to the floor with a dull clatter" I think both of these expressions convey a great feeling of disaster due to the unusual word choice and also draw to our attention that the man spilling his coffee is an important part of the poem and this made it a great poem. Another important part of this poem is the way in which he describes the blind man's appearance. He describes by, for example, personifying the hump on the man's back by saying that it "looms" over him which gives the impression that his hump is almost controlling him. He also contrasts the man "shambling uncouth" to the "clinical gleam" of the toilet and says "his brooding reflection darkens the mirror" One

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Of Mice and Men Essay

Of Mice and Men Tone Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, is a novel of several moods, however, the dominant tone of this novel is that of heartrending. This mood is developed through the unconquered dreams of the main characters. There are also other moods evoked through the actions of the characters: reflecting sorrow, shame, and brutality. The novel ends on a tragic note, consequently, the concluding mood is undeniably one of depression and frustration. Following, are two paragraphs that will confirm why this novel is heartrending. One of the most excruciating passages occurs on page 63, when Curley's intimidating behavior provoked Lennie to commit an act that he was so desperately trying to avoid, "Blood welled from his nose. 'George,' he cried. 'Make um' leave me alone, George.' He backed until he was against the wall, and Curley followed, slugging him in the face. Lennie's hands remained at his sides; he was too frightened to defend himself." In that passage, it states that "he was too frightened to defend himself," the word "frightened" really disturbed me and played a immense part on why this passage made me experience a depressing feeling. I myself began to become apprehensive; terrified that George will physically and emotionally hurt Lennie, leaving him in an intense condition. By definition, frightened means "to fill with fear," and Lennie, a huge,

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  • Word count: 2823
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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