Summary Of Surprise By Jane Kenyon

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Type your title The poem I chose to do for this assignment was “Surprise” by Jane Kenyon. This poem was relatively short with it only being 11 lines. It was also written in a prose format. The poem itself was about a girl whose, what I'm assuming to be, boyfriend is trying to throw her a surprise party. We're not told what the party is for but I'm assuming it is for her birthday. When she finds out that there is a surprise party she is not so surprised by the party itself but instead with how easily her boyfriend could lie to her. Which is the opposite reaction of what you would think. Most people in this situation would be happy that their significant other took the time to throw them a surprise party. This poem is a great example of situational …show more content…

You get a clear sense of the Imagery in the poem. For example when she is talking about her friends pulling up on the sandy shoulders of the road where the ferns unfurl in the dutchess. The ways he describes the surrounding is almost melodic in a way. Another great line that uses imagery is the line following the one in my last sentence. She says “ and this year's budding leaves push last year's spectral leaves from the tips of the twigs of the ash tree.”. From this, we can gather that it is springtime which brings me to my next topic symbolism. I would say that symbolism is an important tool that she uses in this poem. The first symbol i noticed was springtime. Springtime is often associated with rebirth but it is also cyclical implications. Which pushes the idea that life has certainties one of them being the seasons. The next one I saw was the birthday party which is also a cyclical thing. But just like with the seasons each passing birthday symbolizes change which is an uncertainty. You can be certain that they are going to happen but you are not sure what happens afterward driving home the theme of uncertainty that is in this …show more content…

At first, she hooks you with the title that promises a surprise. Usually, when you think of surprises you think of good things but with this poem that is not the case causing two different and opposite emotions, uncertainty, and happiness, to build which helps the tension in the poem. Unlike in most stories, though, the tension is not resolved and it not an outward thing. In fact, the girl is the only one aware of the tension as she is the only one feeling uncertainty. The tone of the poem went exceptionally optimistic or exciting. In fact, it is written like a narrative that describes a scene from an average normal life but with one event that brings dimension to the person flat life. There is no special rhythm in this poem but some of the lines seem to be gently rhyming.Some words are united into integral images supporting this impression with sound effects, for instance: “budding leaves / Push last year’s spectral leaves from the tips / Of the twigs of the ash trees”. Lines like this give off the impression of rhyming and adds a certain lyrical undertone to the

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