Poetry Page 53

Jonathan Swift uses satire in A Modest Proposal to critique his audience and convey his main point indirectly. Through the creation of a seemingly sympathetic character who aligns himself with both the poor and the upper class of Ireland, Swift undermines the reader’s trust in the speaker. This trust is shattered when the speaker unveils…

In his poem “Freedom Train,” Langston Hughes openly shares his thoughts on freedom. He directly expresses his interest in the train he has been hearing about, stating, “I read in the papers about the Freedom Train. I heard on the radio about the Freedom Train.” It is evident that he desires to gather as much…

Gary Soto speaks to the romantic side of all of us with his poem “Oranges.” In the poem, Soto uses the innocence and simplicity of first love, combined with symbolism and imagery of colors and light to evoke the feelings we all had on our first date. While the poem reads simply as words about…

John Donne’s, The Dampe epitomises the curious nature of his genius in seduction, displaying a creative audacity that effectively seduces from a foundation of peculiarity. The title itself immediately creates a somewhat macabre mood; though in contemporary reading the word ‘damp’ holds little gravity in its association with moisture, its original connotations were that of…

Introduction ”Rat Song” is a poem written by Margaret Atwood and is part of Selected Poems from 1976. What is interesting about the poem is that it is written from the point of view of a rat. And by looking through the eyes of a rat (which many people see as a primitive and inferior…

Satire is a writing technique used to show readers the flaws and foolishness of an individual/people or society. The author writes in a way that exposes and criticizes the thing that is being satirized. The goal of satire is to expose the wrongdoing of a person/people or society so that it can be better and…

Compare the way poets present relationships in ‘The Farmer’s Bride’ and ‘The Manhunt’. In Charlotte Mew’s ‘The Farmer’s Bride’ and Simon Armitage’s ‘The Manhunt’, difficult relationships are presented by speakers who are dealing with an emotionally closed partner. Both poems explore how relationships are affected by mental health issues. In ‘The Farmer’s Bride’, the Farmer…

Often times when one reads a piece of literary work, the way that its’ themes and storyline are interpreted is truly dependant upon the reader’s individual beliefs and morals. The same passage from a novel or poem can be seen in completely opposite perspectives from two different readers, despite the fact that they contain the…

Gary’s Soto “Mexicans Begin Jogging,” describes an event that happened when he worked in a factory where illegal Mexican workers were employed. Although the poem is simple, Soto brings identity, ironic, drama, and imagery to his audience. The narrative reflects irony the speaker went through and the dilemma that Mexican Americans go through. The poems…

A rhyme is defined as a verse or poetry having correspondence in the terminal sounds of the lines. One of the best examples of a poet that mastered rhyming beautifully was Robert Frost. Robert Frost was one of the best poets of the twentieth century. He is highly admired for his work about rural life…