A Comparison of Poems
A Comparison of Poems Introduction Each of the poems are about a woman (the author) who is reflecting on her relationship with her lover or partner. On reading the poems it is clear that 'My Box' is about a positive and good relationship and in contrast 'Valentine' is quite the opposite in that it is about a bad relationship. The structure of the two poems is different. 'My Box' has three Stanzas, of eight lines each. Whereas 'Valentine' is structured in a pattern of, single lines and blocks of four or five lines. The different structures might be a clue to the type of relationships in that 'My Box' represents a solid relationship, by the blocks of eight lines. Whereas 'Valentine' is a broken structure, indicating a weak relationship. I have tried to analyse what each of the poems are trying to tell the reader and have compared and contrasted details where possible. My Box A woman recollects on how wonderful, fulfilling and fruitful her life has been, using the box to illustrate this. Made of golden oak suggests that it is an item of great value like Gold, but also one of honesty and practicality (like the wood used). The item, a box in itself a solid object with sides, a lid and a base with a 'lock of brass and a bright key.' This could be the house and home that the lover is describing. The giver has taken care in its construction, it has hinges, it has been
What leads us to love and interpersonal relationships?
What leads us to love and interpersonal relationships? Can Love be control'd by Advice? Will Cupid our Mothers obey? Though my Heart were as frozen as Ice, At his Flame 'twould have melted away. When he kist me so closely he prest, 'Twas so sweet that I must have comply'd; So I thought it both safest and best To marry, for fear you should chide. John Gay 1728 Love, what is it and do we really need it? If so, how do we get it and how can we survive it? For centuries it has provided poets, musicians, writers and artists with their primary source of material. The puzzle for Polly in John Gays eighteenth century farce "The beggars opera" is "can love be controlled by advice?" She herself goes on to answer her own question. But what exactly is it that does lead us to love another person? How do we get close enough to someone for that emotion to develop, and does love come in different guises? This essay will discuss different psychological theories around the vexing question of how interpersonal relationships and love develop, how they are sustained and what can ultimately lead to their breakdown. The western society's notion of love as a prerequisite for long term relationships such as marriage is not one which is shared by all cultures. Many Asian families still arrange marriages for their children, sometimes choosing the lucky partner at birth, and often the first
A Lecture upon the Shadow - John Donne.
Carla Le Riche Malan 13763814 A Lecture upon the Shadow - John Donne Donne's love poem, "A Lecture upon the Shadow" intellectualises the idea of love and through his careful selection of words and images creating symbolism, addresses humankind and calls them to heed, "stand still" (line 1) and listen to "a lecture", presented as a special interpretation of love, "love's philosophy" (line 2). Donne contrasts love with the sun and the shadows that the sun casts are symbolic of the trials and tribulations faced when one is in love. Donne refers to the period in our life span when love waxes and wanes as, "these three hours that we have spent/ in walking here" (lines 3-4). The poet asserts that regardless of the "two shadows [that] went along with us" (lines 4-5), (symbolic of insecurity, the fears, trials and tribulations in our lives), we create for ourselves, "which we ourselves produc'd" (line 5), we are also able to "tread" these shadows, obliterating these produced anxieties, when the "Sun is just above our head" (line 6), symbolic of the all encompassing "light" experienced at the peak of pure love, or complying to the imagery presented by the poet, the noon of love. Through risk, in our efforts to experience what we regard as true love, very real problems in "brave clearness are reduc'd" (line 8). The shadows are described as flowing from us in line 10, a suggestive
Analyse, Long Distance by Tony Harrison, I Shall Return and The Barrier both written by Claude McKay.
The three poems which I am going to analyse are, Long Distance by Tony Harrison, I Shall Return and The Barrier both written by Claude McKay. These poems will be compared by the theme, Poetic devices and structure of the poems. Harrison's Long Distance explores the theme of death of loved ones within a family triangle. Most of Harrison's poetry focuses on his life, such as his working class childhood and family life. Similarly, in Claude McKay's The Barrier, the theme of the poem is love for another person, but here it is for someone of the opposite race. The similarity between this poem and Harrison's Long Distance is that both people in the poem cannot be with the person they want. However, in I Shall Return the theme is, again of love but not for a person, but for McKay's homeland. Claude McKay left Jamaica in 1912. He moved to America to study farming but instead of studying farming, he started to support Black working class movements. As a poet, he became a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance. The vast majority of Claude McKay's poetry is written in West Indian dialect, he also wrote poems in English like 'I Shall Return'. The themes for all three poems are about love. Long Distance, by Tony Harrison portrays the love for lost ones within a family triangle. This is expressed by Harrison when he describes his fathers actions and how his father still carries out
A Comparison of the two poems, 'A Red, Red, Rose' by Robert Burns, and 'Valentine' by Carol Ann Duffy
Two Poems: A Comparison The two poems, 'A Red, Red, Rose' by Robert Burns, and 'Valentine' by Carol Ann Duffy differ greatly, although the theme of love remains invariable throughout. The poems were written in different centuries, 'A Red, Red, Rose' was written in the eighteenth century, 'Valentine' was written in the twenty-first. This could be a factor in the great contrast between the two. It could be seen to be a good demonstration of how people's attitudes towards love have changed through the centuries. Burns' love is reflected as very stereotypical, almost, 'fairytale, love until the last verse. The opening line; "O my luve's like a red, red, rose" contains a very stereotypical metaphor for love; the "red, red, rose". Burns has written this poem in a very structured manner, the stanzas each have four lines and there is a very tight rhyme scheme; the second and fourth line of each verse rhyme, and this pattern is never broken. This makes the poem very rhythmic and quite formulaic. Burns' poem does convey very strong, definite romantic images, and with these the depth of his feeling is also conveyed. A good example of this is the, "red, red, rose" the alliteration gives the metaphor strength and adds to the rhythm of the poem. The colour red, which is associated with love, expresses passion and intense feeling. The rose is formed perfectly, is very beautiful and is
Sociology of Sexual Differences - A Critique of The Feminization of Love.
Sarah Pinsonneault September 4, 2002 Course: Sociology of Sexual Differences Critique: The Feminization of Love Teacher: Dr. Marcia Kovitz We identify love with emotional expression and discussion of felling. The feminization of love by Francesca M. Cancian, focus is on one kind of love: long-term heterosexual love in contemporary United States. Cancian's thesis is that there is a feminized and incomplete perspective on love predominates in the United States. There are two guidelines, which Cancian suggests for developing a useful definition of enduring love. The first guideline for a definition of enduring love comes from the prototypes of enduring love - the relations between committed lovers, husband and wife, parent and child. Historical provided a second guideline for defining enduring love, specifically between a woman and a man. This historical analysis implies that affection, material help, and routine cooperation all are parts of enduring love. Cancian working definition of enduring love between adults is a relationship wherein a small number of people are affectionate and committed to each other, (define their collective well being as a major goal, and feel obligated to provide core and practical assistance for each other). The second guideline is a narrower feminized definition of love that dominates both contemporary scholarship and public
Ethan Frome
How are the main characters in Ethan Frome trapped and confined by circumstances? Ethan Frome is a novel about the tragedy of three lives trapped together by circumstances. They live in an isolated town called Starkfield. The word Starkfield means harsh, severe and barren. The people who live there lack communication with one another. They live in the mountainous area, which becomes cut off by snow in winter. 'The sluggish pulse of Starkfield' The word 'sluggish' indicates the slow pace of life. The winter is the dullest season for the community of Starkfield. Hardly any trees can be seen in this season, because ' it's all snowed under'. The boughs of trees bent inward from the burden of snow, sheds are sagged under their white load. 'White load' is a metaphor for the word 'snow'. The burden of snow is causing the sheds to sag. Ethan Frome is the main character of the novel. The story about his life is both sad and compelling. His story starts from the time when Ethan is a man of age not more than fifty two and lives in the bleak house of his parents. '...to see in the diminished dwelling the image of his own shrunken body' The house reflects on Ethan's shrunken body. It also reflects negatively on Ethan's life. Ethan bore all misfortunes held within it, lost his parents and still couldn't improve his situation. The house
"Prufrock is a portrait of human failure". How satisfying do you find this assessment?
"Prufrock is a portrait of human failure". How satisfying do you find this assessment? In the Love Song of Alfred J Prufrock, Eliot reveals Prufrock's character through dramatic monologue. The poem begins with Prufrock inviting who we assume to be the reader to accompany him to a soiree. At the reception Prufrock relates his thoughts to us: his insecurity, his boredom, his desire and his reluctance to "Disturb the universe". After the reception, Prufrock muses "would it have been worth it after all". Clearly then, he did not "Disturb the universe"; he did not overcome his insecurity; his life will remain monotonous, and his desire unsatisfied, until he dies. "The love song of Alfred J Prufrock" becomes a song of lost love, and in this sense the poem is indeed a portrait of human failure. To say "Prufrock is a portrait of human failure", however, is only satisfying if we accept that this assessment is a generalisation of the poem. To fully convey the meaning of Prufrock, a more detailed assessment is required. I have mentioned that Prufrock is characterised by insecurity, ennui, and unfulfilled desire. Let us now examine how this comes across in the poem. The initial description of the evening as "like a patient etherised upon a table" serves well to set the scene. In employing it, Prufrock provides insight as to how he sees the world. When he sees the evening sky -
Explain how the theme of love is presented in 'Mariana' and 'The despairing lover'.
Explain how the theme of love is presented in 'Mariana' and 'The despairing lover'. This essay will explore and explain how the theme of love is shown and presented in two different poems. 'Mariana' is one poem and was written by Tennyson, the other is 'The despairing lover' which was written by William Walsh. By analysing both poems, it will determine how the theme of love is shown. 'Mariana' is a poem about love, isolation and abandonment. Tennyson is quite serious, sympathetic and not critical of Mariana at all. He tries to encourage sympathy from the reader by using repetition to remind us of her despair, "She only said, 'My life is dreary, He cometh not,' she said; She said, 'I am aweary, aweary, I would that I were dead!' This is a refrain at the end of each verse and changes slightly throughout the poem. This gives the effect of sympathy to the reader and also emphasises her weariness. The mood of the poem is very depressing, sad and lonely. The environment around Mariana reflects the mood quite dramatically and pathetic fallacy is used. Lines such as "The broken sheds look'd sad and strange" and "Unlifted was the clinking latch" show how this is used and shows how the house and its surroundings are as sad as Mariana. Also, Mariana's actions influence the poems atmosphere. Lines such as "She drew her casement - curtain by" show this and suggest a mood of
Compare and contrast the way the poets of the 'Love and Loss' anthology have responded to the ideology of the Romantic Movement
The poems in our Romantic Poetry anthology refer to different types of love. But they are joined by a common theme of 'Love and Loss'. Compare and contrast various poems and comment on the ways in which these poets have responded to the ideology of 'The Romantic Movement' of the Nineteenth century. I am studying three poems from the Romantic Movement anthology 'Love and Loss'. They are 'A Birthday' and 'Remember' by Christina Rossetti, and 'My last Duchess' by Robert Browning. The Romantic Movement was the start of a creative revolution. Romanticism is the term used to describe a movement in European literature, art and music. In England the movement was led poets such as Keats, Byron and Wordsworth. The principal theme of the movement was that reason and logic could not explain every thing. The Romantics listened to the individual conscience rather than the demands of society. They reacted against the intellectuals of the Classic period and against the 'rigidity' of the social structures. Common themes found in the Romantic include Nature. You can find reference to nature in almost all Romantic poems. Some writers use it as a refuge; as a way to escape modern life and the social demands that are associated with it. Others involve nature in their poetry because they believed nature had healing powers, whilst some believed that nature was just a divine work of art from