essay

I am going to compare the two poems "The Man He Killed" by Thomas Hardy and "Dulce et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owen. I will compare how they each give a different outlook on a soldiers life in war.

Topic Proposal

For my poetry essay, I am going to compare "Do not go gentle into that good night" and "Photograph of My Father in His Twenty-Second year". Both poems deal with the relationships between father and son. They also deal with their father's dying and past experiences. Even though there is ultimately an underlying love here for sure, there is also hurt and disappointment I assume.

Poetry Analysis

"Do not go genlte into that good night" by Dylan Thomas and "Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden were both good examples of father son relationships. Thomas describes his mixed feelings towards losing his father and not ready to say goodbye to him. "Good men, last wave by, crying how bright their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay, rage, rage against the dying of the light." (Thomas, 887). It's a sad poem and hard to go through death of loved ones. Hayden, on the other hand, has a loving a devoted father who works all days of the week to support his family and makes sure the house is always warm for the family before they even have to get out of bed. It may also seem unappreciative because the father does all of these things for his family and never gets a thank you for anything but is still continuing to work so hard. "Hands that ached from labor in the weekday weather made banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him" (Hayden, 678).

In my essay I am going to compare the two poems “The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy and the Poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen. Both Poems are about war and death.
In my essay, I will compare the similarities and differences between the two poems. The similarities between the two poems are both are discussing war and death. Each poet has a different attitude towards war, one seems to be very casual (Hardy) and the other one is disillusioned. (Owen) In both of the poems, they are discussing the experiences that they went thorough because of war. Both authors of the poems have different viewpoints about war. In the first poem by Hardy, the poem is about war and death and his viewpoint about war is a matter of fact tone. I had to do what I had to do or be killed. In the second poem by Owen, it was very graphic and descriptive of what really was taken place in the war. It lets readers visualize what soldiers are going through and have to face while fighting for one’s country.

"Topic proposal poetry essay"

For my poetry essay I am going to compare "Dulce et Decorum" by Wilfred Owen and "The Man He Killed" by Thomas Hardy. These poems both focus of death from war. They both give graphic details of war scenes that soldiers experienced. There is a negative tone that shows when comparing these two poems. It becomes quite obvious in "The Man He Killed" that the speaker was still upset about the incident. Both of the poems offer different points of view. "The Man He Killed" gives an outlook on war from the soldier who killed another human. He seemed uncertain that he did the right thing by killing the man that he easily could have became friends with. "Dulce et Decorum" gives the point of view from the fellow soldier who watched his friend get killed.

Poetry Essay

I am going to compare the development of the theme of warin the two poems "Dulce et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owen and "The Man he Killed" by Thomas Hardy. The development of these poems are very different "Dulce et Decorum Est" uses graphic detail in discribing the events and in "The Man He Killed" is simple and to the point.

Comparing Poetry ~ Brook M. Wilken

I have decided to analyze the similarities and discrepancies between the two poems, The Man He Killed and Dulce et Decorum Est. These poems accurately represent the underlying ethical dilemma associated with war as well as convey the emotional connection to war time experiences. The use of sentence structure, form, irony, similes, rhyme/rhythm, and overall tone of these pieces greatly enhances the underlying meaning. Each poem poetically seeks to resolve the underlying personal motivation of engaging in war, however, each poem speaks about a specific situation and the emotions that were associated their distinct experience. I have chosen to focus on the similarities of structure/form, tone, and theme and contrast the unique experiences that lead to the internal questioning about the reason they engage in war. In the Man He Killed, Hardy uses a conversational, reflective approach to expresses the emotions of the speaker, where as in Dulce et Decorum Est, Owen recounts his traumatic experience while at war and his symbolic interpretation of the death of a fellow soldier and how that represents the evil, infectious traits of war itself. Although the themes are quite similar, their distinct approach and use of irony and symbolism is vastly different.

Poetry Essay Idea

For my poetry essay I will be comparing the poems “Photograph of My Father in His Twenty-Second Year,” by Raymond Carver, and “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night,” by Dylan Thomas. In my essay I will compare the similar and the different feelings that the two speakers have toward their fathers. The similarity being how they both are disappointed in their fathers and the difference being the reasoning for their disappointment. I will talk about the metaphors used in the poems and how they help to give meaning to the poems. I will also discuss the symbols that are used in the poem and the theme of each poem. The two poems definitely have similarities and differences.

Different Perspectives of War

For my poem essay I am going to compare the two poems "The Man He Killed" by Thomas Hardy and "Dulce et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owen. I am going to compare the different tones that are used in these two poems. In "The Man He Killed", Hardy used a straight forward tone, one that implies that a person is only doing is job in war and that the enemy could very well be a "every day Joe" that you are sitting next to at a bar. In "Dulce et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owen, Owen uses descriptive images that makes the reader feel like he is right inside the poem, seeing all of the horrific details of being in a war. In "The Man He Killed", on lines 9 and 10 it reads, "I shot him dead because---Because he was my foe,". A pretty simple statement that doesn't embellish on the intricacies of war. Owen uses a lot more descriptive words to make the reader fully understand the emotions that war can bring on to a soldier. "And watch the while eyes writhing in his face, His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;" (19,20). In the last few lines of Owen's "Dulce et Decorum Est", he writes, "To children ardent for some desperate glory, The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est" (26,27). This means that people tell their children how sweet it is to be a soldier and fight for one'c country but it is a lie. All of the horrid images that the soldiers experience everyday, it is not sweet at all.
Elizabeth Hillukka

Comparison poetry blog

I am going to compare the two poems “The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy and “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen. The two compare in multiple ways as to the tone of both being serious about war and the killing that takes place. Both use a soldier as the speaker as in “Dulce et Decorum Est” the soldier in the poem says “…we cursed through sludge…”(2) and in “The Man He Killed” the soldier is talking about how he shoots someone “I shot at him as he at me,”(7). Both soldiers feel a sense of helplessness as each poem uses imagery to expose readers to death. In Thomas Hardy’s poem the speaker is actually forced to cause the death and in Wilfred Owen’s poem the speaker is witness to a fellow soldier’s death. Both soldiers in each poem tell readers a tale of what it could be like to be at war and their feelings of a civic duty for their country really doesn’t outweigh the horror of death that they have just experienced.

Brainstorming thoughts for poetry comparison

The poetry paper that I plan to write will compare Wilfred Owen’s poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” and Thomas Hardy’s poem “The Man He Killed.” Based on the dates these were written, it would appear that Owen’s poem relates to World War I, which was a war that used poison gas very heavily; and Hardy’s poem most likely relates to the Boer War, although it never mentions that war. The speaker’s of both pieces have a very negative attitude regarding war, and they both feel that they are the victims, even though they are still alive. The horrors of war are made real with graphic imagery and figurative language in “Dulce et Decorum Est,” while “The Man He Killed” is presented using simple language in a conversational style. Both poems use irony to get their point across in the last stanza. Hardy’s speaker calls war “quaint and curious” (line 17), while Owen’s speaker brings the message of “The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est” (line 27). The tone of both pieces is somewhat cynical, although there is also a sadness that runs through both. At this point, these thoughts are a little random, as I am brainstorming on exactly what I will be writing.

Comparison Essay

For the poetry essay, I have decided to compare "Photograph of My Father in His Twenty-Second Year" by Raymond Carver and "Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden. The basis of both poems are very similar to each other in that each has a grown man who sees who his father truly is and who has been all his life although they did not realize it when they were young. The father's are two men who have raised their children to the best of their ability and have expected nothing in return. The men worked hard to support their families and in their old age, they wore their wear and tare in a way that everyone could see. In "Those Winter Sundays," the father had "cracked hands that ached from labor in the weekday." (Lines 3 and 4, Hayden) In "Photograph of My Father in His Twenty-Second Year," the father's "eyes give him away, and the hands that limply offer the string of dead perch." I will compare and possibly contrast the father-son relationships and also the characters of each father.

"Topic Proposal"

I will be comparing "Dulce et Decorum Est" written by Wilfred Owen and "The Man He Killed" Written by Thomas Hardy. Thomas Hardy uses a young soldier as the speaker and appears that the only reason he may have enlisted was simply because he has no job or money, not because he wanted to represent the country. Wilfred Owen was on the page that enlisting in the war was more of a noble thing to do. I wonder if either of these men suffered from PTSD after the war? I think that both men have regret/remorse with enlisting. Wilfred Owen has great detail in his poem versus Thomas Hardys poem is a little shorter and not as much detail. Even though it is shorter it has a tone change to help understand how the writer feels. I think that I will focus on tone and images.

Topic Proposal

For the poetry essay I will be comparing "Those Winter Sundays" and "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night". These two poems show that the speaker is feeling guilt that they either never got to thank their father's or they don't want their father to die because they are feeling guilty. Both speaker's show that their father's were hard on themselves and that they need to sort of learn to be hard on themselves and get the chores done as well. In the end they realize that their father's were there for them and it is almost too late to thank them. In "Those Winter Sundays" the speaker asked himself "what did I know of loves austere and lonely offices?" (13-14) which shows he didn't realize all his father did for him and his family until he was older. The same thing happened in "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" the speaker says "curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray" (17) showing he never got to tell his father thank you for being strong when you were well and please be strong now. These two poems have simalarities but they also have slight differences. In my essay I will be comparing the differences and the similarities.
Carly Turchin

Analytical paper topic

For my analytical poetry paper I would like to take a look at the similarities and differences between “Dulce et Decorum Est” and “The Man He Killed”. More importantly, I would like to expound on the use and effectiveness of the graphic imagery and experience Owen uses to protest war versus the more trivializing tone Hardy uses.

Theme for "porphyria's lover"

This poem was really sweet at first and I thought the theme was going to be love, But later you find out that in fact that is the irony of the story because it was about death to confine love. This story goes through a very fast emotional roller coster and it is hard to keep up if you only read it once. I really liked that the writer put all the descriptive moments that he did. I found that the theme was not developed until lines 35 - 45 when the man developed an idea to use the hair to kill the women. I feel there was a lot of thought put into this poem and it worked really good. Of course I was hoping that it ended happy but this is cool too. James Mills

Poetry Essay

For my poetry essay I have chosen to compare "Do not go gentle into that good night" and "Those Winter Sundays". Both of these poems express the parent child relationship by describing the regret and remorse that each child feels about their relationship with their father. In "Those Winter Sundays" it is more evident that the child feels bad for not showing his father appreciation for everything he does for him and his family. In the other poem the reasons for the child's regret is not as clear and specific. The child's father is on his death bed and he does not want him to die but the reason for his feelings of regret are never stated in the poem. It is obvious to the reader that the child in this poem has some unresolved issue with his father because he does not want him to die.

Poetry Essay

For this essay I plan to compare “Do not go Gentle into that Good Night” to “Those Winter Sundays.” Both poems are told by speakers looking back on their childhoods and their relationships with their fathers. Each speaker has feelings of resentment towards their father, one in the past and one in the present. While one poem speaks of a father providing for his family during difficult times, the other speaks of the father’s final days. I plan to show how both speakers take their fathers for granted and seem naive about their father’s situations. I will also show how tension is prevalent in these poems. In “Do not go Gentle into that Good Night” the speaker’s expectations of his father seem both harsh and unrealistic. The speaker expects his father to be the man he was when he was healthy, which is not possible as he lies on his death bed. I will focus on why the speaker wants so desperately for his father to continue fighting for his life. In “Those Winter Sundays” the child doesn’t appreciate the battle his father faces every day to provide for his family. This is typical of a father-child relationship during a child’s adolescents. A parent’s love is often overlooked by children of this age, and I feel this poem brings this to light. I will point out various details in both of these poems in order to show the parent-child relationships presented by the speaker.

Theme- "Porphyria's Lover"

"Porphyria's Lover" written by Robert Browning is a very misleading poem when you first engage in the poem. It is portrayed to be a love story. "She put her arm about her waist, And made her smooth white shoulder bare, And all her yellow hair displaced, And stooping, made my cheek lie there, And spread, o'er all, her yellow hair, Murmuring how she loved me". (16-21 Browning) Those lines make you think they are in love. As you read on in the poem it takes on a dramatic change. Her lover was selfish and cold hearted. "Porphyria worshipped me; surprise Made my heart swellm and still it grew, While I debated what to do". (33-35 Browning) You can tell there just from that statement he was very controlling and he is planning something when he states "while I debated what to do". "A thing to do, and all her hair. In one long yellow string I wound three times her little throat around, And strangled her. No pain she felt; I am quite sure she felt no pain." (38-42 Browning) He was selfish enough to murder his lover for the intent he would have her forever. Her spirit will never forgive him but in his mind she was the only one to have her and he wanted to keep it that way. "And thus we sit together now, And all night long we have not stirred, And yet God has not said a word! (58-60 Browning) Now that he is killed her and they sit there together not exchanging words while his lover is emotionless and her spirit has left her. God hasn't sent any signs that she is ok. God will never forgive him for killing his lover.

Topic Proposal "Porphyria's Lover" and "My Last Duchess"

The poems; "Porphyria's Lover" and "My Last Duchess" were both written by Robert Browning. These two poems are interesting and could be used for the Poetry essay with the subject of; the twisted underlying motives behind the supposed theme of love. Both of these poems use the term understatement, as well as the use of dramatic monologue, and situational irony. Also, when reading these two poems, as a reader, you have to see the strange way Browning displays the twistedness of the speakers. He sets up the tone as a real subtle melodramatic type tone, to then use (for the most part) the similarly subtle tone to show the ugliness and perverse nature of the two main characters in the poems. Although, a difference being that in "My Last Duchess" the tone seems to get more enraged and is less sublte than "Porphyria's Lover".

Theme "Ode on a Grecian Urn"

"Porphyria's Lover" Theme

In the poem “Porphyria’s Lover” by Robert Browning, the theme of the poem was about a guy who killed his lover for selfish reasons. At first the speaker made it look like a love story between two people by using choice words that made readers think it was a love story. “She put my arm about her waist” (16) and it talks about her bare shoulder showing, her long yellow hair and her “Murmuring how she loved me.” (21) As the poem progresses, you can clearly see that this guy is not right in the head. He states how she worshipped him. He strangles her with her hair. He believes that she felt no pain and this is what she wanted. This was definitely not a love story. In his mind he thought by killing her, she would be his forever. My thoughts on the theme, it was a good poem with a nice twist to the end. He murdered his lover so that she will be with him forever.

Tone in "To Coy His Mistress"

Being that this poem is about a man trying to convince the listener to go to bed with them and "seize the day", many would expect it to have a vulgar or swoozing tone. The tone in this poem is far from. This specific poem tends to have a very lighthearted tone. He seems to be more sincere than you would expect him to be. It seems as though all he wants is you to go to bed with him, but he does it in a very softhearted way. You aren't immediately disgusted as you would expect to be when one is convincing you to do such a thing. The line that speaks "Two hundred to adore each breast"(line 15 Marvell) makes you wonder the man's real intentions. He is giving off hints of him actually adoring the listener but when in all actuality he is a con.

"Macho Man"

"Barbie Doll" by Marge Piercy is a poem about how much pressure is on teenage girls to be societies standards of "perfect". The girl in this poem "was healthy and tested intelligent" (line 7) however "everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs" (line 11). Teenage boys are just as pressured as girls. Just like the girl in this poem, a young man may be intelligent but society values beauty more. In today's world a teenage boy looks up to men with muscular and lean bodies. They feel as though they need to keep up with the hairstyles that are "in" as well as the clothing styles. Teenage boys are under extra pressure when it comes to the topic of sex. They compare how many girls they have had sex with and feel like they need to excel more then the other boys. There's a sterotype that to be a "man" you need to have the perfect body and get a lot of women. The girl in the poem was "advised to play coy" (line 12). Young men get advice to be successful in sports. The girl was also told to "exercise, diet, smile, and weedle" (line 14). Boys are often told to hit the gym to build the "perfect" body and often are pressured to take enhancement drugs. The pressure on teenage boys is just as stressful as it is for teenage girls if not worse.

Poetry Essay

In my essay I am going to compare the poems "Do not go gentle into that good night" by Dylan Thomas and "Photograph of My Father in His Twenty-Second Year" by Raymond Carver. Both stories are written by men for their fathers. One possibly just passed and the other is in the act of dying. Thomas writes of a man persuading his father to die with the dignity that all men should have, that even if he set out in this world to accomplish everything but in reality accomplished nothing, he is still a father and that is an awesome responsiblity. Carver is looking at a picture of his father where is he is trying to seem important and bold, but really is drinking a beer (and possibly very drunk at the time) holding some little perch. But again still he is a father and his son thinks he is amazing. Carver is realizing that parents are perfect, but once you have walked a mile as a parent you understand their actions better than you could ever as a child.

Theme of "To His Coy Mistress"

The theme in this poem is all about sex. It is written by a man for another man to woo a woman into his bed. He tells her how much he loves her and how long he will. She is resistant to give up her virginity so easily so he tells her he will love her"ten years before the Flood," (783). He compares his love to a garden that will grow "Vaster than empires, and more slow." Everything a woman wants to hear from a man she is willing to give up the one thing she can never get back and is a passing from girl to woman. He tells her that they don't have forever, that if she doesn't give her virginity to him, then she when she dies the worms will have their way with her body. That the grave they put her in, will be cold and hard whereas his arms are warm and comfortable. The poem ends with his still trying very hard to persuade.

Tone of "To His Coy Mistress

The tone of the first stanza of Andrew Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress” seems to be one of flirtatiousness. As the title would indicate, she is not going to be an easy catch, and the young man must use all of his wits to entice her to give in to him. Marvell uses hyperbole throughout the first part of the poem to express the speakers desire to be with the young lady. The young man exaggerates time by indicating that his love for her is eternal by saying “I would/Love you ten years before the Flood,/And you should, if you please, refuse/Till the conversion of the Jews” (lines7-10). He continues by telling her he would spend 100 years just looking at her eyes and forehead (13-14), and “Two hundred to adore each breast” (15). The speaker would seem to say anything to make the young lady believe he is completely enamored with her.

The second stanza becomes much darker in tone, to one of sadness over the passage of time. The young man changes his approach from one of loving compliments to describing what will happen to them in death. He wants her to know that “Time’s winged chariot hurrying near” (22) will steal her beauty and put her in her grave (25-26). The speaker uses images of death and decomposition to try to get to the young lady’s vanity, and perhaps change her mind. He is saying to her that life is short, and she should keep that in mind while she is pushing him away.

In the last stanza, the tone changes again to one that is passionate. The young man finally appeals to the young lady’s sexual desires, invoking images of her “every pore with instant fires” (36) and “amorous birds of prey” (38). He pleads with her to “roll all our strength and all/Our sweetness up into one ball/And tear our pleasures with rough strife” (41-43). He hopes that at this point he has awakened her senses and convinced her to give in to him.

Looking at this poem as a whole, the tone is one of insincerity. The young man never proves his case by flirting with the young lady, scaring her about losing her good looks in death, or turning on her desire for him. The type of behavior exhibited by the young man in this poem could have been written in 1681 or in 2009. Time marches on, but things between men and women never really change.

"Porphyria's Lover"

In Robert Browning’s poem “Porphyria’s Lover,” he uses dramatic irony to tell us how she loves and worships him and then he kills her. In actuality Porphyria does not have an interest in him. He makes himself believe that she loves and worships him. Then he proceeds to kill her to make her his forever. In the first few stanzas of the poem Browning sets the mood as gloomy, stormy and dismal, this reflects how he is feeling. He wants Porphyria to be his lover and she does not feel the same, describing the setting is like describing his feelings. The line, “I listened with heart fit to break,” (719) meant that he wanted her so much he was ready to have his heart broken for a chance with her, which is ironic since he actually kills her in the end not to have his heart broken. If he can’t have her no one else could have her either as the following line states, “That moment she was mine, mine, fair, Perfectly pure and good.” (720) The diction used in this poem is formal and creates a solemn, serious mood.

Irony in Porphyria's Lover

Irony can manipulate a reader's emotions but the writer does not want the readers to be confused by what is said and by what is meant. This kind of irony is displayed in "Porphyria's Lover" by Robert Browning. In the poem the speaker said that Porphyria "listened with a heart fir to break" (719) and the writer doesn't actually mean the heart could break while she is listening but that the heart is a weak heart and it could be hurt while she is listening. The next line says Porphyria "glided" (719) but of course someone can't glide somewhere but instead they walk. Then, she also "shut the cold out and the storm" (719) which a person can't shut a storm out because it does not have a door to shut, but instead she may have just ignored the cold and the storm to keep warm. These are only a few examples of irony in this poem but any type of irony can confuse a reader or they may think the meaning is different than the writer wanted it to be interpreted but the good thing about the use of irony is that it gets the reader to analyze a poem for themselves.

"Ozymandias"

The poem "Ozymandias" by Percy Shelley demonstrates the theme nothing lasts forever. One of the speakers tells a story that was heard from a traveler. The traveler said he saw "two vast and trunkless legs of stone" (line 2). They were "a shattered visage..." (line 4). The expression on the face part of the stone was a "wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command" (line 5). The statue was suppose to represent the amount of power the king held. On the statue it states how mighty and strong the ruler is. What is ironic is the statue is laying in pieces. This represents how no matter how strong something may appear, nothing lasts forever. The sculptor put all his passion into this piece of work. The emotions were all that survived the wreck. They are shown through the details of the work as well as the powerful words carved into it. The gloom of the desert can be felt when reading this poem. It is easy to imagine the endless miles of sand surrounding the ruins of what once was. It lets the imagination run wild thinking about what forces caused the downfall of the king's statue and possibly the civilization. There must have been great dissapointment from the creator of the statue.

My essay on poems

Blog Essay
The two poems I will be comparing are about love. These two poems will be Porphyria’s Lover and My Last Duchess. These two poems are both written by the same author Robert Browning. The two poems are both considered a Dramatic monologue because it includes a listener and speaker as well. These stories are both told or spoken by males about their woman. The similarities of these two poems are a man and woman are involved, in both something has happened to the woman, and in both poems the woman symbolizes possession. The major difference is that in one there is a death and in one there is murder. These men each talk about physical appearances as they look at their woman and both thought that they should only be for them. These men seem to have the same personal issues such as: jealousy, selfish, self esteem, and some insecurity. The poems imagery is different as they are in different places with different things happening at that time. In Porphyria’s lover, “The rain set early in to-night.” (Browning 719) In My Last Duchess, “That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall.” (Browning 702) Christina Montag

My Poem Essay

I am planning on writing my essay as a comparison between the poems “Do not go gentle into that good night” and “Those Winter Sundays”. Both of these stories are about a son’s relationship with his father. In the poem “Do not go gentle into that good night” the son is pleading with his father to not die. In the poem “Those Winter Sundays” the son wishes he had realized everything his father had done for him sooner in life. He doesn’t realize this until is he older. In both stories there is a bond between the fathers and the sons. One that seems to not be realized until it is too late. In “Those Winter Sundays” the son seems to be thinking back and realizing he never told his father that he appreciated what he did for him. It is almost as if he wishes he could. Both stories show the bond between father and son that isn’t realized until it is too late. In my essay I want to focus on the father/son bond and how sometimes it is only realized how much your father has done for you when it is too late. In both poems the speaker was realizing what their father meant to them. The speaker in “Those Winter Sundays” realized it when he could never tell his father how much he appreciated it and the speaker in “Do not go gentle into that good night” realizes this as his father is on his death bed and he doesn’t want him to die.

My Last Duchess

"My Last Duchess" Written by Robert Browning. This is a poem about a man who is a duke. This poem is about a man who is entitled to him self and does not seem to have any respect for the fact that he has a wife. After his wife dies he is already on the prowl to marry again. The man that this poem is about is not only a jealous man but also possessive and looks at his wife not as a person but rather a possession and easily replaceable. "At starting, is my object. Nay we'll go". (54) When the duke talks about the Duchess in this poem you will see that he doesn't really care about the fact the she is dead but he also keeps her hidden behind a curtain. "The curtain I have drawn for you". (10). This man is most likely a powerful man who has certain expectations of a woman. If you look at the way he says things in this poem you can truly see he has no true value for his wife other than thinking of her as an abject. "My Favor at her breast" (25).

Theme of To His Coy Mistress

The theme in "To His Coy Mistress", by Andrew Marvell is one of lust and a hidden desire to be with this mistress. The male lover within this poem is clearly obsessed with her and wants nothing more than to spend his every minute and breath with this mistress. It also seems as though maybe this man is older than this women and he feels his time is running out. "That long preserved virginity, And your quaint honor turn to dust, And into ashes all my lust." (Marvell, pg 783). Overall, the theme here is this man feels his time to be with this mistress is running out and he ultimately has a wish of being with her.

Porphyria's Lover-Theme

The man in the poem "Porphyria's Lover" by Robert Browning, is a very possessive man who wants his lady to love him forever. When he realizes that she does in fact love him, he decides in that moment that the only thing to do is to kill her by strangling her with her own hair. "A thing to do, and all her hair in one long yellow string I wound three times her little throat around, and strangled her." (Lines 38, 39, 40, and 41, Browning) In his head it was the only way he could imagine that she would love him forever. The speaker makes clear that he is a very selfish man who does not want this lady to have any opportunity to love another man again. He also thinks that he is giving her what she wants and that is to be able to be with him forever. When he says "Porphyria's love: she guessed not how her darling one wish would be heard," (Lines 56 and 57, Browning) he meant that she wanted to be with him forever but she was unaware of how her dream would actually come about being true.

Barbie Doll

If I had to rewrite this poem to interlace the same struggles that young men go through in a very demanding society detailing perfection, strength, and dexterity; I would title this poem, "GQ doll". I would present images of masculinity; from six pack abs to an indescribable sense of strength. Some of the social norms that would be represented would be the ability not to show weakness or buckle under pressure. I would also include the sense of being indestructible; a common misconception that young men often times are led to believe. I also think it would be important to show the power of scrutiny among other individuals in comparison with, "Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said: You have a great big nose and fat legs" (Piercy, 991). For young men though; often times it is not being able to compete or perform at a level comparable to their other counterparts.

Ozymandias

Throughout the poem, "Ozymandias" the reader is pulled into the theme of power, withstanding, and everlasting. There is a sense of desolation through the imagery described by the speaker. "The lone and level sands stretch far away" (Shelley, pg 721). The only reinforcing imagery that I can see is the withstanding of this kings pedestal, which I find intriguing because what does any of that matter when all of the rest of this kings work is gone. It is clear that this king's pedestal outlasts everything he built which was probably more important in his eyes because it represented a sense of accomplishment within his lifetime. It is also clear that this king felt his legacy would live on with the two lines within the poem, "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" (pg 721). It also goes to show that nothing in this world is truly everlasting.

Barbie Doll to Prince Doll

"Barbie Doll" is a poem written by Marge Piercy. It addresses the pressure that is put on a girl to be the best of the best. She must look good, act good, and have nice things. But who is to say that this does not happen to young men, too? So many younger males suffer from eating disorders, anxiety, and stress due to trying to be the best, the prince that all the girls like. Boys go through puberty just the same as the girl in this poem. "Then the magic of puberty, a classmate said: You have a great big nose and fat legs." (Lines 5 and 6, Piercy) When these kind of words are said, whether you are a boy or girl, it hurts, and you will try to do everything you can to change the way you look. Now days young people are also focused on not only who looks the best but who acts the best and who has the nicest things. This would include being popular, wearing the best clothes and shoes, having pretty hair, and most likely driving a sports type car to school. If you do not have these things or look the best and you get bullied because of it, it will tear you apart mentally just as it did to the girl in the poem. "Her good nature wore out like a fan belt. So she cut off her nose and her legs and offered them up." (Lines 15, 16, 17, and 18, Piercy) It is just a matter of time before that boy or girl who is being taunted has had enough.

Symbolism of To His Coy Mistress

In the poem “To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell symbolism is used to show readers how this speaker is trying so hard to persuade a woman into becoming lovers. He uses a lot of references of long periods of time to show his lasting love to her “I would / love you ten years before the Flood… (7). The speaker also shows such immeasurable amount of love “My vegetable love should grow / Vaster than empires, and more slow(11), symbolizing his love as huge. He also uses symbolism of time to get her to react quickly by saying they soon would run out of time to react to one another “Now therefore, while the youthful hue / Sits on thy skin like morning glew / …Now let us sport us while we may / … Rather at once our time devour…” (33). The speaker is using these symbols to pressure the woman into becoming intimate with him.

Tone of Porphyria's Lover

The author of “Porphyria’s Lover” uses an unattached tone by the speaker of the story to stun the readers at the end. He begins by telling of this woman that he desires to love him but cannot believe she actually would. She has traveled through a storm to be with him and insists she does love him “murmuring how she loved me-she / Too weak, for all her heart’s endeavor”(21). She is almost exhausted by her own desires for him and when he realizes it he was “Happy and proud; at last I knew / Porphyria worshipped me; surprise / Made my heart swell…” (32). The tone of the story doesn’t change as he now struggles with wondering what to do next “Perfectly pure and good:I found / a thing to do…”(37).Then the surprise ending that shocks the readers as he strangles her with her own hair so that he can keep her love forever. He has the same tone throughout the poem even as he tells how he sits her up beside him all night long, having no remorse for what he done.

Symbolism of "To His Coy Mistress"

In "To His Coy Mistress" there are many different symbols that represent what the speaker wants from him mistress and how he feels about her. The word "coy" means shy, so that makes the reader believe that the speaker's mistress is a shy person. This shyness shows through in the poem and the reader gets the sense that the speaker is trying to convince his mistress to love him. He is trying to tell her that even if she takes a long time to love him it does not matter because his love for her will last forever, "And you should, if you please, refuse till the conversion of the Jews. My vegetable love should grow vaster than empires, and more slow" (9-12). Throughout the poem that speaker uses symbols to show his love for his mistress, "For, lady, you deserve this state, nor would I love at a lower rate." (19-20). Towards the end of the poem he uses symbols of time to show his mistress that there is not much time for her to love him. The last line of the poem emphasises this, "Thus, though we cannot make our sun stand still, yet we will make him run" (45-46).

Imagery of Ode to a Grecian Urn

The author John Keats uses imagery in his poem “Ode on a Grecian Urn” to tell readers that no one can escape mortality. The images on the urn tells us that story starting with: “A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme;”(4). He explains the images on the urn as if they are stand still and silent. Everything would stay young, a lover would be forever held at a pose to never finish her actions “She cannot fade, though, thou hast not thy bliss,” (19). The trees are unable to go through the seasons “Ah,happy,happy boughs! That cannot shed / Your leaves, nor ever bid the spring adieu;”( 21), they will never lose their leaves like a real live tree. The images of the small vacant town is what shifts the story to reality as they explain that once gone you can never come back “And, little town, thy streets for everymore / Will silent be… can e’er return."(38) . Immortality is only for the urn not for people “When old age shall the generation waste, / Thou shalt remain...”(46). The author is clever at using all the imagery to let people know that no one can be immortal.

My last Duchess

My last Duchess
This man was a Duke which is why his wife was considered a duchess. This man wanted his wife to be possession for only him to see. He really didn’t like having everyone see his wife in her portrait because she looked so lifelike. As a duke he is higher up in social status because a lot of people are lower status than this. He claims, “Of joy into the duchess cheek.” (Browning 703) He did not seem to care about his wife in person, but only as a trophy to keep to himself. He seems to focus more on her looks as he talks about her. The duke, “The curtain I have drawn for you.” (Browning 703) He tried to hide her away for only him to see whenever he wanted. The words he uses make me think that he was jealous of his wife and that she was so beautiful. The duke also seems selfish because he wants to keep the duchess all to himself. Everything he says seems to have something to do with himself even if he is talking about someone else. The duke also seems insecure because he holds onto the duchesses’ picture to prove status. He is showing the portrait to the father of the woman he wants to marry. Maybe he is trying to use this to show what he has had for possession in the past. He does this to prove his good taste or possibly his status. Christina Montag

Barbie Blog

Barbie Blog
If this poem were to be changed for a male I would call it Ken. This is because that is the name of the male Barbie and the figure a man is to have can still be compared. The male is supposed to be pictured as muscular and in shape. In this poem the woman is portrayed as, “she went to and fro apologizing”. (Piercy 991) It is also said, “lipsticks the color of cherry candy”. (Piercy 991) Transformed for a guy these would probably have something to do with playing sports or the type of work they do. Any man who shows some emotion may be called names or not considered to be a man. All males are supposed to be considered the head of the household and take care of their family. In the poem Barbie, “exercise, diet, smile, and wheedle”. (Piercy 991) In this time period women were to stay home, care for children, and take care of the house. Males were to go to work and provide for the family. They made the choices around the house and expected certain things to be done. Like anyone male or female all these expectations can get very old and sickening. In this poem, “She cut off her nose and her legs and offered them up.” (Piercy 991) In the end we all end up dead and in a casket where people find something good to say about you.
Christina Montag

Bobby Doll

The poem is “Bobby Doll” considering the male version of a Barbie doll in which the doll is a tall, dark and handsome guy. He would be dressed in the latest brand name clothes, shoes, have clear complexion, the great jock, honor student, have all latest technical gadgets, and a cool car. This image would be the envy of all males reaching puberty and the drive behind their hard work to strive for this perfection to be liked by all. He would be presented with miniature I-pods, I-phone, and different cars for all occasions from convertibles to SUV’s. Just as Barbie was with “ miniature GE stoves and irons and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy(4). He too would have the perfect life until one of his classmates would say ‘you have big ears and flabby legs’. He too would go around apologizing for these imperfections that everyone sees; even though he has strived to be ideal. His weightlifting, practicing sports and all around great and pleasant demeanor would wear out leaving him the same fate as Barbie when he can’t reach perfection to please all.

"Barbie Doll"

A narrative poem “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy, explains in details feminine stereotype influences on how women are portray in modern society. In addition, there are indications that social comparison affects a child's self-evaluation more strongly with increasing age. "Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said: You have a great big nose and fat legs" (pg. 991). The way we treat each other has as much to do with cultural norms, expectations, and media constructions of reality. Similarly, young man in our society today experiences parental influences, educational, social norms and peer pressure as it does to with the feminine counterpart. Therefore, if I have to rewrite this poem the title will be “Ken Doll”. This fits well in describing a tall, muscular, handsome and smart wealthy-looking man in his twenties.

"My Last Duchess"

In Robert Browning's poem "My Last Duchess" the speaker known as the Duke uses vague and inhuman words to describe his late wife, throughout his conversation with an emissary sent by the Count. Ideally, the speaker can be described as arrogant, bitter, proud, and possibly wicked. The speaker exhibits affluent lifestyles of the rich, famous, and powerful individual with family wealth and fortune. He states, “My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name with anybody's gift” (pg. 703). The speaker reminds the guest about his social class and old family inheritance. The speaker’s entire speech is about his late wife who since her death has been reduced to nothing, rather than another piece of his beautiful art objects. “That's my last Duchess painted on the wall, looking as if she were alive. I call That piece a wonder, now: Fra Pandolf s hands Worked busily a day, and there she stands” (pg. 702-703). Unfortunately, such remarks about his former duchess reveal the true character of the duke as soulless and selfish individual who has no respect for the soul of his late wife. In a nutshell, the speaker is talking to an envoy from the Count who has been sent to negotiate another marriage. “The Count your master's known munificence is ample warrant that no just pretence of mine for dowry will be disallowed; though his fair daughter's self, as I avowed” (pg. 704). Ultimately, the speaker indirectly express what he expects from the new duchess and her family.

Ozymandias

In the poem “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelle, the theme that nothing lasts, it shows in the poem by the descriptive words used to describe how nothing remains the same. Shelly shows that there is nothing there but “trunkless legs of stone.” (2) It shows that there are two legs that remain standing in the sand. Everything has sunk in the sand. The imagery in the poem shows how the sculpture is broken, decaying and sinking in the sand. The only thing standing is the trunkless legs and everything else is gone. The speaker in the poem talks about how it “met a traveler from an antique land” (1) and states that “who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone stand in the desert.”(2, 3) The speaker is relating what he saw in the desert. In this poem, nothing lasts forever but it seems that the trunkless stones and stones in the sand are the only things that lasted.

"My Last Dutchess"

In "My Last Dutchess" written by Robert Browning, the speaker is a very jealous and sefish man. There is many examples that portray this behavior. One of them is how he has her picture behind the curtain, so only he can see it. It is as though he wants to keep her to himself and doesn't want to "share". A wife is something you should be proud of and want everyone to get to know her and think well of her, as you do. Not something that you want to hide and have all to yourself. He doesn't even want his own wife smiling at other people. When he realizes that she is doing so, he becomes very angry. In his sick, twisted mind, she should only be smiling at him.
Now the duke is a very high noble man and he is the ruler of Farra. But as the poem goes on, you begin to realize he is also the ruler of his own wife. This obbsessive, dictative lifestyle, eventually led to the own murder of his wife.

"Barbie Doll"

I believe that the poem "Barbie Doll" is almost degrading to women's society. What young women are "supposed" to look like is so ridiculous. It is not helping them out any, not boosting their confidence. If anything, it tears them down. The "wanted look" of a "normal" women is just getting smaller and smaller. This is by no means normal. With all the fast food restaurants and what not, it takes a lot of determination and will power for a women to stay in shape, or at least that wanted look.
The Bratz Dolls give a very distorted look at todays society. Are they trying to portray that it's ok for teenagers to be snotty and "brats"? Are they trying to say it's ok to wear tiny little miny skirts and an excuse of a t-shirt? It's hard to understand that a company is actually putting a product out there. All it does is give a distorted image of how a women should look, to young children.

Barbie Doll

In the poem “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy, it shows how girls feel the need to fit in with the role of the Barbie doll. The Barbie is thought to be beautiful, perfect and just the right size. In today’s society, girls feel that they should live up to society’s standards. Men also can be affected with the same high standards of today’s society. Men have always been thought as the hero, or the strong one with big muscles. My title of the poem would be the “Perfect Man”. Men are supposed to be good in sports, be the football star, not to show emotion. They are thought of as the handsome one, the good looking guy who is cool, popular and intelligent guy. As you can see men also have many pressures of being the perfect man. The images that I would use would be big muscles, gorgeous hair and nice body.

"Barbie Doll"

"Barbie Doll" by Marge Piercy could be rewriten to make a more updated version such as "Bratz Doll". Young girls look up to Barbie dolls they want to have "turned-up putty noses" and small legs just like the Barbie dolls and not have "great big noses and fat legs" like the innocent girl in the poem. (991). The same thing goes for Bratz dolls, they have tiny waists and big lips, which makes the girls want to be just like the Bratz doll. However, this is not realistic because the size of the dolls is not a healthy size for little girls but because it is a well known model they want to be just like it. They don 't understand that isn't how all girls should look and that no one is going to have a perfect, so to say, body like the doll. Little girls think if they look like the Bratz doll they will be "happy" but it isn't always true because just like everyone says money doesn't buy happiness, neither will a body of a Bratz doll.

dictation of Ode on a Grecian Urn

The author uses dictation to set the mood of this poem as something amazing and beautiful. He is experiencing something spiritual. He describes his surrondings with such passion. "Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard Are sweeter; therefore, ye soft pipes playon;" (979).

symbolism in To His Coy Mistress

In this poem there is an attempt to make a woman fall in love. The author uses symbolism to get his point across. "My vegetable love would grow" (783) the author is saying that even though he loves her already that his love would continue to grow over time. "But at my back I always hear Time's winged chariot hurrying near" (783) the author is say that he can hear the rumors being said behind his back and the deception that is arising behind him and he knows it.

Dictation in Porphyria's Lover

The author starts the poem by setting the calm mood when the woman comes in from out of the rain and finds warmth and comfort in his arms "she shut the cold out and the storm" (719) "she put my arm around her waist" (719). Later in the poem he strangles her in fear that she may leave him but the mood of the poem never alters it remains calm "In one long yellow string I wound three times her little throat around" (720) he feels no remorse at all it seems very natural he even sits her next to him later "and thus we sit together now, and all night long we have not stirred" (720).

"My Last Duchess"

The speaker in “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning is a jealous and selfish man. The way he comes across in the poem, he wants everything to himself, he is selfish. An example of the speakers selfishness is the name of the poem itself “My Last Duchess”, no one will ever have her as his wife because she is now dead. Another example that he is selfish and wants everything to himself is when he kept her picture behind the curtain so only but himself could see it (703). His jealousy came through when he realized he was not the only one that she (the Duchess) smiled at and they smiled back and once he realized this he made commands and the smiling stopped (703). The speaker wanted to make sure that his social status was good. He knew that even though his wife was dead that she gave him a good social status because she was a lady that could make others blush and she was a polite woman who thanked the men, which reflected his good taste in women (703). The word choice and tone of the speaker reflects him as a person who feels he is better than everyone else and that anything he gets isn't good enough for him. For example, he felt his last Duchess was "too easily impressed; she liked whate'er" (703)and this shows that she wasn't good enough for him that she could have been better or more strict like him.

Barbie Doll

In this poem the author talks about the physical appearance, today the ideal woman continues to get smaller and younger. The bratz dolls are much younger and all around smaller also. The pressure that is put upon young girls to fit into the category of what a woman should look like is very high. In this poem they talk about the girl having a big nose and fat legs this is still something a young girl my hear today. In fact the chance of it are even greater look at the name of the doll "Bratz" this is sending the message to children that it is okay to have a bad attitude and treat other people poorly. These dolls also were less and less clothes is really okay for a five year old to want to dress in a mini skirt and half a shirt. The bratz doll is the modern barbie she has more edge and attitude and looks more like a teenager than a barbie.

Ozymandias

In this poem a king who calls himself the "king of kings" (721) built a statue of himself at the hight of his power. Though he was a powerful man when he built the statue it know lies forgotten in the desert half buried in sand. He could have been the most powerful man of his world but has long been forgotten. His tribute to himself like the memory of him has been forgotten.

"Barbie Doll"

The poem "Barbie Doll" by Marge Piercy is about society's view of young women. If I were to rewrite this poem by considering the outside forces that affect young men I would focus more the different ideas that society holds about young men. I would write about how society has different standards for young men that are considered the "norm". Young men are expected to be involved in sports and they are also expected to enjoy working and being outside. They may be expected to enjoy working with their hands and to not mind getting dirty. As far as appearance goes they are expected to be muscular and physically fit. Their peers and also their parents may expect them to hold in their emotions, it would be considered the "norm" to not cry if you are a male in our society. The title of my poem would be "The Experience of a Young Man", it is not too original but it explains everything that I would be trying to communicate to the reader of my poem. I would want the reader to imagine society's idea of masculinity by using words like; strong and athletic.

"Porphyria's Lover" Irony

“Porphyria’s Lover,” a poem by Robert Browning, focuses on the irony present in the relationship between the speaker and his lover. When Porphyria enters the speaker’s home we expect there to be a typical night shared by two people who are in love. Initially this is what the speaker’s tone suggests. When describing Porphyria he states, “She shut the cold out and the storm” (7). From this line we can see that the speaker is fond of his lover. However, upon finishing the poem the irony is quite evident. Although we expect the two people to spend an enjoyable night together, we eventually learn this is far from the truth. What began as a typical night ends in death. The speaker realizes that Porphyria’s adoration for him will eventually change, and he cannot deal with this thought. He kills her in order to preserve her love, which seems ironic considering she will no longer be capable of loving him at all now that she is dead. The irony provides a dramatic twist to the development of Browning’s poem.

"Ozymandias"

In the poem "Ozymandias", Percy Bysshe Shelley uses many different words to create the image that nothing lasts. When he is describing the remains of the statue he uses words that make the reader imagine that this statue is falling apart, the trunk of the statue is separated from the legs. It is evident that even a statue of a mighty king does not last, "Half sunk, a shattered visage lies" (4). Towards the end of the poem the author used words such as; decay, colossal wreck, and bare. As the reader this made me imagine things that do not last or something that is falling apart. Even though the king in this poem was powerful at one time his power did not last and it is starting to sink back into the earth. The thing that did last in the poem were the sands. "The lone and level sands stretch far away" (14). Although everything around the sand is starting to fade away the author makes it clear that the sand will last over time.

Irony in Porphyria's Lover

Robert Browning uses irony in the poem Porphyria’s Lover. When the speaker finally realizes that Porphyria is truly in love with him he strangles her. Porphyia traveled through the storm to reach the speaker to prove her love for him and “she shut the cold out and the storm,”(719)
Porphyria “made her smooth white shoulder bare”(719) in giving herself to the speaker because of her love to him. She offers herself unconditionally and how ironic that the speaker would murder her with her own hair for such a gift.
The speaker was so proud, “Porphyria worshipped me,”(720) he says and because of this worship and love the speaker wants to preserve something so special he decides to kill her so he will always have her love, that she will not be able to give it to anyone else.
The last few sentences of the poem start off with “Porphyria’s love: she guessed not how Her darling one wish would be heard” (720) shows how the irony continues in the poem from the beginning to the end. Her one wish was granted, to be with the speaker, and now she will be with him forever.

Theme of "Ode on a Grecian Urn"

It is true reading between the lines is a critical element of interpreting poetry. However in “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” John Keats puts all necessary information into his rolling, poetic words. Although the language is a bit old, it shouldn’t be too difficult to understand this poem’s theme. First off, the title speaks in abundance; this poem is all about the ornate wooden carvings that this urn possesses, and more so, the stories it tells. It is clear in the first stanza that the speaker is talking TO the urn. It is important to notice how he is speaking to it, asking of its history: “What leaf-fring’d legend haunts about thy shape of deities or mortals…” (978) Another good indication of the ornate look of the urn is how many questions he asks of it. Clearly seven separate questions should indicate that this urn is not plain in any way.
The second stanza seems to apply to a courting couple. The speaker tells them even though they will never kiss, the man should not be sad because his lover “cannot fade” (979). Their love will always remain.
Stanza three also offers another portrait of never ending spring and the joy that comes with it. However, it takes on a bit of a sour note at the end stating the “happy love…leaves a heart high-sorrowful and cloy’d” (979). The speaker is saying it leaves the heart sick from too much sweetness.
Finally in the last stanza, the poem comes together. While all the other stanzas relate to the ornate story the urn tells, the last stanza relates to the mystery of existence. This urn is beautiful, but it only ends up reminding us of death; and long after we are gone, the urn will live on as a reminder to man saying: “Beauty is truth, truth beauty.” (980) True beauty can only be discovered through life. Beauty is reality and reality is beautiful.

"My Last Duchess" (Unit 9)

"My Last Duchess" written by Robert Browning is a poem written about the duke and his deceases duchess. The duke lived a very elegant and high class life style. Not only did he expect alot from his nobleman but also he had high expectations of his wife. The duke felt as if his wife shouldn't give anyone a smile but him. "Would draw from her alike the approving speech, Or blush, at least. She thanked men-good! but thanked" (30-31 Browning). He believed he should be the only one to bring a smile to her face or to make her blush or feel intimate at all. "Somehow- I know-as if she ranked My gift of a nine hundred years old name With anybody's gift. Who'd stoop to blame" (32-34 Browning). The duke being of a high social class he tends to be very erogant and controlling. He is te ruler of Farra but the poem makes it seem as though he ruled his wifes life as well. His attitude and the way he ruled his wife lead to her death and to have her murdered. "With anybody's gift. Who'd stoop to blame this sort of trifling?" (34-35 Browning). He is showing no remorse and saying how should anybody blame him for wanting her to be dead.

Ozymandias

In the poem Ozymandias, Percy Bysshe Shelley uses the theme that nothing lasts. There are many words in this poem that reinforces this. Even though there is a statue with the words, “king of kings”, which makes a person think of something great and powerful, the irony is that even this great statue falls apart.
In the first sentence there is talk of “an antique land”. This represents something that is old. In the fourth sentence the words “half sunk” and “shattered” also represent something that is falling apart. While reading this poem, these words automatically put scenarios in my head of something falling apart, that it is old and decrepit. There are also words of “colossal wreck” and “remains” which are also descriptive words of something falling apart.
The various speakers represent a weak person and a strong person and that a strong person can become weak over time. This again is implying that nothing lasts.
The one thing that does last in this poem is the sand. It is in the beginning of the poem in the description of the “trunkless legs of stone, Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,”. It is also in the last sentence, “The lone and level sands stretch far away.” This tells me that the sand was there for the statue to crumble upon and that when you look out over the land the sand is always there.

Barbie Doll

If I had to switch the title of “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy to fit a man’s perspective I would change the title to, appropriately, Ken Doll. With just some minor changes in the poem, it could easily be written about a boy rather than a girl. Most all kids when going through adolescence face the same issues of what people believe you should look like and what you accomplish, whether it was 50 years ago or in today’s time.
In the first stanza I would change the sentence “dolls that did pee-pee” to guns that made noise. I would also change “miniature GE stoves and irons” to footballs and dirt bikes. I would think that to a boy, being made fun of their physical body, as in being scrawny would hurt their pride, along with being book smart. In my mind, boys like to be seen as “jocks” or the big man on campus, who has it all, including; athletic body, great hair, and pretty girls that hang on them. It usually does not include being the smartest one in class.
The second stanza would have to change in the manner that a boy would not go around apologizing for who they are as a girl would. A boy, I would imagine, would let the criticism infest inside him until he exploded. Think Columbine!
I think that girls are more advised to try to change themselves and their images than boys are. Girls are more emotional seekers than boys are and they like to think of everyone liking them.
The last three lines of the poem is the most powerful. “Doesn’t she look pretty? Everyone said. Consummation at last. To every women a happy ending.” This means that the girl finally made everyone think that she is pretty and that they all like her even though she had to take her own life to make it happen.

My Last Duchess (Unit 9)

"My Last Duchess" written by Robert Browning is a poem about a duke and his a painting of his late wife that he has hanging on the wall. He is talking to the father of his possible future wife. This poem is very complex in it's words but in the end it all comes together and the reader realizes the story the poem is trying to tell. The duke is the very possessive and jealous type of husband. His late wife had a wondering eye, "..Too easily impressed; she liked whate'er She looked on, and her looks went everywhere." (Lines 23 and 24, Browning) He felt as though she did not appreciate him or who he was because "she ranked My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name With anybody's gift." (Lines 33 and 34, Browning) He was of a high social class because he was the duke of Farrara and he did not appreciate his wife straying herself and her wondering eye. The poem gives the feeling that he possibly murdered her or had her murdered. "Who'd stoop to blame This sort of trifling?" (Lines 34 and 35, Browning) Basically this says who would blame him for wanting her dead? If she does not want to appreciate him, then she will not be able to appreciate anybody.

My Last Duchess

In Robert Browning’s poem, “My Last Duchess,” we learn a great deal about the speaker’s character based on his characterization of his recently deceased duchess. Being born into a nine hundred year old family name has made the duke both selfish and domineering. As an important nobleman, the duke appears to believe he should be catered to, especially by his wife. Throughout the poem the duke suggests that his wife did not live up to his standards. He suggests that his wife was quite flirtatious, possibly even adulterous. While discussing the look on the duchess’ face the duke states, “Sir, ‘twas not her husband’s presence only, called that spot of joy into the Duchess’ cheek” (13-15). The duke expects that he and only he should bring a smile to his wife’s face or blush to her cheeks. One could first assume these lines suggest that the duchess was not faithful to her husband. However, the duke’s tone throughout the poem suggests that he could simply be paranoid. His tone also makes him seem especially controlling. His controlling personality leads him to have his wife killed, but we learn that he has easily moved on and is now talking to a representative for the count. He is preparing to marry the count’s daughter, but in order to prevent his marriage history from repeating itself, he warns the representative of his expectations. To this authoritative man, a wife is worth no more than an object.

Laura Brown

Ozymandias End

The poem “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley has the theme that all things truly do come to an end. The imagery in the poem gives the sense that even someone as powerful as this ruler of long ago was, his reign had ended. The only thing left of his realm is his crushed sculpture scattered and half buried in the vast desert in which “lone and level sands stretch far away.”(14) Ozymandias’ facial expressions on his decapitated head from the sculpture reveals that he was a very harsh ruler “a shattered visage lies, whose frown, And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command.”(5) He thought of himself as a king that was great and even brags by the inscriptions in the remains of the statue’s base that he is “Ozymadias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”(10) Even though this ruler was indeed a great and powerful king his reign over a kingdom had truely come to an end.

Tone/Reactions - Porphyria's Lover

"Porphyria's Lover" by Robert Browning, is a unique poem that uses an interesting tone as well as dramatic monologue, that adds to its' twisted story. This poem starts out just like any 1800's love poem, using phrases like, "The rain set early in to-night, The sullen wind was soon awake" (1,2) and "I listened with heart fit to break. When glided in Porphyria; straight" (5,6). Using these descriptions, Browning sets this relaxing, yet exciting tone. Like that of two lovers meeting at a given place where they always meet to make love. This tone is sustained until "She put her arm about my waist, And made her smooth white shoulder bare" (16,17.) Now at this point, the way a reader reacts switches from being relaxed and exciting, to just exciting! It looks like it's setting up to be a steamy romantic scene, this tone is maintained with lines like, "Murmuring how she loved me -- she Too week, for all her heart's endeavour" (21,22). Then, all of the sudden, the tone in the midst of the love and affection, deep passionate descriptions of these two apparent lovers comes to an utter halt, when the speaker says, "Three times her little throat around, And strangled her. No pain felt she" (40,41). The feelings as a reader drops like a book off a shelf, as a reader, your heart can't help but find a desolate break. The tone finishes off the poem in the mind of a crazed psychopathic killer, twisted in his obsession with the desire to contain her whole heart, which is why he killed her in that "Perfectly pure and good" (37) state. The odd thing about this poem, is that the tone of the speaker although varies at certain times, remains a steady dull tone, which adds to the creepiness of the story.

Barbie Doll

Barbie Doll written by Margie Piercy. This poem was written about how society perceives how young woman should be. If I were to re write this in comparison to how society perceives our young men I would compare it to WWF wrestlers. I think society puts alot of pressure on our young men. I believe society thinks our young men should be the bread winners, Stronger than women. Young men that grow up with no male interaction struggle with identity. Some young men tend to play alot of video games which sometimes leads them to trouble down to road. Men and woman are labeled unfairly. People do not look at what on the inside, instead are only concerned with the outside appearance. Society puts alot of pressure on how a person should look and in return that causes people to suffer from eating disorders and ect trying to achieve the look that society pressures us to have.

"Barbie Doll" - Perfection Required for Everyone

The pressures of living in today’s society are enormous. Whether you are a Barbie or a Ken, everyone is expected to be successful, to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and to be beautiful both inside and out. When Marge Piercy wrote “Barbie Doll” in 1973, these same pressures to succeed were already in place for the young people coming up in the world. Throughout the ages, it has always been difficult to be a female and to mold to whatever role you were destined to play, whether it was as a scullery maid, a housewife and mother, or a powerful player in the business world. We sometimes forget those same pressures were and are put on young men as well. They have always been expected to be the provider, the protector, and the powerful businessman. Above all, look your best.

Piercy is focusing on the outside beauty in this poem, and what happens when someone smashes a young girls self esteem. But where Piercy writes “Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said:/You have a great big nose and fat legs” (lines 5,6) she could have been writing about a male or a female. The passages that refer to feminine items and ideas could easily be changed into masculine form. Where the young girl is “presented dolls that did pee-pee/and miniature GE stoves and irons/and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy” (2-4), a young boy would be given plastic soldiers, toy guns, racing cars, little pretend shaving kits. Where “She was advised to play coy” (12), a young man could be advised to be strong. When “she cut off her nose and her legs/and offered them up” (17,18) the only thing that would have to change, and still show the horror that this young person must have been living, is the word she to he.

When we, as a society put such pressure on our children to be perfect, there can only be an unhappy ending. In real life, there is no fairy tale existence, and we must each be happy with the way we are. Piercy knew this, and this poem is screaming at us to get that point across.

Barbie Doll

The poem "Barbie Doll" is about society's pressure, that even a doll, puts on women to look perfect and have the perfect body figure. Men have the same pressure as well, however slightly different. Men have dolls that are muscular and have masculine jobs like a GI Joe doll, for an example. GI Joe is the great American hero, boys could get the idea that they are the hero and that they need to save the damsel in distress. There are also things like guns, knives, and cars that are available at the store for them to buy, but girls do not have these in their toy isle. Toy makers put too much emphasis on making girl toys more for women to stay home and take care of the home and children. Whereas boy toys are based more around violence, the "gatherers" of our societies family structures. It puts the pressure on men to be tough, and don't show your weak side. If I were to invent a toy for boys that is the equivalent to the Barbie doll for girls, it would have to be called Paul Bunyan. I know that this name is already a well known name, but think about what Paul Bunyan would represent to us if we did not know who he was. He has an ox, carries an ax with him, and works out in the woods. He has a job that takes strength and brute to be able to cut down trees. He also is very manly looking with muscles and plaid shirts. The perfect example of what men should be, even if it may seem unrealistic to us.

My Last Duchess

"My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning is spoke to us from the point of view of the husband of the Duchess.The husband seem to show the picture of his wife as a trophy. He kept it behind a curtain, which to me seems odd because when you lose someone you love you want there picture out to see, not kept hidden. I believe that there was more of an ownership of his wife than a happy marriage, in the line "I gave gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together." The tone sounds almost possessive about her. The Duchess was happy in her life until he started to change into someone she had not married. To who the husband is speaking, I really am not sure. I would think that it would be someone of great title, since he seems to be possessive of his late wife, his trophy, I would imagine that it would have to be someone of importance for him to reveal her picture to them.
Missy McCleary

"Ozymandias" - Ashes to Ashes

Things disappear. Material possessions eventually are lost, either to carelessness or time. Anything that can be touched, physically felt, held in your hands will eventually break down and return to the earth. This is the message the speaker in Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem “Ozymandias” is trying to get across. The imagery of the statue of Ramses II, one of Egypt’s greatest rulers laying “Half sunk, a shattered visage lies,” (line 4) creates a picture of a dynasty long gone. The traveler has told the speaker that “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone/Stand in the desert” (2,3) creating a vision of nothing but sand with a broken statue jutting out. This alone evokes a feeling of loneliness which is echoed in the final line of the poem “The lone and level sands stretch far away” (14). Shelley appears to be writing a warning to the world that no matter who you are or how powerful you were in your lifetime, you too will end up returning to dust. The story that the traveler tells the speaker will live on, as it is passed from one person to another. The poem and its artistic value will live on, as it is read by countless people throughout the ages.

Theme- Porphyria's Lover

This is a poem written by Robert Browning. Porphyria's Lover was written in 1836. When first reading this poem a reader would get the idea that this poem would be about love, however in reality this poem is about murder. The writer tells us about how he strangles her with her own hair. (A thing to do, and all her hair, In one long yellow string I wound. Three times her little throat around. And strangled her. No pain felt she; I am quite sure she felt no pain. (38-42). This writer is desperate to be loved, by strangling her he thinks she will be with him forever. The writer tends to have delusional thoughts on how love really should be. This writer was not carrying out her wishes, yet he was carrying out his own. This man is very entitled, this man does not care about human life much less about anyone but himself. He wants to be loved and in his sick mind he feels gratification by what he has done.

Theme of Ode on a Grecian Urn

"Odeon a Grecian Urn" by John Keats has many themes. The theme of the first stanza is Greecian "In Tempe or the dales of Arcady" (7). The second stanza's theme is love, "Bold lover, never, never canst thou kiss," (17). The third stanza's theme is happiness, "And, happy melodist, unwearied" (23). The fourth stanza's theme is death, "To what green altar, O myterious preist" (32). The fifth and final stanza's theme is earth, "'Beauty is truth and truth is beauty," - that is all / Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know'" (49, 50).

Mood of To His Coy Mistress

The mood of "to His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell is light. The title of the poem helps explain what it is about. He is trying to court a women. She isn't so sure about him and he uses joking matter to win her over. "My vegetable love should grow" (11). He tells her what it would be like if she would give herself to him, "That long preserved virginity, / And your quaint honor turn to dust," (28, 29). But what if she refuses him, " The graves a fine and private place,"(31).

Barbie Doll ~ Brook M.Wilken

This piece clearly portrays a feminist’s view of societal forces that rule the internal psyche of young impressionable women. The overall tone of this piece suggests that our society judges members on external characteristics alone and compels outcast individuals to constantly apologize for their lack of gender congruency. The masculine version of this piece may be depicted in a piece entitled The Tender Warrior. Although times have changed, men were often stereotyped by society and strict societal standards have required that men possess the distinct qualities that reflect masculinity including: bulging muscles, strong masculine facial features, as well as a character void of emotion. This piece should paramount on the pretense that a man with soft facial features, a fragile body frame, and the ability to express sympathy and empathy should not be allowed to defend his country and participate in combat. Each man called into the draft would be evaluated on their physical features alone and not based on the pride they have for their country, the willingness to fight, or their extensive desire to better the lives for future generations.

Irony of Porphyria's Lover

The poem "Porphyria's Lover is completely ironic. The speaker tells a story about love, so you think. It is really about murder. He speaks of how he love Porphyria so much. He isn't sure she loves him tho and is surprised when he realizes she does, "Happy and proud; at last I knew / Porphyria worshipped me; surprise" (32, 33). He wants to keep that moment forever. So as they lay there he strangles her with her own hair. It's okay tho, he believes, because she didn't feel anything "And strangled her. No pain she felt;" (41) and it's what she wanted "Her darling one wish would be heard" (57). It's ironic to love someone and to strangle them to death. To watch someone you love slowly dying is awful.

My Last Duchess~ Brook M. Wilken

In the poem, "My Last Duchess", Robert Browning uses intricate language, tone, and voice to depict the true, inner character of the upper class Duke. The intricate use of formal language and the way in which the Duke expresses his thoughts, indicate that the Duke is of a higher society and is completely consumed with the idea that he is to be honored and glorified by all. “But to myself they turned (since none puts by The curtain I have drawn for you, but I)” (Browning 703). This passage indicates that he believes he is the center of attention and he is in charge of signaling the end. It is apparent throughout the poem that the Duke believes he is better than his last duchess and makes frequent reference to her excessive flirtation. He appears to believe that he is too sophisticated and high in character to even approach her about her flirtatious tendencies. “My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name With anybody’s gift. Who’d stoop to blame This sort of trifling… I choose Never to stoop” (Browning 703). He has made it very clear that he will not stoop to her level, suggesting that she may not be good enough for him. He is speaking, possibly, to a member of the Court’s family due to the fact that he is interested in marrying the Court’s daughter. The main purpose of sharing the last duchess painting with this individual is to establish a clear warning of what his expectations are for his next marriage. He makes it very clear that once he says his vows, the women will forever be his object. “Though his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed At starting, is my object” (Browning 704). The fact that such emphasis is placed on “my object” again reiterates that he is to be glorified by her and she is just a mere object, just as the painting. It is ironic, however, that he has chosen to capture the last duchess’ blushing smile on canvas, when in fact, that smile is what drove him into a jealous rage.

Barbie Doll or Ken Doll

Marge Piercy wrote a poem called Barbie Doll which is very feminist. If I had to redo it about men I would write it using the Ken Doll as a symbol. The Ken Doll was very masculine. He always had "man" jobs such as construction worker and father. He was very masculine. He had a perfectly chiseled chest, blond hair and, blue eyes. Ken was also very athletic. He was even a Olympic gold medalist. He was very well dressed and had the perfect outfit for any occasion. All in all Ken was the "perfect" man.

Ozymandias

Ozymandias is a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelly. The theme of this poem is that nothing lasts. It starts off telling you about an antique land, apparently the kingdom before it didn't last. Then there is a statue that is some what burried in the sand. Parts of it are exposed. Those parts are battered and broke. "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: / Looks on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" (10,11) is written on the pedestal of the statue, which is funny because nothing is left of the land. They only thing that has lasted of that land is that broken down statue. The rest of it is just bare sand.

Barbie Doll

This poem is really brutal when you think about it being about someone driven to death by what society wants people to be and how in this day in age we teach our children to judge so brutally. For men I would say that the outside forces don’t do the same as it does to women. In a different way it really hurts men and people around them. When you think about the outside forces, you can say that hunting is telling men it is okay to shoot things, gangs show that violence to another person is okay, hitting women is the manly thing to do (to show her), video games give the wrong idea to men to do things they should not, and most important people that do extreme sports are giving men the idea that it is fun, and in the end some of these people die due to complications of the sport.

If I had to re-title the story for the theme towards men I would have to call it “superman”. I would name it this because society and all the negative inspirations out there people tend to think they are superman and can do whatever they want. This is not a good thing.

I would use a gun as the tool to men hate towards themselves and others after watching the crime that is being committed all over the world. I would also use a man with big muscles to show that men think that they are the strong human of the two sexes. I really do not agree with my own ideas but it would work for me to show the digestive perspective that men acquire. The diction I would use is he, and words that show hate on others.

"Barbie Doll" or "G.I. John"

I would title the poem "G.I. John". The images I would portray are those of strength both in emotions and physical stature. Guys these days are looked down upon when they show emotion, when they look weak. They are supposed to be a rock in any situation and be the one to make the first move (asking a girl out and proposing). This is sometimes such a strain on guys that they fear their true selves, in the homosexual life this happens a lot. We as a community are getting better about accepting people as who they are fat, skinny, strong, weak, straight, gay.

"My Last Duchess"

The speaker in "My Last Duchess" is a man who is so very vain that he would appreciate more the painting of his late wife then she herself. The picture of her was what he wanted all along, not someone to love and share life with but a possession that he could show off. The picture is hidden behind a curtain that only he is to move, to show only those that he approves of. He is a Duke in the 1500's, who's wife has died not too long ago. She a woman who was "too easily impressed", something he thought was a weakness. He is talking to someone who will help to arrange a new wife for him.

Ozymandias

I think that the theme started at line three when they are standing in the desert. Usually desert represents open fields of sand which to me is empty and nothing really lasts in the desert without water or food. Further it talks about Ozymandias that is getting older and I would say is dying. Some of the symbolism is the remains around the decaying wreck, this to me means that it did not last. I look at the last line and get that maybe in the end everything ends up being flat and lifeless.

I did notice that Percy says the passions do not fade and are still there. Sometimes I look at my life and see that I have lots of things and not so much passions, I would hope I can get to the point of this poem and make sure I know what is important. I find it interesting that Ozymandias wants them to look at his work regardless of the despair that they are in. I take this as to not forget things that are important to you no matter what everyone else thinks.

I really like this poem, but I think that I need to read it more to really understand it because I feel like I am misinterpreting it in some way.

Macho Man

If I were to re-write the poem “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy it would have the title of, “Macho Man.” I would use this title because this is the stereotype that men are given. Men are supposed to be emotionless and cold, not showing emotions, especially in public. Boys are given trucks, balls, bats, and toy guns to play with when they are young. Boys are supposed to be strong and fast and good at sports and hunting. Boys are not known to be bookworms or good at school work, they are to be athletic and tough. Boys are not taught to be sweat and kind; boys are cocky and speak strongly. Some images that I would present in a poem about boys would be the pressure that they feel to be strong and athletic. Also the shame that they feel when they want to show emotion, but it is not accepted as okay to do so. I would stay with the same informal diction that is used in “Barbie Doll,” I don’t think that a poem about boys would be any different in what diction would be used. I would make it clear in my poem that boys too, feel social pressure and are conscious of their body image just as girls. In the end of the “Barbie Doll,” when she is in her casket the people say, “Doesn’t she look pretty?” (991) The conclusion of my poem would be a man that dies to save someone and everyone says, “Wasn’t he brave and strong?”

"Ozymandias"

In the poem “Ozymandias,” by Percy Bysshe Shelley, a theme that nothing lasts is developed throughout the poem. In the first line of the poem Shelley uses the words, “antique land” (721), to refer to Egypt. Egypt was the land of Rames II, longtime Pharaoh, otherwise known as “Ozymandias.” In using theses words Shelley is suggesting that Egypt is now old and not new, thus the newness of it has not lasted forever. In the second line, “two vast and trunkless legs of stone,” (721) suggests that there is no longer a body to go with the legs that was once there, the statue had crumbled leaving just the stumps for legs. The third line, “a shattered visage lies,” (721) the face is on the ground in pieces. The first three lines together describe the fallen statue, which did not obviously last forever. But it seems like Ozymandias had the attitude that he was better than all because of the quote on the statue, "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair” (721) The quotation read that he was great and powerful, yet his statue is now in a heap in the ground, ironic that his legacy can live on but the statue, a symbol of him, was destroyed.

Barbie JOE

After reading Barbie Doll, by Marge Piercy, I looked through my son’s toy chest, and noticed a definite recurring theme: GUNS. Perhaps the modern take for a boy should be “GI JOE” or something similar. If you look at this poem in a war context it seems as if you could rewrite this entire poem by simply replacing some words. Instead of being “presented with dolls that did pee-pee,” (991) it would be something like “guns that went rat-tat-tat and miniature tanks and army men.” Then upon graduation a classmate said: You have a duty to fulfill.
The second stanza could stay relatively the same aside from going to and fro apologizing—because I know boys don’t do that! Also some rewording could be used to describe the new soldier’s shooting skills.
Finally in the last stanza, the line that sticks out most to me is: “Her good nature wore out like a fan belt.”(991) How wonderfully descriptive! This seems like a timeless statement that could be applied to everybody in the world who has encountered stress in their lives to the point where they feel they can’t take it anymore (especially GI JOE). So they blew off his nose and legs and offered them up. This statement can be the most powerful anti-war slogan of the poem. This leads to the casket description where everyone says: Doesn’t he look like a hero? Freedom at last.

"Ozymandius"

Upon reading “Ozymandias,” by Percy Blythe Shelly, it is not difficult to see the connection Shelly makes between his well placed words and the theme of timelessness. The situation described in this poem is that of an ancient ruin, reclaimed by the sand. The subject of Egyptian rulers and their shrines defines the idea of immortality perfectly. There can be no question that vanity brought most of these rulers, not only Ramses II, to the assumption that building gigantic statues and monolithic temples would prove to the world that these people were great. The declaration, “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: look at my works, ye Mighty, and despair!” (721) happens to come off as a pretty vain thing to say. Then the irony enters. Directly after this bold statement reads, “Nothing beside remains… the lone and level sands stretch far away.”(721) Ending the poem with those lines suggests that nature is the true “king of kings.” Nature will always and inevitably reclaim what we take from it. One can definitely understand how the use of imagery can become a powerful tool in poems.

"Barbie Doll-A Modern Take on the Female Experience"

Unfortunately, the social and parental pressures presented in Marge Piercy’s poem, “Barbie Doll,” are still common in today’s society. The name of the doll may have changed, but the pressure those dolls represent has not. The girl in this poem is pressured to conform to the expectations of her culture, which are often times unrealistic. She is a strong and healthy girl, but she is said to be too fat. Those around her expect her to diet and exercise, not as a way to make her healthier, but because she does not live up to their expectations. Barbies and Bratz encourage young girls to be something they are not and to conform to the images presented in pop culture. The poem used examples such as lipstick and GE stoves, but in today’s society we could insert images such as makeup, inappropriate clothing, and dyed hair. These unrealistic pressures we put on young girls are all too often too much to bear. The girl in “Barbie Doll” realizes that she will never live up to anyone’s expectations. Thus, she chooses to end her own life by getting rid of that which kept her from being “perfect.” This is an extreme case, but it shows the lasting effects of pressuring young children to be something they are not. Near the end of the poem the author writes, “Consummation at last” (24) when referring to the fact that as she lies in her coffin the girl is finally described as being beautiful. To me, this is the most dramatic line of the entire poem. What does it take for girls to feel that they are accepted? How far do we push children before they can no longer stand it? For this young girl, the pressure became too much, and the only way she knew how to be good enough was by ending her own life.