Romantic poets

In “The Flea,” John Donne uses a metaphysical conceit through the imagery of a flea to portray sexual desires and romance. In the very first line of the poem, the speaker brings up the flea by telling the woman to “Mark but this flea,” which makes it sound like he wants the woman to only pay attention to the flea and nothing else (line 1). In the third line, the imagery the flea is further expanded upon when the speaker begins making the flea sound like a sexual object, such as when he says, “It…

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…

Mothers are always going to be caring for their children no matter what they go though. These poems show the morals that the mothers try to pass on to their sons to succeed in life. Both of them are pretty strict and straight forward with their words but try to be kind in a way that their sons would understand what they went through. In the poems, “My Mother” by Robert Mezey and “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughs, there is a direct correlation between the relationship of mother and son, the…

Humans are surrounded by poverty everywhere they go, but never realized the long lasting effects of it in our society and individuals. In the essay "Black Hair" by Gary Soto, he explains the life of a young seventeen year old Mexican who struggles on the streets to make a decent living . Soto is able to portray the emotions and experiences of his life by writing the essay in first person. The audience has the opportunity to relate towards what life is when not having a place to sleep at night,…

In the late 17th ceuntry, artistic minds recognize the need for education to enhance the world 's content. The expanded conciousness and perception that results from learning is a huamn gift that distinguishes man from beast. The difficult answers of the human condition, such as purpose on earth, are revealied to each individual depending on their educational and cultural expreinces. All three poems To S. M. A Young African Painter, On Seeing His Works, by Phillis Wheatley, Learning to Read, by…

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…

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…