A Pact by Ezra Pound
I make a pact with you, Walt Whitman -
I have detested you long enough.
I come to you as a grown child
Who has had a pig-headed father;
I am old enough now to make friends.
It was you that broke the new wood,
Now is a time for carving.
We have one sap and one root -
Let there be commerce between us.
Analysis:
A pact is an agreement, covenant or a compact between two sides. This poem is describing an agreement between two former enemies that have had a bad past. This pact shown in the poem is to put all past conflict aside and begin a new relationship. Walt Whitman was a poet, known for his free verse poetry. This poem relates to the relationship between Ezra Pound and Walt Whitman. “I am old enough now to make friends.” This passage is describing how Ezra Pound is mature enough to understand and appreciate Walt Whitman’s poetry to its full extent.
“It was you that broke the new wood
Now is a time for carving.
We have one sap and one root –“
This passage emphasizes how Whitman started and influenced modern poetry. Ezra quotes: “Now is a time for carving.” This portion of the stanza is portraying the message that Ezra believes he wants to change the style of poetry that Whitman had created. The second last line of the poem is a metaphor that Ezra uses to explain how Pound and Whitman have the same background and interest.
The conflict between the two poets works very well in intriguing the reader and the many interesting metaphors used by Pound for this relationship between him and Whitman. Despite, the poem being very shorts I feel as if Pound had possibly more to say about Whitman, a poet whom he respected greatly.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Clown In The Moon by Dylan Thomas
Clown In The Moon by Dylan Thomas
My tears are like the quiet drift
Of petals from some magic rose;
And all my grief flows from the rift
Of unremembered skies and snows.
I think, that if I touched the earth,
It would crumble;
It is so sad and beautiful,
So tremulously like a dream.
Analysis:
The first stanza of this poem has an “ABAB” rhyme scheme and the second stanza has no rhyme scheme at all. The writer also puts a simile at the beginning of the poem where it says: “My tears are like quiet drift.” The meaning of the simile in my opinion is that the tears of the narrator are subtle and gentle. “If petals from some magic rose” this passage is referring to rareness of the character tearing up. The narrator seems depressed and isolated in this poem. The narrator for this poem is a clown stuck on a moon who feels lonely and cannot make his way back home to earth. Another simile used in this poem is at the end of the piece, where it says: “So tremulously like a dream.” The quote is describing the fear that the clown has and is relating this fear to a dream. It is an interesting pattern that the poem begins with a simile and ends with a simile, a parallel structure of sorts.
This poem reminds of a novel I read a couple years ago in French class, “Le Petit Prince.” Both the clown and petit prince relate to each other, they are lost and isolated from people.
The rhyme scheme for this poem works really well, in conveying the message of the piece. The only issue with this poem is the short length. Possibly, adding more to the poem would make the poem seem more interesting to readers.
My tears are like the quiet drift
Of petals from some magic rose;
And all my grief flows from the rift
Of unremembered skies and snows.
I think, that if I touched the earth,
It would crumble;
It is so sad and beautiful,
So tremulously like a dream.
Analysis:
The first stanza of this poem has an “ABAB” rhyme scheme and the second stanza has no rhyme scheme at all. The writer also puts a simile at the beginning of the poem where it says: “My tears are like quiet drift.” The meaning of the simile in my opinion is that the tears of the narrator are subtle and gentle. “If petals from some magic rose” this passage is referring to rareness of the character tearing up. The narrator seems depressed and isolated in this poem. The narrator for this poem is a clown stuck on a moon who feels lonely and cannot make his way back home to earth. Another simile used in this poem is at the end of the piece, where it says: “So tremulously like a dream.” The quote is describing the fear that the clown has and is relating this fear to a dream. It is an interesting pattern that the poem begins with a simile and ends with a simile, a parallel structure of sorts.
This poem reminds of a novel I read a couple years ago in French class, “Le Petit Prince.” Both the clown and petit prince relate to each other, they are lost and isolated from people.
The rhyme scheme for this poem works really well, in conveying the message of the piece. The only issue with this poem is the short length. Possibly, adding more to the poem would make the poem seem more interesting to readers.
I Have Longed To Go Away by Dylan Thomas
I Have Longed To Go Away by Dylan Thomas
I have longed to move away
From the hissing of the spent lie
And the old terrors' continual cry
Growing more terrible as the day
Goes over the hill into the deep sea;
I have longed to move away
From the repetition of salutes,
For there are ghosts in the air
And ghostly echoes on paper,
And the thunder of calls and notes.
I have longed to move away but am afraid;
Some life, yet unspent, might explode
Out of the old lie burning on the ground,
And, crackling into the air, leave me half-blind.
Neither by night's ancient fear,
The parting of hat from hair,
Pursed lips at the receiver,
Shall I fall to death's feather.
By these I would not care to die,
Half convention and half lie.
Analysis:
“I Have Longed To Go Away” by Dylan Thomas is a very emotional poem. The first stanzas describes all the past horrors that have haunted him. “And the old terrors’ continual cry…Growing more terrible as the day.” The second stanza describes the terrors in a different sense, the narrator is afraid of leaving his or her past behind. The poem finishes with a sense that the narrator wants to commit suicide and does not care if he or she dies.
Overall, this poem is very dark and Dylan consistently repeats the line “I have longed to move away.” The repetition of this line really displays the importance of it. There are a few effective metaphors in this poem, which include: “And the ghostly echoes on paper.” This metaphor is describing the bad memories, which Dylan writes on paper. “And the thunder of calls and notes,” this metaphor describes the inner feelings calling out from inside Dylan towards his horrible past.
Dylan feels he is haunted by his home and needs to move away to rid of his terrible memories, “And the old terrors’ continual cry.” There is no constant rhyme-scheme for this poem, only for certain two consecutive lines there is a rhyming transition. “By these I would not care to die, Half convention and half lie.” This is one example of a consecutive rhyme transition between lines at the end of the poem. I thoroughly enjoyed this poem, it provided a strong and emotional message relating to a man who had been haunted by his past.
I have longed to move away
From the hissing of the spent lie
And the old terrors' continual cry
Growing more terrible as the day
Goes over the hill into the deep sea;
I have longed to move away
From the repetition of salutes,
For there are ghosts in the air
And ghostly echoes on paper,
And the thunder of calls and notes.
I have longed to move away but am afraid;
Some life, yet unspent, might explode
Out of the old lie burning on the ground,
And, crackling into the air, leave me half-blind.
Neither by night's ancient fear,
The parting of hat from hair,
Pursed lips at the receiver,
Shall I fall to death's feather.
By these I would not care to die,
Half convention and half lie.
Analysis:
“I Have Longed To Go Away” by Dylan Thomas is a very emotional poem. The first stanzas describes all the past horrors that have haunted him. “And the old terrors’ continual cry…Growing more terrible as the day.” The second stanza describes the terrors in a different sense, the narrator is afraid of leaving his or her past behind. The poem finishes with a sense that the narrator wants to commit suicide and does not care if he or she dies.
Overall, this poem is very dark and Dylan consistently repeats the line “I have longed to move away.” The repetition of this line really displays the importance of it. There are a few effective metaphors in this poem, which include: “And the ghostly echoes on paper.” This metaphor is describing the bad memories, which Dylan writes on paper. “And the thunder of calls and notes,” this metaphor describes the inner feelings calling out from inside Dylan towards his horrible past.
Dylan feels he is haunted by his home and needs to move away to rid of his terrible memories, “And the old terrors’ continual cry.” There is no constant rhyme-scheme for this poem, only for certain two consecutive lines there is a rhyming transition. “By these I would not care to die, Half convention and half lie.” This is one example of a consecutive rhyme transition between lines at the end of the poem. I thoroughly enjoyed this poem, it provided a strong and emotional message relating to a man who had been haunted by his past.
Au Jardin by Ezra Pound
Au Jardin – By: Ezra Pound
O you away high there,
you that lean
From amber lattices upon the cobalt night,
I am below amid the pine trees,
Amid the little pine trees, hear me!
'The jester walked in the garden.'
Did he so?
Well, there's no use your loving me
That way, Lady;
For I've nothing but songs to give you.
I am set wide upon the world's ways
To say that life is, some way, a gay thing,
But you never string two days upon one wire
But there'll come sorrow of it.
And I loved a love once,
Over beyond the moon there,
I loved a love once,
And, may be, more times,
But she danced like a pink moth in the shrubbery.
Oh, I know you women from the 'other folk',
And it'll all come right,
O' Sundays.
'The jester walked in the garden.'
Did he so?
Analysis:
“Au Jardin” is a beautiful poem written by Ezra Pound. I interpret this poem as someone tricked into love, thus explaining the importance of jester in this piece. A jester was a form of comedic relief for kings in medieval times and sometimes symbolizes a character of trickery. “And I loved a love once…And may be, more times.” This quote proves that the narrator of the story has loved someone before, but has been tricked out of love. The jester is not specific gender because Pound wants you to see it as either sex. The setting is a garden, which is a place of peace to the narrator and is place that reminds them of love. Pound’s main message is that love can create much happiness for you, but can hurt just as much when it is taken away. Ezra’s beautiful descriptions of the garden really were effective in making this a nice piece of poetry.
Other views of this poem, have the thought that this poem is describing the British post war. The Jester in this poem symbolizes the Americans in the war and how their ways of society are not pure. As well, explaining at the same time how the next generation nations are meaningless.
O you away high there,
you that lean
From amber lattices upon the cobalt night,
I am below amid the pine trees,
Amid the little pine trees, hear me!
'The jester walked in the garden.'
Did he so?
Well, there's no use your loving me
That way, Lady;
For I've nothing but songs to give you.
I am set wide upon the world's ways
To say that life is, some way, a gay thing,
But you never string two days upon one wire
But there'll come sorrow of it.
And I loved a love once,
Over beyond the moon there,
I loved a love once,
And, may be, more times,
But she danced like a pink moth in the shrubbery.
Oh, I know you women from the 'other folk',
And it'll all come right,
O' Sundays.
'The jester walked in the garden.'
Did he so?
Analysis:
“Au Jardin” is a beautiful poem written by Ezra Pound. I interpret this poem as someone tricked into love, thus explaining the importance of jester in this piece. A jester was a form of comedic relief for kings in medieval times and sometimes symbolizes a character of trickery. “And I loved a love once…And may be, more times.” This quote proves that the narrator of the story has loved someone before, but has been tricked out of love. The jester is not specific gender because Pound wants you to see it as either sex. The setting is a garden, which is a place of peace to the narrator and is place that reminds them of love. Pound’s main message is that love can create much happiness for you, but can hurt just as much when it is taken away. Ezra’s beautiful descriptions of the garden really were effective in making this a nice piece of poetry.
Other views of this poem, have the thought that this poem is describing the British post war. The Jester in this poem symbolizes the Americans in the war and how their ways of society are not pure. As well, explaining at the same time how the next generation nations are meaningless.
Dreams by Langston Hughes
Dreams - Langston Hughes
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
Analysis:
“Dreams” by Langston Hughes is one of his shorter poems, but contains an important message. Hughes sees dreams as a form of direction and goal setting for people. “Life is a broken-winged bird…That cannot fly.” Hughes points out how plain life is without dreams by using the broken-winged bird as a metaphor. Throughout this poem the writer compares how boring life is and then with dreams anyone can make their lives change.
There is no rhyme scheme for this poem however; there is a consistent repetition of Hughes pointing out dreams being important for two stanzas and then two stanzas after that describing life as something plain. “For when dreams go…Life is a barren field.” This passage is describing how if dreams were lost life would be plain and predictable.
“Hold fast to dreams.” Hughes is saying that when you have a goal or dream in mind, you should hold on to it. The message is clear for what Hughes is trying to portray, dreams create goals and make life for anyone that much more exciting and interesting.
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
Analysis:
“Dreams” by Langston Hughes is one of his shorter poems, but contains an important message. Hughes sees dreams as a form of direction and goal setting for people. “Life is a broken-winged bird…That cannot fly.” Hughes points out how plain life is without dreams by using the broken-winged bird as a metaphor. Throughout this poem the writer compares how boring life is and then with dreams anyone can make their lives change.
There is no rhyme scheme for this poem however; there is a consistent repetition of Hughes pointing out dreams being important for two stanzas and then two stanzas after that describing life as something plain. “For when dreams go…Life is a barren field.” This passage is describing how if dreams were lost life would be plain and predictable.
“Hold fast to dreams.” Hughes is saying that when you have a goal or dream in mind, you should hold on to it. The message is clear for what Hughes is trying to portray, dreams create goals and make life for anyone that much more exciting and interesting.
The Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll
The Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll
`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe.
"Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!"
He took his vorpal sword in hand: Long time the manxome foe he sought -- So rested he by the Tumtum tree, And stood awhile in thought.
And, as in uffish thought he stood, The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, Came whiffling through the tulgey wood, And burbled as it came!
One, two! One, two! And through and through The vorpal blade went snicker-snack! He left it dead, and with its head He went galumphing back.
"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy.
`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe.
Analysis:
It is a poem written by Lewis Carroll, and was originally a part of his novel “Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There.” The poem is very bizarre and incorporates many nonsense words intertwined to make a piece of poetry. However, there is somewhat of an “ABAB” rhyme scheme throughout the piece. It is only somewhat of a rhyme scheme because two of the stanzas do not follow the same “ABAB” pattern.
The beginning of the poem repeats itself at the end. This is an interesting form of repetition, the authors emphasizes the stanza to ensure the importance of it. The importance of the beginning and ending stanzas is that Carroll is creating a setting for the reader. Despite the randomness and medieval choice of words, I imagine the setting to be a dark night in a forest. Making the setting a dark forest creates suspense of what will be waiting for you in the forest. Then Carroll warns you by saying: “Beware the Jabberwocky, my son!” The Jabberwocky is a creature unknown and mysterious. The beauty of this poem is that Carroll wants you to interpret what this creature or beast looks like. Every reader will imagine what the Jabberwocky will look like, no matter whether it has hooves, claws, or paws. My belief is that the reader will imagine a creature that will include most of their fears into one imaginary creature.
I view the Jabberwocky huge dragon-like creature that breathes fire and can melt your eyebrows from just being in its presence. As well, it has black scales and a rattle snake tail. You can’t look up into its eyes its yellow eyes pierce your soul and will make you tremble in your boots.
Carroll after the describing the Jabberwocky briefly and continues the story with a duel between a knight and the large creature. The Jabberwocky charges it opponent as it ‘burbled’ through the forest. Burbled meaning so sort of growl or roar to intimidate intruders. “The vorpal blade went snicker-snack.” I interpret this a strike by the knight towards the beast. After being struck, the Jabberwocky runs back into the forest. It’s interesting though because at the end, the death of the Jabberwocky is questioned; “And has thou slain the Jabberwock?” As a reader, you are unsure of what truly happened to the creature after this encounter between the knight and the Jabberwocky. Finally, Carroll finishes off with the same way the poem had begun, giving the image that everything is back to normal.
`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe.
"Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!"
He took his vorpal sword in hand: Long time the manxome foe he sought -- So rested he by the Tumtum tree, And stood awhile in thought.
And, as in uffish thought he stood, The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, Came whiffling through the tulgey wood, And burbled as it came!
One, two! One, two! And through and through The vorpal blade went snicker-snack! He left it dead, and with its head He went galumphing back.
"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy.
`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe.
Analysis:
It is a poem written by Lewis Carroll, and was originally a part of his novel “Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There.” The poem is very bizarre and incorporates many nonsense words intertwined to make a piece of poetry. However, there is somewhat of an “ABAB” rhyme scheme throughout the piece. It is only somewhat of a rhyme scheme because two of the stanzas do not follow the same “ABAB” pattern.
The beginning of the poem repeats itself at the end. This is an interesting form of repetition, the authors emphasizes the stanza to ensure the importance of it. The importance of the beginning and ending stanzas is that Carroll is creating a setting for the reader. Despite the randomness and medieval choice of words, I imagine the setting to be a dark night in a forest. Making the setting a dark forest creates suspense of what will be waiting for you in the forest. Then Carroll warns you by saying: “Beware the Jabberwocky, my son!” The Jabberwocky is a creature unknown and mysterious. The beauty of this poem is that Carroll wants you to interpret what this creature or beast looks like. Every reader will imagine what the Jabberwocky will look like, no matter whether it has hooves, claws, or paws. My belief is that the reader will imagine a creature that will include most of their fears into one imaginary creature.
I view the Jabberwocky huge dragon-like creature that breathes fire and can melt your eyebrows from just being in its presence. As well, it has black scales and a rattle snake tail. You can’t look up into its eyes its yellow eyes pierce your soul and will make you tremble in your boots.
Carroll after the describing the Jabberwocky briefly and continues the story with a duel between a knight and the large creature. The Jabberwocky charges it opponent as it ‘burbled’ through the forest. Burbled meaning so sort of growl or roar to intimidate intruders. “The vorpal blade went snicker-snack.” I interpret this a strike by the knight towards the beast. After being struck, the Jabberwocky runs back into the forest. It’s interesting though because at the end, the death of the Jabberwocky is questioned; “And has thou slain the Jabberwock?” As a reader, you are unsure of what truly happened to the creature after this encounter between the knight and the Jabberwocky. Finally, Carroll finishes off with the same way the poem had begun, giving the image that everything is back to normal.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The Bishop's Man
From only a short excerpt from “The Bishop’s Man” written by Linden MacIntyre, we discover that the protagonist in this novel is Father MacAskill. Reading so little of the actual book itself, Father MacAskill comes off as a character that has a rough past. A past in which he does not want to share, he is a man of mystery. Also, fairly comfortable with his self images as he says: “I was approaching the age of fifty, a psychological threshold only slightly less daunting than death, and found myself not much changed from forty or even thirty. If anything, I was healthier.” This short passage is describing how even though his age the Father is comfortable in his own skin at an older age.
The rough past had all begun at a young age for Father MacAskill, he was the son of a bastard father and his mother had passed away due to tuberculosis. He was isolated as a kid and had nowhere to go. He then finds his future and works as a priest, as well as dean of students at a catholic school. Another characteristic was that not only was he a religious man, but he was very friendly and well liked in his community. An example of this was when he spoke to the fishermen and his son. However, as the chapter approaches the end, Father MacAskill meets up with the Bishop and his mood changes. His mood changed from a relaxed personality to an uptight and worrisome person.
The reader really only gets to know the personality of another character and that is the Bishop in this excerpt. A character who is dedicated to his job and cares about others. He cares for the Father, because he tries to protect him and move him to a safe place in Creignish.
MacIntyre’s direct speech is very well written, as it is easy to imagine the characters and what kind of setting or mood they are in. His writing is especially clear and to the point when he uses direct speech.
“After what you’ve been through down south,” he said, “you’ll probably consider this kind of Mickey Mouse. But things are getting out of hand here. Dear old John the Twenty-third, God rest his soul . . . he had no idea what he was getting us all into.”
This passage creates a good amount of suspense of what is going to happen to Father MacAskill. The direct speech used by the writer is very effective in ineeresting the reader in the novel.
The rough past had all begun at a young age for Father MacAskill, he was the son of a bastard father and his mother had passed away due to tuberculosis. He was isolated as a kid and had nowhere to go. He then finds his future and works as a priest, as well as dean of students at a catholic school. Another characteristic was that not only was he a religious man, but he was very friendly and well liked in his community. An example of this was when he spoke to the fishermen and his son. However, as the chapter approaches the end, Father MacAskill meets up with the Bishop and his mood changes. His mood changed from a relaxed personality to an uptight and worrisome person.
The reader really only gets to know the personality of another character and that is the Bishop in this excerpt. A character who is dedicated to his job and cares about others. He cares for the Father, because he tries to protect him and move him to a safe place in Creignish.
MacIntyre’s direct speech is very well written, as it is easy to imagine the characters and what kind of setting or mood they are in. His writing is especially clear and to the point when he uses direct speech.
“After what you’ve been through down south,” he said, “you’ll probably consider this kind of Mickey Mouse. But things are getting out of hand here. Dear old John the Twenty-third, God rest his soul . . . he had no idea what he was getting us all into.”
This passage creates a good amount of suspense of what is going to happen to Father MacAskill. The direct speech used by the writer is very effective in ineeresting the reader in the novel.
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