Poetry is often overlooked in its ability to share ideas as a creative outlet. “When the Stones Cleared Their Troats to Sing” by Phillip Kevin Paul and “T’sea” by Lucy Hemphill are works that utilize the power of poetry to tell stories. Due to the hidden themes and ideas throughout a poem, the impact of a piece is unique to the person reading it. The many meanings of a poem are what make them so valuable; each one holds a certain individuality that only the reader is privy to. Authors may use devices, whether they be literary or on the descriptive emotional side, to guide the readers or listeners towards the intended meaning (if there happens to be one). Using both literary techniques and emotional writing, “When the Stones Cleared Their Throats …show more content…
During the beginning stanza of “When the Stones Cleared Their Throats to Sing,” Paul describes the clear water and a “summer depth of shoreline” (Paul, lines 2-3) found in the early morning. He then proceeds to mention the gathering of family on the shore’s warm gravel, maintaining the image of a tranquil atmosphere for relaxation and assembly. However, this scene is quickly reversed. Paul’s second stanza refers to the “ocean [jerking] stones / carried from elsewhere / [during] the winter storms” (Paul, lines 8-10), immediately contrasting the previous picture-perfect shoreline. This sudden switch in vocabulary leads to a darker tone, one that disrupts the initial vision of perfection and ultimately guides readers towards the idea of loss. With similar intention, Lucy Hemphill in her poem “T’sea” utilizes environmental aspects and qualities to strengthen her ideas. She states: “life flows through us / death flows too,” though “our roots run deep and out of harm’s reach” (Hemphill, lines 8-10). Using the duality of nature (both helpfulness and harmfulness), Hemphill represents the strengths and weaknesses located within us as
Therefore, Oliver’s incorporation of imagery, setting, and mood to control the perspective of her own poem, as well as to further build the contrast she establishes through the speaker, serves a critical role in creating the lesson of the work. Oliver’s poem essentially gives the poet an ultimatum; either he can go to the “cave behind all that / jubilation” (10-11) produced by a waterfall to “drip with despair” (14) without disturbing the world with his misery, or, instead, he can mimic the thrush who sings its poetry from a “green branch” (15) on which the “passing foil of the water” (16) gently brushes its feathers. The contrast between these two images is quite pronounced, and the intention of such description is to persuade the audience by setting their mood towards the two poets to match that of the speaker. The most apparent difference between these two depictions is the gracelessness of the first versus the gracefulness of the second. Within the poem’s content, the setting has been skillfully intertwined with both imagery and mood to create an understanding of the two poets, whose surroundings characterize them. The poet stands alone in a cave “to cry aloud for [his] / mistakes” while the thrush shares its beautiful and lovely music with the world (1-2). As such, the overall function of these three elements within the poem is to portray the
Poetry is something that is to be read delicately and cautiously if one wanted to find meaning through the words. Readers have to be gentle and patiently ponder about what they are reading in order to find any significance in the poem. If someone is not patient with reading, they will not feel impacted by poetry and will not want to read it. In Billy Collins’, “Introduction to Poetry,” he uses figurative language to help readers see that the way to enjoy and understand poetry is by reading between the lines and being patient with how each individual relates to the readings.
“The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in
Poetry is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and rhythmic qualities; it is solely used to evoke emotive feelings in the reader in which to convey a message or story. This form of literature has a long history dating back thousands of years and is considered a literacy art form as it uses forms and conventions to evoke differentiating interpretations of words, though the use of poetic devices. Devices such as assonance, figurative language, alliteration, onomatopoeia and rhythm are sometimes used to achieve a musical and memorable aspect to the poem. Poems are usually written based on the past experiences of the poet and are greatly influenced by the writer’s morals values and beliefs. Poetry regularly demonstrates and emphasises on the
Poetry is often created by an author’s need to escape the logical, as well as expressing feelings and other expressions in a tight, condensed manner. Hundreds of poets have impacted society throughout history through phenomenal poetry that, even with dark tones can be emotionally moving.
Good poetry provides meaningful commentary. One indication of a poem’s success in this is the depth of thought the reader has as a result of the poem. The poems I anthologized may take different
In today’s modern view, poetry has become more than just paragraphs that rhyme at the end of each sentence. If the reader has an open mind and the ability to read in between the lines, they discover more than they have bargained for. Some poems might have stories of suffering or abuse, while others contain happy times and great joy. Regardless of what the poems contains, all poems display an expression. That very moment when the writer begins his mental journey with that pen and paper is where all feelings are let out. As poetry is continues to be written, the reader begins to see patterns within each poem. On the other hand, poems have nothing at all in common with one another. A good example of this is in two poems by a famous writer by the name of Langston Hughes. A well-known writer that still gets credit today for pomes like “ Theme for English B” and “Let American be American Again.”
Cao Xueqin’s Story of the Stone is a classic in Chinese literature, showcasing the life and exploits of the wealthy Jia clan during the feudal era. Through Cao’s depiction, the reader is afforded a glimpse into the customs and lifestyle of the time. Chinese mode of thought is depicted as it occurred in daily life, with the coexisting beliefs of Confucianism and Taoism. While the positive aspects of both ideologies are presented, Cao ultimately depicts Taoism as the paramount, essential system of belief that guides the character Bao-yu to his eventual enlightenment.
Poetry may be the hardest form of literature to examine, at least for me. After reading some of our assigned poems this semester I was left completely confused, as to not only the authors purpose, but also the relevance and importance of the poem; None ...
What passages in the poem explain why the seafarer seeks the rigors of the sea rather than the delights of the land? Does he find what he looked for at sea?
Poetry can serve as cautionary tales, a declaration of love and many other types of expression. Poems can discuss several themes from love and life to death and religion; however two poems with the same themes can have two different messages. Thomas Grey’s “Elegy Written in a Church Courtyard” and “Beowulf” author unknown, express themes such as death and the value of life; however their use of figurative language and choice of form convey two different messages. Figurative language can deepen the meaning of a message, while form can give the reader a hint about the poem’s theme.
There is also a sense of acuteness as the words in this stanza are short and sharp, and the lines clash and seem to contrast greatly. " Whispering by the shore" shows that water is a symbol of continuity as it occurs in a natural cycle, but the whispering could also be the sound of the sea as it travels up the shore. The end of this section makes me feel as if he is trying to preserve something with the "river mud" and "glazing the baked clay floor. " The fourth section, which includes four stanzas of three lines, whereas the third section included four-line stanzas and the second section included two-line stanzas, shows continuity once again, as if it's portraying the water's movement. "Moyola" is once again repeated, and "music" is also present, with "its own score and consort" being musical terms and giving the effect of harmony.
Imagine, watching as humans greedily destroy nature just to satisfy their selfish desires. Imagine, hiding in the bushes while watching your fallen comrades being treated as if they were just another casualty in the war. As if their identities and sacrifice were insignificant and unnecessary because they died... The loss of identity and the human destruction of nature is highlighted in Kenneth Slessor’s poems Beach Burial and North Country. It is through these poems that Slessor uses a range of poetic techniques to bring images alive, permitting us to visualise scenes in our mind, which is why studying his poems would allow students to develop their understanding of poetic techniques and powerful ideas.
The consistent pattern of metrical stresses in this stanza, along with the orderly rhyme scheme, and standard verse structure, reflect the mood of serenity, of humankind in harmony with Nature. It is a fine, hot day, `clear as fire', when the speaker comes to drink at the creek. Birdsong punctuates the still air, like the tinkling of broken glass. However, the term `frail' also suggests vulnerability in the presence of danger, and there are other intimations in this stanza of the drama that is about to unfold. Slithery sibilants, as in the words `glass', `grass' and `moss', hint at the existence of a Serpent in the Garden of Eden. As in a Greek tragedy, the intensity of expression in the poem invokes a proleptic tenseness, as yet unexplained.
The Thinker is a unique sculpture by the artist Auguste Rodin created as a cast in 1904 but originated as a figure in Rodin’s commissioned work called The Gates of Hell. The sculpture was originally entitled The Poet. The Poet was only a small figure found within The Gates of Hell and was just one piece of many that were later turned into larger individual pieces ("Auguste Rodin."). Auguste Rodin was a French artist born in 1840 born to a middle class family.