Anne Finch's Poems While other writers use their poetry to decipher the meaning of life, Anne Finch, Countess of Winchilsea was busy writing about how to live it. Five of her poems, “Jupiter and the Farmer,” “The Tree,” “The Shepherd Piping to the Fishes,” “Love, Death, and Reputation,” and “There’s No To-Morrow,” convey strong messages to the reader about how to live their lives. In her poetry, Anne Finch uses anecdotes to help illustrate the validity of her statements, thereby providing the reader with a strong, meaningful, and important message about how life should be lived. “Jupiter and the Farmer” tells the story of a farmer who took it upon himself to control the weather in favor of his crops: “The Frost to kill the Worm, the brooding Snow, / The filling Rains may come, and Phoebus glow” (14 – 15). In doing this, the farmer plays god himself rather than let the real god, Jupiter, control things. The farmer ends up choosing what he wanted in such a bad fashion, he ruins his crops and is “with Famine pinch’d” (24). Upon the realization of his mistake, the farmer calls upon Jupiter and promises he will no longer take fate into his own hands. He resolves to let Jupiter lead the way while he “live[s] to Reap” (30). Through this poem, Finch stresses how important fate is in everyday lives. Like the farmer, we may have a desire to try and take the reigns from destiny, but it will never end well. Finch says we should just leave our lives to fate, and everything will work out alright. In “The Tree,” the speaker talks to a tree and express thanks for its “delightful shade” (1). The speaker goes on to talk of the others who benefited from the existence of the tree and gave it something back in return, such as the birds singing, travelers praising it’s welcome shade, and nymphs making crowns from its blooms. The speaker wonders what she can do to repay the shade given her by the tree. She decides to wish something for the tree’s future. She wishes, “To future ages may’st thou stand / Untouch’d by the rash workman’s hand” (19 – 20). Ultimately, she wishes something such as “some bright hearth” (32) be made from the tree at its death.
Anne Stevenson created a tragically beautiful scene by comparing a home to a relationship. Her use of metaphors and tone is striking to the sense of emotion, however that emotion fades easily when the poem is picked apart for what it really is. The reader is
Marie Howe’s book, “What the living Do” is a book about death, loss, grief, and life. Howe expresses these deep emotional issues using plain language, simple line breaks, and imagery that reminds the reader of an ordinary home. The poem, “Faulkner”, is an exemplary example of how effective Howe’s methods are for conveying a moody and mournful tone.
The poem commences with a debate between the mother and daughter about what they should do with the black walnut tree. Lines 1-15 are written in straightforward, easy to comprehend language. In these lines the speaker addresses why they should sell the tree. The two women give reasons by stating that the tree is growing weak, and given the tree’s proximity to the house, a storm will cause it to collapse into their house and pose a threat to their lives. In addition, the speaker claims that “roots in the cellar drains,” meaning the roots of the tree are getting bigger and spreading into the foundation of the house, thereby producing another danger to the well-being of the family. Moreover, the tree is getting older (“the leaves are getting heavier”), and the walnuts produced by the tree are becoming to gather. The tone of the mother and daughter shows their need for money but also a reluctance to selling the tree; they are desperately in need of money, but they don’t seem to be in favor of selling the tree. Although the reasons provided by the family are credible, they are not wholehearted. This is because the women “talk slowly…...
The components of marriage, family and loss has played a big role in Anne Bradstreet’s writing of “Before the birth of One of Her Children”, “In Memory of Dear Grandchild Elizabeth Bradstreet”, and Edward Taylor’s “Upon Wedlock and the Death of Children.” In, these writings both authors Puritan culture and their faith plays a big role. In these poems one author starts questioning their God and the other to take honor in their God throughout their grieving process, while both showing different aspects of their everlasting union with their spouse, and the love for their children.
Anne Bradstreet, whom most critics consider America’s first “authentic poet”, was born and raised as a Puritan. Bradstreet married her husband Simon at the tender age of eighteen. She wrote her poems while rearing eight children and performing other domestic duties. In her poem “Upon The Burning Of Our House, July 10th, 1666”, Bradstreet tells of three valuable lessons she learned from the fire that destroyed her home.
Anne Bradstreet was not only the first English-speaking, North American poet, but she was also the first American, woman poet to have her works published. In 1650, without her knowledge, Bradstreet’s brother-in-law had many of her poems published in a collection called The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up In America. Although these poems did not reflect what would be her best work, they did emulate what would be the greatest influence on all of her writing. Anne Bradstreet’s Puritan life was the strongest, and the most obvious influence on her work. Whether it was her reason for writing, how she wrote, or what she wrote about, Bradstreet’s poems would reflect the influence of Puritan life and doctrine.
Often, the reader cannot help but feel a bit disheartened after reading a collection of Anne Sexton’s poems. Sexton herself was disheartened with the prospect of life, killing herself at the age of 45 after years in and out of mental facilities. Her poems certainly take cynicism to an extreme, but they remain the type of extreme valuable to the literary canon. Her poetry leaves the reader questioning the world around him, now able to see stories and past experiences in a new light. And although in the case of Sexton this light may be a shadow, the new depth it adds highlights to us that which we hold truly pure.
This poem was about very religious. In this poem she talks about her admiration of God and how she and all humans are humbled by God's creations. She says, "The higher on the glistening sun I gazed. Whose beams was shaded by the leafy tree; The more I looked, the ore I grew amazed, and softly said, 'What glory like to thee?' Soul of this world, this universe's eye, No wonder some made thee a deity; had I not better known, alas, the same had I". This quote means that a tree because of its beauty amazes her. Also, she is saying that the thing responsible for creating such a thing must just as beautiful if not the most beautiful on the earth.
The story shows that the Tree cares for the boy and loves him very much. It’s very much like a mom loves her son. She will do anything to make him happy. There are several examples in the story that demonstrate this. One example is when the boy wants to build a house, the Tree offered him her branches to build the house. This selfless act is exactly how a mother would act when their child is in need. Throughout the story, the Tree seems to live for making the boy happy. However, the boy is no longer happy with just playing on the tree and he desires to make a life for
After almost four decades ago Anne Bradstreet wrote her two now famous poems “To My Dear Loving Husband” and “Upon the Burning of Our House”. Today, we recognize these poems as one of the first women’s writing to be published. Although today we admire Anne Bradstreet’s poems four decades ago people did not have the same opinion. With the Puritans strongly disapproving of women writers think that at one point the Puritan community found Anne Bradstreet’s poems praise worthy because in her poems and writing she shows over and over how she loves her husband and how she loves God even after he was responsible for burning down her house and all of her possessions. Puritans would give Anne Bradstreet’s poems praise for example, “I prize thy love
This poem is a firsthand account of how Anne Bradstreet was feeling when she experienced the loss of her granddaughter, Elizabeth. Although Bradstreet's attitude on Elizabeth's death seems to reflect her belief in God's plan, the diction suggests otherwise.
At a glance, the poem seems simplistic – a detailed observance of nature followed by an invitation to wash a “dear friend’s” hair. Yet this short poem highlights Bishop’s best poetic qualities, including her deliberate choice in diction, and her emotional restraint. Bishop progresses along with the reader to unfold the feelings of both sadness and joy involved in loving a person that will eventually age and pass away. The poem focuses on the intersection of love and death, an intersection that goes beyond gender and sexuality to make a far-reaching statement about the nature of being
At a glance, the poem seems simplistic – a detailed observance of nature followed by an invitation to wash a “dear friend’s” hair. Yet this short poem highlights Bishop’s best poetic qualities, including her deliberate choice in diction, and her emotional restraint. Bishop progresses along with the reader to unfold the feelings of both sadness and joy involved in loving a person that will eventually age and pass away. The poem focuses on the intersection of love and death, an intersection that goes beyond gender and sexuality to make a far-reaching statement about the nature of being
In this poem, Queen Elizabeth not only conveys a real-life situation powerfully, but she does it artistically through the use of figurative language, imagery and symbolism. Throughout this constantly shifting poem, she builds up tension for the reader which unfortunately for herself, never ends. With a threat at every corner of her kingdom, the reader begins to realize how difficult it is being the Queen of England. Yet, the Queen knows it is her responsibility for keeping her kingdom peaceful and will be faithful and fierce in keeping it that way using heavy expenditures of time, effort, and energy.
Before one may analyse a poem, I feel that one must analyse its foundation, its inspiration, its very reason for being - in order to truly understand and appreciate the poets work. So, it stands to reason, that I must first analyse the quote from Shakespeare's will, before addressing the poem itself, as Carol Ann Duffy has drawn our attention to it.