John Keats - Ode on Grecian Urn
John Keats Ode on Grecian Urn "Keats as a poet is abundantly and enchantingly sensuous", Arnold affirms as he sets out to prove that Keats, though lacked fixed purpose, was in his pursuit of Beauty on his way towards something moral and whole some. Indeed the virtue of Keats's poetry is that he does not philosophize. Unlike some of his romantic contemporaries, he escaped the imposed facts of the world into a sort of "sensuous mysticism" of Beauty. This fact has been, also, emphasized by Arnold when affirms that "Keats's yearning (strong) passion for the Beautiful is not a passion of the sensuous or sentimental poet. It is an intellectual and spiritual". Keats himself claimed that had he been strong enough, he would have lived alone and pursued his quest for Beauty: "I have loved the principle of Beauty in all things. I am certain of nothing but the holiness of the heart's affection and the truth of the imagination". Such facts help us to reach the conclusion that Keats was that kind of poets for whom the world of beauty was a kind of shelter or a refugee; an escape from the dreary and painful effect of ordinary experience. W. H. Hudson affirms that "with [Keats] poetry breaks away from the interests of contemporary life, returns to the past, and devotes itself to the service of beauty". This kind of interest, and such background is quite relevant to the theme and subject
How does the writer reveal her attitude to the way in which people treat nature in the poem "The Fish are all sick"?
How does the writer reveal her attitude to the way in which people treat nature in the poem "The Fish are all sick"? In the poem "The fish are all sick", the title of the poem reveals that the subject would be something sad to do with the fish by adding in the word "sick". It is in present tense, which can communicate directly to the reader, suggesting her strong attitude to the way in which people treat nature. The poet communicate directly also introduces the writer's strong attitude that this is a serious problem that we are facing now. The problem is tremendous as all fish are suffered as a result of it. She uses figurative language to portray the image of human beings treating the nature with no respect. The writer begins the poem without any uncertainty, which reflects that the subject of the poem is going to be serious, true and very important, this is presented in this line, 'The fish are all sick.' "The fish are all sick, the great whales dead," this dramatize the sheer scale of the problem wanting to present that even the biggest animal on earth is at stake. Also since the earth is mainly water, a lot of animals would be living in the oceans. That would mean there are a lot of fish and sea creatures. The poet using "The fish are all sick" emphasizes the enormity of the pollution and shows her attitudes towards how the people treat nature. The start of the poem
To what extent is Graham Swift’s Shuttlecock a study of power ?
LITERATURE ESSAY To what extent is Graham Swift's Shuttlecock a study of power ? If a reader considers the main plot of Shuttlecock from a very simple point of view, Prentis is an unhappy man untill he gets his boss's job. Therefore power must be an important theme of the novel. However, after Prentis's sudden change, his wife and his son appear not to be " satisfied by the power theory ". The great quality of Shuttlecock is the incredible suttlety used to portray human nature and the novel can not be resumed to a simple study of power. Without a doubt, power is an important theme. From his childhood, Prentis desires to control his surounding and this is ovious in the hamster episode. His " mixed feelings of love and pity " explode into an urge to have absolute power over Sammy when the poor animal tries to escape. He needs to master nature and even his own nature. Indeed, he tries to hide his admiration and respect for his father. He also has an unatural sex-life because of its pointless, artificial sophistication. Marian bends to her husband's will in this " preposterous, obsessive, pathetic affair " and is becoming a stranger to him. Physically controlling a living being is a recurrent obsession all through the novel. The symbol of vulnerability is nakedness. Marian in her bath reminds Prentis of the time when he used to bathe his two boys. He remembers how defensless
Chimney Sweeper Commentary - In the strong, opinionated poem entitled The Chimney Sweeper, William Blake
Chimney Sweeper Commentary In the strong, opinionated poem entitled The Chimney Sweeper, William Blake compellingly presents his views on the hypocrisy and corruption of society. Essentially, The Chimney Sweeper conveys the theme of how the corruption of society has led to the destruction of the innocence of children. Blake successfully presents this theme through the effective use of diction which is defined as "the choice and use of words" which can help portray the theme, mood and tone of the poem. In this case, Blake effectively employs diction in order to portray the corruption that exists within society, while also portraying the innocence of the children that are victims of this injustice. The corruption of society is a significant element of the theme of the poem which is effectively depicted through particular words and their connotations. The first, essential choice of words is present in the title "The Chimney Sweeper." In essence, a "chimney sweeper" is associated with an individual that cleans the dirt out of the chimneys of others. Within the context of this poem, the "chimney sweeper" represents the children that are forced by society to sacrifice their innocence for the sake of society. They are, therefore, forced with an unfair responsibility brought upon the faults of others. This corruption of society is further exemplified when Blake writes, "You
Which is the most impressive and moving of John Clare's asylum poems?
[PBN1] Which is the most impressive and moving of John Clare's asylum poems? John Clare's life spanned one of the great ages of English poetry but, until about fifty years ago, few would have thought of putting his name with those of Wordsworth, Byron, Shelley, Keats, Browning and Tennyson. Born in 1793, the son of humble and virtually illiterate parents, Clare grew up in the Northamptonshire village of Helpston and made the surrounding countryside his world. His education did not extend much beyond basic reading and writing, and he had to start work herding animals at the age of seven, however, this child of the "unwearying eye" had a thirst for knowledge and become a model example of the self taught man. In his early teens he discovered The Seasons, by poet James Thomson and began writing poems himself. His first love, Mary Joyce was the daughter of a wealthy farmer; their separation caused Clare great pain, and no doubt contributed to the sense of loss which pervades much of his poetry. In 1820, he married Martha Turner and from the moment his first publication appeared, 'Poems Descriptive of Rural Life and Scenery' it was clear that England had a new and very original poet. He was described as 'John Clare, a Northampton Peasant' on the title page, and the current fashion for 'rural poetry' brought him some celebrity in London. He formed friendships with Charles
Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience
Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience (1794) juxtapose the innocent, pastoral world of childhood against an adult world of corruption and repression; while such poems as "The Lamb" represent a meek virtue, poems like "The Tyger" exhibit opposing, darker forces. Thus, the collection as a whole explores the value and limitations of two different perspectives on the world. Many of the poems fall into pairs, so that the same situation or problem is seen through the lens of innocence first and then experience. Blake does not identify himself wholly with either view; most of the poems are dramatic--that is, in the voice of a speaker other than the poet himself. Blake stands outside innocence and experience, in a distanced position from which he hopes to be able to recognize and correct the fallacies of both. In particular, he pits himself against despotic authority, restrictive morality, sexual repression, and institutionalized religion; his great insight is into the way these separate modes of control work together to squelch what is most holy in human beings. The Songs of Innocence dramatize the naive hopes and fears that inform the lives of children and trace their transformation as the child grows into adulthood. Some of the poems are written from the perspective of children, while others are about children as seen from an adult perspective. Many of the poems draw attention
The imaginative journey.
The imaginative journey transcends physical boundaries, occurring in the realms of our minds as a vast source of inspiration limited only by its own genius. Through the imaginative journey and the spiritual growth that it offers, composers hope to effectively challenge our way of thinking and broaden our understanding of the world. The representation of an effective imaginative journey contains universal aspects, detailed in The Town Where Time Stands Still by Shirley Goek-lin Lim, evident in all texts as varied as Coleridge's poems, Drink Entire: Against the Madness of Crowds by Ray Bradbury and Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats. The Town Where Time Stands Still describes any journey as the "search for the genii loci", that is the search for spiritual meaning in destination. Through the "purer realm of travel", a metaphor for the imaginative journey, travellers through an "unconscious, compulsion" seek "to be moved rather than to move". Lim's definition is one which encompasses all imaginative journeys, especially those of Coleridge, where the "external geography" of the physical realm often catalyses the more important spiritual journey of the "internal psychology" that occurs within the realms of our imagination. In Kubla Khan, Coleridge portrays the external geography of 'Xanadu' through juxtaposed images of "sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice". The contrast of 'holy
A Study Of God, man and nature through William Blake’s work
A Study Of God, man and nature through William Blake's work William Blake was not respected in his era for his work, but to this day, we respect his work as having been some of the most influential and society-changing ever. He was perhaps the first ever artist to publicly think out of the box at a time when it was risky to do so, and was the first poet of the romantic period. His thoughts were unlike anything previously published- they included advanced psychology that is considered to this day to be relevant. His opinions on religion and our universe were new and socially challenging which was why his works were never accepted during his lifetime. To fully understand and appreciate Blake's work, we must consider the social environment he lived in. It was a period when agriculture and farming was becoming city and stone. Suburbs and cities were being created and the general commercialisation of things around him troubled him greatly. With these changes, attitudes changed and became a lot more financially orientated and complicated. He despaired at what he thought was a becoming a "ruined world" and he turned to art for thought and understanding. People were losing their moral values and Blake's world became sinister and dark. Also, political revolution internationally was occurring as the French and American revolutions happened during his lifetime. He lived in a learning
'The Tyger' was included by William Blake in his poetry anthology 'Songs of Experience'.'The Lamb' in the antholgy 'Songs of Innocence'.Compare and contrast these poems and consider why each was included in each antholgy.
'The Tyger' was included by William Blake in his poetry anthology 'Songs of Experience'.'The Lamb' in the antholgy 'Songs of Innocence'.Compare and contrast these poems and consider why each was included in each antholgy. William Blake was born on November 28, 1757 in London, the third of five children. Blake worked in his father's shop until he discovered his drawing talent. After he revealed his talent, he then started to write. He put his new found drawing talent to use after he wrote the two anthologies 'Songs of Innocence' and 'Songs of Experience'. He did this by drawing on copper plates, which turned into the front covers to both of the books Blake wrote. Blake's most popular poems stem from collection 'Songs of Innocence' which he published in 1789. The book's straight-forward fashion and simple lyrics were at first interpreted as children's poetry by some readers. Only five years later, Blake published his anthology 'Songs of Experience', which he intended to be read together with the 'Songs of Innocence'. The opposition can be noticed in that of 'Songs of Innocence', such as "The Lamb," with the scenes of meadows, valleys and a more happier diction. The lamb's counterpart from the 'Songs of Experience', "The Tyger" involves scenes of harsh jungle and a fearless creature stalking its' prey, with a more depressing diction. The poem "The Lamb" is a rather simply
At the Mountains of Madness by H.P Lovecraft - review.
AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS (Short history of Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy) H.P LOVECRAFT Curious to unearth the mysteries of Antarctica, a group from Arkham University forms a team. This expeditions goal is to find new species or old ones (already known) to classify them and bring them home. Sadly, when half the team sets off to explore a mountain region they find and come in contact with a new form of life. Pleased the second team calls the first to join them. When the first team arrives, before them is an orgy of mass murder and destruction. They soon discover an unnatural nature among the new frozen fossils. The main character (whose name remains unknown in the story) was from the geology department at Arkham University and represented that field on the expedition to Antarctica. He is also the narrator telling us what happened during his trip to the icecaps. Lake is a member of the biology department at Arkham University; Lake joined the expedition yet was soon after killed having made a vital discovery in an Antarctic cave, and finally Artwood who is a member of the physics department and also a meteorologist. On the other hand, The Old Ones are Aliens who arrived on earth long before primitive protozoa, who were then frozen in the Antarctic icecaps as the earth began to change. The settings of the story revolved around the Antarctic region, four planes, a