I discussed several concepts with my writing fellow, William Xiong. He specifically mentioned that my addition of the Buddha background story was very fascinating perspective that brought another dimension to my analysis. He also mentioned that my main ideas were clearly stated and easy to see how they connected. Furthermore, he said I should not be concerned with my audience since I did consider my audience with my explanations to each idea. Out of several suggestions, he addressed that I should rearrange my second and third paragraphs for better flow so I can keep the moon roles of the romantic and spiritual roles together. In addition, he also suggested that I should continue my theme of “reality versus desired reality” throughout the whole …show more content…
Now surely the moon shining so intensely in the sky seemed cruel indeed, as if it refused to comprehend the depth of my sorrow. This poem and prose are taken from a diary written by Lady Nijō in 1307, and they reflect her emotions of grief and loneliness. The poem on a literal level takes place on a clear night with a bright moon in the sky. The prose provides additional information about a nun, Lady Nijō, who grieves for her love who had passed away. Her grieving is explained through the poem’s contrasting lines with the theme of her reality versus her desired reality. The first line with the “bright moon” contrasts with the last line of the moon being “dimmed and clouded over”. On a figurative level, Lady Nijō is left to long for her lover who is out of reach like the moon instead of being able to be with him. The second line with the feeling of “cruel mockery” contrasts with the third line of the feeling of “happy”. The figurative meaning of these lines could be that she wants to be happy or less sad at that moment, but instead she is mocked and left in even more …show more content…
The first half of the poem discusses the natural scenery mocking her, and the second half of the poem discusses her emotions of the mockery. The first half reveals the moon being a “cruel mockery”. In Japanese poetry, the moon plays a romantic role where it resembles a lover’s face and means to long for a lover. Therefore, in the prose, as the moon appears in the sky, the “images of His Majesty floated before my eyes” which causes Lady Nijō to long for her lover as she sees the face of her lover on the moon. The exclamation point further emphasizes the mockery of the moon and her notice of this act. The second half presents Lady Nijō’s feelings of wanting the moon to be “dimmed and clouded over” or to disappear, because seeing her lover’s face on the moon causes her pain. In addition to the moon resembling her lover’s face, in the poem, the moon is shining brightly that night and the brightness makes the moon hard to miss; thus, it strongly reminds Lady Nijō of her lover, which in turn, causes her to suffer even
This essay is anchored on the goal of looking closer and scrutinizing the said poem. It is divided into subheadings for the discussion of the analysis of each of the poem’s stanzas.
Personification: 'When Fortune frowns her blackest' is the only example of a personification in this poem. Fortune, which is an inanimate concept, is given the human ability of frowning in this poem. This poetic device is used to capture the attention of the reader and enhance
As a matter of fact, the poem title is a metaphor which translates to ‘get over Melbourne’. This metaphor is used to express the poet’s message to Australian society to break out of this nationalistic, lazy and self-centred lifestyle. The “Moon” in the title can also be seen as a symbol of a figurative person, whom poet talks to and argues with as the poet is isolated himself. Even so the poet does not describe the physical characteristics of the ‘Moon’ or society, the poet’s pessimistic descriptions create an image of a Chinese migrant with a particular reminiscence for his home. The repetition of the “Moon over Melbourne” phrase, emphasises the importance of the message to society. This attention given to the phrase creates a dominating sense that the poet’s experiences within Melbourne are disapproving of the new foreign values’. “A young one just 200 seconds old, with a man-made light that is not only cold”, with a twist of rhyme the poet relates to a child being raised from this man-made or this cold artificial society, the in poet’s perspective this is Australia which mimic’s the natural light in the place of China, the poet’s
“It was a large, beautiful room, rich and picturesque in the soft, dim light which the maid had turned low. She went and stood at an open window and looked out upon the deep tangle of the garden below. All the mystery and witchery of the night seemed to have gathered there amid the perfumes and the dusky and tortuous outlines of flowers and foliage. She was seeking herself and finding herself in just such sweet half-darkness which met her moods. But the voices were not soothing that came to her from the darkness and the sky above and the stars. They jeered and sounded mourning notes without promise, devoid even of hope. She turned back into the room and began to walk to and fro, down its whole length, without stopping, without resting. She carried in her hands a thin handkerchief, which she tore into ribbons, rolled into a ball, and flung from her. Once she stopped, and taking off her wedding ring, flung it upon the carpet. When she saw it lying there she stamped her heel upon it, striving to crush it. But her small boot heel did not make an indenture, not a mark upon the glittering circlet.
The speaker begins the poem an ethereal tone masking the violent nature of her subject matter. The poem is set in the Elysian Fields, a paradise where the souls of the heroic and virtuous were sent (cite). Through her use of the words “dreamed”, “sweet women”, “blossoms” and
The poem uses many literary devices to enhance the meaning the words provide. The poem starts at the beginning of the story as the moon comes to visit the forge. The moon is said to be wearing “her skirt of white, fragrant flowers” (Lorca 2) as its bright light penetrates the scene. The poem states “the young boy watches her, watches. / The young boy is watching her” (3-4). The repetition of the phrase emphasizes the young boy’s infatuation with the moon. The scene is set with intensity by the phrase “electrified air” (5) and a tense feeling is brought into the poem. As “the moon moves her arms” (6), she is given traits of being alive and having her own human qualities. Personification of the moon into a woman exemplifies the desire that the child would have for the woman, and creates a more appealing form for the moon to appear as. The child cries, “flee, moon, moon, moon” (9) with urgency, showing his concern for her. He warns her “they would make with your heart / white necklaces and rings” (11-12). This refers back to the metaphor that the moon is made of hard tin, but still personifies her by giving her a heart. The moon is additionally personified when she says “ young boy, leave me to dance”(13). She has now taken the form of a sensual and erotic gypsy dancer furthering the desire of the young boy. This brings Spanish culture to the poem because gypsies are known to travel throughout Spain. The mo...
The reader learns that Mikage has yet to cry over the death of her grandmother and has not yet dealt with the overwhelming emotion regarding the situation. In this scene, the moon represents the notion that light shines even in the darkest moments of our lives, “my eye came to rest on the still-new moon making its gentle way across the sky.” The adjective ‘gentle’ softens the atmosphere and creates a peaceful feeling. This is contrasted to the following breakdown as she gets off the bus, “tears were flooding out.” Connotations of ‘flooding’ emphasizes the uncontrollable nature of it as floods are typically nature’s doing, a force to be reckoned with; this implication emphasizes how overwhelmed Mikage is. A ‘new moon’ symbolizes new beginnings, relating to Mikage’s recovery from her sudden breakdown. In addition, Mikage is now in a refreshed state as a result of dealing with the death of grandmother in a very emotional way, “unburdened after my good cry, I slept like a baby.” By linking Mikage to a baby, Yoshimoto is able to emphasize the idea of peace and acceptance. The moon’s symbolic meaning emphasizes the impact this pivotal point has on Mikage’s future as it is as if she has been reborn. This scene is strangely uplifting for the reader as by releasing her grief, Mikage is left feeling so much happier and more content. The moon is then seen as a symbol of both despair and acceptance.
These lines may seem confusing if not read properly. At first look, these might not make sense because the night is acquainted with darkness, but when the lines are read together as intended, one can see that the night is “cloudless” and filled with “starry skies” (1, 1-2). The remaining lines of the first stanza tell the reader that the woman's face and eyes combine all the greatness of dark and light:
Many people may look at the same painting and all come away with their own understanding. Every person has their bias and preconceptions that will influence their personal experience. In this paper we will discuss how Anne Sexton described in a short poem her experience of viewing Vincent Van Gogh’s painting The Starry Night. We will observe how Anne Sexton’s poem based on Van Gogh’s painting speaks about death in darkness as the painting seems to emphasise the light in the darkness.
This is shown through the tone changing from being disappointed and critical to acceptance and appreciative. The speaker’s friend, who after listening to the speaker’s complaints, says that it seems like she was “a child who had been wanted” (line 12). This statement resonates with the speaker and slowly begins to change her thinking. This is apparent from the following line where the speaker states that “I took the wine against my lips as if my mouth were moving along that valved wall in my mother's body” (line 13 to line 15). The speaker is imagining her mother’s experience while creating her and giving birth to her. In the next several lines the speakers describe what she sees. She expresses that she can see her mother as “she was bearing down, and then breathing from the mask, and then bearing down, pressing me out into the world” (line 15 to line 18). The speaker can finally understand that to her mother the world and life she currently lived weren't enough for her. The imagery in the final lines of this poem list all the things that weren’t enough for the mother. They express that “the moon, the sun, Orion cartwheeling across the dark, not the earth, the sea” (line 19 to 21) none of those things matter to the mother. The only thing that matter was giving birth and having her child. Only then will she be satisfied with her life and
The first literary device that can be found throughout the poem is couplet, which is when two lines in a stanza rhyme successfully. For instance, lines 1-2 state, “At midnight, in the month of June / I stand beneath the mystic moon.” This is evidence that couplet is being used as both June and moon rhyme, which can suggest that these details are important, thus leading the reader to become aware of the speaker’s thoughts and actions. Another example of this device can be found in lines 16-17, “All Beauty sleeps!—and lo! where lies / (Her casement open to the skies).” These lines not only successfully rhyme, but they also describe a woman who
The poem says that "since feeling is first" (line 1) the one who pays attention to the meaning of things will never truly embrace. The poem states that it is better to be a fool, or to live by emotions while one is young. The narrator declares that his "blood approves" (line 7) showing that his heart approves of living by feeling, and that the fate of feeling enjoyment is better than one of "wisdom" (line 9) or learning. He tells his "lady" (line 10) not to cry, showing that he is speaking to her. He believes that she can make him feel better than anything he could think of, because her "eyelids" (line 12) say that they are "for each other" (line 13). Then, after all she's said and thought, his "lady" forgets the seriousness of thought and leans into the narrator's arms because life is not a "paragraph" (line 15), meaning that life is brief. The last line in the poem is a statement which means that death is no small thi...
John Clare’s “An Invite to Eternity” is a poem that at first glance seems happy and inviting but once examined, is actually quite depressing and aloof. Although it appears to be a direct address to an anonymous “maiden,” in reality the poem is much more complex. Clare offers his “sweet maid” a less than appealing future life, presenting her with an “eternity” filled with harsh landscapes and loneliness. Most readers’ first impression when they think of eternity is almost dream-like or heavenly. However, Clare’s vision of eternity is dark and mysterious and uninviting. These different versions of expectations, as well as the use of antique word forms such as “thou” and “wilt”, seems to suggest a conscious misuse of traditional and old-fashioned love poetry and portrays the “maiden” as being nothing more than a figment in Clare’s imagination. Further, this is not the first time Clare has written about such a hellish place. His poem “I am” resembles the “eternity” he is speaking of in “An Invite to Eternity.” “I am” was a reflection of a period in his life where he was isolated in a mental institution. In this context, the strange and ominous world that Clare presents as “eternity” takes on a new meaning as a representation of his social death while in the asylum. Supporting this idea, “An Invite to Eternity”
For Gill's female lead who goes unnamed in the poem, it was being broken down by someone whom the adored, “Someone she loved broke her heart by ignoring her beautiful words”. Nastaya and the girl in the poem let the actions
Even though, the second verse regardless of all the fun the inhabitance of the soul experienced, there is an air uncertanty. Something is missing not everything is joy. In the third stanza the mood changes completely when melancholy prevails and the light of the moon is equivalent of sadness, while the fountain supposed to be the special symbol it brings to mind tears. It is a quiet sadness, with slow movements on the sky lit by the moon, creating the atmosphere if we were also involved in that situation, or at least observed it, during the mysterious night. The wealth of details, provided in just a few lines, combined with the depth of unexaggerated feelings, various colors in controlled movement, all these attributes make "Clair de lune" one of the true masterpieces of the French Art.