Research Articles Base: Example Poetry Comparison/Contrast

Example Poetry Comparison/Contrast on CLEOPATRA MATHIS’ “THE TRAVELER” and ELISAVIETTA RITCHIE’S “AWAITING PERMISSION TO LAND”

CLEOPATRA MATHIS’ “THE TRAVELER” WHAT IMAGES DOES THIS POEM BRING TO MIND? OR DOES THE POEM ASSIGN BLAME TO A PERSON?               Cleopatra Mathis’ “The Traveler” speaks of one woman’s feelings towards a man who left her, a man who seems to be constantly traveling from one woman to another. The woman in the poem is nostalgic as the she seems to recall her past experiences with this traveler of a man. This is being triggered by the fact that it was raining that day, the same as the day that he left her. However, this woman does not feel pity for herself. She seems to be angry and is assigning blame to the man not only for her experience but also those of the other women this man has been with. In a way she also seems to be warning the other women against this man. This poem brings to mind countless images of women who were left by their men and men who seem to be discontented with one woman and thus like a bee travels from one flower to another. These men fail to consider that unlike flowers; women are more complex and have feelings. Or perhaps they knew but did it deliberately anyway, thinking only of their selves. Women, on their part, sometimes go to unreasonable points if their man left them. Such is the case described in the poem where she sliced the length of her fingers with a blade. She seems to be bitter, this woman in the poem, but she also seems to be strong. These are images presented in the poem which are reflected in real life. ELISAVIETTA RITCHIE’S “AWAITING PERMISSION TO LAND” WHAT VISUAL IMAGES ARE PRESENTED? OR WHAT IS THE SYMBOLISM OF A HAWK, A HELICOPTER, OR A FAT DIRIGIBLE?               “Awaiting Permission to Land” is a collection of poems by Elisavietta Ritchie. Among the poems included in the collection is “In Transit.” In this poem, life is likened to something that hovers up above like a hawk or a helicopter and waits for some permission to land. The visual images presented in the poem consist of objects in the air and not touching the ground. It visualizes that it is best to stay suspended in the air than stay on land. It also presents a visual image that up there affords a fascinating view. The author seems to think that it is best to stay suspended because that has been what life was all about and to change it would present facing an uncertain future. Although the author fears anything that might create harm up there, it doesn’t outweigh the uncertainty felt on the other option of being on land. There are doubts about a passport being challenged and a question of survival. The author likened life to something that is always in motion, always on the go, always in transit. It wants to get permission to land, yet it is hesitant, and thinks that up there may be cold and tricky but it affords a great view. Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Example Poetry Comparison/Contrast on CLEOPATRA MATHIS’ “THE TRAVELER” and ELISAVIETTA RITCHIE’S “AWAITING PERMISSION TO LAND”

CLEOPATRA MATHIS’ “THE TRAVELER” WHAT IMAGES DOES THIS POEM BRING TO MIND? OR DOES THE POEM ASSIGN BLAME TO A PERSON? Cle...

Example Poetry Comparison/Contrast on CLEOPATRA MATHIS’ “THE TRAVELER” and ELISAVIETTA RITCHIE’S “AWAITING PERMISSION TO LAND”

Example Poetry Comparison/Contrast on CLEOPATRA MATHIS’ “THE TRAVELER” and ELISAVIETTA RITCHIE’S “AWAITING PERMISSION TO LAND”

CLEOPATRA MATHIS’ “THE TRAVELER” WHAT IMAGES DOES THIS POEM BRING TO MIND? OR DOES THE POEM ASSIGN BLAME TO A PERSON? Cle...

A poetry overview – T.S. Eliot, W.B. Yeats and D.H. Lawrence:How love is combined with a sense of frustration and fear

Introduction               This is an essay analyzing and comparing the works of different poets. The poems used in this essay were about love in relation to the sense of frustration and fear. The author will give an overview on the works of the following poets D. H. Lawrence, W. B. Yeats, and T. S. Elliott in order to make the essay more comprehensive. The author will used the following in order to demonstrate the analysis and the comparison: the fantasy idea, the imagery and symbol, subjective reflections and the analysis to woman as icon of seduction, passion, and love. A conclusion will end the essay identifying the key points discussed in this essay and the summary of the whole essay.   BACKGROUND               Love is indeed a part of every human life. The topic of love is widely used to different kind of wring in order to demonstrate the emotional circumstance of person. Love has been a subject of different poems that could have been a result of the emotional experience of every poet. However, the use of love as a subject is so encompassing that understanding everyman’s work will mean having empathy to the person who wrote it. In addition, the emotions of the poets were not transparent; hence, difficulty in looking at their emotions is inevitable. However, the author studied that love is indeed a combination with a sense of frustration and fear.  D. H. Lawrence, W. B. Yeats, and T. S. Elliot made the subject poems of this essay, illustrating how love is combined with a sense of frustration and fear. The three poets were considered as modernist on the way they wrote and expressed themselves. The aforementioned authors have put modernism in the comprehensive and inwardly conflicted sense as evidenced in their writings. In order to illustrate the modernity of the aforementioned persons, several of the poems they have created were used in this essay in order that the readers have a more comprehensive approach. The poems will be treated in relation to the modernity of the authors and the way they perceived love. Modernity of poems means that the poems should be treated as it is and no further interpretation is necessary. The modern poets did not use the structural form of poems however, the way modern poets used their words in expressing their feelings are very dramatic. Studying traditional poems requires a number of historical background especially the setting and the real situation of the poet while writing the poems. An example would be the works of Shakespeare. Shakespeare wrote his writings in manner subject to number of criticisms and comments from the people. Although, his writings were considered as the best source for educational readings, understanding his works requires a number of heavy thinking and various researches. On the other hand, the essence of modern poems can be easily grasped, leaving no doubt to the interpretation of the readers. To illustrate further the modernism on poems, the following subtopics were laid down in order that the readers will be able to grasp the real essence of modern poems.   ANALYSIS & COMPARISON (note: All the poems used in this essay came from the site of Poetry Lovers Page)               The techniques used by poets in order to make their poem a success is the used of imagery and symbols. Reading comprehension is not easy; however, if written in a poem, the latter has a life. Using symbols allows the readers to develop the meaning of the poem. According to Lewis (1974), poetic image is the picture made out of words. Imagery creates a different for the readers, giving them a place where their mind can travel as they read the poet. The poets mentioned have demonstrated the use of these techniques in their poems.             D. H. Lawrence writings were so emotional that you can easily visualize the pain or whatever emotion he had been through. The emotions of the author can be derived by reading between the lines of his poems making him appear to be vulnerable to any heartache or happiness that love may brought into his life. There is a feeling of remorse on the way he used words on his poem.             On his poem entitled “On that Day”, he used roses as a symbol on how the people will be able to remember the woman that passed away. The remembrance of the people on the way the woman has lived her life. He used the words queen to demonstrate how special the woman was to him. The author perceived that the woman was of great beauty and radiance that being queen she was, has left a number of mourns for him not to ignore. He also made it known to the people around him how special the woman was and must never be taken for granted because of what she has offered to him. On his poem “The Appeal”, he used the name Helen, as to symbolize the woman he admired on his poem. The author inferred that the kiss of Helen was so delightful that he wished to kiss Helen and experienced that moment again. The image of mistletoe berried burning in a black tree and the use of bowl of kisses, let the readers imagined that the kiss of Helen was so powerful that it can make right turn into bad or change into something which is not it natural  form. The poem “All I Ask” was so painful that the reader can easily see that Lawrence does not like woman that will cause him pain. He used the phrase “and there shall be the soft, soft tremor as of unheard bells between us.” as a symbol to demonstrate the feeling that he wants away from the pain that of the woman who caused him pain. The use of words of violent and a woman lashing out is so powerful that the readers can really feel the woman’s wrath and wanting to be love, which Lawrence abhors. On his poem “To women as far as I’m concerned”, Lawrence has dedicated it to women saying that feelings must not be of the same for two persons. He does not used any kind if symbols or imagery, however, there is this strong indication on how Lawrence would want woman to perceived feelings in order to be with him. The author perceived that Lawrence would want readers or woman to feel but not to the extent that the feeling will be the controlling factor of the life of the woman.  As women are considered, as an emotional being, men, on the other hand, is different with the way their feelings, women must not used emotions in communicating and dealing with men in order to relay what they want. He put on the emphasis that women must deal with their emotions and not let it control on the way they dispose their lives. Women must not let their emotions be the determining factor on how they would run their lives. On the poem “Intimates”, Lawrence again made an emphasis on how emotional women are. The use of mirror on his poem is the way he will answer the question of the women. The question of the woman was emotional and bitter, that the man cannot answer it, hence giving the woman the solution, which is to ask the questions to her. The question of the woman may have been on the way she look or in any physical appearance, on which upon seeing her own reflection, her question have been answered. The author perceived that the answer upon looking on the mirror is the way Lawrence would want woman to handle their emotions. Emotions should not be destructive to other persons. The person who has such emotion must find within himself and not the other way hand. Understanding oneself is not found on any other person but within thy selves. The poem of W. B. Yeats, as perceive by the author, was not symbolical. He neither used words that were so profound that will make the readers battle with the dictionary. However, the used of words may be simple but the way he linked word to another word was amazing and making the poem mind boggling and hence making the whole poem appear to be profound. Understanding the details of his poem is difficult because there are times that reading must not be done in casual way. The readers must be able to feel the emotion to them. Looking at the poem entitled, “When You Are Old”, it can be seen that the words used were so simple and yet when put together the meaning of each words suddenly turned into difficult. There was no symbol used, however, imagery is well present. The poem was literally discussing how the woman should feel when she gets old and what memories she will recollect. Yeats put an emphasis on the man who appreciated the woman even when she is getting old. He said that there are those men that loved and was mesmerized by her beauty and grace, but there this person who have been there with her all the time. The man who was there for her all the time of her life having no hesitation on the way, she looks. The man loved the woman not because of her beauty and grace but of her inner beauty. However, from this poem, the author realized that the man in the poem already passed away. The man presence was not anymore visible hence making it painful to readers. The poem “To a Young Girl” is a poem of girl who is in love by a young age. It can be inferred that as a young girl, the woman was nevertheless vulnerable to pain and heartache. The feeling of being loved has made the girl more mature in terms of love. However, it can be inferred that a young girl in love was also secretive so as to remove the appearance of pain in her face, but love has made her more mature as she will suddenly the emotion again. T. S. Elliot use seemed to be more profound as compared to the two above poets. The above poets have created poems made of stanzas in shorter form hence their poems appear to be easier to read and understand. On the other, majority of T. S. Elliot’s works were long hence sometimes readers tend to  be reluctant with reading his works. However, what are striking with his works are the title and the way his long poem really pinpoint the reason behind his poems. For the author, long poems may not be pleasing to the eyes, but the content is more likely the best for the mind to appreciate and comprehend. Long poems make the reader understands more the whole poem. His poem entitled, “The Love Song by J. Alfred Prufrock”, is a long poem. The author inferred that it is really a love song in order for Prufrock to give the readers and the listeners the perception on what is the situation he is into. There are many symbols used to illustrate the situation of the subject, Prufrock. There are many indications that the subject has disgust towards the society where he lives. The symbols used to illustrate that society are the narrow streets, the smokes that rise from the pipes, the yellow fog that rubs the windowpanes, and the pools that stand in the drains. Such kind of imagery was so strong making the readers imagine that the place was really stinky and unpleasant.  It can be inferred that the subject has able to illustrate the place he lives in and how he really dislike it. In addition, at first the song may seem to be an invitation by the subject to experience the said place, however, it is not the readers who he was inviting but the woman of life. As he abhors the place, he wished that the woman of his life would be able to see the situation of that place and accept him. The readers would likely to perceive that Prufrock is afraid of rejection hence he cannot afford to introduce him to the woman and make a way to make for his rejections. The appearance of the name of Michelangelo can be inferred as a comparison to his personality. As Michelangelo is considered as a man of good reputation, Prufrock is not because of the way he perceived his life and his situation into.  In addition, Prufrock was so lame in improving his life and making it more meaningful in order for him to develop as a person. What he was doing was that he was stuck in his situation without any thought of improving but continues in complaining. The writer described him as a pathetic and useless man, as stated in the whole poem itself, but precisely in the line “I have measured out my life with coffee spoons;” In terms of he way he entertain love, there is the fact that he abhors his place making him pity himself and afraid of what the woman he loves think of his place. The love song was to invite the woman but it was never really an invitation but a test whether the woman will accept him after providing the woman of the description of his place. Hence, instead of letting the woman know that he can make better he provides a scenario, which could make any woman back away from him because he did not try to alleviate his standards of living but nevertheless only wants to be accepted. WOMAN AS ICON OF SEDUCTION, PASSION, AND LOVE               Using of woman with the above poems was interrelated with how man sees them. As the poets were all man, the love they feel for woman can be easily taken from the poems they have written. However, some poets expressed pains with their experienced with women. The vulnerability of woman as to man is seen on how the poets perceived them.             Lawrence attacked the emotional aspect of a woman. He expressed that woman should have a control over their feelings. The decisions made by women must not be a hindrance in the way they handle their lives. As man per se should be more rational being than an emotional being. Lawrence perceived woman should be more careful on making their lives happen on the basis of their emotions. This is also necessary in the way women handle love relationship. Love relationship is nevertheless is the most important of all times. Understanding love means a need to understand both man and woman. However, through the years men in a relationship are the most rational while woman tend to be more emotional. Hence, there is really a difficulty on the handling relationships. Lawrence in his poem said that in order to work altogether man and woman must remove the feelings, which are the emotions in order to make the relationship works. Understanding one another is easy without nay use of emotions. As what Stoic philosophers has said human nature are emotional and rational at the same time, however such must come together and not to be segregated with one another. For women being emotional pays a lot. However, Lawrence must have seen the effect of being to women hence making the women more susceptible to pain and sadness. In addition, Lawrence was so enticed on how woman seduced and made passion out of love. This is due to the fact that there is pain in his poems in every woman that he loved. He was purely seduced with the way the woman the was attracted to be his and to experience love with that woman. He was also mesmerized on how a woman will be able to accept his love and how he will be able to handle the magic seduction of the woman. He wanted the woman to experience the feeling he have for her. In addition, there is this tinge of pornography. His descriptions to seduced women were so intense.             According to Wright (1960), as readers pursue the reading of any poem, they acquire a fuller impression both of the personae and of the poet, and they accord their pictures with what the readers’ experience of other poems has led them to expect the personae and poets. Upon reading the works of Yeats, the author found that he was so into the pain of woman, on the basis of the poem read. The pain of the woman was his subject and not the other way around. The pain of woman with regard to love was so enduring that a woman is able to see that loving is not only with what it can get from the person they loved but also from the way it will be able to give them enough courage to face their heartaches. The position of Yeats with the role of woman has a great impact on the way woman should make understand their being. Although love may endure all things it is still the problem on woman to find someone who can make their lives happen especially someone who can honestly love them not only because of their power to seduce but because on the reason that the person love them truly.             Elliot’s poem seems to be of something to please a woman. Elliot see woman as someone to be given all the comforts that the subject may give. It is seen in the poem that Prufrock is afraid to be rejected on the reason that he lives in a scanty and dirty place. The author inferred that the Elliot see woman as someone to be pleased and that woman might reject the man if in case there is something that is unpleasant in the eyes of the woman. The author perceived that Elliot wanted men to treat woman like a queen, which would make the girl feel extraordinary. Giving this kind pf treatment to women entails that a man must not only see woman as someone who is the symbol of fertility but also of feminity and respect. There are still men that see women as someone who is just an icon for “sexuality”, and it should not be that way. Men and women are in this world living together which demand greater respect from each other. Hence, the probability of living in this world with harmony will result after men and women worked together to give each other the kind of respect that is vital in every human relationship. Furthermore, in the poem in can be inferred that there is substantial difficulty on the part of Prufrock to please the woman he love because of the place where he lived in. It was so disgusting that it will make the woman believe that he affords to make her life more meaningful. However, the problem on the poem lies on the fact the subject man does not have any capacity to make his life and better. In life acceptance of whatever a person is in is important, however, the extent of such importance is only on the fact that a person has no more control over it. In the poem’s scenario, Prufrock does not have in any way control over what the woman may feel and see on that place, however, his area of control is to see and make some development with his way of living. Acceptance is important to see worth everyone’s worth with that person, however, acceptance does not mean that a person must content himself to that situation, leaving himself more chance to improve but lesser guts to make it happen.                       HOW LOVE IS COMBINED WITH A SENSE OF FRUSTRATION AND FEAR (A CONCLUSION)               Looking at the subject poems, the topic is all about love with the woman they love and admire. It can be inferred from the poems that love was indeed a magical feeling that has captured majority of the hearts of every person. The only that making love the worst feeling of all is that when frustration and fear came in. The latter mentioned feelings were negative feelings that most likely will lessen the magical effect of love.             From the poets cited those two negative feelings were present, leaving a sad emotion to readers. With those poems, it can be inferred that love is indeed not a feeling that will only give everyone a sense of magic but a feeling of mixed emotions. Furthermore, the feeling of love encompasses all the kinds of feeling.             The emotion is so strong that it can make a person fall or high. It can make a person fall when it is not treated and cared for in a nice way. Treating this kind of emotion also means looking at one’s desire to be love and an understanding to the other person. Seduction is way out of the concept of love because it is only a cherry on top of an ice cream, which means that love is indeed the best, seduction just makes it sweeter. The feeling of fear may come because of insecurities and rejections however; these reasons must not use to create a barrier. These reasons must be utilized to make a person better.  Frustration on the other hand, may due to experience, but it should not be treated as a nuisance but as a tool to better oneself. Hence, love will make person high because not only it is a magical feeling but also it could make a person better and turn into someone more willing to gamble and deal with every risk.   BIBLIOGRAPHY BOOKS Cushman, K., Ingersolt, E., D. H. Lawrence: New Worlds. Madison, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2003. Lewis, C. D., The Poetic Image. New York: Oxford Publication Press, 1947. Wright, G. The Personae of Eliot, Yeats, and Pound. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1960.   ELECTRONIC RESOURCES Elliot, T. S., Lawrence, D. H., & Yeats, W. B.; Complete Collection of Poems; Poetry Lovers Page; December 2006; 11 June 2008; <www.poetryloverspage.com>.   Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

A poetry overview – T.S. Eliot, W.B. Yeats and D.H. Lawrence:How love is combined with a sense of frustration and fear

Introduction This is an essay analyzing and comparing the works of different poets. The poems used in this essay were abo...