Through hardships and oppression, “a nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people” (Mahatma Gandhi). The literary selections of “The Prisoner Who Wore Glasses” by Bessie Head, “The Snowflakes Sail Gently Down” and “You Laughed and Laughed and Laughed” by Gabriel Okara, are prime examples of this perseverance of culture. The short story by Bessie Head takes place in the 1940s during a time of political unrest in South Africa, and is based off of a true story. Through the years, her writing became a “search for identity and a testament to the absolute horrors of racism” (Modern World Literature, 11), which is reflected in the story. In the two poems by Gabriel Okara, his writing is a “testament to the independence …show more content…
When Hannetjie admits he’s at his limit, Brille asks “why don’t you like your own medicine, Hannetjie” (Head, 15). Brille pushed his warder so far so he could understand the full extent of what happened to people in those prisons, and how unnecessarily bad they are for everyone there. Not only that, but the symbolism of the warder’s and Span One’s changed relationship at the end of the story addresses the future of racism in South Africa. Brille is eventually able to break Hannetjie down enough through persistence to get him to change his views on the prisoners. Brille eventually reveals that Span One wants “a good warder because without a good warder we won’t be able to manage the long stretch ahead” (Head, 16). Through this, the author explains that there should not be sides when it comes to racial divides, as everyone is human and essentially should all be united as one, not divided. “The Prisoner Who Wore Glasses is not the only literary work that delves deep into the controversies of society.
“The Snowflakes Sail Gently Down” by Gabriel Okara addresses the issues of ignorance and lack of cultural appreciation in Nigerian society. One way Okara expresses his criticism to society is through the heavy use of metaphor within the poem. In the poem, Okara compares the seasons of winter and summer to everything bad and good in the world, respectively. For example,
Analyse (tell me how the poet creates this image - choice of words, literary devices, implication etc)The idea of a freezing, harsh climate is emphasized with "winter's city" and "winter's leaves". The poet uses words like "death" and "terrible" to highlight the freezing, barren winter.
“Those Winter Sundays” is a short lyric poem. It is written in a simple language and is clear and precise. Its metaphors are those of everyday life. The opening stanza of the poem, which refers to “my father,” establishes a first-person speaker. It also shows that the speaker is recalling a time when he was a child. The speaker presents us with the atmosphere around which his father worked. For example in lines one and two, “Sundays too my father got up early/blueblack cold” (1-2). Here the “Sundays”, and the “early” signifies the great devotion of speaker’s father. He gets up early even on Sundays,
This poem brought me back to my home town and the wonders and beauty that it brings around winter time, and made me nostalgic with memories of past winters with my family and slightly saddened for those who have never seen the magical ability snow has. This poem reminded me that there are people who live in states where their change in seasons is not as noticeable, as the ones that I grew up with and have come to miss. Similar to many of the romantics, natures true beauty can transform the mundane into a work of art that would never have existed
This poem is about great strife in one mans life and shows how one single outlook or journey can change one mans perspective to start to live differently. But who is the man? What is the journey he just took? What theories or morals did he take from this great extensive spiritual journey? Is
Initially, Collins demonstrates how one can weigh a dog’s weight with his method. Concrete diction in the first stanza, such as, “ small bathroom”, “ balancing”, and “shaky” suggest the uncomfortable nature of his intimate relationship with his pet. Although Collin is unappreciated for the gritty toil determination, he praise himself to applauded that “this is the way” and raising his self-esteem by comparing how easier it is than to train his dog obesity. In addition, the negative diction used to describe Collin holding his dog to be “awkward” for him and “bewildering” for his pet. This establish he rather force love rather willing show patience. When holding a pet on scale, there is less hustle because he secures the dog’s position by carrying it. Where as when he orders the dog to stay on the weighing scale with a cookie, his dog only followed him because of the expected reward.
“Those Winter Sundays” written by Robert Hayden, depicts the ungratefulness that a young boy has towards his hardworking father. Later in the poem, as he matures, he begins to realize everything his father has done for him, and his feelings suddenly change. Throughout the poem, Hayden uses numerous examples of imagery, personification, and foreshadowing to show how the speaker’s attitude regarding his father transforms from the perspective of a child to the perspective of an adult.
In the second stanza it is the semantic field of cold: ‘winter’, ‘ice’, ‘naked’, ‘snow’. All these lexical items give us a feeling of cold which evokes loneliness, unknown, fear.
In the case of “Snow in Midsummer” we may notice a somewhat paradoxical view on
TOPIC: To what extent does Carol Ann Duffy present a feminist perspective in the poem ‘Little Red Cap’.
“Poems are written with the feelings and emotions, with the intuition and the instincts, that make each of us who we are” (Charters 669). Dana Gioia, the author of “Summer Storm 2000” expresses an emotional works to an event dated back 20 years ago. Gioia uses dictions such as, imagery, figures of speech, setting, tone, and ballad to help readers not only comprehend the poem but to help them envision and feel it as if they were the ones experiencing the story. Gioia uses these means as a way of expressing his feelings and thoughts while explain to readers the deeper meaning of what “Summer Storm” really entails.
A poem is an experience, not a thought. It is an experience both the author and the reader share with one another. Authors of poems use tones, keywords, hidden messages, irony, and diction to create their work. They use these tactics so the reader thinks about what they are reading and try evaluating what the message is that the reader wants to get across. In the poem “Snow” by Louis MacNeice, he uses these same characteristics to get the readers mind active in the words. Let’s examine the poem “Snow” and see what the meaning behind this poem is.
Poetry is a reduced dialect that communicates complex emotions. To comprehend the numerous implications of a ballad, perusers must analyze its words and expressing from the points of view of beat, sound, pictures, clear importance, and suggested meaning. Perusers then need to sort out reactions to the verse into a consistent, point-by-point clarification. Poetry utilizes structures and traditions to propose differential translation to words, or to summon emotive reactions. Gadgets, for example, sound similarity, similar sounding word usage, likeness in sound and cadence are at times used to accomplish musical or incantatory impacts.
The title of the poem “My mistress eyes are nothing like the sun” suggests that the speaker is not in love with his ‘mistress’. However, this is not the case. Shakespeare uses figurative language by using criticizing hyperboles to mock the traditional love sonnet. Thus, showing not only that the ideal woman is not always a ‘goddess’, but mocking the way others write about love. Shakespeare proves that love can be written about and accomplished without the artificial and exuberant. The speaker’s tone is ironic, sarcastic, and comical turning the traditional conceit around using satire. The traditional iambic pentameter rhyming scheme of the sonnet makes the diction fall into place as relaxed, truthful, and with elegance in the easy flowing verse. In turn, making this sonnet one of parody and real love.
“The Sky is Gray” by Ernest Gaines is a realistic example of a long epidemic has hovered over the African American community like an dark storm cloud just waiting to burst. Personally, this story called to me, like I was meant to read it. The mother in this short story reminds me of my own mother. Stepping into that masculine role to show strength and provide for her family. Then, teaching her son these harsh life lessons to ensure his survival in a society that is not welcoming to an African American man; act rationally, not emotionally.
With every end, there is a beginning. When the cold winter ends, there is a new beginning in nature where the trees and flowers start fresh as they grow once again. The poem “Spring”, takes us, readers, to a setting where the place shows complete nature. We are to imagine aesthetic scenery where spring has arrived and everything that happens during this season is happening right in front of us.