Comparing Henley's Poems 'Invictus And Ulysses'

The poem ‘Invictus’ by William Ernest Henley forms thorough comparisons regarding theme with Chinua Achebe’s ‘Things Fall Apart’ as Henley conceives themes of fate, circumstance, and struggle in his literary piece. These thematic connections are shown when the protagonist, Okonkwo, of ‘Things Fall Apart’ is faced with the task of emerging from poverty and becoming a man that is successful, yet feared. He is also challenged with his own inner demons as the white man reshapes his way of life, driving Okonkwo to a fate much different than what he

b & c. In the first stanza, Noyes uses metaphors on almost every line. For example, “The wind was a torrent of darkness…”,“The moon was a ghostly galleon…” and “The road was a ribbon of moonlight…”. All these metaphors effectively create a dark and scary atmosphere at the start of the poem. Similes are also used throughout the ballad to create interesting descriptions of characters and actions. For example, “Dumb as a dog…”, “his hair like mouldy hay” and “He spurred like a madman…”.

Each of the poems relies heavily on imagery to convey their respective messages. Often throughout each of the poems, the imagery is that of people. However, each uses similar imagery to very different, yet effective ways to explore the same

Not only do these poems share differences through the speakers childhood, but also through the tones of the works.

This transfer of the power of voice to Penelope’s perspective plays out similarly in Waddington’s diction choices as pitched against those of Tennyson. While “Ulysses” refers in detail to its hero’s “drunk delight” and “roaming with a hungry heart,” the same marvels are offered less glory or attention in the words of Waddington (Tennyson 16, 12). These events are mentioned, but in passing, not in Ulysses’ terms of conquest and action. While Ulysses takes the place of a passive character and only performs deeds in coming home and “climbing the stairs,” Penelope fills the seat of active rescuer and change-maker as she weaves his story (Waddington 25). Thus it is within Waddington’s diction choices for the actions of Penelope, not Ulysses, that her stanzas best reflect the gallant rhetoric akin to Tennyson’s work. From when “her stitches / embroidered the / painful colors / of her breath,” to her creation of Ulysses as “a medallion / emblazoned in / tapestry,” Penelope’s labors in the retelling of her husband constitute the most dynamic language in the work (Waddington 37-40, 30-32). Here, the facade of incapable “blind hands” falls away to reveal Penelope’s potency to create a new myth (Waddington 33).

Dunbar and Randall both use interesting imagery in their poems to display how the character truly feels. In the “Ballad of Birmingham,” stanzas

The author uses imagery in the poem to enable the reader to see what the speaker sees. For example, in lines 4-11 the speaker describes to us the

“What people say you cannot do, you try and find out that you can.” - Henry David Thoreau. The poem,12b “Invictus”,12d tells the story of a man faced with many difficult challenges but always showed perseverance. *While the other poem, “If We Must Die”,12d by Claude McKay, 12d references the civil rights movement and repeats throughout that if one dies they should die honorably for a cause they support. Both poems are similar to the play Antigone, which retells the myth of a young woman in Ancient Greece, faced with challenging man’s law to uphold God’s law. The poem, “Invictus”,12d by William Ernest Henley,12d relates more to the play, Antigone,12d by Sophocles,12d due to the common theme of perseverance and the personal tone throughout

Analyzing different mediums can enhance an individual’s overall appreciation and understanding of a particular idea or story. While analysis of a painting can reveal the mood of the artwork, an analysis of a poem can reveal the author’s tone. Much more then that, analysis provides an opportunity to explore each work in an attempt to understand human nature through each author’s perspective. While exploring the painting “Ulysses and the Sirens” by J.W. Waterhouse and the poem “The siren song” by Margaret Atwood, a universal truth presents itself. While the painting focuses on the thematic idea of Odysseus being stubborn while his men care for his safety to get home, the poem holds a different view. In contrast, the thematic statement from the poem discusses the idea that the Siren hates singing and being in a bird suit, but is asking for help but it’s still tempting to hear the song. Although differing in point of view, both the painting and the poem explore an aspect of human nature that are relevant to society today. There are two different authors for the painting and the poem. However, the two are different when compared to each

Another similarity can be found in both of the poems due to their mutual usage of the same Greek myth, which is about Icarus. The Dictionary of Classical Mythology details the myth of Icarus as follows, “At first all went well as they flew out over the sea, but then Icarus was fatally

Both of these poems talks about selling and money and young men’s lives, but they are both unquestionably different.

There are lots of things in the poems that are similar and different both of the writers are different and similar in many ways .In the poem’s “When You Are Old” By W.B Yeats, and “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” By Dylan Thomas.They have a bunch of similarities and differences.For example in each of the poems the theme of the poems are death and the narrator’s message in the rhyming pattern poems are both similar in the poems ,and the writing style of the poems are rhyme schemes and therefore they use different rhyme scheme in each of the poems.

The two poems have a similar structure, however, their rhyme schemes have suggestive tones towards their people and their structure reflects

The poet writes, ?We passed the School, where Children strove At Recess-in the Ring-We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain-? These are a few similarities between the two poems.

Robert Browning and Alfred Lord Tennyson are celebrated authors and poets in the field of field of literature. A deeper analysis of some of their works displays particular similarities and distinct differences that make each one of them unique. For instance, Browning’s My Last Duchess and Tennyson’s Ulysses show similarities in the overall theme, death, but each brings it out in different styles. This essay explains the comparison of the two poems in detail and the respective significance of use of stylistic devices.