Elizabeth Barrett Browning: Sonnet 7

 

Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poem is one that seems to promote an image where a woman is expressing her love for a man. It is likely that the poem is a reflection of the manner through which Browning loves her husband, and what her love has been able to do for her. This is especially considering that before she met her future husband, she had been a sickly individual, and it was only after she got married that she had an improvement in her health status (Browning, The Letters of Elizabeth Barrett Browning 16). The information concerning her personal life can be considered useful in understanding this poem because it shows that she is an individual that makes use of her personal experiences in her work. It also promotes an image of an individual that is able to ensure that she creates a reflection of her personal life in her work in such a way that she brings her audience as close as possible to the reality of what occurs between two individuals that love one another. Thus, she is able to ensure that there is an increase in the emotional effect of her work on her audience.

One of the most significant aspects of this poem is that it promotes an image of an individual that is deeply in love; which ensures that there is a joyous tone throughout the poem. This is seen through the way that she describes her meeting with her lover using terms such as hearing “the footsteps” of her lover’s “soul” next to her (Browning XX, line 1). This is an extremely important statement because it shows that she is an individual that was extremely lonely until such a time as she met her lover. In addition, in the same line, she adds “I think” (Browning XX, line 1), meaning that despite the joy that she is currently feeling, she is still uncertain concerning the direction towards which her life is heading. Her statements suggest that while she is joyful about the events that are taking place in her life, she is also concerned about their consequences. Furthermore, she seems to attribute her continuing to live to her lover, as seen in the case where she suggests that he saved her from “obvious death” and provided her to discover the joys “Of life in a new rhythm” (Browning XX, lines 6-7). These are extremely important lines because they promote an image of an individual that seems to have been extremely lonely until such a time as she met her lover. The statement “obvious death” is highly symbolic because it implies that the persona lived in an environment and society where nobody understood her, until such a time as her lover came to her life.

The imagery used in the poem is also extremely important in understanding the state of mind of the writer. This is especially the case where the image of being in the “brink of obvious death” is brought up. It shows that the writer is an individual that was very close to death and that if not for her lover, she would have ended up dying. However, with her recovery, an image of the celebration of life is promoted, since the individual involved concedes that while there are troubles in life, as seen in her sickliness, there is still so much to live for. The use of juxtaposition can be seen in “country, heaven” (Browning XX, line 10) and this is extremely important in the advancement of the idea that because of the love that she feels for her lover, she is no longer willing to die. Instead, the world has become a better place for her to such an extent that it can be compared to heaven. Therefore, in the poet’s mind, it seems to heaven and country are essentially interchangeable aspects of the same thing; meaning that joy can not only be found in heaven with God, but also in the regular human life, despite its troubles (Stott and Avery 37). Therefore, while this poem seems to be one that celebrates life and love, and the joys that they bring about in the lives of individuals, it also touches on its grimmer aspects; essentially acknowledging that it is the latter that make the joys so precious.

In conclusion, the poet seems to acknowledge the power of love and the way that it can have a positive effect on the lives of individuals. This is especially the case considering that the mood of the poem increasingly becomes positive from line to line. It shows a perspective that advances the need for individuals to take advantage of all opportunities that they have in life, despite its grimmer aspects, to find joy in it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

Browning, Elizabeth Barrett. "Sonnets From The Portuguese." Massachusetts: Barre Publishing (1977).

Browning, Elizabeth Barrett. The Letters of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Vol. 1. Macmillan, 1898.

Stott, Rebecca, and Simon Avery. Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Routledge, 2014.

Analysis: Persuasion by Jane Austen

Restored hope for Fredrick

In the novel Persuasion, Jane Austen attempt to consider the various aspects of influence that family and friends might pressure an individual into making decisions that are not good for him or her. This is exactly what happens in the novel, where Anne is persuaded by her friend, Lady Russell, her father, and the older sister to break off her engagement to Frederick, who is a clever and ambitious young man, but with no personal fortune. As a result of this, the two go their separate ways and it is only after some eight years that the two meet again (Austen, 12). The fact that neither of them is married is a testament of the love that they share; despite the fact that circumstances have changed for Frederick, who is now an eligible bachelor with plenty of wealth. While Anne regrets her decision to break off their engagement, Frederick, on the other hand, still hurting from her rejection, does his best to ignore her through his not allowing any personal contact with Anne (Fitzpatrick Hanly, 1001). The return of Frederick into her life seems to secretly restore Anne’s hope that they would get back together and she often feels hurt from the way he treats her as well as his attention towards other younger women of her social circle.

Determined to move on and make a new life

When the Crofts rent out her family home because of the debts that Walter, Anne’s father, sustains due to his lavish lifestyle, Anne chooses to live with her own life and completely ignore Frederick’s cold treatment of her. She avoids Frederick as much as possible determined that it is best for her to do so as she has no further hope of having him as a husband; not after her rejection (Austen, 24). This creates a situation where, despite the pain that she is feeling, she keeps on living her own life, even going to the extent of joining her father and her older sister in Bath, despite their low opinion of her. Her determination to move on and make a new life for herself is rewarded through her making the acquaintance of her estranged cousin, William, who develops an interest in her not just as family, but also as a woman (Vandersluis, 88). This helps Anne to come out of her shell and enables her to regain her pride not only in her womanhood, but also in her beauty, of which until William came into her life, she had not been confident.

Making her own decisions

The fact that she chooses to avoid any association with Frederick is the first important decision that she makes on her own as this enables her to think clearly about her life and future. Because of her consequent choices, she is able to regain some pride in herself, which she had lost during her period of separation from Frederick. Since she is able to make her own decision, her life opens up to new possibilities, and not dominated by her feelings of regret concerning her rejection of Frederick through breaking of their engagement. This circumstance enables her to begin her association with her cousin, William, but while the two of them would have made a perfect couple, she chooses not to accept his suit, because she has no feelings for him.

The Grimm Fairy Tales

When on reads the Grimm Fairy Tales, one comes to the conclusion that Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm are attempting to express their feelings about the world and the contradictions that exist within it. This collection of stories reveal the irony of living the human life as well as those of other creatures, some being happy with their lot in life while others remain sad due to their poverty as well as the tragic events that happen in their lives. The Grimm brothers use their stories to display the true nature of human beings; that nothing is ever permanent and that changes occur once in a while. Throughout their stories, one comes to the realization that there is the extensive use of imagery, symbolism, figurative language, style and tone in relation to the development of the themes involved.

The use of imagery is very extensive in throughout the Grimm Fairy Tales especially when making contrasts between the beauty of the world and the ugliness which is contained within it. This can be seen when, in Tom Thumb, the two men, not caring that their offer to buy Tom from his father would end up separating them. In fact, their only concern seems to be able to make a lot of money using Tom and they do not care at all concerning the feeling of alienation that they would be subjecting him to. The image of Tom as a tiny individual is used to show just how much individuals look down upon the less privileged individuals in society and how they make every attempt to exploit these people. It can be said that the image of Tom Thumb as a little fellow shows that despite his size, he is able to survive in a world that is hostile to his existence as Tom uses his wits to ensure that he is able to survive within it. This image may also be used to show the price which human beings have to pay because of their greed as well as their unthinking ambitions, and this instance can also be perceived in Hans in Luck. The image that is presented of Hans attempting to make his life better as well as to have something useful shows how human ambitions can at times be detrimental instead of helpful because he ends up losing all of his wages as well as all that he attained through barter. While this is the case, in most of the Grimm Fairy Tales, the image of happiness is continuously displayed with very few instances where there is any form of sadness, showing that most of these stories were written for the purpose of entertaining children.

Symbolism is a major style used in the development of the theme of the Grimm Fairy Tales and an excellent example of this, is in The Fisherman and His Wife, where the wife, despite having everything wants more; a symbol of her greed. The fact that she continues to demand more from her husband despite having everything that she needs can be considered to be symbolic of human nature, where we are never satisfied with what we have but continue to aspire for more. In addition, in the story Old Sultan, Sultan the dog can be considered to symbolize unwavering loyalty because despite the favor which the wolf did him in saving his life, Sultan decided to bark at the wolf whenever he comes to steal his master’s sheep. Furthermore, the fight between domestic animals and wild animals in this story shows that despite the poor treatment that the former receive from their masters, they are extremely loyal, while the latter are very cowardly creatures.

The Grimm brothers use figurative language to depict the contrasting characteristics of the characters that they depict in their stories, and a good example of this is that of the talking wolf in Tom Thumb which is an oxymoron used to depict the possible unique ability of Tom to communicate with animals. It is well known that wolves do not have human speech and the Grimm brothers depicting it as talking clearly shows the contrast in a situation where it would normally be impossible for normal conversation to take place. Figurative language can be seen all over the Grimm Fairy Tales and it is used to express the points or instances which can be considered to be the most important in the stories.

The tone of the stories can be considered to range from either being neutral to ironical. This is because of the contrast which the Grimm brothers attempt to make between the different characters in their stories, often depicting extreme good and extreme evil. The tone of the stories can be said to show that the world is a very beautiful place to be born into if one does not mind there not being any happiness all the time. The tone in these stories can be said to bring about quite a number of ironical scenarios, where an environment which is described as being beautiful is infested with evil people such as the thieves in Tom Thumb. In addition, the tone of the stories, such as that of The Elves and the Shoemaker, displays the advantages of doing good because eventually, these good acts are going to be rewarded. It can further be said that the tone of the stories depict the true feelings of their writers about the world and how the situation within it affects the different people living in it. The irony in the stories, such as The Fisherman and his Wife, helps to deliver the writers’ message to the reader as well as fostering an understanding of the subject matter involved.

In conclusion, the use of imagery, symbolism and figurative language in these stories greatly contributes to a greater understanding of the stories. They create situations which are familiar to the reader and they allow him to decipher the true meaning of what the stories is saying. Despite what many people who read it may think, they are not the kind of stories to be taken lightly because they are full of lessons. Instead, they have many lessons to give about the reality of human life in the world and the main message which can be made out of it is that there is not guarantee of happiness in the world and that we should live in it as best as we can.

Literary Devices in Hamlet

In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses various literary devices to enhance the different characteristics in the play. Among the most significant devices that he uses include metaphors, tone, style and motifs. The use of these devices is extremely significant in the play since it builds the characters within it as well as the various themes which are revealed.

Metaphors

In the play Hamlet, there are plenty of instances where metaphors can be found and they are used to reveal the feelings of the main character concerning those who are around him. Among the metaphors which are used in the play is when Hamlet states, "My father's brother, but no more like my father than I to Hercules”(Act 1 scene 2). Later on, he further states, "My fate cries out, and makes each petty artery in this body as hardy as the Nemean lion's nerve." The metaphors which are mentioned above are used by the author of the play to reveal that despite the fact that Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle, had killed his brother to attain the throne, they were extremely alike to each other. It shows Hamlet’s belief that both his uncle and father were men who valued their own power more than those people who were around them. It is because of this that eventually, the both came to their downfall because had they valued their people, then the tragic events which took place in the play would not have happened. Another important metaphor that is used in the play is that related to the cannon fire which accompanies the king’s toasts and this helps to show that Claudius, the king, is united with the land that he rules. In reference to the cannon fire, Hamlet states, "…or that the Everlasting had not fix'd his canon 'gainst self-slaughter!" (Act 1 scene 2). This is used to express Hamlet’s wish that his uncle Claudius would turn into a cloud (a play with the name Claudius) so that when the cannons shot into that cloud, it would be able to kill him. This would in essence freed Hamlet from his promise to his father’s ghost that he would kill Claudius to avenge his death.

Tone

When one considers the tone of this play, one would say that it is extremely dark. This is especially because of the fact that almost all the characters within it are either thinking dark thoughts or are plotting to commit evil things. From the very beginning of the play, we see that there is plenty of anxiety and uncertainty concerning the events that are taking place or are likely to take place. The mood in which Hamlet is put after talking to his father’s ghost is extremely dark, and those who know him come to believe that he is going mad. This dark mood is also transmitted to those who are around him and their actions, either directly or indirectly, reflect the darkness which is in the play. The soliloquies which Hamlet has concerning the dark aspects of life such as betrayal and mortality are some of the things which contribute to the tone of the play. However, from the first line of the play when the guard, Bernardo yells, “Who’s there!” (Act 1 scene 1) the dark tone of the play is set. It is later revealed that this may have been an expression of the anxiety which the guards felt after seeing the ghost of their former king several times during the nights.

Style

One of the aspects of style that is revealed when one reads Hamlet is the use of verse among the main characters when they speak. These characters often use words which have an unaccented syllable followed by an accented one. This creates a rhythmic pattern in their speech and it can be said that Shakespeare used this style of writing in order to keep the attention of the audience on the play and the characters within it. An example of the use of verse in the play is in Act 1 scene 2 when Hamlet states, “O, that this too too solid flesh would melt, Thaw and resolve itself into a dew!” When one considers Hamlet’s soliloquies, one will find that he often speaks in a formal tone, and this is used to reveal that he comes from the nobility. The fact that verse is used in the play is a way for Shakespeare to separate the nobility from the commoners, who often speak in prose, not seeming to use the formal ways of the former. When Hamlet communicates with the commoners who are his friends, he also speaks in prose. For example, when he speaks to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, he says “….how noble in reason! how infinite in faculty! in form and moving how express and admirable! in action how like an angel!” (Act 2 scene 2). This can also be used to reveal Hamlet’s character as being a humble man despite the fact that he is the prince of his country. 

Motif

Throughout the play, the motif of incest is alluded to especially when there are conversations concerning the relationship between Claudius and Gertrude. These allusions stem from the way these two are referred to in conversations between Hamlet and his father’s ghost. One gets the sense that the marriage between Claudius and Gertrude is forbidden and that their being united is an act of incest. These two were previously brother- and sister-in-laws and despite this, with the death of Gertrude’s husband, she chooses to be with her husband’s brother. In addition, the way Laertes speaks of his sister Ophelia, especially after her death has overtones of incestuous desire within it. This desire is seen in sexually suggestive terms and in action when as Ophelia is being buried, Laertes jumps into her grave and holds her. One of the most revealing suggestion of incest in the play is the obsession which Hamlet has with the sex life of his mother and his uncle. Another motif that can be seen in the play is that of misogyny and this is seen through Hamlet’s reaction to his mother’s marriage to his uncle. The disappointment and abandonment which he feels leads him to come to look down upon women as mere weaklings. This acts as an inhibitor to the relationships which Hamlet has with the women in his life since he considers them to be frail creatures that cannot be trusted. The hatred towards women that Hamlet feels is what brings him to tell his mother, “Frailty, thy name is woman” (Act 1 scene 2).

Significance

The play is highly significant because it is a revelation of the true nature of human beings in the world. One of the most noteworthy themes in the play is that of ambition and this is seen when Claudius takes steps to eliminate his own brother so that he can not only take his throne but also his wife. In addition, once it is revealed to Hamlet that it is his uncle, who killed his father; his main ambition in life is to ensure that he takes revenge on Claudius on behalf of his father. The dark tone which is dominant in the play is also highly significant because it is a revelation of the dark nature of human beings. Human beings are often blinded by their own needs and they cease to care about the needs of those with whom they share their lives. This can be seen through Gertrude’s reaction to her son’s dark mood when she ends up believing that he is going mad. If only she had thought to dig deeper into her son’s thoughts, perhaps the real reason for his dark mood would have been revealed and as a result, the tragic events at the end of the play would have been avoided. It can, therefore, be said that the play is significant since it reveals the true nature of the life which human beings have to live.

 References

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Farnham, United Kingdom: Scolar Press, 1969.