Theme Of No Man Is An Island

I believe the overall message of Henry David Thoreau´s “Solitude” is to differentiate solitude and loneliness which are totally different. It is more of a state of mind than something real. People around by other people would feel more loneliness than people who are physically alone. For Thoreau being in solitude is the best way to discover your mind and spirituality and is the best way to know yourself.

“And I their Mapp, who lie Flat on this bed”. He describes his body as a map, a metaphor for his life being a journey, which his doctors attempt to read in order to discover his illness and his suffering and ultimately where his journey ends. In reference to Cartography, Donne refers to bearings, using the imagery of a map to point out that what we see on the western edge of a flat map is also to be found on the eastern edge, showing that he believes life and death are connected to each other. In the final stanza, Donne feels joy at the though of death as he feels he will recover his identity by reuniting with the lord. In the final stanza, he returns to the idea of the first stanza, summing up the poem’s central message with the use of a paradox. “Therefore that he may raise the Lord throws down.” This paradox shows that to rise up to heaven, one must be thrown “down” by death, so therefore one must suffer to be accepted and united in a place where one’s identity is established. His extreme suffering has purged and prepared him for paradise.

Secondly, the speaker of the poem can be described as underprivileged, and this is shown throughout the entire poem. For example, line 1 of the poem it states "some are teethed on a silver spoon” and line 5 it states "some are swaddled in silk and down”. This shows that the speaker is not the same as the person who is teethed on a silver spoon or cared for very carefully. This inclusion also shows that the speaker was not born into a wealthy family and so the speaker must fight for what they need pertaining to themselves and the family.

In this essay, M.D. will analyze the roles and choices the main characters made while relating them to the main theme of good versus evil and fate versus free will in Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men.)

The theme of this poem was easily determined after reading through the poem. The poet has a certain desire of the woman he’s trying to get into his bed, making sex seem like no big deal, “How little that which thou deniest me is” (Donne); sex wasn’t taken lightly in the 17th century for unmarried woman and he attempts to make it seem as small as a flea. He is straightforward with his offer; rather than attempting to arouse the woman, he attempted to appeal to her sense of reason. Donne is in belief that she was tempted, so he attempts to coerce her into the deed. Marriage is a reoccurring theme and use of persuasion go get the woman to have sex with him, “O stay, three lives in one flea spare. Where we almost, yeah more than married are” (Donne). He uses the second stanza to focus on marriage.

Alone, secluded, lonely, godforsaken, lonely, and companionless, each of these words are associated with isolation. People see isolationism as being alone and apart from society. However, a person can be surrounded by people, but be surrounded be isolated in the confines of his or her own mind. In addition, Isolationism can take many different shapes and forms. For example, a person can be isolated, this what is synonymous with isolationism; a group can be isolated, such as German Jewish people in the 1940s; or an entire country can be isolated from the world, like North Korea and Cuba. People see isolationism as a negative part of society that should be avoided at all costs. However, positive things can come from isolationism. The literary works “The Hollow Men” by T.S. Eliot, “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Coleridge, and “The Outcast of Poker Flat” by Bret Harte all show isolationism in different lights.

Throughout the entire movie No Country for Old Men there is a very strong theme of the juxtaposition of fate and free will. There is endless emphasis on the decisions that characters make, and how their decisions will ultimately affect their lives. All the characters are presented with situations where their choice plays a role in their fate. In No Country for Old Men, the fate of characters is determined by their actions and choices.

One of the great 16th century authors, John Donne, once wrote “no man is an island.” with that phrase Donne probably meant that we are social beings and depend on other people in society. As much as I respect Ayn Rand said, I disagree with her quote.

In “Valediction Forbidding Mourning,” the third stanza (lines 9-12) compares the married lovers separation to an earthquake. The idea brings panic and fear to mind and is thought to be catastrophic. Donne then says “Though greater far, is innocent.” (line 12), meaning that while the thought seemed so devastating, in reality it is just an innocent small rumble, or “bump in the road,” that doesn’t have damaging lasting effects. In “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” the sunset is an important metaphor.

According to Dr. Black, “Being alone is not necessarily to be lonely” (1). Essentially, being alone is a physical condition in which one is isolated from others. However, an individual may be lonely within a group of people. Therefore, being alone is a condition that can be perceived by the eye, but loneliness is merely a state of mind. An example of this concept is presented by Thoreau when he states that “a farmer can work alone in the field or the woods all day, hoeing or chopping, and not feel lonesome” (1). Since he is working by himself, the farmer may be perceived as being alone. However, in reality, he may be physically isolated, but should not be described as being lonely. The farmer works diligently and therefore, has a task on his mind. Consequently, he does not understand how the Cambridge student can sit alone for most of the day without a sense of ennui. However, the student is still focused on his task while it may not be working the field or chopping lumber. An individual may be alone, but if one is working on a specific task, loneliness may not occur. Additionally, he describes many elements of nature as existing alone. Thoreau proclaims, “I am no more lonely than a single mullein or dandelion in a pasture” (3). He is discussing how elements of nature may be isolated but do not experience loneliness. Similarly, Thoreau is alone for a great deal of time, but does not undergo

The main observation readers could take from this poem is that the “lower” individual has to take care of and pick up after the white man. It is even hinted at that the poems the mother chant rival the alleged master of poetry’s own works.

This expression of doubt and the lack of emotion mitigated by Donne in his poetry can be seen as John Carey’s view on this topic. The different developments which their poetic works underwent throughout both poets career is also another point which must be considered.

"No man is an island." This famous quotation explains the nature of man as a social being. It is truly a fact that human beings cannot exist in isolation. They need to be interdependent with each other in order to survive. This interdependence is needed because a human being alone will not be able to fill his own social needs, and his material necessities came from other people as well. All acts of society such as sex, love, and dependence are essential for the survival of any species. Interaction and socialization is the only way to prevent people from isolation, from solitude.

Near the end of the poem, Donne makes an unlikely comparison between the couple and a draftsman's compass. This is one of his most famous metaphysical conceits because the two elements which are being compared appear completely different, and yet, amazingly, Donne is able to connect them. He explains that his wife is his "fixed foot" that leans towards him as he roams and straightens again as he returns, but remains his center. Her firmness is what makes his circle complete, "[a]nd makes [him] end where [he] begun"(line 36). The imagery of the circle and the spheres in this poem solidify the eternity of their love and the knowledge that the speaker will always return to the place where he began. Donne's comparisons create an image of celebration rather than mourning.

The central theme, introduced quite early within the poem, is the helplessness of death. Throughout the poem the speaker belittles death and approaches it with such bravery and poise. Donne confronts death by saying it is not in any regard “mighty and dreadful” (2), but rather brings “much pleasure” (7). Death is personified in the poem, and in this regard, possess no greater power over man. The speaker of the poem is Donne himself. He uses his literary tools of rhetoric and poetic devices to belittle death. Throughout the poem, the speaker comes across as being slightly arrogant, but he refuses to show weakness. His arrogance shows that he is not afraid of death as he demands death not to be proud. Donne takes the association of death and sleep, and reinvents this comparison to a greater effect. He describes sleep as being “pictures” (5) of death and death is no more different or more frightening. He extends this metaphor throughout the poem. In the second last line of the poem he