In “A Kite for Michael and Christopher,” Seamus Heaney’s poem reflects on the nature of life specifically revolving upon the concept of the hardships and grief one must experience throughout their lifetime. The writing of this poem reflects upon those hardships and how he has to pass it down to his two sons. Heaney specifically uses a kite as the symbolic metaphor, where the kite is a movement of motion from the push and pull of life. Heaney highlighted his desires to pass down the legacy to demonstrate to his children that the hardships in life should not pull you down to grief. Seamus Heaney portrays the process of making and flying a kite as a representation of the hardships in life underscoring the speakers progression of contemplating …show more content…
those hardships and passing down the values of those griefs. The speaker on a sunday afternoon, presents the kite as a metaphor evoking the speaker's emotional state of nostalgia about life. The speaker presents the poem “all through” a sunday afternoon (1), signifying the importance that day is for the speaker. The repetition of “Sunday” suggests a religious connotation, but as the kite “flew above Sunday” it highlights the rising meaning of the kite that overpasses even religion (1). Heaney then underlines the importance of that meaning by the verb used before the word kite where he presents the kite as “a” kite on that Sunday afternoon (1). The verb “a” indicated before the kite, increases the tone in which Heaney is trying to accentuate to the significance of the kite as the hardships of life. The meaning of the kite is more emphasized to the speaker as he describes the kite as a “flitter of blown chaff” (1). Demeaning the kite, as just being a flitter of chaff something worthless and useless. Heaney expresses his nostalgia by this phrase where the kite is undermined, because life is something that comes and goes and there are always good times in life yet hardships in life as well. In recalling the time of making the kite, the speaker feels joy in creating the symbol of life for later generations. The speaker demonstrates a clear perspective of his role on the making of the kite where the repetition of “I’d” is well distributed in the stanza (2). Where it presents a type of ownership to the kite, therefore casts the idea that the kite is part of Heaney’s own progression of life. Heaney then starts to mentions an image of the kite first being made, where he “sees” the kite “grey and slippy” (2). These objective verbs signify something with no life, as the color grey could be suggested as something dull and dead, as slippy where it has no hold onto a concept or purpose yet. Progressing that useless stage of the kite, Heaney “tapped” the kite when it “dried out white and stiff” (2). The action verb, tapped, highlights a trigger to the kite’s meaning, signifying Heaney is bringing the dead dried up and stiff kite to life, with a purpose and meaning to its making. He creates the kite with a purpose to continue on as he ties “bows of newspaper” along a “six-foot tail” (2). The indication of bows as plural conotes for the many generations to come as well as the six-foot tail that will carry on this family tree of generations. The use of newspaper it being recyclable implies the legacy of the kite that will be passed down for many years. As the kite soars in the sky the speaker demonstrates the parallel it has with his own progressive lifestyle of hardships.
The speaker use of transitional words from “but now”, to “and now” presents a shift on the meaning of the kite (3). Where the first sentence conotes that the kite being up in the sky like a “small black lark” is free as a small bird (3). Casting a metaphor on the idea that the kite is free with no attachments or burdens tying it down. Just like life because every individual begins their journey free from any burdens or griefs. The shift presented by the speaker, emphasizes the “and now” as a follow up to the present, where the speaker conotes about his own experiences underlining the metaphor of the kite where his kite becomes “dragged” and the string “bellied” as if it were a “wet rope” (3). These verbs underscore the weight of grief, dragging down an individual as it becomes to much to handle. The bellied sting indicates the swelling from the wet rope that weighs down the speaker as he is being consumed by the griefs of life. However the speaker takes on those weights where he “hauled” to “lift a shoal” (3). As he hauls upon and lifts, it clearly reflects a struggle but yet Heaney is able to lift the weight of the world up. Demonstrating the progressive shift of the speaker's own life, where life begins as free as a bird but life is not always that perfect things will weigh the speaker down but he does not let that grief overcome
him. Shifting into the description of the kite, the speaker acknowledges the meaning of the kite to introduce the realities that is the struggle of life to his children. The recognition of the true meaning of the kite to the speaker is presented when he compares his friends idea of the “human soul” being the “weight of a snipe” (4). Heaney illustrates a parallel with a kite and a snip which is a small light bird, signifying the human soul is always free of any burdens or griefs that an individual may experience. However Heaney then shifts that, that perspective of life can be to an extent true “yet” the soul is not that free. in contrast it is an “anchor there” (4). The transition of the word “yet” highlights the limitations of the interpretation that was being presented. Where Heaney then clarifies that the soul is just an anchor there and not truly free, the anchor which keeps something still and unmoving indicates that the weight of the soul will always contain some constraints that will have the need to be overcome. More description of the kite’s string that “sags and ascends” (4), which rises and falls as heaney one by one overcomes the hardships that life throws his way. The “furrow” will “assume into the heavens” (4), that weight that human individuals create by their own actions will eventually rise to the heavens and be free from any griefs. Heaney shows the complexity of life to his children, evoking that if one desires to be free from the anchoring hardships of life they have to work to ascend the kite back into the skies. Getting ready to hand the kite to his sons, the speaker reflects upon the grief that he himself will bring about to his two sons increasing his desire to teach them the inevitable escape of those hardships in life. The use of the transition word “before” represents the reflective point that Heaney has on life, emphasizing the importance of the lesson he is teaching his children. A tone of warning is being presented throughout the stanza, as he reflects upon the time when he will no longer be their for his children Heaney fears the kite will eventually “plunge down into the woods” and become “useless” (5). It evokes the desire for Heaney to pass down the tradition to his children, so the line won't become useless and his children would not be overcome with grief. So before life throws a unknown hardship into their world Heaney makes sure that his two son’s take the kite upon their “two hands” (5). Making the hold more strong in being able to overcome the challenges that are to come. The children are supposed to “feel” the “strumming”, “rooting” of the “long-tailed pull of grief” (5). Heaney is making sure the two boys are able to acknowledge the pains and griefs that are always strumming in a cycle and never ending, that life will bring their way and stay rooted, to suggest the necessity of passing down the legacy, so they can live their life to the fullest. Heaney represents the phrase “you were born fit for it,” to highlight that they have the will to handle the inevitable difficulties they will have to experience. Heaney however does not let his children take upon the weight of such hardships alone, he makes them “stand in here in front of” him (5). Heaney reflects the support he himself has to give to his children were the word “in”, indicates that the children have to take in father's role and embrace the truth of life. Heaney then maximizes his meaning as he emphasizes to the boys to “take the strain” (5). Be strong, be able to withstand whatever bad and sad things that life will throw at you, be able to hold on to it and not let it crumble you. Emphasizes the construct of the kite as a mechanism of strength to the hardships of life for the speaker and his children. The kite is a symbol of life that must be both acknowledged and passed down. The hardships and grief of life is always inevitable because each individual goes through it because of their own experiences. The structure enforces the progression of Heaney as he moves along with the kite. The poem is separated in five stanzas, and the first four always end with a comma, highlighting the progression of the speaker contemplating the significance of the kite. The stanzas not able to end in a period until the end, signifies where Heaney reflects and accepts the true meaning of the kite, where it aids an individual in their struggles. Word Count: 1637 Reflection Throughout the commentary of “A kite for Michael and Christopher” I was able to write it with relatively the reflective comments Mrs. Cole left on my commentary for “A Call”. The most pronounce section that I needed to work on was my topic sentences, because in my previous commentary I was not really showing any dramatic situation in any of them. So on this commentary I made sure to include the dramatic situation on all the different shifts I made throughout the poem. However in my topic sentences I also needed to work on the meaning, where I had to make sure not to include the big picture of the entire poem, where I only had to show the main point of the specific stanza as well as keep a progression going on throughout the rest of the topic sentences as well. Beside my topic sentences, I needed help on the structure of my commentary. Making sure I took on the evidence and being able to show the significance related to the speaker, and not just give a broad analysis of the quote I am using. I was also missing transition words throughout my poem, being able to distinguish the shifts and the progression of the poem. Overall I made sure to reread a few times over this essay to see any grammatical errors which I know I struggle with a lot.
As the first poem in the book it sums up the primary focus of the works in its exploration of loss, grieving, and recovery. The questions posed about the nature of God become recurring themes in the following sections, especially One and Four. The symbolism includes the image of earthly possessions sprawled out like gangly dolls, a reference possibly meant to bring about a sense of nostalgia which this poem does quite well. The final lines cement the message that this is about loss and life, the idea that once something is lost, it can no longer belong to anyone anymore brings a sense...
In his poem “The Great Scarf of Birds”, John Updike uses a flock of birds to show that man can be uplifted by observing nature. Updike’s conclusion is lead up to with the beauty of autumn and what a binding spell it has on the two men playing golf. In Updike’s conclusion and throughout the poem, he uses metaphors, similes, and diction to show how nature mesmerizes humans.
John Updike’s poem “The Great Scarf of Birds” expresses the varying emotions the narrator experiences as he witnesses certain events from nature. His narration of the birds throughout the poem acts as numerous forms of imagery and symbolism concerning him and his life, and this becomes a recollection of the varying emotional stances he comes to terms with that he has experienced in his life. These changes are so gradually and powerfully expressed because of a fluent use of diction and figurative language, specifically symbolism and simile, and aided by organization.
To that end, the overall structure of the poem has relied heavily on both enjambment and juxtaposition to establish and maintain the contrast. At first read, the impact of enjambment is easily lost, but upon closer inspection, the significant created through each interruption becomes evident. Notably, every usage of enjambment, which occurs at the end of nearly every line, emphasizes an idea, whether it be the person at fault for “your / mistakes” (1-2) or the truth that “the world / doesn’t need” (2-3) a poet’s misery. Another instance of enjambment serves to transition the poem’s focus from the first poet to the thrush, emphasizing how, even as the poet “[drips] with despair all afternoon,” the thrush, “still, / on a green branch… [sings] / of the perfect, stone-hard beauty of everything” (14-18). In this case, the effect created by the enjambment of “still” emphasizes the juxtaposition of the two scenes. The desired effect, of course, is to depict the songbird as the better of the two, and, to that end, the structure fulfills its purpose
Through the use of narrative and metaphor, Terry Tempest Williams beautifully depicts her life story in a poetic memoir. She describes the daily struggles she faced with change in her family, while her mother battled with cancer that eventually led to her death. She also describes the fluctuating lake levels, and how they affected the birds that migrate in the area. Through her experiences with the birds she learns how to cope and accept her mother’s death. Eventually, she moves on with the birds and learns how to love and not be afraid of death.
In conclusion irony, symbolism, and foreshadowing contribute to the omnipresent theme of redemption throughout The Kite Runner. Khaled Hosseini ties together seemingly unimportant details of the story to create irony, and juxtaposes segments of his book to show redemption.
"That is why walking across a school campus on this particular December morning I keep searching the sky. As if I expected to see, rather like hearts, a lost pair of kites hurrying toward heaven."
The scars of our pasts are said to have established a place among our present, however visible or invisible, and that these scars, through time, are unpeeled before our future selves. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is about the story of a man, Amir, who relays his life during the times of peace and conflict in Afghanistan, and his life in the United States. It is about the life of a man who tries to escape his shameful past, but is constantly lost and incomplete as a result. As the story revolves around the life of Amir, from childhood to adulthood, Hosseini utilizes first person point of view of Amir, various use of diction, and the symbolism of kites to reveal the underlying message of how the past is a part of whom we were and who we are today.
...t is arguable that the birds fight is also a metaphor, implying the fight exists not only between birds but also in the father’s mind. Finally, the last part confirms the transformation of the parents, from a life-weary attitude to a “moving on” one by contrasting the gloomy and harmonious letter. In addition, readers should consider this changed attitude as a preference of the poet. Within the poem, we would be able to the repetitions of word with same notion. Take the first part of the poem as example, words like death, illness
was only an infant! This was the last line in the poem and an obvious
He has grown up in the backwash of a dying city and has developed into an individual sensitive to the fact that his town’s vivacity has receded, leaving the faintest echoes of romance, a residue of empty piety, and symbolic memories of an active concern for God and mankind that no longer exists. Although the young boy cannot fully comprehend it intellectually, he feels that his surroundings have become malformed and ostentatious. He is at first as blind as his surroundings, but Joyce prepares us for his eventual perceptive awakening by mitigating his carelessness with an unconscious rejection of the spiritual stagnation of his community. Upon hitting Araby, the boy realizes that he has placed all his love and hope in a world that does not exist outside of his imagination. He feels angry and betrayed and comes to realize his self-deception, describing himself as “a creature driven and derided by vanity”, a vanity all his own (Joyce). This, inherently, represents the archetypal Joycean epiphany, a small but definitive moment after which life is never quite the same. This epiphany, in which the boy lives a dream in spite of the disagreeable and the material, is brought to its inevitable conclusion, with the single sensation of life disintegrating. At the moment of his realization, the narrator finds that he is able to better understand his particular circumstance, but, unfortunately, this
The rope symbolizes death and destruction. When Mr. Wright was killed, he was chocked to death with a rope. The same way Mrs. Wright was killed, so was Mrs. Wright's bird. The death of Mr. Wright was Mrs. Wright's way of starting a new life. The bird's death symbolizes Mrs. Wright's dying because she is with Mr.
..., the dependence of one on the other. Although the kite "spins, dips, and steadies", it stays in the sky with free, natural movements (122). Verbal interaction is not required to keep the kite flying because their communication through the kite speaks volumes louder than sound itself. Decades later, when Amir Flies a kite with Hassan's son, Sohrab, the paper toy's flight expresses more than anything Amir could say. "Then I blinked and, for just a moment, the hands holding the spool were the chipped-nailed, calloused hands of a hare lipped boy" (369-370). By watching this kite and seeing Hassan in its ascent, Amir begins to feel redemption and atonement for his painful past. The flight of the kite at the end of this novel does not close the door on Amir's past of guilt and burdens, but rather reestablishes his memory of Hassan and offers hope for a redemptive future.
The idea of losing a loved is a powerful emotion and one that virtually every person can relate to. It was with this concept in mind that Edgar Allan Poe crafted his classic narrative poem “The Raven.” For some, poetry acts as a means to express different ideals, either social, intellectual, or philosophical. For Edgar Allan Poe, poetry was at its best when it conveyed beauty through the expression of simple yet powerful emotion. In Poe’s mind, there was no purer manifestation of poetic beauty than the deep emotion felt from the loss of a beloved woman. Is with this in mind the Poe employs setting, tone, and symbolism to relate the powerful emotion of never-ending despair to connect with his audience in the classic poem “The Raven.”
This work is a staple in British Literature, it has moral values that will never cease in our world. It has biblical allegories referring to Jesus Christ. The albatross hung around the neck refers to Jesus dying on the cross and The Mariner shooting the albatross is compared to Jesus. The sun and the moon symbolize God as does the Albatross. That in itself is a reason to use this book in life as It can really help one get moral values and live life to the fullest. This poem should be known as a moral lesson by everyone because the lessons told in this story are ones one should never forget.