Veritas, relating to life, death, and time, is a universal literary theme, seen in many works of literature. The element of time is seen in “The Chaser” by John Collier, “A Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury, “To the Virgins, To Make Much Of Time” by Robert Herrick, and “To a Young Girl at a Window” by Margaret Widdemer. The writers utilize symbolism to demonstrate the importance of spending time wisely, since the past cannot be undone.
Herrick writes his poem as an experienced person speaking to a young novice, in order to communicate the message of making good use of one’s time. The entire short poem concerns Herrick’s view that a young person should use the time they have now before it is too late. He uses a flower and the sun to demonstrate …show more content…
The girl pities her, but does not know that she will also end up like her after her youth. Margaret Widdemer juxtaposes the symbols of spring and december to indicate how the characters of the Young Girl and the Poor Old Soul do not realize how their lives will be or were, respectively. Widdemer writes about how the Poor Old Soul is “Contented, and forgetting/How Youth was wild, and Spring was wild/And how her life is setting” (2-4).The symbol used here, Spring, connotates new life and a new beginning. It is also personified to say that the beginning of life is free and uncontrolled. The Poor Old Soul forgets this, which implies how valuable time is and one should realize that the years are slipping by. Widdemer uses December as a symbol (writing about the Young Girl as she leans out of her window), “And pity, nor remember/That Youth is hard and Life is hard/And quiet is December” (6-8). December symbolizes the winter months, which denote death and the ending of life. Personifying December by giving it the trait of quiet implies that death is still and calm. The Young Girl doesn’t know this, and thus doesn’t realize that using her time now is crucial. In essence, the symbols that Widdemer uses effectively contrast to show two people in different stages of time, not knowing how time is slipping from their …show more content…
In the short story, Alan is seeking a love potion to make a woman, Diana, love him. The Old Man, who sells the love potion, describes its effects on Diana as being damaging, saying “She will care intensely. You [Alan] will be her sole interest in life” (Collier 2). However, the Old Man’s indirect warnings does not deter Alan. He buys the love potion, and it is implied he will return to buy the “life-cleaner”, a poison, in order to get rid of Diana as she will become obsessed with Alan after being given the love potion. According to the Old Man, “Young people who need a love potion very seldom have five thousand dollars. Otherwise they would not need a love potion” (Collier 1). The Old Man’s remark implies that people in their youth are impulsive and do not think about their actions. The Old Man suggests that people, after buying the love potion, “come back, later in life, when they are better off” (Collier 3), hinting that older people have more wisdom and have seen the results of their actions, therefore needing a life-cleaner. The author uses the life-cleaner to symbolize how one should be wary of their actions, as they cannot be
Herrick writes his poem as an experienced person speaking to a young novice, in order to communicate the message of making good use of one’s time. The entire short poem concerns Herrick’s view that a young person should use the time they have now before it is too late. He uses a flower and the sun to demonstrate …show more content…
The girl pities her, but does not know that she will also end up like her after her youth. Margaret Widdemer juxtaposes the symbols of spring and december to indicate how the characters of the Young Girl and the Poor Old Soul do not realize how their lives will be or were, respectively. Widdemer writes about how the Poor Old Soul is “Contented, and forgetting/How Youth was wild, and Spring was wild/And how her life is setting” (2-4).The symbol used here, Spring, connotates new life and a new beginning. It is also personified to say that the beginning of life is free and uncontrolled. The Poor Old Soul forgets this, which implies how valuable time is and one should realize that the years are slipping by. Widdemer uses December as a symbol (writing about the Young Girl as she leans out of her window), “And pity, nor remember/That Youth is hard and Life is hard/And quiet is December” (6-8). December symbolizes the winter months, which denote death and the ending of life. Personifying December by giving it the trait of quiet implies that death is still and calm. The Young Girl doesn’t know this, and thus doesn’t realize that using her time now is crucial. In essence, the symbols that Widdemer uses effectively contrast to show two people in different stages of time, not knowing how time is slipping from their …show more content…
In the short story, Alan is seeking a love potion to make a woman, Diana, love him. The Old Man, who sells the love potion, describes its effects on Diana as being damaging, saying “She will care intensely. You [Alan] will be her sole interest in life” (Collier 2). However, the Old Man’s indirect warnings does not deter Alan. He buys the love potion, and it is implied he will return to buy the “life-cleaner”, a poison, in order to get rid of Diana as she will become obsessed with Alan after being given the love potion. According to the Old Man, “Young people who need a love potion very seldom have five thousand dollars. Otherwise they would not need a love potion” (Collier 1). The Old Man’s remark implies that people in their youth are impulsive and do not think about their actions. The Old Man suggests that people, after buying the love potion, “come back, later in life, when they are better off” (Collier 3), hinting that older people have more wisdom and have seen the results of their actions, therefore needing a life-cleaner. The author uses the life-cleaner to symbolize how one should be wary of their actions, as they cannot be