Raven

In the poem “When You Are Old,” William Butler Yeats is telling his past lover that once she gets to her old age, she will be regretting and dying alone. Yeats uses metaphorical imagery to buildup a scenario of unavoidable fade to age alone. Yeats tells her that she will be “old and grey and full of sleep” (line 1). He presents the quality of being old with two metaphors. The color “grey” is associated with the characteristics of being old and the color itself is closely related to the color…

Coming to a Realization The best poems always bring up the good old times and past lovers. Artists often intertwine the two concepts in order to form beautiful narratives and thought provoking images. This is precisely what John Hollander has done with his poem, “An Old-Fashioned Song.” Throughout the 21-line poem, Hollander takes the reader on a melancholy trip that begins as a sad realization that there are no more walks through the woods, to a nostalgic story about a magical relationship…

The importance of dreams throughout ‘The Great Enigma’ by Tomas Tranströmer. ‘The Great Enigma’, written by Swedish poet Tomas Tranströmer, features a diverse range of poetry and prose accumulated over his lifespan. ‘The Great Enigma’ regularly deals with abstract concepts such as social interaction, consciousness, life and death. In order to communicate these concepts, Tranströmer utilises numerous techniques, recurring motifs and symbols. This essay will examine the importance of dreams…

Sam Hyams Mrs. Murray Pre-AP English 9-3 7 March 2016 Odysseus and the Sirens The Sirens, which originated from Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, have invoked powerful feelings in artists and painters alike that has caused many written and visual arts to be created. The Sirens, in the story the Odyssey, are beautiful creatures that live on an island and lure men to their death by singing a captivating song. The painter John William Waterhouse depicted his version of the Sirens in his painting…

Walt Whitman, the “‘bard’ of American democracy” (Reynolds, Walt Whitman: Lives and Legacies ix) was born on May 31, 1819 in the Long Island village of West Hills, some fifty miles east of Manhattan. The poet’s mother was Louisa Van Velsor Whitman and his father, Walter Whitman. Walt’s ancestors were two branches of early American settlers, English on his father’s side and Dutch on his mother’s (1). The poet’s father was a “taciturn man with a knack for ill success and possibly a drinking…

I think one of the most interesting kinds of stories are true stories that relate things that really happened in life and also offer people a look into a bit of history. My dad Eriks Raisters was a popular Latvian poet, writer and editor. He and my mother were both among the people who had to escape from their homeland Latvia during WW II. I would like to relate some of their story and particularly tell you about my dad. This is the beginning of the journey. One of the most difficult things to…

In the passage from The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe, it is evident that carefully chosen language helps to convey specific tones in the passage. One tone common in this passage is that of stillness, loneliness, even that of silence. One way that the author conveys tone is through the way the main character proceeds about his work. Taken from the passage Poe writes, “And every night, about midnight, I turned the latch of his door and opened it --oh so gently” (4-5)! In this line, the…

Edgar Allan Poe is one of the world’s most known poets. Throughout Poe’s poems, there are recurring themes, such as a longing for lost love and beauty, and a preoccupation with death. In the poem “Alone”, Poe focuses on his own childhood. The experiences that Poe had in his childhood affected the tone and basis for most of his poetry. Poe was abandoned by his Father at a very young age and forced to live with his mother. After only a short while, his mother passed away. Poe was then sent to live…

Many people can recognize the name Edgar Allan Poe, one of America’s most influential writers. He was praised for his suspenseful moods and pessimistic energy incorporated in his literary works. Not only that, Poe was also recognized for his deranged characters that had dark auras surrounding them. It is believed that the reason behind his crestfallen style is due to Poe losing several loved ones throughout his life, including his wife and his mother. “The Cask of the Amontillado” is one of his…

Homer’s Odyssey and Margaret Atwood’s, poem, “Siren Song” depict the siren in different views, such as Homer’s view as being mystical creatures and Atwood’s view as remorse beings, and contrasting point of views, like Odysseus's view as a victim and the siren view as the predator. In Homer's Odyssey the siren are interpreted through Odysseus point of view. Here Odysseus tells, “When the sirens sensed at once a ship was racing past and burst into their high, thrilling song… they sent ravishing…