"He thinks that when I follow him hi'll wrap me in his arms and laugh, the way he did when I arrived on earth. I do not think he's right."
This poem is interesting. I think that the speaker elegizes his father if the father is "not dead" because the father is near death. I think this because of the fact that the speaker said that "He's ready." This means that his father is ready to die. Maybe the father is on his death bed, or maybe the father just is comfortable talking about "the world beyond this world." Who knows? Also, the speaker's view of immortality is different than his father's. This is because his father is ready to die and thinks that heaven is similar to a family reunion. However, the speaker is very adamant in his opinions that "he doesn't think so." Also, the central theme of the poem is that the speaker's father is ready to die and views the afterlife a certain way, but the speaker is afraid of death and is not ready to go yet. The tone of the poem is kind of cocky. The speaker believes that his thinking of the afterlife is the best way to view the issue. I also think that the poem is somewhat satirical. The author is making fun of the way his father views heaven, thinking that they will embrace like old times and say, "Welcome back."
Thursday, October 6, 2011
"Lonely Hearts" by Wendy Cope
"Can someone make my simple wish come true? / Do you live in North London? Is it you?"
First off, I love this poem. I feel that this poem describes the vast majority of society. The central purpose is simple, really. So many of us go on through this world, and the only thing we are living for is that special someone. We just keep searching and searching and searching. Each person carries a key: the key to someone's heart. However, each person tries to make other people's keys fit into their heart (their keyhole), but sometimes it just doesn't work. So we keep trying, keep meeting new people and hoping that their key is the perfect fit. We try to force their key into matching our keyhole, but it doesn't work. We can't force love; however, the openness that the speaker is portraying is important. The speaker keeps trying to be compatible with every person she sees fit in her life. However, this speaker doesn't really have standards. She's kind of open to just about anyone. This speaker represents the vulnerability and desperate attitude showcased by many people in the world. I believe that this poem is satirical because the speaker is making fun of anyone who just lets any person into her life. We all want our wish of falling in love "to come true." We just have to find the person who holds the key to our hearts because they will be the people worth fighting for.
First off, I love this poem. I feel that this poem describes the vast majority of society. The central purpose is simple, really. So many of us go on through this world, and the only thing we are living for is that special someone. We just keep searching and searching and searching. Each person carries a key: the key to someone's heart. However, each person tries to make other people's keys fit into their heart (their keyhole), but sometimes it just doesn't work. So we keep trying, keep meeting new people and hoping that their key is the perfect fit. We try to force their key into matching our keyhole, but it doesn't work. We can't force love; however, the openness that the speaker is portraying is important. The speaker keeps trying to be compatible with every person she sees fit in her life. However, this speaker doesn't really have standards. She's kind of open to just about anyone. This speaker represents the vulnerability and desperate attitude showcased by many people in the world. I believe that this poem is satirical because the speaker is making fun of anyone who just lets any person into her life. We all want our wish of falling in love "to come true." We just have to find the person who holds the key to our hearts because they will be the people worth fighting for.
"Death, be not proud" by John Donne
"One short sleep passed, we wake eternally, / And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die."
Wow. I've never read a poem about a person standing up to death before. This speaker genuinely is staring death right in the face and is claiming to rise above death's threats. This is somewhat contradictory to the majority in society because most people fear death more than anything else in the world. The central theme of this poem is that the speaker is certain that he will overcome the obstacles that death is putting in front of him. The tone of the poem is persistent because the speaker is adamant that he will win the battle against death. This tone is conveyed due to the speaker's diction. The speaker uses series a lot in this poem. For example, the speaker says, " some have called thee mighty and dreadful." The speaker uses more than one adjective to describe death. Also, the speaker says, "Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men." Here, the speaker is saying that death gets the best of fate and chances. Death also gets the best of kings and desperate men who get too involved with fame or other desires to realize what truly matters in the world today. The poem flows in the sense that every other line rhymes; however, these lines of rhyme all contain much depth and insight. I also sense some irony in this passage because he says that "death shalt die." Is this possible? Can death die?
Wow. I've never read a poem about a person standing up to death before. This speaker genuinely is staring death right in the face and is claiming to rise above death's threats. This is somewhat contradictory to the majority in society because most people fear death more than anything else in the world. The central theme of this poem is that the speaker is certain that he will overcome the obstacles that death is putting in front of him. The tone of the poem is persistent because the speaker is adamant that he will win the battle against death. This tone is conveyed due to the speaker's diction. The speaker uses series a lot in this poem. For example, the speaker says, " some have called thee mighty and dreadful." The speaker uses more than one adjective to describe death. Also, the speaker says, "Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men." Here, the speaker is saying that death gets the best of fate and chances. Death also gets the best of kings and desperate men who get too involved with fame or other desires to realize what truly matters in the world today. The poem flows in the sense that every other line rhymes; however, these lines of rhyme all contain much depth and insight. I also sense some irony in this passage because he says that "death shalt die." Is this possible? Can death die?
"Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas
"Do not go gentle into that good nigh, / Old age should burn and rave at close of day; / Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
When I first read this poem, I was ultimately extremely confused as to what this poem was trying to say. After reading it again, I realized that the central theme is centered around death. The tone of the poem is kind of bitter. The speaker is upset that good people are dying so early. He says, "Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright their frail deeds might have danced." This is symbolizing that good men die off early and are unable to say goodbye. Also, people are sad that the good person's light didn't last longer. How often do we wonder this about our loved ones? Many of us wonder why the good people die young, or why God takes the good ones off first. Many of us often say that good people who die had so much ahead of them. This speaker falls into this boat. He has "rage against the dying of light." It's almost like an oxymoron because most people represent death as darkness. Here, the death is darkness, but the goodness in people's hearts represents the light. The author also is upset that the light is dying out. His diction includes words like "rage." He is genuinely upset as to the concept of death. Also, the speaker is very repetitive of phrases to showcase his point. He repeats "Do not go gentle into that good night" and "rage, rage against the dying of the light." Maybe "Do not go gentle into that good night" symbolizes that if we ARE to die young, we should die with everything we have. We should not "gently" die; we should die trying to fight for the passions in our lives. Maybe? I don't know. I'm somewhat confused, but I think that is somewhat correct.
When I first read this poem, I was ultimately extremely confused as to what this poem was trying to say. After reading it again, I realized that the central theme is centered around death. The tone of the poem is kind of bitter. The speaker is upset that good people are dying so early. He says, "Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright their frail deeds might have danced." This is symbolizing that good men die off early and are unable to say goodbye. Also, people are sad that the good person's light didn't last longer. How often do we wonder this about our loved ones? Many of us wonder why the good people die young, or why God takes the good ones off first. Many of us often say that good people who die had so much ahead of them. This speaker falls into this boat. He has "rage against the dying of light." It's almost like an oxymoron because most people represent death as darkness. Here, the death is darkness, but the goodness in people's hearts represents the light. The author also is upset that the light is dying out. His diction includes words like "rage." He is genuinely upset as to the concept of death. Also, the speaker is very repetitive of phrases to showcase his point. He repeats "Do not go gentle into that good night" and "rage, rage against the dying of the light." Maybe "Do not go gentle into that good night" symbolizes that if we ARE to die young, we should die with everything we have. We should not "gently" die; we should die trying to fight for the passions in our lives. Maybe? I don't know. I'm somewhat confused, but I think that is somewhat correct.
"That time of year" by William Shakespeare
"As the deathbed whereon it must expire, / Consumed with that which it was nourished by. / This thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong, / To love that well which thou must leave ere long."
This quote truly has a lot of meaning to the poem. I recognized the central theme of the poem as a person telling his lover that this life is old and dreary, but the two must make the most of life. The imagery in the poem is very colorful. For instance, the speaker begins the poem talking about "yellow leaves." Yellow typically symbolizes happiness and newness. So maybe the yellow at the beginning represents the hope of life but "few do hang." (There is not much hope in the speaker's world at the moment). Then, the poem goes on to talk about the "sunset fadeth." Again, the hope is fading away. After that, I noticed that the imagery became darker: "which by black night doth take away." This makes it seem that darkness is taking over. Finally, the in the last stanza, the spaker says "death's second self seals up all in rest." I felt that this symbolized that a person's inner sadness is the ultimate thing that kills a man inside. The turn at the end of the poem is very intriguing though. It's almost a turn-around; the entire poem is dreary until this point. The quote that is listed above is symbolizing that we must not be "consumed" with the things that "nourish" us. Rather, we should allow the world to nourish us and love the things on earth while we still can.
This quote truly has a lot of meaning to the poem. I recognized the central theme of the poem as a person telling his lover that this life is old and dreary, but the two must make the most of life. The imagery in the poem is very colorful. For instance, the speaker begins the poem talking about "yellow leaves." Yellow typically symbolizes happiness and newness. So maybe the yellow at the beginning represents the hope of life but "few do hang." (There is not much hope in the speaker's world at the moment). Then, the poem goes on to talk about the "sunset fadeth." Again, the hope is fading away. After that, I noticed that the imagery became darker: "which by black night doth take away." This makes it seem that darkness is taking over. Finally, the in the last stanza, the spaker says "death's second self seals up all in rest." I felt that this symbolized that a person's inner sadness is the ultimate thing that kills a man inside. The turn at the end of the poem is very intriguing though. It's almost a turn-around; the entire poem is dreary until this point. The quote that is listed above is symbolizing that we must not be "consumed" with the things that "nourish" us. Rather, we should allow the world to nourish us and love the things on earth while we still can.
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