Closely Examining the Language and Tones Used in Poems - Coursework Example

English Literature Introduction After reading, analyzing, and summarizing several poems like "Do not go gentle into that good night" by Dylan Thomas, “Poem at thirty-nine" by Alice Walker, "Remember" by Christina Georgina Rossetti, "To his Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell, "Holy Sonnet 72" by John Donne, and "Another view of Thanatos" by Verrnon Scannell, this essay will focus on discussing about the themes of each poem followed by closely examining the language and tones used in each poems. After examining the language and tones in each poem, this essay will discuss about its corresponding structure and shape. As part of going through the discussion, the similarity and differences of each poem in terms of the structure will be tackled in details. In this paragraph, the words that rhymes and the rhythm of the poem will be criticized based on its effect to the audiences. Summary of the Poems As a good example of a villanelle, the poem entitled "Do not go gentle into that good night" does not only reflect how a person can grow old up to the point that he reaches the point of dying but also talks about life and how each one of us should live life to the fullest. “Poem at thirty-nine" is one of a few examples of poems that represent sad emotions. Basically, this poem is all about what women can possibly miss after losing a father. Aside from describing everything she has learned from her father, Walker also expressed how much she misses him. Similar to Thomas’ "Do not go gentle into that good night", the poem “Remember” explores the personal feelings of Rossetti with regards to death. In fact, “Remember” is a good example of a sonnet wherein the writer was conveying how she was able to solve the conflicts about life and death she has presented in the poem. In this particular poem, Rossetti was showing some signs of confusion on whether or not she wanted to be remembered or be forgotten after she die. Just like most of the poems presented in this study, Scannell’s "Another view of Thanatos" is also pertaining to death. Marvell’s "To his Coy Mistress" is a good example of a lyrical poem that compares and contrasts metaphysical subjects to a tangible object. Basically, this poem reflects a young man who is passionate yet immature and selfish. The "Holy Sonnet 72" is totally different from the rest of the poems tackled in this paper in the sense that this particular poem is all about the divine meditations1. It means that the Holy Sonnet is designed for divinity or religious beliefs. Themes The theme of "Do not go gentle into that good night" strongly suggests that people should continue to live strong even when they reach the end-of-life stage. The theme of “Poem at thirty-nine" is all about the role of our parents in teaching us the basic lessons in life. The theme of “Remember” is all about hoping that death will not be the end of everything. The theme of "To his Coy Mistress" is all about the actual affirmation of love to a young lady. The theme of “Holy Sonnet 72” is all about celebrating the Halloween or All Saint’s Day as part of remembering the dead. The theme of "Another view of Thanatos" is all about the ancient Greek interpretation of death. Language and Tones The choice of words used in the poem "Do not go gentle into that good night" is composed of several figures of speech. Basically, the use of metaphor encourages the readers to undergo some degree of imagination before one can fully understand the true meaning of the poem2. For example, “good night” in the first stanza means “death”. Assonance means repeating the use of words with identical sounds of vowel followed by the use of other consonant sounds. This can be noted with the use of “age” and “day” in the 1st stanza and “blaze” and “rage” on the 5th stanza. Lastly, oxymoron is pertaining to the use of contradicting words as described in the poem. It is common for people to view death as something negative. Therefore, the use of “good night” or good death in the 1st stanza is a good example of oxymoron. (See Appendix I – Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night on page 9) Similar to Thomas’ "Do not go gentle into that good night", the poem “Poem at thirty-nine" also uses some assonance. For example, “sharing of good food” and “Now I look and cook”. Basically, the use of these rhymes adds character to the free flowing patterns of the poem. This particular poem also uses some metaphor. On the 5th stanza, it was stated that “seasoning none of my life the same way twice”. It means that Walker was actually making a comparison between her life and the process of cooking. Walker also uses some personification which can be noted in the 3rd stanza of the poem. For example, “many of my truths must have grieved him”. Upon analyzing this line, it is clear that the word “truths” in this line was used to refer to all factors that can cause grievances in life (i.e. death). Similes like can also be noted in this poem. For example, “He cooked like a person dancing in a yoga meditation”. Aside from the use of conversational tone, Walker decided to use short lines which had significantly contributed to the fast-paced tone of the poem. With regards to the use of language, Walker made used of first person word like “I” to give the readers a clear thought and feeling that the writer was pertaining to her own personal experience. In other words, by using first-person word “I”, the writer was in the process of undergoing some personal reflection about what she has become to be because of her father’s influence in her life. (See Appendix II – Poem at Thirty-Nine on page 10) Refrain is very much evident in the sonnet entitled “Remember”. A good example of repetition can be noted in the first two lines “...gone away” and “gone far away...”. Another good example of repetition can be noted in line 9 and 13, “...you should forget...” and “Better... you should forget”. Even though there a series of repititions can be noted in this poem, the writer managed to make the voice and the memory somehow fades away from the reality of life. This can be noted on the 5th line when the writer said “Remember me when no more day by day”. Rossetti wrote the sonnet "Remember" using a controlled tone in her paradoxical lines. Despite being able to control the tone, the writer managed to somehow increase its tone tentatively in order to reveal the true meaning of her thoughts. For example, in line 1 “Remember me when I am gone away”. It was clear that the tone of the voice sounds like the writer was pleading for her love ones to remember her after she dies. In line 4, the writer was expressing that she may or may not be able to stay with her love ones. Yet in line 8, the writer was saying that it could be too late to say a short prayer before she leaves. Lastly in line 13, the writer was saying that her love ones should learn to forget about her and just be happy with their own lives. Therefore, the tone of “Remember” is definitely more optimistic as compared to other poems pertaining to death. (See Appendix III – Remember on page 12) Just like any other poems, "To his Coy Mistress" is also using metaphor. This can be noted in line 11 when the writer literally compares love to vegetables. In reality, a man can only live less than 100 years in this world. Therefore, hyperbole is also present in line 15 when the writer mentioned “…200 years to adore each breast”. Similar to Walker’s “Poem at thirty-nine", Marvell also used first-person word “I” which means that he was actually stating his own thoughts as it manifest in his own mind. (See Appendix IV – To his Coy Mistress on page 13) "Another view of Thanatos" was also written with some rhyming lines. For instance, the last word in line 1 and 5 rhymes with “...good cause” and “...desperation scrawl”. Line 2 and 3 also rhymes with words like “...to call” and “...fathered all”. This poem also uses similes in the sense that the poem is talking about death yet the writer says that “...you have fathered all”. Obviously, death cannot father anyone but means that death will be a part of everyone’s life. (See Appendix V – Another view of Thanatos on page 15) Unlike other forms of poems, the “Holy Sonnet 72” is a type of divine poem that mainly uses an argumentative tone as a way to convince the intended audiences. Using an entirely different writing style, Donne was using the art of language in a way that he can make the readers able to develop with a personal relationship with God. Even though most of Donne’s Holy Sonnet was written using an argumentative tone, it is undoubtedly that that writer had to combine passion, love, and tenderness when trying to persuade the audiences to believe in religious poems. Similar to other types of poems, the use of figure of speech can also be noted in the “Holy Sonnet 72”. Specifically in line 1, it was mentioned that “Death, be not proud”. This is actually a clear example of personification. In reality, death will never be proud but within this context, the writer was simply saying that death is actually not the most powerful thing on Earth because the presence of life after death. (See Appendix VI – Holy Sonnet 72 on page 16) Structure and Shape The poem entitled "Do not go gentle into that good night" is a villanelle. It means that the poem is composed of 5 tercets and a quatrain to form a 19-line poem. Basically, the poem was written in a very simple and easy to follow rhyme structure. For instance, using a second-person perspective, the 1st and 6th stanzas were used to express the writer’s father’s health condition. The remaining 2nd to 5th stanzas were used to write a third-person perspective about life and death. Aside from having a total of six (6) stanzas, a villanelle striclty follows a three-line structure in each of the first five stanzas (tercet) followed by a four-line structure on the 6th stanza (quatrain). With regards to refrain, a villanelle should repeat the 1st and 3rd line of the 1st stanza3. This explains why the phrases “Do not go gentle into that good night” and “Rage, rage against the dying of the light” were constantly repeated in other stanzas. “Poem at thirty-nine" is a good example of a poem that uses short-lines and irregular line breaks within a free flowing conversational verse structure. This explains why this particular poem does not contain any form of rhythmic patterns. Since Walker decided to write the “Poem at thirty-nine" with the use of short-line structure, the shape of the poem is actually represented by a narrow yet long form of writing. The structure of Rossetti’s sonnet entitled "Remember" is a good example of a sonnet that follows a structure with three main parts that represents what the writer wants in the past, present, and future. This explains why the writer’s statement with regards to how she wants to be remembered after she dies is not constant. The structure of Scannell’s “Another View of Thanatos” is arranged in two major stanzas starting with 8 lines narrowing down to 6 lines. "To his Coy Mistress" follows the structure of an iambic tetrameter that has at least 8 syllables in each line. Using the couplets as part of its rhyming lines, it can be noted that the last syllable of line 1 and 2 rhymes whereas the last syllable of line 3 and 4 rhymes and so on. Lastly, the structure of religious poem like the “Holy Sonnet 72” follows a formal writing structure4 (Bellette, 1975). Conclusion It is common for poems to be written using some kind of figure of speech. Aside from the rhyming and the use a kind or a combination of figure of speech, the quality of poem is also highly dependent on the type os structure used in writing. It is common for poems that are pretaining to death to have a sad and nostalgic tone. However, it is upon the disgression of the writers to make use of a positive tone such as in the case of Rossetti’s "Remember". Appendix I – Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night5 Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked no lightning they Do not go gentle into that good night. Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way, Do not go gentle into that good night. Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light. And you, my father, there on the sad height, Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray. Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Source: Tiempo, Bernad, & Tiempo, 1999 Appendix II – Poem at Thirty-Nine6 How I miss my father. I wish he had not been so tired when I was born. Writing deposit slips and checks I think of him. He taught me how. This is the form, he must have said: the way it is done. I learned to see bits of paper as a way to escape the life he knew and even in high school had a savings account. He taught me that telling the truth did not always mean a beating; though many of my truths must have grieved him before the end. How I miss my father! He cooked like a person dancing in a yoga meditation and craved the voluptuous sharing of good food. Now I look and cook just like him: my brain light; tossing this and that into the pot; seasoning none of my life the same way twice; happy to feed whoever strays my way. He would have grown to admire the woman I've become: cooking, writing, chopping wood, staring into the fire. Source: Blade, 1995 Appendix III – Remember7 Remember me when I am gone away, Gone far away into the silent land; When you can no more hold me by the hand, Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay. Remember me when no more day by day You tell me of our future that you plann'd: Only remember me; you understand It will be late to counsel then or pray. Yet if you should forget me for a while And afterwards remember, do not grieve: For if the darkness and corruption leave A vestige of the thoughts that once I had, Better by far you should forget and smile Than that you should remember and be sad. Source: Allen, 2010 Appendix IV – To his Coy Mistress8 Had we but world enough, and time, This coyness, Lady, were no crime. We would sit down and think which way To walk and pass our long love's day. Thou by the Indian Ganges' side.......................5 Shouldst rubies find: I by the tide Of Humber would complain. I would Love you ten years before the Flood, And you should, if you please, refuse Till the conversion of the Jews. ........................10 My vegetable love should grow Vaster than empires, and more slow; An hundred years should go to praise Thine eyes and on thy forehead gaze; Two hundred to adore each breast,.....................15 But thirty thousand to the rest; An age at least to every part, And the last age should show your heart. For, Lady, you deserve this state, Nor would I love at lower rate..............................20 But at my back I always hear Time's wingèd chariot hurrying near; And yonder all before us lie Deserts of vast eternity. Thy beauty shall no more be found,.....................25 Nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound My echoing song: then worms shall try That long preserved virginity, And your quaint honour turn to dust, And into ashes all my lust:.................................30 The grave's a fine and private place, But none, I think, do there embrace. Now therefore, while the youthful hue Sits on thy skin like morning dew, And while thy willing soul transpires ..................35 At every pore with instant fires, Now let us sport us while we may, And now, like amorous birds of prey, Rather at once our time devour Than languish in his slow-chapt power................40 Let us roll all our strength and all Our sweetness up into one ball, And tear our pleasures with rough strife Thorough the iron gates of life: Thus, though we cannot make our sun...................45 Stand still, yet we will make him run. Source: Weller, 1992 Appendix V – Another view of Thanatos 9 Death be not proud! Why not? You’ve got good cause, Mighty and dreadful? Yes, we’re bound to call You both of these since you have fathered all Our best achievements, art and healing, laws, Ritual to case the pain that gnaws, On hearts and minds till desperations scrawl Their shrill graffiti on the falling wall: You justly claim respect, if not applause. But few of us will tender thanks though you Persuade us to erect great domes of thought And palisades of piety to thwart Your fruitful menaces. Yet this is true: You frighten me to death, old sport; If I had half your power, then I’d swank too. Source: Scannell, 2000 Appendix VI – Holy Sonnet 7210 Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so; For those whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow, Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me. From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow, And soonest our best men with thee do go, Rest of their bones, and soul’s delivery. Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men, And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell; And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well And better than thy stroke; why swell’st thou then? One short sleep past, we wake eternally, And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die. Source: Lindsay, 2012 References A. Bellette, 'Little Worlds Made Cunningly': Significant Form in Donne's Holy Sonnets and 'Goodfriday, 1613'. Studies in Philology, 1975, 72(3), p. 322. E. Tiempo, M. Bernad & E. Tiempo, Introduction to Literature Revised Ed. QC: Rex Printing Company, 1999. J. Allen, Gone Away Into the Land. Durham, CT: Strategic Book Publishing, 2010. J. Donne, ‘John Donne's Holy Sonnets’. 2012, viewed on 12 November 2012, Lindsay. ‘Poem of the week: John Donne's Holy Sonnet 72’. 31 October 2012, viewed on 12 November 2012, M. Heusser, Text and Visuality: Word & Image Interactions 3. Atlanta, GA: Rodopi, 1999. R. Gibbs, The Cambridge Handbook of Metaphor and Thought. Cambridge University Press, 2008. S. Weller, Great Love Poems. Dover Thrift Editions. London: Dover Publications, 1992. T. Eliopulos, The Everything Writing Poetry Book: A Practical Guide To Style, Structure. Avon, MA: F+W Publications, 2005. V. Scannell, Views and distances. Enitharmon Pr., 2000. W. Blade, ‘Poem at Thirty-Nine: Alice Walker’, in Poem Hunert. 24 January 1995, viewed on 12 November 2012, Read More