Abstract This paper analyses John Keats' "Ode to Autumn" and Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "Kubla Khan" in the light of Wordsworth's claim that 'poetry is emotion recollected in tranquillity.' It discusses the extent to which each of the chosen poems adheres to this description of poetry with regard to the subject matter, language and form used and whether this consideration proves that Wordsworth's description encapsulates the poetry of the Romantic period, or otherwise.
From the Paper "Kubla Khan', described 'almost as a definition of Coleridge's poetry' , on the other hand, was written following a dream he had while under the influence of opium. The context itself sets the reader up for a piece written after the moment itself has passed, and is instead a recollection of the experience he underwent. This is further highlighted in the poem itself, as he speaks of 'a vision [he] once saw' (l. 38), and attempts to 'revive...Her symphony and song' (ll. 42-43). At this point there is a change in the tone of the piece as Coleridge is no longer remembering what he dreamt, but instead using his power of imagination to create what he envisioned as the continuation of a dream, the writing of which was allegedly interrupted."
Abstract This paper analyzes Theodore Roethke's poem "The Geranium" and John Keats' ode "To Autumn" in order to show how poems come to life for a reader through the significance of their ideas and the success of their poetic technique. The paper asserts that the poems may not address the reader's own personal truth, but may touch on a deeper truth that underpins what it means to be human and all its various manifestations. The paper then explains that, while poems are written to convey a certain feeling, time or place, they can be looked at in many different ways by different readers. In essence, this paper points out that all aspects of a poem, be it structure, ideas or context have equal importance in the understanding of a poem's beauty.
From the Paper "When taking a closer look at the context of these two poems we are able to understand the bigger picture as well as the intricate details. I believe that like onions, poems reveal themselves layer by layer. Keats was writing during the time of Romanticism, a time mainly led by youthful figures in the arts who were rebelling against the neoclassical values, that of logic, reason and formality. The romantics insisted on the importance of feeling and passion as well as imagination. They focused on nature, emotion and the sublime. The romantics indulged in new forms of language that could more expressively and widely convey feeling and vision. Keats wrote many odes, "To Autumn" was among his last. In this poem we can see how he has perfected the sublimity through his use of imagery and experience."
Abstract This paper looks at the social background surrounding the trial. It examines the court ruling and questions whether Andrea Yates was mentally incapable of understanding her actions or whether it was a cold blooded planned killing of her five children. The mental illnesses of depression and schizophrenia are discussed and it is described how Yates suffered from these in the past. This in an opinion paper where the writer feels that a wrong verdict was passed and mental illness was the cause of the killings.
From the Paper "Recently, Andrea Yates was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. She could have been sentenced to death for her actions. Many in the public feel her husband, Russell Yates, was also guilty. Many feel he should have been able to foresee his wife's intentions to kill his children. Five children are dead, and we as a society need someone to blame. "
Abstract An argumentative paper about romantic poets. The author argues that romantic poets were not prophets as most view them to be but rather writers who desired to share their passion and appreciation of nature with their readers. A look at the works of William Wordsworth and John Keats.
From the Paper "The Romantic Period is characterized by a poet's fascination and harmony with the natural world. Lines upon lines were devoted to the description, exultation, and mystery of nature, yet the readers of the third millennium occasionally view Romantic poetry as pretentious and capricious. While only a handful of Romantic poets believed themselves to be prophets, others like Wordsworth proclaimed themselves voices ?of the common man.? Their intention was not to serve a higher power through their works of poetry, but instead they chose to describe natural beauty to an audience who might not have discovered the beauty for themselves. We can see through William Wordsworth and John Keats that most of the Romantics were not interested in being modern prophets; rather, they were merely sharing their passion for nature."
Abstract This paper discusses the common theme of permanence that exists between the poems "Ode on a Grecian Urn" and "Sailing to Byzantium". According to the paper, both poets discuss the art that depicts ancient times in relation to its ability to exist in frozen time. Although man may age and know change and eventual death, the figures that the art displays will forever be young, beautiful and vibrant because the time displayed on the art is permanent. Throughout the works of Yeats and Keats this theme is displayed by the use of poetic elements. Language discursive may either depart from the main point or cover a variety of issues in the selection of literature. Keats writes of an urn that displays ancient times, and figures that cannot be altered by time.
Abstract This paper evaluates the case of Andrea Yates and whether it meets the standards of the insanity defense under Texas law. The paper theoretically applies the insanity defense to various standards.
From the Paper "Under the current Texas law it is highly unlikely that Andrea Yates would meet the requirements for an insanity plea. The facts of the case show that Andrea Yates was mentally ill during the period of and leading up to her commission of the murders. It was also shown that the mental illness severely impaired her judgment and perceptions of reality. However Yates' state of mind during the commission of the crime still does not fall under the narrow parameters the ..."
Tags: Texas Insanity Defense, Andrea Yates, Mental Illness
Abstract This paper tackles the difficult task of assigning a general definition and meaning to the art of poetry. It uses quotes from Aristotle, Plato, Pablo Neruda, Percy Bysshe Shelley, William Wordsworth and Charles Johnson. The claims made by the poetry greats and the author are then supported by examples in classic poetry. It is very articulate, and provides a strong, clear argument. It is both reflective and analytical.
From the Paper "According to Galileo, "All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them." This task of discovery is certainly not an easy one, and most are either not willing or not able to share such a process with the world. A good poet, however, thrives upon this very challenge. 1971 Nobel Prize Laureate Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto (penname Pablo Neruda) said that the poet's obligation is to "feel the crash of the hard water / and gather it up in a perpetual cup" so that "through [him], freedom and the sea / will make their answer to the shuttered heart" (ll. 16-17, 29-30). The poet must put his ear to the world and experience each of nature's lessons; this knowledge, however, is useless if he cannot convey it to an audience in indelible ink. He must share these axioms in his words, either through personal experiences or general observations. Most modern classifications of quality poetry are derived from two main camps: that of Plato, and that of Aristotle. Plato affirmed that "all good poets... compose their beautiful poems not by art, but because they are inspired and possessed" (1025). He emphasized that it is the driving force that overcomes a poet that distinguishes his work, not his ordinary ability use the craft. Furthermore, Aristotle explains that "the reason why men enjoy seeing [poetry] is, that in contemplating it they find themselves learning or inferring, and saying perhaps, 'Ah, that is he.'" (1026). Poetry, then, is an articulation of a worldly truth, which may be achieved through a variety of isolated or universal means, and is directly the result of profound passion escaping the author."
Abstract This paper analyzes the poetry of Muriel Ruckeyser, as found in her book "The Book of the Dead", and that of Adrienne Rich, using her work entitled "Twenty-one Love Poems". The paper gives a biographical background on each of the poets, stressing their importance to the contemporary women's movement and to American poetry. Rich's poems are explored for their ideas on the relationships between women, and Ruckeyser's are studied in terms of their comparison to a documentary and in relation to her strong political view.
From the Paper "To many, Poetry is the voice of women. It is the way in which women can express their inner thoughts and feelings, to write the things that they can not say. Poetry is more than words on paper but someone's feelings and life poured into the readers mind. Poets let the readers climb inside their heads and taste what the poet feels, sees, and thinks.
Two major women poets that are in the inner ring of American feminist poets are Muriel Ruckeyser and Adrienne Rich. Though their poetry may be different in content, many of their messages are the same: we need to be heard. Ruckeyser's "The Book of the Dead" describes conditions and feelings of the Gauley Bridge tragedy through actual courtroom testimonies to words from actual citizens of the town. Adrienne Rich's "Twenty-one Love Poems" describes in many ways, her love of her companion as well as their struggles and times together."
Abstract This paper compares these two poems which are similar in message but very different in style. It includes a discussion of how the techniques of expression in lyric poetry may change in detail but have much in common. The writer compares both poems, with bird imagrey as the central theme.
From the Paper "The first poem I am going to discuss is To A Skylark by Shelley, the poem consists of twenty-one five-line stanzas, all of which have an ABABB rhyming scheme, which gives strong rhythmic pattern to the poem. The poem is addressed to the Skylark itself, a bird that is associated with its melodious song and is known to fly very high when it is disturbed. When we read on in the poem we soon realise that the Skylark is not an actual bird, but an image of escapism.
The poem starts with the lines,
"Hail to thee, blithe spirit!
Bird thou never wert"
Here Shelley denies the bird's physical, material being and addresses it spiritually, this could be seen as Shelley's desire to escape from the material world. The last line of each stanza is always much longer than the ones before it, in this stanza the last lines read,
?Pourest thy full heart
In profuse strains of unpremeditated art.? "
This paper offers an in depth analysis and comparison of two poems, "So Easy So Hard" by Anthony Thwaite and "The Work of Our Hands" by Alistair Elliot.
Abstract This paper provides an in-depth analysis and comparison of two poems: "So Easy So Hard" by Anthony Thwaite and "The Work of Our Hands" by Alistair Elliot. The paper discusses the theme of the human condition in both poems.
From the Paper "The complex emotions and situations which one experiences in a lifetime are difficult to summarize in words at all, let alone in the short space that poetry proffers. However, as Anthony Thwaite and Alistair Elliot prove in their respective poems "So Easy So Hard" and "The Work of Our Hands" it is certainly a feat that can be accomplished with a fine attention to detail and nuance."
Abstract This paper examines a number of works from Michael Myer's 'The Bedford Introduction to Literature'. To begin with the paper explores the poetic methods employed in the featured work of Lord Byron and the paper then outlines the themes of three of the greatest plays contained within the anthology. Thereafter the paper adumbrates the plot and character development in a short story by Stephen Crane and delve into the subtle craft of the poetry penned by T. S. Eliot and by Louise Erdrich.
From the Paper "The following paper will very briefly discuss the theme presented in Lord Byron's "She Walks in Beauty" as well as three elements of poetry in the work. From there, the paper will discuss the main theme in three dramas - Oedipus the King, Hamlet and Doll's House - and offer brief examples from each play to support the conclusions reached; as an addendum, the paper will also detail how conflict played a role in the selection of each theme. Proceeding onward, the paper will examine "The Bridge Comes to Yellow Sky" and discusses how plot and character may have affected the outcome of the story. "
Abstract As the 21st century begins, poetry remains relevant to the lives of people in the Western world, an antidote to the popular culture of spectacle and instant gratification. Using the example of British poet, Jamie McKendrick, this paper argues that poetry remains relevant because it reflects what is universally felt and experienced by humanity. Poetry is irrelevant to popular culture, but not to the populace. McKendrick's poetry reflects life in a way that more spectacular entertainment cannot do. His poems invite the reader to reflect on great questions and to notice small details and beauties of the world. One of McKendrick's abilities is to express emotions in a way that the readers themselves could perhaps never manage. Poets are truth-speakers, and because their work truly reflects life, it is seldom straightforward. It is rare that a poem is fully appreciated after the first reading. Poetry demands engagement with the reader or listener; it cannot be passively watched like a Hollywood film. The reader must interact with the poem, and in the process, helps create the poem, since the meaning inferred by one reader may be different from that of another reader, and both may be different from the author's intended meaning. The paper concludes that poetry continues to be relevant because it expresses the human experience and does so with an uncommon intimacy and truthfulness.
From the Paper "A poem will last for centuries if it skillfully explores the human experience because the essence of that experience does not change. Sappho and John Donne, for example, will always be relevant because people will always develop romantic infatuations. Alienation, longing, love, grief, the search for meaning, the discovery of the sublime in mundane life: These things will always be relevant. McKendrick can set his poems outside of time, as he does with "The Belen", or set a poem in Dante's Hell, because he writes about being human, not about being human in a particular century. In Ink Stone, he often writes of loss. The struggle of the intellect to understand death and the loneliness felt at the death of someone who understood one's dreams will resonate with readers in the next century as much as in this one because the act of grieving will not change."
Abstract This essay analyses the poetry of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Three aspects of the poetry are considered: romanticism, American pragmatism, and the art of Longfellow's writing. This essay examines three of Longfellow's poems - The Slave's Dream, My Lost Youth, and A Psalm of Life - and concludes that Longfellow's poetry demonstrates characteristics of romanticism, but with an American perspective on pragmatism and art.
Abstract The author looks at literary criticism, its definition, specific function and the contradictions that arrise from its use. The author then looks at how different literarcy critics have attempted to pin Baudelaire's poetry down to something concrete, like knowledge, and in the process destroy the very notions he was portraying. By looking at the dependence of literary criticism on Aristotelian philosophy of art, in analyzing Baudelaire's poetry, the author illustrates how the intended meaning, and therefore, by extension, it's beauty has been destroyed.
From the Paper "From the arguments above, it becomes obvious that criticism is applicable to Baudelaire's poetry as long as it is constrained within the limits of internal and semiprivate analysis. These approaches do not harm the beauty of the works, on the contrary. They are the means for explication of modernity, which is one of the elements of beauty according to Baudelaire - the element of particular. External evidence, in contrast, not only is inappropriate, being tangent to criticism, but also contradicts the second essential element of beauty - the element of absolute."
Abstract This paper on the pastoral convention in poetry describes the historical roots of the convention and its development. It shows that pastoral poetry is more than a mere convention and many works pertaining to the convention are of a high literary merit with social, political and personal thoughts evident in the work that can only be truly appreciated if they are examined in detail beyond the face value. The paper uses examples of poems that may be seemingly relatively simple with the themes of the convention have a deeper meaning that depends on the reader's interpretation.
From the Paper "Pastoral Poetry is a literary work dealing with the lives of shepherds or rural life in general. It typically draws a contrast between the innocence and serenity of simple country life and the misery and corruption of the city, especially court life. The Pastoral imitates rural life, usually the life of an imaginary Golden Age, in which the loves of shepherds and shepherdesses play a prominent part. The term today loosely pertains to poetry that contains a reference to rural life."
