American poets

A Declaration of Life After Death The exceptional poetry of John Donne has produced both delight and astonishment in readers for over four centuries. Having composed a vast number of metaphysical poems throughout his lifetime, Donne’s ultimate purpose in writing was to create a high level of engagement, astounding his readers through the pairing of numerous unlike topics and ideas. Holy Sonnet 10 (“Death, be not proud”) is no exception to this objective. In this poem, Donne pronounces Death’s…

were split between those who wanted to search the powers and fear of an inner imaginative life and those who thought that living a romantic life is a form of dangerous self- indulgence those who believed in escaping to nature and those who wanted for poets to act such prophet and legislators and reform society . The period saw a rapid rise of modes of writing associated with the exploration of the self like as: lyrical poetry. Lyrical poetry this the poem is "the daffodils" by William…

During the bustle of England's industrial revolution, many writers sought comfort in the soft caresses of the natural world. In the majority of his works, William Wordsworth presents a similar theme, returning to dwell on the lowest, ordinary things and basking in the restorative abilities of nature. Longing for the day when England would return to its rural roots, his poetry creates an idol of nature and its power. However, in this world, there exists great certainty in the uncertain nature…

The aim of this assignment is to depict the various differences and similarities in Donne’s courtly sonnets and holy sonnet sequence, with reference to “A Valediction Forbidding Mourning” and “Holy Sonnet XIV”. “A Valediction Forbidding Mourning” depicts through various conceits and metaphors the theme of the bond between two lovers who are separated physically, but are not ready to sacrifice their relationship and passion due to the mere fact that they are separated by distance. This poem…

George Santayana (1863-1952) [Madrid, Harvard, Rome]. A poet and essayist as well as a philosopher, George is an outstanding representative of Critical Realism, a form of naturalism. The objects of knowledge occupy either of two statuses; they may be existing substances or subsisting essences, though it is impossible to prove the independent existence of either type of object. Santayana stated that we believe in the objectivity of substance on the basis of animal faith. The ultimate substance…

Jennifer Strauss, Les Murray and Elizabeth Riddell explore the similar idea of loss of innocence. Strauss expresses concern for her son, whom has lost his innocence to his own anger and depression, through various contrasts. In the opening stanza she describes her son as ‘weightless of cause or consequence,’ which highlights the innocence of her son, unburdened by responsibility. Specifically, the term ‘weightless’ is used as an analogy to compare her son to the likes of Armstrong. This image…

making Donne’s sermons his only overtly religious writings. Caroline Spurgeon considers none of Donne’s poems specifically to be churchly. She maintains that Donne was “richly endowed with intellectual gifts, yet failed to reach the highest rank as a poet” (Spurgeon 73). These critics argue that in spite of Donne’s position in the church and habits of thought, Donne was “alien to mysticism” (Thomson 193). Thomson evidences Donne’s fascination for the mystics’ way of thinking, especially in the…

Fresh Bait by Sherryl Clark is a short story regards a High School teacher that journeys to the Australians Outback in an attempt to find the killer of a university student called Melanie. Melanie was hitchhiking when she was killed by an unknown killer. The young man journeys to the Australians Outback to find the killer. The main protagonist in Fresh Bait is young man. Through the story the young man’s name and gender is never revealed. However I assumed that the main character was a man…

Donne declares love a quick draw, a tyrant and a powerful master that can turn even the strongest hearts to glass. In the first stanza, the speaker compares love to the plague and to a powder blast using metaphor and hyperbole. He states: “Who will believe me, if I swear/ That I have had the plague a year?/ Who would not laugh at me, if I should say/ I saw a flash of powder burn a day?” He extends the metaphor to love saying that no one could possibly be in love for an hour, because love can…

Samuel Coleridge used figurative language and unorthodox verse structure to describe the tragic, lesson-filled past of a sailor and portray literary elements of Romanticism and its ideals. By using a non-traditional approach to verse structure, it shows Coleridge's choice to not compromise the meaning and thought process of each stanza by following a set pattern. This demonstrates the versatility and story-like dynamic of the poem making it all the more captivating to the reader. Through his use…