High Treason

As Montag begins his life on the run, he meets a group of fugitives called “book chapters.” These men, many of whom were once college professors, have devoted their lives to memorizing small bits of books for future generations. The reader receives the sense of these “chapters” existing in other towns through the words of Granger, a leader of sorts: “Some of us live in small towns. Chapter One… in Green River, Chapter Two in Willow Farm, Maine. Why, there’s one town in Maryland… [with] the complete essays of… Russell”

The Book Thief, written by an Australian author, Markus Zusak, is a devastatingly powerful historical-fiction novel that bears several re-readings. Being one of the greatest, most divinely-written epilogues in my school library, The Book Thief, is a soul-shattering, thought-provoking story that undoubtedly can be recommended to the young and old alike. This poignant, prolonged, but achingly sad book, is the pinnacle of contemporary historical-fiction, poised to become a classic. Phenomenally breathtaking, and inspiring, bringing nothing but anticipatory dread, this lyrical, surreal book, though depressingly morbid at times, was my “gateway” to historical-fiction. The tribulations and trials provided in the novel, had inevitable passion, perspective

Tyler, Anne. "Teenage Wasteland." Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Ed. X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 12th ed. Boston: Longman, 2012. 188-95. Print.

In the first two lines of the poem, Herrera communicates his theme via speaker and half-rhyme. In the speaker’s first appearance, it instantaneously remarks, “Let us celebrate the lives of all/as we reflect & pray & meditate on their brutal deaths” (Herrera, 5-6). The phrase “let us” establishes the speaker’s first-person, collective point of view. While the first stanza objectively lists the names of those injured and killed in recent atrocities, as though to pin blame onto the harmful individuals who caused their pain, the speaker’s collective perspective elucidates the fallacy of this perspective. By associating the whole of society, with the death of some citizenry, Herrera illustrates the all-penetrating nature of the pain caused by the disasters outlined in the poem’s first stanza. The dismal nature of these events does not simply imply the broken nature of a few people, but of society. Subsequently, when Herrera notes the healing practices of reflection, prayer, and meditation (6), he incorporates a half-rhyme between his initial statement, “Let us celebrate” (5), and the word meditate, the final in the list of three. Through his half-rhyme, Herrera suggests healing spiritual practices as a practice for embracing all of humanity as a unified whole, his ultimate solution to progress beyond society’s crossroads. Through these meaningful, beneficial practices, one can shift from having harmful, shallow perceptions and, by abandoning concepts, reach the reality of unity between people necessary for society to progress.

The most important aspect that differentiates this poem from many others is the dramatic use of dual language. Because many readers must use the translated notes to understand the Spanish portions of the poem, it requires them to deeply consider the speaker's connotations. Many readers will not realize Cervantes' intentional placement of the Spanish portions. Stanzas one, two, and three begin in English and end in Spanish. However, stanza four begins in English and ends in English with only one line in the middle consisting of Spanish. Though it is overlooked, this tactic offers a path upon which the subconscious may embark. To the speaker, California has been overrun and forever changed by the white people, represented by English. The single Spanish line is a representation of the speaker herself and exemplifies how truly lost she feels in this place. “Poema para los Californios Muertos” is a prime example of the importance of a dynamic use of language and the strength it brings to a poem when utilized to its full

Literature and poetry are a reflection of society. The words are reflected in numerous feelings that we can almost touch and can be deeply felt in its reach. Most poets expressed their perception and emotion through their writings. Unfortunately the art and poetry describes one of the worst things that human can do to one another. The legalized murder called "war." Hence, this type of self-reflection called "poetry" has help create new fundamental ideas and values towards our society. In this essay, I will discuss the issue of the "War Poetry" during the "Great War" along with comparing and contrasting two talented renowned poets; Wilfred Owen (1893-1918) and Siegfried Sassoon (1886-1967).

When I took off the top to that white box on that calm Sunday night, I was instantly transported into this astounding library, that seemed to come out of a movie scene, rows upon rows were piled up with Verne’s, Dumas’, Stevenson’s, and Melville’s. Each week I would open this box and choose a new book. It wasn’t long until weeks turned to days, and I began to greedily treasure my Stevenson’s, truly value friendship with Dumas, prepare for an adrenaline rush with Verne, but most importantly, it was my single Melville that brought me the pinnacle of happiness.

Poetry is love, and love is… well, poetry” (Shmoop Editorial Team). In essence, Baca’s poem is a reminder that life is more than just materialism and the simplest form of gestures, such as writing poetry, can make a difference towards a loved one. Additionally, this poem is a reminder that the obstacles in life are not as significant because love outweighs the negative. Even though poetry does not pay the bills, it instills a

In poems it is essential to be a creative writer. The author uses many techniques from from exposing deep thoughts to giving humorous jokes throughout the sentence. As a human being, we may have difficult times in understanding what is trying to be said. We may agree or disagree depending our viewpoints on life. One of my Favorite poems is “The Ballad of Sue Ellen Westerfield” by Robert Hayden. My favorite poem is the type of poem that has some history and confusion. When getting the audience confused, it makes them want to know more and reread the whole passage again. Hayden’s poem is a fresh new opening that brought an old dimension, his creativity to open the minds of others and look back to the past.

Kennedy, X.J. and Dana Gioia. Literature: an Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. New York: Pearson Longman, 2010.

“A & P.” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Ed. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 10th ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2007. 16-20.

poem is not merely a static, decorative creation, but that it is an act of communication between the poet and

There was a frequent reference to “a poet” whose work was widely respected in this novel. The Count de Satigny (who was Esteban Trueba’s ‘suitable’ choice of a husband for Blanca) referred to the work of the poet as “the best poetry ever written, and nothing could compare to it”. When Jaime and Nicholas became adults, the poet became more widely accepted as Clara had formerly predicted the first time she heard him recite in his ‘telluric voice’ in one of her literary soireés. It was evident that the poet lived and wrote about the right of the citizens to live their lives the way they wanted to, making their own decisions and expressing their own opinions without being controlled. For this reason, the funeral of such a poet became “the symbolic burial of freedom”.

Because the poem is long, it won’t be quoted extensively here, but it is attached at the end of the paper for ease of reference. Instead, the paper will analyze the poetic elements in the work, stanza by stanza. First, because the poem is being read on-line, it’s not possible to say for certain that each stanza is a particular number of lines long. Each of several versions looks different on the screen; that is, there is no pattern to the number of lines in each stanza. However, the stanzas are more like paragraphs in a letter than

Dawes, James. The Language of War: Literature and Culture in the U.S. from the Civil War Through World War II. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2002. Google books.com. Web. 30 May 2014.