Symbolism in the poem "the Walrus and the Carpenter"

The poems “A Barred Owl” and “The History Teacher” by Richard Wilbur and Billy Collins respectively, depict two different scenarios in which an adult deceives a child/children, which ranges from the sounds of a bird at night, to the history of the world itself. “A Barred Owl” depicts two parents who lie to their daughter about an owl who woke her in the night, while “The History Teacher” involves a man who tries to protect his students by using education as a tool to deceive them. Both poets use diction, imagery, and rhyme to help them convey a certain tone in their poems.

The Rabbits, a picture book written by John Marsden and illustrated by Shaun Tan, is an allegory for the British arriving in Australia and the subsequent colonisation. From the perspective of the indigenous population, Marsden explores the impact of white settlement on the traditional aboriginal way of life. This is achieved through the symbolism, colours and language.

A part of the world around him, the opinions of others is a vital means by which Hall introduces the fisherman. Immediately present in “The Ledge” is the fisherman’s relationship with his wife, “She did not want him to go. It was Christmas morning.” (369). The wife’s reluctance to see her husband leave is indicative of their relationship and the caring man that the fisherman is— she wants Christmas, a day of joy and love, to be

For example one character within the story that critics are unsure of his symbolism and origin is the Cheshire Cat. In the story the Cheshire Cat is a mysterious character. He appeared when he choose to and disappeared a moment later. He had an odd sense of a personality, but spoke to Alice using wise words and thoughts. “It is not 100% clear why Carroll named this character ‘Cheshire Cat’. “To grin like a Cheshire Cat” was a common phrase in Carroll’s day. Its origin is unknown, but it may have originated from a sign painter in Cheshire, who painted grinning lions on the sign-boards of inns in the area” (Analysis). Even though the Cheshire Cat seemed crazy or “mad” he did give Alice a dose of reality in Wonderland. He said things to her such as “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there” or “Every adventure requires a first step”. He had helped Alice realize that in order to find out who she is or where she must go she has to be brave and take the first step. The Chesire Cat relates to the idea of the child-adult conflict that Alice may be going through because he helps her understand that she has to move forward in order to find out where to go and if she is not sure what path to take in her life than she has endless possibilities. The Cheshire Cat was an important character that helped Alice come to her senses. Aside from the real life symbolism many of the characters possessed, Dodgson’s “Alice in Wonderland” series had a large impact on the music

[Lead in sentence/Hook] “Son of a Trickster,” by Eden Robinson, is the story about the coming of age and rough period of adolescence of a young Aboriginal boy. Through her novel, Robinson is able to convey a message that the Aboriginal people, mainly focusing on the Haisla and Heiltsuk First Nations, are dark and grating societies of Canada. In order for her readers to understand her perspective of the society, she first demonstrates the selfishness of the societies with the symbolism of raven along with its traits and attributes. Secondly, she uses supernaturalism which shows the mysterious and deceiving society of the Haisla and Heiltsuk First Nations. Lastly, the connection of Jared’s relationships with his peers reveal the negative influences, trends, and issues within the Aboriginal societies. Overall, all these factors contribute the darkness of both reality and the story.

In “A Barred Owl,” Wilbur adopts a playful tone through rhyming: “We tell the wakened child that all she heard/ Was an odd question from a forest bird” (3, 4). The rhyme imitates the style of nursery rhymes, creating a joking tone. The playful tone avoids seriousness and weakens the horror of the owl, which contributes to the poem’s style like a nursery rhyme. Wilbur also euphemizes the owl to help create a nursery style. He does not represent the horrible creature of an owl as a carnivore with sharp claws that hunts during the night, but euphemizes it as a “forest bird” (Wilbur 4). The owl’s representation as a safe forest bird refers its figure to the enthusiastic birds with heavenly sounds in cartoons and story books, which often help the protagonist to overcome difficulties and dangers. Referring to nursery imageries of birds, the euphemism contributes to the poem’s style as a nursery rhyme. Creating a playful tone and a nursery style, Wilbur uses rhymes and euphemism to “domesticate fear” (Wilbur

Many authors often use symbolism to express a deeper meaning. They use the symbols to connect an unrelated thought or feeling into their literary work they are writing. Edgar Allan Poe frequently uses this literary device in his works. Symbols are many times seen in his poems and in his short stories. Many symbols are evident in Poe’s works “The Raven,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and “The Black Cat.” Because Poe’s works are typically dark, his use of symbols is in a dark way. Although there are many types of symbols manifested in these stories, Poe’s works generally include a symbol that eludes death or the end of something and many include references of sight and vision.

Kino lifted the flesh of the oyster, and there it lay, the great pearl, perfect as a moon. He could see dreams form on its surface: they “will be married in the church,” “we will have new clothes,” he will be able to buy the things he always wanted (a harpoon, rifle, etc.), and “my son will

In 1862, floating upon the river Isis, Charles Dodgson narrated for Alice Liddell and a few others in company his original tale of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Gliding along underneath the blue sky, Dodgson wove his words into one of the most classic children stories of all time. Thesis: Although Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland may have only begun as a children’s story, many adults have sought to discover the “true meaning” of the novel. Curiosity has led to years of searching and interpretation of the origins of Carroll’s novels, and the symbols inside, developing into theories ranging from practical to nearly impossible, eventually evolving into their own stories in the film industry.

Every pearl begins as a dangerous and harsh intrusion into life. A piece of dirt is inserted into an oyster’s environment where it doesn’t belong. The oyster can either respond by dying, or by accepting and surrounding the sand with care. With continual care, the oyster turns the small speck of dirt into a beautiful pearl. The Scarlet Letter is a story of how one woman takes a scandalous event and rather than allowing the event to define her, she, by constant kindness, turns her life and her child into something of worth. The theme I am focusing on in The Scarlet Letter is the person and the concept which embodies courage and redemption.

There are many metaphors that can be found within The Pearl. But specifically, the description of the beach at the beginning of chapter 2 is a metaphor for Kino’s town, and the people in it. It is very similar to the metaphor of the Pool in Cannery Row, which will later be discussed in this essay. Steinbeck gives his readers a clear image of “the water’s edge [which was] a rubble of shell and algae... little lobsters popped in and out of their tiny homes in the rubble... the sea bottom was rich... the poison fish, lay on the bottom...” (Steinbeck, Page 18) This is a very powerful description of the ocean front which Kino lives near. Steinbeck clearly is metaphorically describing what life is like in this town. The land of the town can be described with “shell and algae” and the “little lobsters popping out of their tiny homes” are the poor people in this town, they live “in the rubble.” But once you dive down deeper, readers see the “rich” ocean bottom where the “poison fish lay on the bottom,” those poison fish are the wealthy of the town. Again, such powerful, metaphorical language was used by Steinbeck in order to describe the town. He sympathizes with the poor because of the language he uses when he describes their homes, tiny and in

Alice begins by startling at the sight of the Cat sitting on a tree bough, while the Cat only grins at Alice. As dear Alice asks for advice on which way she ought to continue, the Cat claims, “if you do not know where you want to end up, then surely it does not matter which way you go” (Carroll 49). This simplistic view of decision making plays on the complexity that humans weave into simple decisions of everyday life. Alice’s confusion is spotlighted by this overtly simple take on decisions, and her confusion can then be tied to the absence of a concrete identity. The Cat proceeds to reveal that in Wonderland, “we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad,” and this awareness and acceptance of “the fury” within himself further serves to bold Alice’s insecurity (Carroll 49). Perhaps, if Alice knew who she was to others – and to herself – in Wonderland, she would not deny the madness of Wonderlands creatures, including

Lewis Carroll's use of puns and riddles in Alice in Wonderland help set the theme and tone. He uses word play in the book to show a world of warped reality and massive confusion. He uses such play on words to reveal the underlying theme of ‘growing up', but with such an unusual setting and ridiculous characters, there is need for some deep analyzing to show this theme. The book contains many examples of assonance and alliteration to add humor. Carroll also adds strange diction and extraordinary syntax to support the theme.

In The Pearl, John Steinbeck’s use of animal imagery develops the theme that the desire for material wealth incites inhumanity and leads to absolute corruption. For example, before Kino finds the pearl, he examines the ants “with the detachment of God while a dusty ant frantically tried to escape the sand trap an ant lion had dug for him.”, but after he finds the pearl and tries to sell it for the greatest value, Kino “put his foot in their [ants’] path. Then the column climbed over his instep and continued on its way…” (70). This shows that in the exposition, Kino observes with a respectful gaze, like a benevolent god, while in the falling action, he is blinded by his imminent wealth and steps into their path. Similarly, this also indicates

'Alice in Wonderland' by Lewis Carroll seems a first a simple fairy tale, but in fact its meaning is a lot more profound. This novel criticizes the way children were brought up during the Victorian era. Carroll presents the readers with the complications these offspring must endure in order to develop their own personalities/egos, as they become adults. For Alice, Wonderland appears to be the perfect place to start this learning adventure. A way to understand her story is by compering it to the world as if being upside-down. Nothing in Wonderland seems to be they way it’s supposed to. The first lesson, Alice must learn in this peculiar journey through Wonderland is to achieve separation from the world around her and to stop identifying herself through others, in order to discover who she