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).