Question: Crane and O’Brien are no different. Each depicts death in his own way just as each soldier deals with death (impending or actual) in his own way. Chapters 9-10 in The Red Badge of Courage are an excellent example of Crane’s technique. Explain his technique and what effect this has on the reader. Be sure to explain both the reader’s experience and the experiences of the other characters.
Chapter Nine begins with Henry confronting the impeding death of Jim Conklin. When he first realizes that Jim is injured enough to die, Henry begins to feel immediate panic and remorse and begins to shout, “Oh, Jim – oh, Jim – oh, Jim -” The narrator then begins to describe the painful process of death for Mr. Conklin. The narrator states, “Suddnly, as the two friends marched on, the tall soldier seemed to be overcome by a tremor. His face turned to a semblance of gray paste. He clutched the youth’s arm…” Not only does this instill a great deal of fear and terror in Henry, but it also terrorizes us. Imagining a man turning a pasty gray and begin to tremor uncontrollably certainly sparks a feeling of anguish. The narrator then describes Henry as hysteric which suggests to us the level of tragedy and suffering which this event was obviously characterized by. Next the narrator describes, “He now hung babelike to the youth’s arm. His eyes rolled in the wildness of his terror.” This story gets continuously and increasingly intense in this way…the description of Jim’s death. The final image which we are left with regarding Jim, after being presented with the image of his struggle in the field, is described by the narrator explaining, “Finally, the chest of the doomed soldier began to heave with a strained motion. It increased in violence until it was as if an animal was within and was kicking and tumbling furiously to be free.” This painful image leaves us with a heart-wrenched feeling of despair over the tragic loss of such a seemingly brave soldier.
Henry faces the death of another comrade in Chapter Ten. “The tattered soldier” whose wounds are already known to Henry at first walks along chatting normally with Henry, until, “The youth, awakened by the tattered soldier’s tone, looked quickly up. He saw that he was swinging uncertainly on his legs and that his face had turned to a shade of blue.” Panic is the instinctive feeling for Henry once again, however the tattered soldier seems to be in denial that he is dying. Instead of physically dragging himself around, this soldier verbally expresses his waning life. He mumbles and rambles and consequently creates a confused and alarmed feeling for Henry and the reader. We and Henry at first believe that the soldier wants Henry to stay with him until the very end, however he then screams at Henry and tells him not to bother him. Upon Henry’s flee from this scene, the narrator describes that Henry could still “hear the tattered man bleating plaintively.” This longing for companionship is also a heart-wrenching feeling and makes us feel guilty that Henry is running away. However, Henry sticks by “the tattered soldier’s” side until he can no longer help but run from this traumatic scene. While his fault was to run…as it seems to be in many instances…his strength was to stand by his comrade’s side for as long as he could really stand it.
April 8, 2008
Question: Comrades: Yet another word we use without understanding the etymological significance. Tim has comrades; Henry has comrades. Check out this definition and etymology at Dictionary.com and compare that with Henry’s relationship to his comrades in the first fifteen chapters and O’Brien’s interrelationship of characters (especially in “Friends and Enemies”). Pay particular attention to the way the characters as revealed.
Throughout the first fifteen chapters Henry seems almost to be a loner in his way of thinking…really, in his fear. It feels as though he has no friends and that he is having a most dreadful time doing the things he is doing. However, it may seem that way due to the manner in which Henry’s companions are introduced. For example, the first man who Henry truly seems to be attached to (which is realized when the man is dying) was “the tall soldier”. This title is not at all personal and it seems as though if he were a comrade he would actually be deserving to have his name revealed and to be identified by it. The next man is also introduced in this same, impersonal manner as…”the tattered soldier”. Because they seem to only have physical identities it makes it feel as though they are not friends, but rather as individual men who are walking around with Henry. What brings us to the realization that they are his comrades though, is his reaction when he realizes that they will no longer be with him. Henry becomes very distressed upon watching these men die, and eventually the narrator reveals very literally that these men were his companions.
“Comrade” also finds its definition each time there is a battle or a group effort. For example, in Chapter 11 Henry comes upon a regiment, not knowing if it is even his own regiment, and the narrator explains, “He would truly be a worm if any of his comrades should see him returning thus, the marks of his flight upon him.” These men become his comrades, not because they are his buddies or because they have shared extremely personal facts with him, but rather they are his comrades because they share and activity together.
In Chapter 13, “comrade” finds its meaning when Henry returns to his regiment. Upon his arrival he is greeted by Wilson who, once coming to the realization of his wound, jumps into care mode. He begins to express concern for Henry and makes suggestions as to what should be done so as to see that his comforted and taken care of. As a result of this the narrator identifies that Wilson is Henry’s “friend”. Through this we discover that to be a comrade one is caring and considerate of the other person. However interestingly enough, this friend is eventually referred to in an impersonal way just as the others were. His identity is “the loud young soldier”. Chapter 13 also defines comrade in its concluding sentence. The narrator explains, “He gave a long sigh, snuggled down into his blanket, and in a moment he was like his comrades.” Henry was like all the other men around him…injured and slumbering.
Ironically the fifteenth chapter concludes with an example of distrust/embarrassment. Wilson remembers the items he entrusted to Henry and curiously requests that he returns them. Throughout these chapters it seems as though trust is developing between Henry and some of the men whom he spends his time with, however Wilson’s request that Henry return these articles suggests that a firm trust has not yet been established. Camaraderie seems to have only been developed in a social and companionship respect rather than in a trusting way.
April 6, 2008
Question: How do our main characters stack up against the traditional norms?
In The Red Badge of Courage Crane develops a character who would rather run from his fears rather than face them. Henry chooses in the heat of battle to turn on his fellow soldiers and run for safety, if he ever may find it! However, upon discovering that his troops have won the battle, Henry not only returns but also joins in taking credit for the miraculous victory. This contrasts with our typical heroes which we know today in that they would typically stand and fight for their case or for good. Henry is really the complete opposite…he is a coward.
Question: What is your definition of courage and heroism?
In my opinion, to be heroic or to be courageous means to stand up for something good and just, and to not run scared at the first sign of trouble or opposition. A hero is someone who is worthy of being looked up to…someone who portrays positive characteristics through their positive actions.
Question: What other experiences or literary works have worked to build this definition for you?
In this case, the only other piece of literature that really comes to mind would be The Catcher in the Rye. In this novel a boy named Holden Caulfield not only defies something right, but also something necessary. Holden, out of fear, refuses to accept adulthood. It is as if he is the Peter Pan of literature, in a more sophisticated sense, for he does not have pixie dust and The Lost Boys to get him through his struggle. He simply has the basics…the right and the wrong…the good and the bad. And, unfortunately for him, Holden knowingly supports the bad decision.
Question: How do O’Brien and Crane achieve their goals?
Crane develops through his tangible descriptions and his characters the true terror of war. On page 45 her writes, “He wished to get out of hearing of the crackling shots which were to him like voices.” Not only a situation, but a sound has been manipulated into a fear in this novel. He also writes, “Off was the rumble of death.” Here he suggests that all war really is is a system where death simply moves from one station to the next.
Question: What literary spin are they putting on the ball of words to get us to swing?
The literary spin used to get us to swing is the use of Naturalism as well as Realism. Through these techniques the author draws us into the story so as to actually allow us to relate to it. These techniques give the story a more real feeling and present the story in a way that suggests it could really be happening to us that very moment if the circumstances were correct.
April 1, 2008
Question: Crane is regarded as a Realist and a Naturalist. Read this explanation of Naturalism, explain the reasoning behind Realism and Naturalism, and discuss the major players in this literary movement. Be sure to comment with your own thoughts about the philosophy behind this literary movement.
Answer:
As is evident from the chosen explanation of Realism and Naturalism, it is clear that these two literary styles were created as a need for change emerged. The public was clearly in need of something that would demonstrate for them how they had become corrupt in their doings and also demonstrate the detestable things which they were apparently doing. A good piece of evidence from the reading (“…the French have traditionally viewed themselves as rationalists, and this prevailing attitude in intellectual circles meant that Romanticism led an uneasy existence in France…”) explains that Realism was a “rational” way of writing or rather, a way of writing that would evoke the human emotions rather than make up fantastic stories which take place in another world…ones that we find hard to really relate our own lives to. So, Realism and Naturalism (which is simply an extension of Realism) it can be decided were really ways of writing that made people look at themselves and analyze.
When it comes to Realism, there were two very significant writers who aided its development. The first was Honoré de Balzac who is even referred to as “the grandfather of literary Realism”. He wrote a “long series of novels and stories he titled La Comédie humaine (The Human Comedy)…which attempted systematically to render a portrait of all aspects of the France of his time from the lowest thief or prostitute to the highest aristocrat or political leader. The title of the series was chosen to contrast with Dante’s Divine Comedy, which had portrayed everything except the earthly human realm.” This clearly expresses that through his Realistic writing, Balzac was actually characterizing real human society. The fact that he writes about prostitutes and thieves (earthly characters rather than fake, imaginative characters) shows just how corrupt the society which he knew was becoming and demonstrates his want for the realization of this.
Next in line for the development of Realism is Gustave Flaubert…a man who was not afraid to write about true human flaws in a very blunt way. He wrote stories about two women who were involved in adulterous relationships (actually a true story) and evoked a bit a rage in the public (”they were enough to outrage the defenders of middle-class morality.”) So, upon reflecting about this form of writing, it is pondered…maybe this is what Realistic authors want us to do. Maybe they want us to be outraged or some other extreme emotion, because if we are then it is certain that they are getting their moral point across to us.
When considering the development of Naturalism, there is one very important author who was mentioned…Émile Zola. Zola wrote about human conflict and demoralization as well. He offered his characters as subjects to chance not only as individuals but also as very large groups. However when analyze the reaction to the conflict he pinpointed individuals to see how they were reacting. The reading also says, “Zola also took frankness about sexual functions much further than the early Realists had dared; and it is this, combined with a pervasive pessimism about humanity, which chiefly characterizes the Naturalist novel.” This simple definition clearly defines that Naturalism was a way (not a positive way either) of bluntly suggesting the moral problems of society. From this definition we identify that Naturalistic writers were very critical and along with Realistic writers, were looking for change.
In my opinion, Realistic and Naturalistic writers are some of the more intriguing ones. It is easier to read about events occurring in other peoples’ lives and to reflect upon their meaning than to read about imaginary characters and try to read between the sugar-coated lines to identify their meaning. While some of the bluntness may be harsh, most of it is true and it makes literature useful in identifying our own flaws. Realism and Naturalism have become very useful tools in the development of the morals we have today.
March 30, 2008
Question: List 5 tangible things and 5 intangible things the soldiers from your story carry.
Answer:
Beginning with the tangible items it is mentioned that the soldiers carry noisy accessories when it is explained that, “Presently a horseman with jangling equipment drew rein before the colonel of the regiment.” (15). It is also discovered that the main character of the novel (”the youth”) carries with him a miniature bible…the one which his mother gives him saying, “…and here’s a little bible…” upon his departure. (7). Next, the soldiers of course are constantly exposed to the possibility of battle, and so they carry with them their armor. This becomes clear when the narrator explains, “There was an occasional flash and glimmer of steel from the backs of all these huge crawling reptiles. From the road came creakings and grumblings as some surly guns were dragged away.” (15). Next, since they are obviously a group who are not bound to the area in which they reside they carry with them some form of shelter according to the narrator who describes, “At nightfall the column broke into regimental pieces, and the fragments went into the fields to camp. Tents sprang up like strange plants.” (17). And lastly, regarding tangible things which the soldiers carried, are the necessities which it seems every soldier must have. According the narrator, “Presently few carried anything but their necessary clothing, blankets, haversacks, canteens, and arms and ammunition.” (20). These simplicities seem to be the necessary components of a soldiers equipment.
Regarding the intangibles which the soldiers carry, first on my list would be (and probably not for all of them, however expressed about “the youth”) shame. The narrator explains about “the youth” upon his departure that he was “feeling suddenly ashamed of his purposes.” (8). Perhaps this suggests that rather than joining the army out of respect to it some soldiers merely see it as an escape from the current life which they lead. Next it is overwhelmingly probable that the soldiers feel a significant amount of panic or fear. For the narrator he explains, “A little panic-fear grew in his mind. As his imagination went forward to a fight, he saw hideous possibilities.” (10). Then we discover the uneasiness the soldiers must feel when the narrator explains, “He had feared that all of the untried men possessed great and correct confidence. He now was in a measure reassured.” (12). Next we find evidence suggesting that soldiers have within them traces of anticipation which is suggested by the narrators when he describes, “…he was engaged with his own eternal debate. He could not hinder himself from dwelling upon it. He was despondent and sullen, and threw shifting glances about him. He looked ahead, often expecting to hear form the advance the rattle of firing.” (16). Lastly for intangible things which the soldiers carry and probably the most significant, is memories. For “the youth” he wishes he was home which the narrator explains saying, “He wishes, without reserve, that he was at home again making the endless rounds from the house to the barn, from the barn to the fields, from the fields to the barn, from the barn to the house. He remembered he had so often cursed the brindle cow and her mates, and had sometimes flung milking stools.” (17).
Question: “What do you carry?” List and explain what you hump around life, tangible and intangible.
Answer:
Concerning tangible things I typically carry around my keys, my wallet, a pack of gum, a pack of tissues, something to write with, a good book and my phone. All of these things can be more simply generalized as…my purse, which in and of itself is a tangible object. Also, many times, within this fascinating tangible object there can be found some type of food. Concerning intangible things however, I seem to carry around a great deal of apology and concern. According to some I act as a “mother” to my friends, and as a result I suppose a carry a significant amount of compassion for the feelings of others. However there are times when those less appealing feelings take hold of me, as do they to all of us.
March 26, 2008
Song
By: Edmund Waller
1. What is the occasion of the poem? What literary device does the poet employ? Describe what you know of the speaker, the listener, and the “she” referred to in the poem.
This poem describes the occasion of a woman receiving a rose and what it means for her. The narrator explains that the rose will signify to a woman “how sweet and fair she seems to be” in line 5. He also explains its simplicity when he says “small is the worth” in line 11. The poet employs end rhyme in this poem in making the first and third lines rhyme with each other, and then the second, fourth and fifth lines rhyme with each other. From this poem we know that the speaker appreciates women and is making an attempt to win the heart of one. We know that the “she” in the poem is “young” (line 6) and that she is shy because he writes, “And not blush so to be admir’d” (line 10). Lastly, we know that the listener is an inanimate object (the rose) that will of course do its duty for it has no other choice but to obey the narrator.
2. Paraphrase each of the four stanzas.
I am sending a beautiful rose to the girl whom I admire so that she will know how delicate and beautiful she is in my eyes. I wish for you to explain to her that even though she is shy and wishes to go unnoticed that had she been created in a place where no one would notice her truly stunning qualities would go to waste. The worth of one’s beauty is diminished when it is hidden from those around her, so please advise her to make public her beauty and not to feel so ashamed for being so greatly adored. Then rose, die so as to show her that beauty will not be present forever and will eventually fade like that of a rose.
3. Describe the prosody, including stanza form, rhyme, meter, and notable metrical substitutions (spondees), as well as the structure of the poem. How do these choices help to reinforce the poem’s content?
The stanza form is arranged so that each stanza is one full sentence and sends a message to the beloved woman whom the speaker admires. The first stanza commands that the rose to do its job in expressing how the speaker feels about the woman. The next stanza suggests that the rose explain that her beauty is a gift which was given so as not to be a waste. The third stanza asks of the woman to embrace her beauty and let it show, and the final stanza explains that her beauty (with age) will eventually fade just like that of a rose. The rhyme scheme then is one of ababb. According to the back of the book the meter alternate between dimeter and tetrameter.
Virtue
By: George Herbert
1. Consider first Herbert’s use of metaphor and personification. In each case, what two unlike things are being compared, and what do they have in common?
The first metaphor refers to the day as “the bridal of the earth and sky” which is relevant because the light links the earth and the sky together just as marriage links together man and woman. Next the speaker personifies the dew when he says that it “shall weep thy fall tonight” and he suggests that dew is like a person with emotions and feelings who has the tendency to be defeated. After this the speaker personifies the “sweet rose” in explaining its “angry hue” and that is it “brave”, and suggests that it “bids the rash gazer wipe his eye” which explains that the color/luminosity of a single flower may be so colorful/bright that it may even be blinding as is the sun to those whom so irrationally gaze at it. Next, “spring” is compared to “a box where sweets compacted lie” which suggests that spring is a season of renewal and excitement full of agreeable and delightful things. Finally the speaker compares “a sweet and virtuous soul” to “season’d timber” which suggests that it has withstood a great deal of hardship however still remains while the rest of the world falters and “turns to coal”.
2. How is the poem structured, and how does this structure support its meaning? Consider parallelism, order, and the turn in the poem?
The poem is structured so as the give the reader the weathered feeling which the “timber” is desribed as in the final stanza. The first stanza relates the world to a common thing for us and is followed by the second stanza which explains our irrationalities. The third stanza suggests our unnecessary excitement over a phase which will not last, and the poem ends with the explanation of our inevitable end. The parallelism between the stanzas is that they all suggest our foolishness in a rather polite and disguised way and the order explains the sequence in which our downfall is brought upon us. The final stanza then turns the poem and rears its literal meaning in our faces…that we are fools most of the time in our endeavors and rarely there occurs a single person who overcomes these foolish endeavors and rises above the fall which they will otherwise encounter.
3. How does the prosody reinforce the poem’s meaning?
The prosody of this poem reinforces its meaning in that it first explains in the beginning three stanzas what it will finally correct in the final stanza. It actually explains in each stanza that the things which it describes “must die” and then explains that it is rare to actually overcome these seemingly “sweet” things.
March 13, 2008
Auto Wreck
By: Karl Shapiro
1. What imagery does Shapiro use in the first three lines to evoke sound and sight? How do these images become increasingly significant in the context of the entire poem?
The first three lines each offer an image which evokes either sight or sound for us. The first line describes a “quick soft silver bell beating” from which we can hear the ding of the siren which is actually being described. Then in line two Shapiro says “down the dark one ruby flare” which describes the scene of the lights of the ambulance approaching from far away, just close enough however for us to see the glimmer of its bright red (“ruby”) light. Finally in line three Shapiro explains that the light is “pulsing out red light like an artery” which suggests the ever-nearing approach of the ambulance for as it get closer the actually flashing of the light on its top becomes evident. In regards to the poem in its entirety these lines are crucial in that they develop the setting of the poem and are reoccurring throughout it.
2. On a literal level, what contextual significance do the following words and phrases have: “mangled” (line 9), “tolls once” (line 11), “terrible cargo” (line 12), “rocking, slightly rocking” (line 13), “deranged” and “composed” (lines 15 and 16)?
In line 9 the word “mangled” is used to describe the type of people being taken care of in this situation. It is not just someone who is sick or simply been enfeebled, but rather someone who has been completely crippled.
Next, in line 11 Shapiro uses the phrase “tolls once” to describe what the people in the ambulance realize is going on. They hear one single blow of the siren from the ambulance and then are driven away to be given better care.
Then in line 12 the phrase “terrible cargo” refers to the people within the ambulance. The speaker is not suggesting that the people within the ambulance are terrible people, but rather that the situation and what has happened to them is a terrible event.
In line 13 the speaker explains that this terrible cargo is “rocking, rocking slightly” which almost gives us the image of a baby. Through this image we can imagine just how helpless these victims are because they seem to be so helpless that they cannot be anything but a helpless infant.
Finally in line 15 and 16 Shapiro explains that situations like this make us “deranged” or insane for it is unfathomable how discomforting this situation would actually be. He then explains that through all of this the cops remain “composed” probably not simply for order, but also for sanity themselves.
3. Analyze the metaphors in lines 3, 18, 22, and 29-30. What pattern do they create and why is it appropriate to the poem?
The first metaphor in line 3 (“pulsing out red light like an artery”) compares the pulsing of the red light on the ambulance to the pulsing of blood though an artery. This seems to be an appropriate comparison in that it relates the two major details of the poem…the setting and the reoccurring dilemma.
The next metaphor in line 18 (“with a bucket douches ponds of blood”) compares a small puddle of blood to a body as large as a pond. This suggests that due to the enormity of the situation the actual size of the puddle can be multiplied as an effect of the tragedy.
The third mentioned metaphor in line 22 (“our throats were tight as tourniquets”), although actually a simile, compares the closing of the throat which we all experience under such tragic conditions to the compressing feeling which a tourniquet (or tightly encircling bandage) offers.
Finally in lines 29-30 (“the traffic moves around with care,/ But we remain, touching a wound/ That opens to our richest horror.”) Here the speaker suggests that the most horrifying thing to us is feeling which is what wounds (especially ones this serious) open us up to.
All of these comparisons follow the pattern of having to do with blood or with wounds and are appropriate in that they keep the situation under close inspection. They constantly refer to blood (either its loss or the restriction of its loss) and they continue to remind us of the seriousness of the situation.
What is added to the theme of the poem by the metaphors in lines 20-21 and the simile in 24-27?
The first of the two comparisons, the metaphor, explains the emptiness which is left behind after a situation such as the one being discussed. After such an occurrence there are “wrecks” and “empty husks of locusts” left over. Then, the simile describes the experience which the actual injured have once arriving at the hospital. They become “intimate” although “gauche” and are connected through the commonality of their “common sense,/ The grim joke and the banal resolution.” These ultimately contribute to the theme in that they add on to the experience that we have by allowing us to feel what the subject of the poem actually goes through.
March 11, 2008
Complaint to His Purse
By: Geoffrey Chaucer
1. Describe the form called rime royal: meter, rhyme scheme, stanza form.
The rhyme scheme of this rime royal poem is one of ababbcc excluding the envoy which is actually ddeed. The uniform meter is one of iambic pentameter and each stanza is 7 lines long and each end with the same line… “Beeth hevy again, or elles moot I die.”
2. What is the structure of the poem? How do the imagery and argument of each stanza develop and intensify the appeal?
The poem is structured so that the first stanza explains that money is what makes the speaker happy…his purse is his “lady” and without her he explains, “elles moot I die”. this imagery develops how much the speaker truly loves money by comparing it to true love between two humans which also makes it a more real feeling for us.
The next stanza the speaker uses to explain that money is his whole life and it is even his “hertes steere”. He also refers to it as the “Queene of confort and of good compaignye”. This imagery gives us the picture of money and the speaker sitting side by side just as companions do and ultimately suggest to use that money should be our best of friends.
The third stanza explains that money to him is a “saviour, as in this world down here” and overall suggests that it is his king (or as previously mentioned his “Queene”). This imagery ultimately suggests that money while being the most powerful thing in someone’s life can also be their comrade.
The final stanza (the envoy) addressed to King Henry IV explains that the poem is actually a cry for help from the people to the kind because they are actually in need of money.
3. In exploring the extended metaphor of the poem, consider how diction accounts for the humor of Chaucer’s parody.
The poem becomes humorous in its comparison of money to a man’s beloved woman. The entire poem encapsulates this relationship between and man and a woman, and the diction helps to express this relationship in a humorous fashion. The speaker dramatically explains, “Ye be my life, ye be myn hertes steere…” and continues further to exclaim that money is the man’s “lives light” and “saviour”. Ultimately the over-the-top attitude with which the man regards the importance of money is what makes the poem so entertaining.
4. How does the envoy continue the tone of the poem even as it addresses a specific person?
The envoy continues the tone of the poem in that it continues to express the need/want for money which the speaker has and the power which money seems to hold over him. It is five lines of explanation that this entire poem is actually a plea to the king for more money for the people…including the speaker. It suggests that money holds such power over the speaker that he would even stoop to begging to obtain it.
March 10, 2008
Spring and Fall
By: Gerard Manley Hopkins
1. Hopkins’s short lyric shares some elements with the sonnet, but it is a nonce form, invented for this poem only. Hopkins’ idiosyncratic meter, which he dubbed “sprung rhythm”, uses accent marks over certain syllables. What is the dominant meter and line length? What is the rhyme scheme? Describe the poem’s structure. (Hint: The anomaly in the rhyme scheme is the key).
The dominant meter is one of iambic tetrameter and there are typically four accented syllables in each line. The rhyme scheme is one of end rhyme present in couplets throughout the poem with the exception of lines 7, 8 and 9 in which there are three lines of end rhyme. The poem is structured so that the first six lines describe the situation that is being discussed in the poem and then using the deviation in lines 7, 8 and 9 changes to the resolution of the problem in lines 10-15.
2. What is the effect of the frequent use of alliteration in the poem? Combined with assonance and consonance, what mood does this device create?
The alliteration, consonance and assonance employed in this poem are strategically used so as to develop the mood of despair throughout the poem. Some of the combinations are simply a little tougher to say such as “sorrow’s springs” in line 11 and “no nor” in line 12 creating somewhat of a struggling feeling throughout the poem and creating the effect that this is indeed a hard subject for the speaker to talk about. The assonance and consonance are also used for this effect. Assonance is present in line 8 in the word “leafmeal” as well as in line 13 in the words “heart heard”. Consonance presents itself in line 13 as well when the speaker says “ghost guessed”. These elements ultimately combine to develop the afflicted feeling throughout the poem.
3. Comment on the effect created by such unusual diction as Goldengrove and unleaving (line 2) fresh (line 4), wanwood and leafmeal (line 8), springs (line 11), and blight (line 14). How do the connotations of these words create the poem’s mood?
“Goldengrove” and “unleaving” are words in the poem that suggest a rather appropriate setting. The speaker then uses the word “fresh” as somewhat of a contradiction of these first two words in that rather than the situation being an unleaving one it is actually something new (”fresh”). The speaker then goes on to include the words “wanwood” (whose connotation is one more of eeriness), “leafmeal” (whose connotation seems to be rather disgusting) and “blight” (whose definition suggests dilapidation or decay) so as to explain the process of deterioration. And finally the speaker uses the word “springs” to signify the new things that are to come after the deterioration.
4. Analyze the poet’s use of figurative language. How does it suggest the theme of the poem?
The poet uses the entire poem to figuratively explain an every day conflict which we all will know…human atrophy. Language such as “…It will come to such sights colder…” suggests that as we personally progress our opinions and ways of dealing with this conflict will change and determine how truly depressing this process is. Also, the speaker’s language in line 11 (”sorrow’s springs”) and in line 12 (”mouth…mind”) suggests that our mourning will find its exits through what we speak and what we think. However the theme is strongly present in the second to last line (line 14) in the speaker’s saying, “…It is the blight man was born for…” This single line suggests that the theme of this poem is to explain that we are in fact put here for the sole purpose that we will eventually die.
The Oven Bird
By: Robert Frost
1. Frost’s poem, like Hopkins’s, borrows from the sonnet form. What is its meter, rhyme scheme and structure?
Frost borrows from the sonnet form in that his poem is 14 lines long. The rhyme scheme then of the poem in its entirety is aabcbdcdeefgfg. The meter of the poem is consistently iambic pentameter and the poem is structured so that in the first 10 lines the speaker is offering his opinion and then in the last 4 lines he is actually giving an explanation of the bird and what he goes through.
2. Paraphrase the three messages of the oven bird, then analyze the meaning of the word fall as it encapsulates the theme of the poem.
First, in lines 4-5 the bird “says that leave are old and that for flowers/ Mid-summer is to spring as one to ten.” Here the bird is explaining that by midsummer flowers have worn themselves out and are not as brilliant or radiant as they are in the spring. They are one-tenth of what the used to be in size, number and quality. Next the bird “says the early petal-fall is past/ When pear and cherry bloom went down in showers/ On sunny days a moment overcast;/ And comes that other fall we name the fall.” In these lines the bird is explaining that the mad rush of trees and other plants shedding their blossoms has now passed and all that is left is the transition to a new season. Finally the bird “says the highway dust is over all” which suggests that artificial/unnatural substances (made by man) now cover the earth and envelope it in filth. The constant use of the word “fall” suggests its thematic importance. First it refers to leaves falling and leading to a new season. Then it refers to the season of fall which is one of shedding. And ultimately it suggests a literal collapse…possibly the one which mankind will eventually face.
3. Paraphrase the last four lines of the poem. How does the oven bird symbolize the human condition?
The last four lines explain that the bird would like to die and be just like other birds, however he knows not to let this secret out. However he, unlike other birds, knows that the beauty which they enjoy will not last forever…it will become a “diminished thing”. The oven bird therefore symbolizes the human condition in that it is a symbol of how we ruin experience with attitude. We know what is most likely to come and go, and rather than simply accepting that we fall into a slump and pout about those things which pass which we would rather see remain.
March 9, 2008
The Story We Know
By: Martha Collins
1. Describe a villanelle by explicating the stanza pattern and the rhyme scheme of this poem. How many different end rhymes are in the poem? How many times is each sound repeated? Which words are repeated exactly at the ends of lines, in what pattern? How does the last stanza use the rhyming words? Why is this appropriate at the end of the poem?
From this poem it becomes evident that a villanelle must be a poem that consists of five tercets and ends with a quatrain (19 lines altogether). The rhyme scheme which a villanelle seems to be composed of is one of aba. However, throughout the entire poem the middle lines actually rhyme with each other so in actuality there are two different end rhymes in this poem. The a rhyme is used thirteen times throughout the poem, and the b rhyme is used six times throughout the poem. However, the words “Hello” and “know”/”no” are used repeatedly throughout the poem at either the beginning or the end of each stanza. The final stanza actually uses these words to end the last two lines of the poem as a way to complete the idea that “Hello” is what we “know”. It sums up the entire poem in two significant words.
2. Isolating the b rhymes (middle line of each tercet) gives us this list: fine, wine, nine, line, pine, sign. What is the significance of each of these words to the whole poem?
The first of the b rhymes is the word “fine”. Ironically this is the rhyme of the middle line and it is the middle action of the story being told. Next is the “wine” stage where, in the story, the people get to know each other following their first greeting. Following this rhyming component is the next stage…”nine”. As the relationship progresses people tend to spend more time with each other or feel more comfortable spending longer periods of time with each other, and this is represented by the “nine” stage. Next is the “line” stage where this entire procedure becomes something memorized, as if a line in a play. Following this is the “pine” stage where the relationship begins to age. It is not that it becomes uninteresting but rather that is becomes more casual and of the norm. And lastly is the “sign” stage where we know the relationship that has developed is ending. These lines signify the stages of a typical relationship from beginning to end…a story that we all know.
3. Incremental repetition tends to augment meaning and accumulate significance. What variations in meaning are present in the following groups of repetitions and what is their effect?
Line 1: same. Hello,
Line 6: same, Hello,
Line 12: same Hello.
Line 18: end. Hello,
Line 3: Good-bye at the end.
Line 9: Good-bye. In the end
Line 15: Good-bye is the end
Line 19: Good-bye is the only
Line 3: every story we know
Line 9: this is a story we know
Line 15: every story we know
Line 19: We know, we know.
In the first set of lines the words “same” and “Hello” are manipulated so as to differ in their meaning throughout the poem. The first use of these words (in line1) ends a sentence with same, and then begins the next with the greeting “Hello”. The next example uses these words (in line 6) to explain that each Hello is similar in its meaning. Next these words are used in line 12 to explain that every Hello is the same. And finally in line 18 the word Hello is used as a prerequisite for the ending which is to come.
In the second set of lines the words “good-bye” and “end” are employed to develop different ideas as well. Line 3 explains that good-bye is the ending of something. Next, in line 9, good-bye is used as a farewell and is described as already being a known procedure. Then in line 15 these words explain that the ending to everything is a good-bye in some way. Finally, in line 19, it is explained that the story of good-bye is the only story the world knows.
In the third and final set of lines the words “every story we know” are arranged so as to differentiate between their meanings. Line 3 suggests that every story we know is one of hello and good-bye. Following this line 9 simply explains that this is a common story which we all know. Next, line 15 explains that this is a typical ending which we’ve all experience. And finally in line 19 these words are manipulated to simply and bluntly express that we all know this story no matter who we are.
March 6, 2008
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