When I Have Fears And Mezzo Cammin Comparison

W. B. Yeats’s poem ‘An Irish Airman Foresees his Death’ and Shakespeare’s poem ‘Come Away, Come Away, Death’ both deal with the theme of impending death, although by varying causes. While the poems employ similar figurative and sonic elements of language, their tone and style vary. Yeats’s poem is primarily a war poem that serves as an elegy for the Irish pilot Major Robert Gregory who died in WWI. As opposed to this Shakespeare’s poem is a lamenting love song sung by the character of Feste in Twelfth Night. Despite being different in setting, they both express an acceptance of death.

In Thomas’s poem, the tone is sorrowful with possible anger while in Longfellow’s poem it is more of an encouraging tone. At the end of Thomas’s poem, he becomes very personal and intense in the final stanza when he says “And you, my father, there on the sad height, Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray. Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light” (Stanza 6). This is a reference to his father, asking him to put up a fight against death no matter what it takes. Do not just succumb to it. This is where the tone shows somewhat of anger along with the sorrow throughout the rest of the poem, possibly directing his anger towards his father. Towards the end of Longfellow’s poem, the encouraging tone has a sudden shift into a tone of empowerment when it says “Be not like dumb, driven cattle! Be a hero in the strife! Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant! Let the dead Past bury its dead! Act,--act in the living Present! Heart within, and God o'erhead!” (lines 19-24). This basically says to live your life like it’s your last day on earth and do not follow the crowd. He is also saying that God is above so do not live in fear. Longfellow is telling you to stand out and make it all worth it, while not acting in the past or future, just act for today itself.

The speaker believes that love is hard to come by and that he is sad that he may not encounter it, since death is just around the corner. The speaker then also talks of “unreflecting love,” thus depicting that the speaker has never experienced real love and is unlikely to ever experience it, because he is so worried about death’s fast approach. However, at the end of “When I have Fears,” the speaker reflects that his goals for literary prowess and love are “nothingness” in comparison to the grand scope of things. There is hope after death, and Keats’ narrator finds solace in this. Although he has not achieved everything he had wanted, the speaker is still appreciative of what he was able to do. On the other hand, Longfellow’s speaker in “Mezzo Cammin” takes on a much more sorrowful and negative tone. Using diction of “half of my life,” “years slip,” and “not fulfilled,” Longellow shows that the speaker is really dreading and mourning his day to go. It seems that the speaker’s fear of death completely and irresolutely hinders him from accomplishing any of his goals. He is too busy being pessimistic about his life that he is unable to live in the present. He is also unable to dream into the future. Unlike Keats’ speaker, Longfellow’s speaker is completely stunted in from any possible growth. He is too stuck in the Past and its images of “smoking roof, soft bells, and gleaming lights.” This hazy

The similarities in the poem deal with similar topics expressed throughout the poem dealing with Keats’ and Longfellow’s fear of death. Differences between the two include the structure and the different images, metaphors and diction that they give off along with their different train of thoughts while writing the two poems. Their thoughts of the subject of death are able to relate to a variety of people because everyone is just human and cannot last forever. Just as these two poems show similar ideas can branch off into many different ideas and interpretations. The desire to continue to

He draws fear to life more than he does death. The narrator first seems bitter while he considers life; saying "Insurance man, he did not pay/ His insurance lapsed the other day/ Yet they got a satin box/for his head to lay. " This seems as if he is considering how one might think the deceased man's

The author wants the audience to do something with the time they are given and to realize that life is more than just a blank slate waiting to be filled up. Another primary focus in this poem in the beginning is when Longfellow is setting the stage and mentions how he believes humans should end their life. “Not enjoyment, and not sorrow / Is our destin’d end or way,” was Longfellow’s way of communicating the thought that people are not striving to end life in happiness or in sorrow, but rather to end it having felt accomplished (9). These several lines that seem to be aimed toward the dead are really geared more towards the living than anybody. They are targeted towards those who are living, but not acting like it - so, someone who lazes around and neglects all responsibilities. Finally, in the line immediately preceding the one just stated, Longfellow mentions the harsh realities of life. “Life is real - life is earnest,” meaning that things are not always going to be okay and may seem like they are too difficult to handle, but, the whole purpose in life is to be able to rebound from these times. A Psalm of Life was published around 1838, and just three years before, Longfellow’s wife died due to miscarriage complications. By understanding that this poem was written as a form of therapy to the author in how he chose to handle a harsh situation, readers are able to specifically grasp the

All three of the poems are similar, but with different intended points for each. They all talk about death, saying that eventually people will die and that there is no reason for you to have fear, and that you should live your life to the fullest. “In Don’t Fear the Reaper”, the intended point for it was to not fear the reaper also not to fear death. In “Dust in the Wind”, the intended point

if you look at his poem. After the 1st half of the 3rd stanza, all the

“The tide rises, the tide falls” is the progression of time and death. Longfellow expresses that people should not afraid of this progression. All people must undergo this process, so they must accept this. Nature reveals the life attitude that people should have. There is another poet tries to guide people in a positive way to think

There are differences in these two poems such as the setting and where the narrator went after he/she died. In ?Because I could not stop for Death?, the setting is outside where it is cool. I know this because the poets write, ?We slowly drove-,? and ?The dews drew quivering and chill-? In the poem, ?I heard a Fly buzz when I died?, the setting is in a warm and moist room. I know this because the poet writes, ??The Stillness in the Room Was like the Stillness in the Air-?. The narrator in ?Because I could not stop for Death?, died and had an after life where death is leading him/her. The poets tells us this, ?Since then-tis Centuries- and yet Feels shorter than the Day I first surmised the Horses Heads Were toward Eternity?. The narrator in the poem, ?I heard a Fly buzz when I died?, did not have an after life. I know this because the poet writes, ?And when the Windows failed- and then I could not see to see?. These are a few differences between the two poems.

Compare and contrast: D, H Lawrence’s, Bavarian Gentians & William Carlos William’s, Landscape with the fall of Icarus Common Theme Worry of Death, whether of it unnoticed by those around the speaker, or a worry of the unknown. The poem “Bavarian Gentians” by D. H. Lawrence and the poem “Landscape with the fall of Icarus” by William Carlos Williams are about the worry of death, whether of it unnoticed by those around the speaker, or a worry of the unknown. The poems not only share that they are about death but also they share that they are based on allusion, mostly of Greek and Roman mythology which are quite similar, and they both refer to time. The differences however, are the structure of the poems, and the point of view as well.

Because these people are afraid of dying, they stop themselves form living their lives to the fullest. In some cases, people lives are cut short due to an illness or some other tragedy. Just as Keats foreshadows in his poem, his time on earth was cut short. Unfortunately, Keats contracted tuberculosis, which led to his death in 1821. Keats was only 25 years of age at the time of his death and as a result, he did not get to write all that he wanted to. If Keats had not had not allowed his fear of death to limit himself in his writing, he probably would have brought joy to the world with his

Poems are like snowflakes. While no two are the same, they all have common structures and themes. One prevalent theme in poetry is that of death, which is present in both “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost. Dickinson perceives death as a gentleman, while Frost perceives death as loneliness, which provides insight on how the time periods of the poems, the genders of the authors, and the authors’ personal experiences influence literature.

In “To Autumn”, the season autumn is depicted as death, or as the Grim Reaper. Autumn is, however, an unusual reaper figure, in that they are not merciless, but patient and calm. Interestingly enough, the point of view Keats offers about death, is non-violent, not corporeal, and only implicit in the poem, through metaphors. Almost all human components are removed from the poem, and death is symbolized by nature only. It is put into a context where it occurs in the course of nature, and pictured as a consequence of riches, abundance, and fulfilment.

Keats was very aware of his own mortality and his poetry reflected the intensity and the passion of a man who didn't have very long to live. His poetry remains some of the densest prose ever penned because, like his brief existence, he had to condense so much life into so little space. The thought of impending death would be enough to make anyone fall into hopeless despair but Keats's incredible talents and commitment to live in the moment perhaps allowed him to three lifetimes.