Comparison of The Fog by W.H. Davies and Sight by Wilfrid Gibson Two British poets, Wilfrid Gibson and W.H. Davies, both composed insightful poetry upon the subject of human vision. Gibson's "Sight" and Davies' "The Fog" have their similarities and differences. The two poems share much likeness through both their connotative and denotative contents, more specifically, the entry of the blind character, which was powerfully used to present a most effective conclusion and other components of the poems. As for differences, the more dominant variations come from literary devices such as imagery and atmosphere. In each of the two poems, an identical character was shown, and that is the character of a blind man. Even though the situations varied, but a sightless man was, nevertheless, mentioned for the purpose of examining the stance of such a character in different dispositions. The use of a blind man was very effective as the poets now had the tool they needed to create emotional and powerful conclusions. For instance, in "Sight", the narrator of the poem was basking in the wonderful things he could see and enjoy due to his sight, which he perceived to be "God['s]…goodly gift" (7). This joyous flow of thoughts was interrupted, however, due to the sound of a blind man's stick hitting the ground. The cleverness of the poet is shown by the way the poem went no further after the entrance of the blind man, causing the reader and the narrator to reach the theme (as well as epiphany) that sight does not belong to everyone. "The Fog" was similar in the way that it concluded immediately after the readers discovered there was a blind man. Its effective ending also formed an epiphany, which is that some things should not be taken for granted. The man, who could see, took his vision for granted and didn't know his way around in darkness; yet, the blind man acknowledged his lack of sight and could find his way around in darkness. There are plenty of differences in these two poems. The most notable contrasts would be imagery and atmosphere. "Sight" and "The Fog" both provide clear but different images. "Sight" presented vivid colours and picturesque imagery by the generous usage of similes and metaphors. Apples were compared to the grass of Paradise and oranges to Tyre's sunsets.
There are multiple examples of visual imagery in this poem. An example of a simile is “curled like a possum within the hollow trunk”. The effect this has is the way it creates an image for the reader to see how the man is sleeping. An example of personification is, “yet both belonged to the bush, and now are one”. The result this has is how it creates an emotion for the reader to feel
The imagery used in the two poems is very similar at times. Both authors describe to the readers a picturesque view of nature, like plants blooming in the springs. Proof of this is found in “Lone Bather'; : “ is plant with lilies bursting from its heels.'; Similarly, in “The Swimmer'; the first
Carver provides an easy, visual outlook of the protagonist throughout the short story, which helps keep a better understanding during the simple yet intense experience. As the story continues, the protagonist enhances his mood as he aids Robert to visualizing a cathedral. This experience creates an impact on others because it is a great reason to why one should never judge someone of something beyond their controls. Also, helping someone, as Robert does for Bub can be a life changing experience. Despite the blind man being physically blind, the husband is the one with the disability to see from someone else’s perspective. This is proven through his epiphany during his portrayal of being blind. Although Bub is not physically blind, he interprets a shortage of observations. This shows that in many ways he is blinder than Robert. Robert is more open minded and willing to experience things, in contrast to Bub, who is narrow minded and has problems opening up his mind throughout the short story. Because the protagonist does not fully try to understand his wife, it makes him look like the blind person ironically though he can visually recognize her, proving that he does not truly know her inside and out. Knowing her personally is more of reality and the husband is blind to reality. Carver definitely analyzes the protagonist’s emotions through diction and visual aid throughout the story, providing great understanding of the meaning as a
The usage of first person point of view traps the reader within the mind of a character who is closed off and narrow-minded for the duration of the story in such a way that it “tell 's nothing, but shows everything (Messer)” at the same time. In this way, the reader goes through the series of realizations with the narrator which convey the message of blindness in correlation with true sight and a spiritual awakening. For instance, the narrator can only feel pity for Robert’s wife, Beulah, because he was never able to see her. He imagined that Robert 's wife “could, if she wanted, wear green eye-shadow around one eye, a straight pin in her nostril, yellow slacks, and purple shoes” (Mays). However, none of this really matted to Robert, and the narrator finds it utterly pathetic. Yet, the narrator never really understands the fact that he does not really know his own wife, regardless of the fact that he can physically see her. Additionally, within the first paragraph, Carver uses demonstratives and possessives to draw the reader close to the Narrator of the story while also constructing a psychological distance between the narrator and other characters in the story (Peterson). In this paragraph, Carver uses the demonstrative “this” as a word to indicate distance, metaphorically, between the narrator and Robert (Peterson). In particular the sentence, “This blind man, an old friend of my wife 's, he was on his way to spend the night (Mays 33)” demonstrates the use of this as a specific person while showing the distance and dislike the narrator has of Robert. As a result, the narrators prejudice is presented to the reader in a way that shows his blindness as
The limitations that were holding the narrator back were abolished through a process from which a blind man, in some sense, cured a physically healthy man. The blind man cured the narrator of these limitations, and opened him up to a whole world of new possibilities. Robert enabled the narrator to view the world in a whole new way, a way without the heavy weights of prejudice, jealousy, and insecurity holding him down. The blind man shows the narrator how to see.
The narrator starts out by reflecting on his wife past and her lengthy relationship with the ‘blind man’. The author uses the motif of blindness to engage the readers and demonstrate that ‘blindness’ is much more that a physical disability as it can also be a state of mind. This is seen as the story progressed and the narrator experienced a different perspective on ‘blindness’ than what he thought. The narrator was definitely not a fan of this ‘blind man’ named Robert. However, Robert was nothing like what the he had imagined; he was a widower, a smoker and he drank occasionally, not to mention well dressed “spiffy” (Carver in Gardner, Lawn, Ridl and Schakel, 2013, p. 303). At one point the narrator mentioned that “his idea
...thedral together, so the husband got paper bag and a pen to draw on. They began drawing and after a few minutes, the blind man asked the husband to close his eyes and keep drawing. The husband felt different than he’d ever felt in his life. He kept his eyes closed when the blind man told him to open them and look, the husband replied, “It’s really something. (Carver 147)” The husband never thought he would have the experience he did with the blind man, as they basically became friends. The husband’s view of a blind person had changed. He saw life from a blind man’s perspective and actually appreciated it. Never judge a book by its cover, as you have no idea what may be inside of it.
The poem opens upon comparisons, with lines 3 through 8 reading, “Ripe apples were caught like red fish in the nets/ of their branches. The maples/ were colored like apples,/part orange and red, part green./ The elms, already transparent trees,/ seemed swaying vases full of sky.” The narrator’s surroundings in this poem illustrate him; and the similes suggest that he is not himself, and instead he acts like others. Just as the maples are colored like apples, he
Both authors use figurative language to help develop sensory details. In the poem It states, “And I sunned it with my smiles, And with soft deceitful wiles.” As the author explains how the character is feeling, the reader can create a specific image in there head based on the details that is given throughout the poem. Specifically this piece of evidence shows the narrator growing more angry and having more rage. In the short story ” it states, “We are below the river's bed. The drops of moisture trickle among bones.” From this piece of text evidence the reader can sense the cold dark emotion that is trying to be formed. Also this excerpt shows the conflict that is about to become and the revenge that is about to take place. By the story and the poem using sensory details, they both share many comparisons.
Although both poems are set in the same environment, and that the visual structure of the poems are similar. Once you look deeper and analysis the poems it becomes clear that they have been written in very different styles, and very different but as powerful emotions running through them i.e. grief and resignment. One poet has a future to look forward to; the other knows that death is around the corner. One poet could not have for scene a death, the other is questioning weather the ‘black diamond dust’ was worth it on reflection.
When considering the structure of the poems, they are similar in that they are both written loosely in iambic pentameter. Also, they both have a notable structured rhyme scheme.
of the speaker through out the poem. One Art is a poem about inevitable loss and the incognizant
The speakers are at difference with the impairment of no longer having sight. In the first poem, the speaker is accepting over losing sight and knows that this will not stop them. They know that there will be ups and downs in learning how to do things again and they are okay with it. The speaker in “Before I got my eye put out” is nowhere near the accepting stage that the first speaker is in. They are jealous of every living thing that has the gift of sight. The only way for them to ever be able to see, is in their dreams and that gives them great peace.
The consistent pattern of metrical stresses in this stanza, along with the orderly rhyme scheme, and standard verse structure, reflect the mood of serenity, of humankind in harmony with Nature. It is a fine, hot day, `clear as fire', when the speaker comes to drink at the creek. Birdsong punctuates the still air, like the tinkling of broken glass. However, the term `frail' also suggests vulnerability in the presence of danger, and there are other intimations in this stanza of the drama that is about to unfold. Slithery sibilants, as in the words `glass', `grass' and `moss', hint at the existence of a Serpent in the Garden of Eden. As in a Greek tragedy, the intensity of expression in the poem invokes a proleptic tenseness, as yet unexplained.
The only strong comparison between the poets, in terms of structure and technique, is that the meaning of their poems run much deeper then the specific words on a page. Even this can come as a contrast when looking at these three poems. “Home Burial,” by Frost is a fairly straightforward poem, written in dialogue, with the writer working as the narrator. The poem is about a married couple dealing wi...