Cutting A Better Man Out Of The Hedge: a discussion of the relation of land, landscapes and nature to Seamus Heaney's sense of Irishness as laid out in his poetry.
Cutting A Better Man Out Of The Hedge: a discussion of the relation of land, landscapes and nature to Seamus Heaney's sense of Irishness as laid out in his poetry. Seamus Heaney has long been recognised as one to truly epitomise the sense of Ireland in his poetry, from the vantage point of the individual as well as from a more universal perspective. However, criticism up until now has mainly focused on the relationship between Irish identity and language. While the link between land and identity is not discredited as such, it is not given the critical attention of the relationship between language and identity, and it is thus not investigated nearly as much as it deserves. The identity:language:land: identity cycle is at best ignored by the critics - a dreadful prospect when one considers how inherently and inextricably Heaney considers language and land to be linked too. Consequently this paper will explore this relationship using a variety of Heaney's work, from his earliest collection to his later poems, including his most recent collection, District and Circle, released in 2006. I will also briefly examine links between Heaney's poetry and some of that of his principal predecessor, W. B. Yeats, in order to reveal further where the link between land and identity originates and in order to contrast the poets' different approaches. Although it is acknowledged that at
Critical Essay of 'In the Snack Bar
Critical Essay of the poem "In the Snack Bar" by Edwin Morgan "In the Snack Bar" by Edwin Morgan provides the reader with a sensitive yet bleak insight into the pitiful side of human existence. Morgan's poem deals effectively with how urban society unfairly treats those who are old and disabled, leaving the reader with a sense of despair as they reflect on society as a whole. Focusing on the pathetic figure of a blind, hunch-backed old man, the speaker in the poem unveils the grim reality of the human condition. The language of the poem is matter-of-fact and everyday, thereby mirroring the unromantic nature of the scene it depicts. And yet, even the language, in its bare simplicity, creates such vivid imagery, which reminds the reader that, even in the darkest, most depressing aspects of life, the human spirit struggles on. Through its use of language and poetic technique, the poem explores the miserable side of life. The opening line of 'a cup capsizing on the formica' and the use of the descriptive word 'slithering' instantly gains the attention of the reader, showing contrast that despite the noise created in this greasy spoon cafe 'few heads turn'. This is followed with a detailed description of the old man for whom every movement is a momentous effort; the poem conveys a sense of exclusion and horror. The simile of a "monstrous animal" with his "face not seen"
"Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note Analysis
"Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note" Analysis It seems to me that almost all our sadnesses are moments of tension, which we feel as paralysis because we no longer hear our astonished emotions living. R. M. Rilke Reading a poem can trigger strong emotions, rendering us defenseless and often times confused. The experience of a poem may impact a reader in ways which are not immediately clear, compelling one to understand what generated such a reaction. One may begin to navigate the poem and seek to connect one's life experiences with those he sees in the poem. In doing this, the search to understanding one's emotional experience of the poem is bound up with the reader's introspection. Amiri Baraka in "Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note" explores dark emotions such as sadness and discouragement. While hope seems to be reflected in some parts of the poem, the text mostly emphasizes the speaker's sensation of being trapped in his pessimism. In the title, for instance, it is easy to be drawn to the word "suicide" and assume the speaker feels emotionally defeated. The fact that the title tells the reader to expect a "Twenty volume Suicide Note" may imply that the speaker does not truly intend to kill himself; it would take him a lifetime to finish such a project. He is so enthralled by his own despair that the idea of suicide is life sustaining. The poem's
Silence and Opression in Discourse on the Logic of Language
Silence and Expression in Discourse on the Logic of Language The poem Discourse on the Logic of Language by Marlene Nourbese Phillip critiques colonialism, racism, and sexism in order to express a marginalized subjectivity. Through the unconventional structure, the integration of multiple texts into the poem, and the spatial arrangement of these texts onto the page, Phillip exposes the ways in which language, through the enforcement of English as the father tongue, oppresses and displaces the colonized. The poem also articulates the pain and anguish of a subject who, through a colonial legacy of linguistic subjugation and silencing, has no mother tongue with which to speak with. The paternal is pitted against the maternal, which becomes a subversive force against European patriarchal power. The poem is unusual in the sense that it incorporates multiple texts that compete for the reader's attention. The poem consists of a stuttering verse at the center of the page, flanked by a narrative about a mother and her baby and edicts, the italicized passages that make proclamations about the treatment of salves. Occupying the entire facing page is passage containing physiological descriptions of the brain and the production of speech, and an account about scientific racism. This passage connects logic to the paternal and is expressed through the paternalistic language of science, a
The Whitsun Weddings" is Larkin's longest poem and describes the protagonists long, leisurely train journey from Hull to London. Larkin wanted the poem "to construct a verbal device that would preserve an experience
Reg No. 546692 EN1021, Reading Literature "The Whitsun Weddings" is Larkin's longest poem and describes the protagonists long, leisurely train journey from Hull to London. Larkin wanted the poem "to construct a verbal device that would preserve an experience indefinitely by reproducing it in whoever read the poem.1" He uses a certain poetic form to share the experience of his journey with the reader, so through the structure and the narrative, they can relive the emotions and sensations he felt. Larkin creates an almost "plodding" rhythm through the rhyme scheme and his use of iambic pentameter. The poetic form is quite regular with eights stanzas, each consisting of ten lines and rhyming a b a b c d e c d e which creates the rhythmic sound of a train as it gathers speed. The continuous rhyming pattern throughout the eight verses and the pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables in each iambic pentameter, re-enacts the rocking sensation of traveling on a train. The run of pentameters is interrupted in each stanza by a second line of two stressed syllables. This sudden break represents the hesitant movement of the train. Larkin uses enjambment and run-on verses to create a sense of purposeful, onward movement, showing that the train does not stop until it reaches its destination. Larkin uses the rhythm in the poem to capture the speed of the train. The poem opens with
A Critical Appreciation of Campos De Castilla
A Critical Appreciation of Campos De Castilla "Cinco anos en la tierra de Soria, hoy para mi sagrada - alli me case, alli perdi a mi esposa, a quien adoraba - orientaron mis ojos y mi corazon hacia lo esencial castellano." Antonio Machado's love for Soria and the land of Castile is definitely one of the predominant issues in "Campos de Castilla". However, one must look at the development of Machado's life and how his mood is reflected in his poetry as well as how his influential friends had a bearing on his literary style and beliefs. The shift Machado made around 1904 in his poetry is an important one since it defines much of "Campos de Castilla". Geoffery Ribbans says that: "1904 produce una nueva tendencia a ocuparse de asuntos y objetos externos, si bien estos siguen estando estrechamente relacionados con su vida y sus emociones." Machado became more concerned with the relations between the creating self and the external world as opposed to his previous work which had been more self-absorbed and introspective. It is true that Unamuno did have an influence in this shift as well as with Machado's search for God later on in his life; but it is evident in Machado's earlier poetry that he made the change for himself. A good starting point is "A Orillas del Duero" which contains many aspects of Machado's poetry as well as being very striking. Firstly, the opening is very
Discuss the importance of the ideas of roots and rootlessness in post-colonial writing by comparing at least two different texts you have studied.
Discuss the importance of the ideas of roots and rootlessness in post-colonial writing by comparing at least two different texts you have studied. Ideas of 'roots' and 'rootlessness' are important features of post-colonial writing due to the writers' concerns with the effects of neo-colonialism. 'Roots' conveys ideas about heritage, background as well as race and culture thus 'rootlessness' occurs when people lose these identities. The loss of identity could be when people do not have history to refer back to; one of the key themes in Walcott and Rhys' writings. Due to colonialism, the traditional way the colonised used to live can not be found easily anymore. From where Walcott and Rhys comes from, the Caribbean, the colonialists had changed the official language to English and changed many different customs; this perhaps causes the feelings of 'rootlessness' as they loose their cultural identity. Both Walcott and Rhys explore these ideas in their writing to show how 'roots' and 'rootlessness' is important to the society in general, but also how they were personally affected. In 'Almond Trees', Walcott explores the ideas of 'roots' and 'rootlessness' by connecting 'roots' to ideas of history. Walcott opens the poem with a short line of 'There's nothing here', showing emptiness with bitter feelings. Although he's describing the Caribbean, the readers feel uneasy about
"Representation makes dummies of us all" - How is this sentiment reflected in Carol Ann Duffy's poetry?
"Representation makes dummies of us all" How is this sentiment reflected in Carol Ann Duffy's poetry? "There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it" 1 Carol Ann Duffy's poetry is often criticised for being very simple, in both the lexis and the manner in which it is delivered. However, time must be taken to read the 'unsaid', that is, the words that are not written on the page, which create textured, layered poems. Poems such as 'We Remember Your Childhood Well' (The Other Country : 24) exemplify this; one side of the conversation is represented, but it is the other voice, the other story, which intrigues the reader and it is left to them to imagine the missing dialogue. "The whole thing is inside your head" is particularly chilling to try and presume what the absent voice has experienced. The combination of both the spoken and unspoken at once, creates more depth to poetry and it is this that the reader has in mind when trying to understand it. The Alfred Hitchcock quote above explains exactly this, how a reader will anticipate the unsaid, sometimes to a more extreme degree than the reality. The question is, how a poet, or indeed any other author, can reasonably represent a character, feeling or message to their reader accurately if each reader will individually interpret their poem, novel or text. A reviewer for the Sunday Times wrote; "So often
Prufrock and other observations
TMA 03 Option B 'An intellectual migration from America to Europe significantly shaped T.S Eliot's modernism.' Discuss this statement via a close analysis of the form and content of 'Cousin Nancy' and ONE other poem of your choice from Prufrock and Other Observations. To attempt to answer this question it is important to understand the reasons behind Eliot's decision to migrate from America to Europe, and how this move was influenced by his intellectual beliefs in the modernist movement. It is also essential to understand these beliefs and this can be achieved through an analysis of the poetic techniques used in the Prufrock poems. By focusing this essay on a discussion of Cousin Nancy and The Boston Evening Transcript specifically an insight into modernist writing and Eliot's dissatisfaction of America can be discussed in tandem. This joint discussion will highlight how Eliot's physical migration to Europe was influenced by a wish to intellectually migrate away from American literature towards European modernist ideals. Cousin Nancy was written in the second period of the Prufrock poems that covers the timescale of 1914/15. At this time Eliot had moved to England, and so the poems from this period covered his reflections of the USA from a European perspective. Eliot's poetry at this time was heavily influenced by European modernism and had been developed earlier through
Discursive Written Analysis of Wherever I Hang by Grace Nichols and Reflections by Mario Petrucci.
Suzanne Parry 03056922 Discursive Written Analysis. Wherever I Hang. Grace Nichols Reflections. Mario Petrucci. On first looking at the two pieces I have chosen, the preference of dialect fluctuate to a great extent, giving each poem a dissimilar insight to the dialect to each author. In Wherever I Hang, the idiom is of a native tongue to the Caribbean, with its seemingly imperfect sentences. 'Had big rats in de floorboards' V1 Line 5 Where as Mario Petrucci has used Received Pronunciation, giving the reader more complete sentences. 'Bees will sting like a razor' V1 Line 1 The vocabulary in Petrucci's Reflection is uncomplicated to read although every line is a metaphor, proficiently put together to make the reader observe each line in detail. While also generating a number of connotations in each line, giving the reader room for thought. A good paradigm could be gained from almost every line, but the fourth line is most apt. 'Hills as old as hats' V1 Line 4 It isn't until one hears this that the thought of hats sat on top of a wardrobe or on shelves in hatboxes, comes into realization of the accuracy that this one sentence becomes clear, giving the line a conceit of its own. On the other side of the scale is Grace Nichols Wherever I Hang, which although clear in its context, can be hard to read if the accent is not known. In the first line there are