"I hope to see my Pilot face to face when I have crossed the bar." -"Crossing the Bar" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
"Crossing the Bar" consists of mostly imagery and symbols to explain the quest in which the speaker is embroiled. I believe the bar is a "point of no return" in regards to life, which is interesting. In life we always have the choice to turn back regardless of the consequences. However, most of the poem is referring to death. The imagery used to associate death is somewhat peculiar though. The speaker explains her hope of the "flood may bear me far," indicating that there is some sort of furthur jouney awaiting him or her. I believe the bourne of Time and Place may be a symbol of God as he is our determination of the afterlife. The tone is also an important part of this poem. Of course death brings a negative connotation, but Tennyson puts a unique spin on it. Death is described as an endeavor into the seas. The seas are unpredictable, turbulent, and ruthless. Yet, the speaker has an almost certain faith that he/she will meet her maker in the unpredicatable afterlife.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
To His Coy Mistress
"That long-preserved virginity, and your quaint honor turn to dust,..." -"To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell
The interpretations with this poem are numerous and intriguing. It seems simple to understand but it leaves me with deeper questions and observations regarding style. Along the lines of the chapter emphasis, I feel that the tone is sincere love but it is punctuated by a pleading sense of urgency. The speaker sees some kind of fork in the road that his lover does not and acts on it. Of course after reading this work, I wondered why the mistress is acting coy, or reluctant. I believe it is a combination of several factors. She is in the common predicament of choosing to commit to a relationship versus remaining unattatched and shielding herself from hurt. Also, the quote above gives an explanation in regards to her lack of affection. This could be her first genuine love and she feels a need to preserve her state of purity. She has made a conscious choice to act morally above the rest and cherishes that reputation more than her prospective happiness with her lover. That brings up the question of why this man holds so much hope for the future. Does he actually see them having kids together, much less a future? I think the answer lies with the reader and their own hope of love.
The interpretations with this poem are numerous and intriguing. It seems simple to understand but it leaves me with deeper questions and observations regarding style. Along the lines of the chapter emphasis, I feel that the tone is sincere love but it is punctuated by a pleading sense of urgency. The speaker sees some kind of fork in the road that his lover does not and acts on it. Of course after reading this work, I wondered why the mistress is acting coy, or reluctant. I believe it is a combination of several factors. She is in the common predicament of choosing to commit to a relationship versus remaining unattatched and shielding herself from hurt. Also, the quote above gives an explanation in regards to her lack of affection. This could be her first genuine love and she feels a need to preserve her state of purity. She has made a conscious choice to act morally above the rest and cherishes that reputation more than her prospective happiness with her lover. That brings up the question of why this man holds so much hope for the future. Does he actually see them having kids together, much less a future? I think the answer lies with the reader and their own hope of love.
Language and Paradox
"And thee, feigned vestal, in worse arms shall see; Then thy sick taper will begin to wink,..." -"The Apparition" by John Donne
Save "Hazel tells LaVerne," most of the poems are written in learned language. Many of them used words I had never heard of that carried their own connotations. Therefore the diction, or language of writing, benefits a reader who can interpret the educated comparisons which each poem presents. When I researched these words I found that many of them were descriptive explanations of the characteristics or types of people presented in the poems. I included the line above because it is a prime example of the use of diction to present a paradox. In this case, the educated paradox serves to take the edge off the insult which the reader can infer from the meanings of the words. "Feigned" means fake and "vestal" is a virgin. So basically the speaker is playing out his ridicule and revenge through cleverly masked put-downs. I think these sometimes unknown words can often be attention-grabbing techniques. They prompt the reader to get a better understanding of the plot and consequently a better understanding of other aspects like tone and theme.
Save "Hazel tells LaVerne," most of the poems are written in learned language. Many of them used words I had never heard of that carried their own connotations. Therefore the diction, or language of writing, benefits a reader who can interpret the educated comparisons which each poem presents. When I researched these words I found that many of them were descriptive explanations of the characteristics or types of people presented in the poems. I included the line above because it is a prime example of the use of diction to present a paradox. In this case, the educated paradox serves to take the edge off the insult which the reader can infer from the meanings of the words. "Feigned" means fake and "vestal" is a virgin. So basically the speaker is playing out his ridicule and revenge through cleverly masked put-downs. I think these sometimes unknown words can often be attention-grabbing techniques. They prompt the reader to get a better understanding of the plot and consequently a better understanding of other aspects like tone and theme.
Mood and Motivation
"And then, poor aspen wretch, neglected, thou, bathed in a cold quicksilver sweat, wilt lie a verier ghost than I." -"The Apparition" by John Donne
The tone of a poem is usually implied, but much can be gathered from a speaker or character's thoughts and actions. Throughout most of these poems, either the speaker's actions or descriptions of others through diction give a fair indication of their attitude and the tone they hope to get across. Poems such as "The Apparition" give detailed example after example that tend to convey the speaker's general dissatisfaction with the depth of love he normally engages in. Many times the attitude is directed at characters within the poem, but other times it addresses society, and therefore the reader, as a whole. "Dover Beach" is similar to this style as it addresses a person close to the speaker while giving historical context to the happenings at that beach over time. Just as in life, the motive for a person's action or thought can convey the attitude they hold towards the matter. "Getting Out" serves this example because the speaker dialogues about the souring of the marriage but by the end the reader knows that his tone is regretful and nostalgic by the thoughts and actions in the last several lines. The familiar adage of "actions greater than words" holds true in this sense.
The tone of a poem is usually implied, but much can be gathered from a speaker or character's thoughts and actions. Throughout most of these poems, either the speaker's actions or descriptions of others through diction give a fair indication of their attitude and the tone they hope to get across. Poems such as "The Apparition" give detailed example after example that tend to convey the speaker's general dissatisfaction with the depth of love he normally engages in. Many times the attitude is directed at characters within the poem, but other times it addresses society, and therefore the reader, as a whole. "Dover Beach" is similar to this style as it addresses a person close to the speaker while giving historical context to the happenings at that beach over time. Just as in life, the motive for a person's action or thought can convey the attitude they hold towards the matter. "Getting Out" serves this example because the speaker dialogues about the souring of the marriage but by the end the reader knows that his tone is regretful and nostalgic by the thoughts and actions in the last several lines. The familiar adage of "actions greater than words" holds true in this sense.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Chapter Theme: Tone
"But now I only hear its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar, retreating..." -"Dover Beach" by Matthew Arnold
With the chapter emphasis on tone, the importance with each poem was to find the speaker's and author's attitude towards the characters or institutions discussed. Because these poems are from a more educated and scholarly set of authors, the emotions did not explicitly appear through punctuation or direct description of events. Instead they were hinted at with metaphors and understatement. In poems like "To his Coy Mistress" and "The Apparition," I think it helps for the reader to put him/herself in the position of the speaker. I could much more easily figure out the attitude of the speaker towards his lover in each of these poems because I have experienced hints of these emotions before. Many of us are also well versed in normal human reaction to these situations. The author assumes we have an idea of how a normal person would react and uses the assumption to indicate the tone. I believe the tone is also established in many of the poems by including the reader in the plot. The authors use "we" and "us", even though they may be talking to a person not present, to make the interpretation more personal.
With the chapter emphasis on tone, the importance with each poem was to find the speaker's and author's attitude towards the characters or institutions discussed. Because these poems are from a more educated and scholarly set of authors, the emotions did not explicitly appear through punctuation or direct description of events. Instead they were hinted at with metaphors and understatement. In poems like "To his Coy Mistress" and "The Apparition," I think it helps for the reader to put him/herself in the position of the speaker. I could much more easily figure out the attitude of the speaker towards his lover in each of these poems because I have experienced hints of these emotions before. Many of us are also well versed in normal human reaction to these situations. The author assumes we have an idea of how a normal person would react and uses the assumption to indicate the tone. I believe the tone is also established in many of the poems by including the reader in the plot. The authors use "we" and "us", even though they may be talking to a person not present, to make the interpretation more personal.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
God, america, i
"next to of course god america i love you land of the pilgrims..." -"next to of course god america i" by E.E. Cummings
As the most challenging and thought provoking poem of the set, this one definitely deserves its own post. I tried to follow the guidelines of the questions which seemed to help in the interpretation. The information in quotations is a speech. If the speaker makes a deliberate point to explain that God is before country then he must be talking to a gathering of religious people. He is possibly a pastor talking to his congregation. Cummings uses "thy" to refer to the founders of our country because it fits the time period. He and his audience have a closer relationship to God and therefore use "your glorious name." I had a difficult time reasoning if the speaker is satirizing patriotism or speaking literally as a response to an event (more on that later.) I figured that in a not-so-tactful way the speaker uses clues such as "happy" and "rushed like lions" to suggest that the men who died were conscious of their fate. Instead of acting tentative and defiant, these men were like lions in that they went down with glory and dignity. On the contrary, I believe Cummings is question this mindset. Finally I reach the last question, which could be the most important in regards to the reason for the entire quoted paragraph. The speaker and his listeners have indirectly experienced an event (likely war?) which has called on their motivation and resolve. The last line of the speech asks a question and then it says the speaker drinks quickly. He is most likely pausing for another rallying dialogue in which these people are told what they can do. Of course the voice of liberty will not be mute because he believes in a republic that has endured for "centuries come and go."
As the most challenging and thought provoking poem of the set, this one definitely deserves its own post. I tried to follow the guidelines of the questions which seemed to help in the interpretation. The information in quotations is a speech. If the speaker makes a deliberate point to explain that God is before country then he must be talking to a gathering of religious people. He is possibly a pastor talking to his congregation. Cummings uses "thy" to refer to the founders of our country because it fits the time period. He and his audience have a closer relationship to God and therefore use "your glorious name." I had a difficult time reasoning if the speaker is satirizing patriotism or speaking literally as a response to an event (more on that later.) I figured that in a not-so-tactful way the speaker uses clues such as "happy" and "rushed like lions" to suggest that the men who died were conscious of their fate. Instead of acting tentative and defiant, these men were like lions in that they went down with glory and dignity. On the contrary, I believe Cummings is question this mindset. Finally I reach the last question, which could be the most important in regards to the reason for the entire quoted paragraph. The speaker and his listeners have indirectly experienced an event (likely war?) which has called on their motivation and resolve. The last line of the speech asks a question and then it says the speaker drinks quickly. He is most likely pausing for another rallying dialogue in which these people are told what they can do. Of course the voice of liberty will not be mute because he believes in a republic that has endured for "centuries come and go."
Apostrophe and Allegory
"Divorce me, untie or break that knot again,..." -"Batter my heart, three-personed God" by John Donne
Most of the poems this chapter have an intended subject and audience to which they speak. What I realized was that the subjects were much furthur away from the speaker than someone who is engaging in personal diaglogue. The speaker talks about something that is not present or something spiritual. At times, like in "Sorting Laundry," the subject is both far away and represented by another object. The reason for the separation is that distance makes emotion stronger. The speaker in that poem would probably not be as gushy and overdramatic if they were right next to one another. "Batter my heart, three-personed God" addresses God and faith but the distance between God's salvation and the speaker's bleak reality causes a strain on hope and faith. Even "Ozymandias" addresses an acient king. The time is the separation and the stern visage of the sculpture is no longer as menacing as it once was. Distance gets the theme across but does not allow for overindulgence into emotion, which could cover up the meaning.
Most of the poems this chapter have an intended subject and audience to which they speak. What I realized was that the subjects were much furthur away from the speaker than someone who is engaging in personal diaglogue. The speaker talks about something that is not present or something spiritual. At times, like in "Sorting Laundry," the subject is both far away and represented by another object. The reason for the separation is that distance makes emotion stronger. The speaker in that poem would probably not be as gushy and overdramatic if they were right next to one another. "Batter my heart, three-personed God" addresses God and faith but the distance between God's salvation and the speaker's bleak reality causes a strain on hope and faith. Even "Ozymandias" addresses an acient king. The time is the separation and the stern visage of the sculpture is no longer as menacing as it once was. Distance gets the theme across but does not allow for overindulgence into emotion, which could cover up the meaning.
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