S: A second example of an emphasis on mutability appears in lines 5-6 of Everyman. I: In this line, the poet describes humans as “transitory” throughout the day. E: This word signifies mutability in bountiful ways. First, the word “transitory” can be defined as: only lasting a short time, impermanent, temporary, transition, or change. In actuality, the etymology –or origin– of “transitory” comes from the Latin word transitorius which means passing, or transient. In accordance, the word “transitory” commonly attributes the progression of change or mutability. Relating to line 6, “how transitory we be all day,” the poet indicates mutability by implying that humans are constantly changing from one state to another. In the situation of the character named Everyman, he is faced with death and an eternity in hell unless he can transform into a godly man, worthy of entering into heaven. To begin the transformation journey, he must alternate his current lifestyle that lacks good deeds to procreate the kind, godly-like person …show more content…
First, when the poet expresses “beauty will fade from thee as flower in May,” it is suggested that beauty will perish from a man like a flower that will die in May. Furthermore, a flower is delicate –or fragile– meaning it does not take much to do harm. A flower is also precious and like a treasure. However, in May, the flower has bloomed by this time and may begin to wilt and relinquish life. The evolvement of seasons, from spring to summer, brings upon change –or mutability–to the flowers. Regarding lines 17-18, the poet correlates the flower wilting near its demise to the beauty of man fading over a lifetime. In regards to the character Everyman, his beauty will deteriorate over his life to eventually nothing –non-existent. Beauty is symbolized as a delicate treasure, and life is the progression of seasons, and the change that occurs between the relationship of beauty and life is
In the beginning, the author explains how this young girl, Lizabeth, lived in the culturally deprived neighborhood during the depression. Lizabeth is at the age where she is just beginning to become a young woman and is almost ready to give up her childish ways. Through this time period she was confused and could not quite understand what was happening to her. In the end she rips Miss Lottie’s marigolds among the ugly place in which she lived. The marigolds were the only things that make the place a bit beautiful to the eye. In this scene the marigolds represent the only hope the people had for themselves in this time of depression. This could reveal how the author has experienced a loss of hope in times of need. In her explanation of how Lizabeth had torn up the flowers and destroyed all hope in that time of depression, might explain that she has also destroyed hope in a time of pain and grief. Later she writes, “And I too have planted marigolds.” This could mean she has learned from her experiences and that she has finally found hope and always tries to seek the good within the bad and the ugly. On another note, it could mean she just wants to act out on something, but she can’t, so she writes about her...
The statement "violets, roses, carnations, lilies-of-the-valley somehow vastly more lovely and alluring that they blossomed thus naturally in the snow" I feel was referring to how Paul felt inside while in New York. He finally could be at peace with himself and felt as though his life had blossomed, the story makes reference by Paul feeling that everything was perfect now, he was the kind of person he always wanted to be, perfect like the flowers. He no longer had to "wonder whether he was destined always to shiver in the black night outside, looking up at it all", looking for what he longed to enjoy, even if it were not forever.
The poem states that everything eventually comes to an end and that not even gold can remain unchanged. The poem explains this theme with many metaphors about everything that’s coming to an end. Freeman explains that “Even the poem's rhymes contribute to this sense of inevitability: Nature's gold we (or She) cannot hold; the flower lasts only an hour; the post flower leaf is like Eden's grief; the coming of day means that dawn's gold cannot stay”(2). The poem explains that everything has a natural cycle and that nothing lasts forever. When the poem states “nothing can stay gold”, Frost looks back at the flower and the time of day and implies that it all comes to an end.
...nging feeling. The longing feeling is not exclusive to the cherry blossoms, but can be subtly directed towards a person also. Spring brings beauty in the form of the cherry blossoms, but ends with a desire to see it again. Furthermore, life, whether human or natural, is not eternal. It will only go on for so long before it reaches an end. Each season only comes once a year, and everything associated with it will not return till the next year. As a result, the relatively short-lived life is regarded as a reason to appreciate every last bit of beauty in the season however minor or seemingly insignificant. Everything is taken into account and admired. Once it is gone, the only choice is to wait for it to return in a year. Throughout the seasonal sections of the Kokinshū, this connection between natural beauty and the human condition can be seen through the poetry.
To begin with, her poem Spring shows readers her true thoughts on the season. During this poem she analyzed that a beautiful month like April, can still remind her of death. In line 9-15 it states, “It is apparent that there is no death. But what does that signify? Not only underground are the brains of men- Eaten by maggots.
... the end of the poem until “the rose tree’s thread of scent draws thin and snaps upon the air”, terminating life and dictating the start of another season.
Our American society is constantly putting out the idea to others that we live perfect, beautiful lives, much like what you would think the life of a water lily. They are beautiful flowers that one would believe to simply live in a quiet and calm pond, coexisting peacefully with the other inhabitants. In this poem the speaker is quick to disillusion the audience of this particular view. The water lily is forced to watch and be in the middle of constant war. In lines like, "Under the trees. There are battle-shouts / And death-cries everywhere hereabouts" (9-10) it shows the true environment of the water lily. I believe the water lily is in constant sorrow and fear of its life. Much like
...he poem away from an individual speaker and onto a much larger group, perhaps even humanity as a whole. In the final line, the word “but” is added. This serves not only to add fluency to the thought, but also to contradict the “answer” provided in the previous line. The poem ultimately argues that though we may continue to cling to our construction of, “the temporary” as an excuse and validation, it will always prove futile. Though the temporary refers to a present condition, it defines itself only in relation to the future. It is therefore intrinsically contradictory, providing the basis for the poem’s paradoxical argument.
He describes beauty as delicate and rare, unable to be established. He focuses on the lightheartedness of young girls, how they are caught up in beauty, and he warns them to be conscientious of the fact that their beauty will fade and that they cannot put all their hope on their beauty. At the same time, he encourages them to "practice" their beauty until it is gone, and he promises to celebrate that beauty as best he can, with all its value and frailty.
The first and third stanzas discuss the intent and personality of the man who leaves his old life in order to seek out a new and adventurous one. Through diction, Larkin uses words like audacious and purifying to describe the actions of men who live in this way. He uses audacious to show how people who live this way are both bold yet contain a degree of lack of respect, and uses purifying to show how living a life such as this can be purifying to ones life. By using words such as these, it also reveals his attitude towards the different changes in
These three metaphors exemplify beauty, but also an end to nature and life. Death is slowly creeping up to him and taking over his life as realized in this comparison of him to nature. The poem shows the need to seize the moment in life before death. The last couplet talks about the topic of love and the power of it. Love lasts through the struggles in life, and the changes of seasons. Love of life keeps us from realizing that an end will eventually come. “This thou perciev’st, which makes thy love more strong.” Encompasses the idea that although everything comes to an end, love still fuels everything within a person. He realizes everything will come to an end and death is inevitable but the passion is still
"The Yellow Violet" vividly expresses the nature of life in a very simple way. Bryant takes the cycle of a yellow violet and uses it to describe the humanistic world around him. It is very clever, too, that when he does this, he uses personification. A "modest flower" (2674) pops out from the dark, damp leaves below and "[makes] the woods of April bright" (2675). While the rest of the forests and fields go on with their life cycle this tiny flower does itsí best to make things pretty and happy. The persona describes this sight as an "early smile" (2675) and that is what kept a smile on his own face. Even the various blooms and colors that surface in May are not as joyful because when the violet blooms, it is the first color you see after a long winter of gray. This modesty of the meek flower is compared to that of a person. It's usually the poorer, less known people in the world that are the ones who really cheer you up. They will never let you down. As the persona in the poem points out, "So they, who climb to wealth, forget" (2675). This is the most important line of the entire poem. It is basically saying that those who are wrapped up in material things are just th...wrapped up. They are not dependable. Thus, the yellow violet is the modest person, which are far and few, who you can always count on to stand by you in the end and brighten up your day. This is the illustration of the nature of life.
In “Written at the close of Spring,” Smith’s second sonnet, she focuses on the wonderful ability nature has in rejuvenating itself each year. Smith personifies Spring in the way it “nurs’d in dew” its flowers as though it was nursing its own children (“Close of Spring” 2). While it creates life, Spring is not human, because it has this ability to come back after its season has passed. Human beings grow old and die; we lose our “fairy colours” through the abrasive nature of life (“Close of Spring” 12). Smith is mournful that humans cannot be like the flowers of Spring and regain the colors of our lives after each year.
She is known for creating radical novels, which stuck discord in many of its early readers, and writing highly respected sonnets. Similar to Behn, Smith also captures the inner thoughts of not just women, but all human beings in the sonnet “Written at the Close of Spring” and juxtaposes the beauty of the annual spring with the frailty of humanity. In the first stanza of this poem, the speaker uses imagery in order to help readers connect with the beauty and delicacy of spring flowers. In the second stanza, she calls to attention the fact that the spring flowers are dying and, to experience the beauty again, one will have to wait until next spring to enjoy them. In the third stanza, the poem’s focus changes from nature to humanity and asserts that as people age and begins to take part in, “tyrant passion, and corrosive care” (Line 11), youth becomes wasted. The speaker comes to the realization that once youth vanishes, it will forever, unlike the yearly revival of spring. The major fault of this sonnet is that it can be difficult to understand and has several different messages, some of which are not as strong or enlightening as
"The point of view which I am struggling to attack is perhaps related to the metaphysical theory of the substantial unity of the soul: for my meaning is, that the poet has, not a personality' to express, but a particular medium, which is only a medium and not a personality, in which impressions and experiences combine in peculiar and unexpected ways."