The poem talks about a man persuading a woman to give her beauty. The man asks the woman to make much of the time. The poem has four stanzas and rhymes in A,B, A, B; C,D,C,D;E,F,E,F;G,H,G,H. This poem is talking in a dialogue tone. The poet uses short sentences to give a sense of determination.
Some devices are used in the poem. Personification “Old times” is to say it’s just the right now, the other time or tomorrow will be late. “Flower” is a metaphor to describe woman that her beauty will die tomorrow, that’s why it’s the best time now. And this poem also uses many comparing word such as “higher”, “sooner”, “nearer”, “best”, “warmer” to indicate this is the most appropriate time.
In the end of the poem, the poet is making a conclusion. If it’s the best time, then don’t be coy. You are going to lose your chance if you don’t use your time right now. He is trying to say missing this opportunity will be a loss to both of them.
Robert Herrick. 1591–1674
To the Virgins, to make much of Time
GATHER ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying:
And this same flower that smiles to-day
To-morrow will be dying.
The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,
The higher he 's a-getting,
The sooner will his race be run,
And nearer he 's to setting.
That age is best which is the first,
When youth and blood are warmer;
But being spent, the worse, and worst
Times still succeed the former.
Then be not coy, but use your time,
And while ye may, go marry:
For having lost but once your prime,
You may for ever tarry.
Monday, February 9, 2009
T. S. Eliot: The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
This poem seems the author is talking to a girl, and then it ends up with talking to himself and failing to do something. This poem sounds it is just wandering around and makes no sense. It appears to be clearer and clearer as approaching to the end.
Many images appear in the beginning of the poem, “fog”, “smog”, “sky”, “chimneys” and “restaurants” create an ”etherized” atmosphere. The image of frog lingering around the pool and falling into chimney also gives this poem an etherized and lazy environment. The poet also combines the poem with classic in the modern poem. It makes the poem more diversified.
On the other, repetition has been used really often in the poem. The poet keeps repeating that there are women talking in the room however he persuades himself that “there will be time”, “there will be time” even though he has something to say. It shows the character’s paralysis of making decisions and taking actions. It contrasts the character with the women. And the poet repeats “how would I presume?” several times indicating the internal conflicts that he is face with. “That was not what I meant at all” is said several times to convince him. It seems that the poet is making a big decision.
This poem is structured in a dialogue. The poet talk about that two people are speaking but it doesn’t show the words from that girl, the poet uses “I” throughout the poem so it shows that he is actually persuading himself. He compares himself as “Hamlet” because he keeps delaying his actions the same as “Hamlet”. This metaphor of “hamlet” suggests that his personality can’t fit into the current society. He is trying to be courageous in the second last paragraph. However, he states “I don’t think they will sing to me”. This indicates he comes back to his original thought which is to fail talking action. He still couldn’t get across his barrier in mind. We can’t tell what exactly the action is, instead, we can see the emotions and difficult dilemma that he is confronting.
Many images appear in the beginning of the poem, “fog”, “smog”, “sky”, “chimneys” and “restaurants” create an ”etherized” atmosphere. The image of frog lingering around the pool and falling into chimney also gives this poem an etherized and lazy environment. The poet also combines the poem with classic in the modern poem. It makes the poem more diversified.
On the other, repetition has been used really often in the poem. The poet keeps repeating that there are women talking in the room however he persuades himself that “there will be time”, “there will be time” even though he has something to say. It shows the character’s paralysis of making decisions and taking actions. It contrasts the character with the women. And the poet repeats “how would I presume?” several times indicating the internal conflicts that he is face with. “That was not what I meant at all” is said several times to convince him. It seems that the poet is making a big decision.
This poem is structured in a dialogue. The poet talk about that two people are speaking but it doesn’t show the words from that girl, the poet uses “I” throughout the poem so it shows that he is actually persuading himself. He compares himself as “Hamlet” because he keeps delaying his actions the same as “Hamlet”. This metaphor of “hamlet” suggests that his personality can’t fit into the current society. He is trying to be courageous in the second last paragraph. However, he states “I don’t think they will sing to me”. This indicates he comes back to his original thought which is to fail talking action. He still couldn’t get across his barrier in mind. We can’t tell what exactly the action is, instead, we can see the emotions and difficult dilemma that he is confronting.
Hap by: Thomas Hardy
This poem is talking about the chances that he is faced with. It’s a 14 lines’ sonnet that has three stanzas. Throughout the poem, the use of contrast words gives audiences a strong feeling of the author’s intolerant suffering. “Love” and “hate”, “sorrow” and “ecstasy”, “joy” and “slain”, “sun” and “rain” all contrast the hardship of sorrow. Thomas says if there is a God, is it his “profiting” to make me suffer so much? He states his question in the first stanza. The contrast that he uses is to emphasize the torture and how much he has lost.
Thomas uses images “sun”, “rain”, “sky” to describe the stuff that he can’t reach and uses rain to compare as “suffering”. The metaphor “readily strown” is used to express the ignorance of the God.
The three stanzas shift the tone in the third stanza. The word ‘but” symbolizes the transition of the poem. In the previous lines, the poet is going to accept the reality. He says if it is God who wants to make him suffer, he would bear it until death. Yet, he starts to question himself again “why do all the bad things happen to him?” “Why does God put me into this situation?” The rhetorical question” why unblooms the best hope even shown?” gives a vivid sense of suffering. “Unbloom” is used for the action to ruin someone’s hope. In the end, Thomas states that “my pilgrimage is like this, a very painful life.” It shows the Thomas’s saddens that he can’t find any path to ease his pain and suffering.
Hap Thoma Hardy
IF but some vengeful god would call to me
From up the sky, and laugh: "Thou suffering thing,
Know that thy sorrow is my ecstasy,That thy love's loss is my hate's profiting!"
Then would I bear, and clench myself, and die,
Steeled by the sense of ire unmerited;
Half-eased, too, that a Powerfuller than I
Had willed and meted me the tears I shed.
But not so. How arrives it joy lies slain,
And why unblooms the best hope ever sown?
--Crass Casualty obstructs the sun and rain,
And dicing Time for gladness casts a moan....
These purblind Doomsters had as readily strown
Blisses about my pilgrimage as pain.
Thomas uses images “sun”, “rain”, “sky” to describe the stuff that he can’t reach and uses rain to compare as “suffering”. The metaphor “readily strown” is used to express the ignorance of the God.
The three stanzas shift the tone in the third stanza. The word ‘but” symbolizes the transition of the poem. In the previous lines, the poet is going to accept the reality. He says if it is God who wants to make him suffer, he would bear it until death. Yet, he starts to question himself again “why do all the bad things happen to him?” “Why does God put me into this situation?” The rhetorical question” why unblooms the best hope even shown?” gives a vivid sense of suffering. “Unbloom” is used for the action to ruin someone’s hope. In the end, Thomas states that “my pilgrimage is like this, a very painful life.” It shows the Thomas’s saddens that he can’t find any path to ease his pain and suffering.
Hap Thoma Hardy
IF but some vengeful god would call to me
From up the sky, and laugh: "Thou suffering thing,
Know that thy sorrow is my ecstasy,That thy love's loss is my hate's profiting!"
Then would I bear, and clench myself, and die,
Steeled by the sense of ire unmerited;
Half-eased, too, that a Powerfuller than I
Had willed and meted me the tears I shed.
But not so. How arrives it joy lies slain,
And why unblooms the best hope ever sown?
--Crass Casualty obstructs the sun and rain,
And dicing Time for gladness casts a moan....
These purblind Doomsters had as readily strown
Blisses about my pilgrimage as pain.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Romantic Poetry (late 18th Century and early 19th Century)
William uses “cloud” to mimic the loneliness that he has. From the start to the end, William uses the image of “cloud” to depict a romantic and natural environment. In the first stanza, the image of daffodils was personified as “fluttering and dancing in the breeze”. It gives people a feeling of pleasure. Although the clouds are alone by themselves, they have companions “daffodils’ to “fluttering and dancing in the breeze.” It appears the clouds to be lonely; however, they are not alone. They enjoy their so-called loneliness.
In the second stanza, there comes the image of stars. The poet exaggerates the width of the shine of stars stretches. This exaggeration widens the horizon and vision. It expand our views. The clouds dance more “sprightly”.
In the third stanza, personification has been used in the previous line. Here the waves even start to dance with the clouds. It makes a connection with the poet. The delight of the stars, clouds, waves lead him to not to be sad but to be happy. This dances of clouds put out the thoughts of the poet.
The last stanza gives out the reason why he feels gay is because of dance with daffodils. Instead of the often pensive minds, his mind is filled with joy right now. The daffodils share the sorrow and joy with him. It’s like the poet’s dependence.
In the second stanza, there comes the image of stars. The poet exaggerates the width of the shine of stars stretches. This exaggeration widens the horizon and vision. It expand our views. The clouds dance more “sprightly”.
In the third stanza, personification has been used in the previous line. Here the waves even start to dance with the clouds. It makes a connection with the poet. The delight of the stars, clouds, waves lead him to not to be sad but to be happy. This dances of clouds put out the thoughts of the poet.
The last stanza gives out the reason why he feels gay is because of dance with daffodils. Instead of the often pensive minds, his mind is filled with joy right now. The daffodils share the sorrow and joy with him. It’s like the poet’s dependence.
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
By William Wordsworth
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay: 10
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed--and gazed--but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood, 20
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
By William Wordsworth
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay: 10
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed--and gazed--but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood, 20
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
Sonnet 116 by Shakespeare
Sonnet 116 by Shakespeare, this poem expresses what the true love between the lovers should be. Shakespeare expresses the love boldly without concealing. He says the true love cannot be stopped by obstacles, can’t be change with alterations. Shakespeare uses metaphor to describe love as permanent as an “ever-fixed mark”. The “tempests” as difficulties can never shake the determination of love. Another metaphor “star” is to convince audiences that love is like star that direct us and light our life up. “Star” gives hope to people’s life. Once people have a love experience, the value is of it can’t be measure until they actually taste it. From line 15 to the end, Shakespeare restates the permanence of love; it doesn’t change with time changing. Love is love; it will not fade no matter how other things change. It lasts till the end of life. Based on this, Shakespeare emphasizes that love is independent not variable. In the end, it’s obvious that only because he has love, he can prove all is right. In this poem, Shakespeare used shifts and emphasises such as “No”, But”, “if” to evolve his statement. This poem also rhymes in free forms which make it more sound romantic and narrative because Shakespeare feels he is in love and knows the value of love. Shakespeare writes it in a very confident tone, “If this is not true, no man would’ve ever loved”. It combines all the short sentences giving audience sense to be as passionate as what is described.
Sonnet CXVI. “Let me not to the marriage of true minds”
LET me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O, no! it is an ever-fixed mark,
5
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.
Love ’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come;
10
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error, and upon me prov’d,
I never writ, nor no man ever lov’d.
By William Shakespeare
Sonnet CXVI. “Let me not to the marriage of true minds”
LET me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O, no! it is an ever-fixed mark,
5
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.
Love ’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come;
10
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error, and upon me prov’d,
I never writ, nor no man ever lov’d.
By William Shakespeare
Monday, February 2, 2009
Restoration and 18th Century Poetry
Ode On The Death Of A Favourite Cat Drowned
In A Tub Of Goldfishes
by: Thomas Gray
In A Tub Of Goldfishes
by: Thomas Gray
'Twas on a lofty vase's side,
2 Where China's gayest art had dy'd
3 The azure flow'rs that blow;
4 Demurest of the tabby kind,
5 The pensive Selima, reclin'd,
6 Gazed on the lake below.
7 Her conscious tail her joy declar'd;
8 The fair round face, the snowy beard,
9 The velvet of her paws,
10 Her coat, that with the tortoise vies,
11 Her ears of jet, and emerald eyes,
12 She saw: and purr'd applause.
13 Still had she gaz'd; but 'midst the tide
14 Two angel forms were seen to glide,
15 The Genii of the stream;
16 Their scaly armour's Tyrian hue
17 Thro' richest purple to the view
18 Betray'd a golden gleam.
19 The hapless Nymph with wonder saw:
20 A whisker first and then a claw,
21 With many an ardent wish,
22 She stretch'd in vain to reach the prize.
23 What female heart can gold despise?
24 What cat's averse to fish?
25 Presumptuous Maid! with looks intent
26 Again she stretch'd, again she bent,
27 Nor knew the gulf between.
28 (Malignant Fate sat by, and smil'd)
29 The slipp'ry verge her feet beguil'd,
30 She tumbled headlong in.
31 Eight times emerging from the flood
32 She mew'd to ev'ry wat'ry god,
33 Some speedy aid to send.
34 No Dolphin came, no Nereid stirr'd;
35 Nor cruel Tom, nor Susan heard.
36 A Fav'rite has no friend!
37 From hence, ye Beauties, undeceiv'd,
38 Know, one false step is ne'er retriev'd,
39 And be with caution bold.
40 Not all that tempts your wand'ring eyes
41 And heedless hearts is lawful prize,
42 Nor all, that glisters, gold.
This poem describes how a cat loves gold so much. It has 7 stanzas. and rhymes in a,a,b,c,c,b form. In the first stanza, the cat " gazed on the lake" pensively. The lofty vase put out the mood of the cat. The description of a cat indicated the cat's happy mood. The use of metaphor "snow", "jet" gives out an expression of pureness, and smartness of the cat. She gives herself a applause. It seems that she feels proud of her own image. In the third stanza, the cat still enjoys looking at herself carefully but "midst the tide". In the fourth stanza, the cat starts to reach gold that catches her eyes without caring about her beauty and behaviour. "With many an ardent wish, She stretch'd in vain to reach the prize" (Line 22,23) described the movements of the cat. This is transition from "pensive" to "active". the "claw" and "saw" give out a cruelness of the cat. "What female heart can gold despise? What cat's averse to fish?", the two questions emphasis the vanity of women ironically. Personification is used in the fifth stanza. "Presumptuous Maid"(25) is to scold the cat directly. It transits into a more direct way. The last two stanzas describe the failure of the cat's reach for the gold. But her wrong did can't be retrieved unless she doesn't tempt to do it at the the beginning.
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