Maggie And Milly And Molly And May Analylsis The poem “Maggie And Milly And Molly and May” by E.E. Cummings is an interesting poem about Maggie, Milly, Molly, and May going to the beach. First, this poem was difficult to analyze due to that fact that “Cummings experimented radically with form, punctuation, spelling, and syntax, abandoning traditional techniques and structures to create a new, highly idiosyncratic means of poetic expression” (poets.org). This made the poem epically difficult to analyze, but there is still a theme present. In this poem, E.E. Cummings expressed that everyone is unique. The theme of how you act at the beach reflects your personality in “Maggie and Milly and Molly and May” is established through its ending, its plot, and its symbols. In “Maggie and Milly and Molly and May”, the theme of how you act at the beach reflects your personality is established through its ending. The ending summed up the poem, and most blatantly showed the theme. The ending stated, “For whatever we lose (like a you or a me) it’s always ourselves we find in the sea” (Cummings 12). This ending shows that at the beach, also known as the sea, we find ourselves. We …show more content…
Throughout the poem, there were statements that showed how at the beach you find different things that make you unique. For example, “Maggie discovered a shell that sang” (Cummings 3), “Millie befriended a stranded star” (Cummings 5), “Molly was chased by a horrible thing” (Cummings 7), and “May came home with a smooth round stone” (Cummings 9). These points in the plot show how everyone at the beach found something different. Because everyone found something different, everyone is unique. Therefore, the theme of how you act at the beach reflects your personality is established through the plot, which shows how finding different things at the beach makes you
Published in 1944, the poem itself is an elegy, addressing the melancholy and sorrow of wartime death, as indicated by the title ‘Beach Burial’. This title gives clear meaning to the sombre nature of the work, and the enigmatic nature of it holds the attention of the audience. The entirety of the poem is strewn with poetic devices, such as personification of dead sailors as “…they sway and wander in the waters far under”, the words inscribed on their crosses being choked, and the “sob and clubbing of the gunfire” (Slessor). Alliteration is used to great effect in lines such as that describing the soldiers being “bur[ied]…in burrows” and simile in the likening of the epitaph of each seaman to the blue of drowned men’s lips and onomatopoeia is shown in the “purple drips” (Slessor). The predominant mood of the work is ephemeral, with various references to the transient nature of humanity. The ethereal adjectives used to describe and characterise objects within the poem allow a more abstract interpretation of what would normally be concrete in meaning. The rhythm of this piece is markedly similar to the prevalent concept of tidal ebb and flow, with lines falling into an ABCB rhyme scheme and concepts
Gwendolyn Brooks and Sonia Sanchez, in their poems “We Real Cool” and “Summer Words of a Sistuh Addict”, are both alike in their idea of dealing with troubled youth. Brooks discusses in her poem “We Real Cool” rebellious pool-playing youth that “sing sin” (Line 5) and “thin gin.” (Line 6) The whole poem centers around disturbed youth. The narrator in Sonia Sanchez’s poem “Summer Words of a Sistuh Addict”, is also a disturbed young woman who is addicted to heroin, and seems to live a rather rebellious lifestyle. In addition, both of these poems use tone via word choice, sentence structure, and meter in order to vividly describe the scenarios in their poems, and to impact their reader. However, both poets use the literary elements mentioned above differently in their poems.
Poetry is used to send a variety of messages, either through its imagery, meaning, or by the poetic devices used. Each and every poem has something special and unique to offer to the reader, as long as the reader looks deep enough to find it. “Lone Bather'; written by A.M. Klein, and “The Swimmer'; by Irving Layton both offer such messages to the reader. At first glance, these messages seem surprising similar, but after further examination they are in fact strikingly different. The similarities are most evident in the imagery and use of poetic devices, however there are some cases where they are contrary. Meanwhile the differences are most obvious in the meaning, but due to the general similar themes of the two poems, some similarities are found.
In the first stanza, a general location of “here” and “there” is established for the reader (Trethewey, 1). To determine the meaning of these places, one must analyze the poem in reverse chronological order. When considering those destinations under the context of the whole poem, it is clear that the “there” is Ship Island (Trethewey, 1). However, the hidden implication is that Ship Island is an allegory for the collision of innocence and maturity. Ship Island was first used as a military base during the War of 1812 and evolved into a family friendly beach destination over the years. This island stood as a barrier to the main land during Hurricane Katrina and endured the first wave of damage during the storm. Ship Island has since recovered and continues to thrive as a popular tourist destination. Throughout its history, Ship Island has rotated back and forth between being a place that embodies maturity and hardship to a place and one that is consumed with the frivolous cares of a beach trip. Ironically, Ship Island is often considered as a peaceful rest in the midst the world’s trials; however, it is simultaneously associated with tragic memories for many throughout Gulfport. Therefore, based on the historical context, it is evident that Ship Island is an allegory the apex of maturity and innocence
In the poem, “Ground Swell”, by Mark Jarman there are many themes but one I could relate too most is to move on from the past. The poem explains how Jarman’s life began after one of these skilled surfers passed away. This surfer was really important to Jarman because he was the person that made Jarman “reconsider [his] worth”(37). This poem to me is about Jarman as a teen but now as an adult who was writing about his past life. Jarman says “ I can write about a lot of things Besides the summer that I turned sixteen”(50-51), this meaning that summer he turned sixteen was when his life changed completely. Although this poem can be seen as a poem about surfing, I can still relate to the theme of to move on from the past.
By using easy to comprehend language Millay convinces her readers to go along with turbulent and sometimes unrealistic action to convey common feelings for all people. No matter what theme the reader applies to this poem it is important in some way to every reader and has meaning in many situations.
The presence and embrace of the sea is a constant acquaintance to Edna. In contrast, her husband frequents the club and children who are unattended by her. The continual presence of the sea allows Edna to reflect on her life such as seeing her image on the surface of water.
He successfully uses metaphors, imagery, and anaphora to aid the reader in understanding and interpreting the poem. The unique metaphors Collins uses are able to encourage the reader to question why he may have chosen them, but there is no real way of knowing. The reader is then left to determine what his or her own interpretation of why the female character within the poem is being referred to such objects, ideas, animals, and aspects of nature. Based on the metaphors being used, it can be interpreted that the female character is strongly independent. The imagery backs up these claims because it uses not only interpretation of words, but also interpretation of images. The best metaphor and imagery combination to support the idea that the female character is strongly independent and living actively is “you are not the boots in the corner nor the boat asleep in its boathouse”(Line 16-18). The use of the three literary devices, metaphors, imagery, and anaphora, allows the reader to form a better interpretation of
Crouched behind a square column of the porch of an old late-Victorian frame home, now shelter for squatters, Lew was watching for Molly. Molly is an unassuming yet attractive young woman who makes her living dancing at a local ‘gentleman’s’ club called the Lucky Lady. She lives in a second floor apartment of The Hanright Home, a rundown Gothic Revival house split into six apartments. Lew lives in the apartment next door.
It can be seen how they all connect to the sea and her life in her last moments. First, is the solitude she experiences and the narrator says, “But when she was there beside the sea, absolutely alone, she cast the unpleasant, pricking garments...and the waves that invited her” (132). Solitude is present but this time this loneliness she feels with connections of the sea is giving her comfort as she prepares to enter it. Second, is her sexual desires and the narrator says, “The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace” (133). As she walks into the sea it is “Embracing” her body giving her that satisfaction and fulfilling her needs of that part of her life she is struggling with and was never able to really achieve. Lastly, is Edna’s desire for that freedom she has been yearning for and the novel says, “She went on and on. She remembered the nights she swam far out, and recalled the terror that seized her at the fear of being unable to regain the shore. She did not look back now, but went on and on... and the old terror flamed up for an instant, then sank again” (133). Edna becomes aware that the only desire she was truly able to fulfill was her desire for freedom and that is by swimming. This is what encourages her to keep swim far out to feel that freedom again because in her awakening it begins by feeling free in the
...pend their free or discretionary time away from work and life’s obligations. These places provide people escapes from their everyday environments. In line with leisure being seen as recreational activities, these piers and beaches allow for fishing, swimming, walking, nature-viewing, among other activities. The water, sun, sand all help evoke a special attitude or state of mind that allows beach piers to be associated as places where fun can be had and culture can be shared through the spread of ideas, practices, beliefs, and values. While many primarily use the piers as means to socialize and have fun, they are also renewed mentally and spiritually in the process. By enjoying nature, they are able to partake in transcendent experiences, reflection on self and others, tranquility, increased awareness and connection to others, and appreciation of the world’s beauty.
During the summer months, my family would spend every Sunday at the beach, if it didn’t rain. My father would carry the water cooler packed with sandwiches, fruit and home-made chocolate chip cookies. Tracy and Bobby would swim in the ice cold Atlantic while I waded in water well below my waist. Or often, I’d pick up sea shells from the wet sand to take home to show Tracy
In “On the Beach at Night Alone,” Walt Whitman develops the idea that everyone has a connection with everything else, including nature. Whitman uses a variety of writing techniques to get his point across. First, the repetition and parallel structure that his poems contain reinforce the connection between everything in nature. The usage of “All” 11 times emphasizes the inclusion of everything in the universe. The sentence structure remains the same throughout the poem, without any drastic change; however, the length of the lines in the poem vary. In addition, Whitman’s’ extravagance with his words further illustrates his idea of the Over-Soul. For example, “A vast similitude interlocks all” (4) shows his verbose nature. Whitman does not do directly to the point, but gives every little detail. Most importantly, Whitman’s’ use of catalogues stands as the most recognizable Whitman characteristic that illustrates his beliefs. These long lists that he uses set the mood of the poem. “All spheres, grown, ungrown, small, large, suns, moons, planets,” (5) shows the idea that everything is connected in nature. Similarly, “All nations, colors, barbarisms, civilizations languages.” (10) furthermore emphasize Whitman’s belief in the Over-Soul.
In the poem Dover Beach by Matt Arnold, the use of poetic devices is very evident and you can tell that he tries to use these poetic devices to impact the mood of the poem. The mood present in the poem is depressive and melancholy, this is created by some of the poetic devices he used like metaphors, imagery, and some sound devices. First and Foremost, there are many instances of Imagery in the poem to create a type of mood, For example, “Of the night wind, down the vast edges drear/ And naked shingles of the world.” (27-28). The imagery used here established a melancholy feel to the poem by using vocabulary like night wind and naked shingles of the world to create a tone and mood of a calm and depressive feeling. Secondly, the use of metaphors
...compares her with images of summer to show their differences and resemblances such as “Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May” (3). Those repetitive images portray summer. He talks about “rose buds of May”, the summer’s “gold complexion”, and Death’s “shade”. Summer days are short, seasons end, and people decease. Despite all the sweet talk, he realizes that if nothing is done, her “eternal summer” would indeed end. These lead on to themes of this poem.