The poem The Emperor of Ice Cream written by Stevens amazes with the variety of readers interpretations of the stanzas describing the wake of the pleasure-seeking woman. The poet has chosen the kitchen for the first stanza of his poem since, commonly, this place of the house is the best one to characterize women who spend quite a big part of their time there.
In the mentioned stanza the action takes place in the kitchen of the deceased woman for the purpose of depicting her concupiscent way of life by means of the presence of muscular man preparing an ice cream, inappropriate behavior of dissolute people and general lustful atmosphere created by the attendees in the kitchen.
From the very first line of the stanza we can see some muscular man, who is roller of big cigars , but not any woman in the kitchen. The man is the only one to prepare foods for wake of the deceased woman; consequently, man who is cooking is a common thing for the kitchen of this house.
His presence at kitchen with cigars and his preparation of an ice cream for the wake shows that woman was not a good housewife, but rather dissolute person entertaining with friends, spending her time in lust and fun, having no time for trivial things and not caring about her future. Definitely, routine life of the deceased took place not in her kitchen, as she belongs to people who do not waste their life and spend it with fun and easiness. However, such style of life passes away too quickly as an ice cream melts.
As a rule, behavior of any attendee in the house depends on hostesss customs, habits and way of her life. Correspondingly, if wenches wear their usual dresses and boys bring flowers in last months newspapers , it means that is what the dead woman was likely to do, in other words she was used to disrespect and partying at her house.
For example, wenches, probably being the friends of the woman, show their carefree attitude not only to the deceased by not helping to prepare foods, but to the whole life as well, perceiving it as a sweet ice cream symbol of sensuality and pleasure.
An overall atmosphere in the kitchen of the deceased woman is clearly contradicting to the generally accepted mood. In kitchen it is usually cozy, caring and family like, while in the poem the kitchen is the place for lust, flirt and fun. The phrase concupiscent curds precisely expresses physical pleasure and general spirit in the kitchen. Moreover, it is a constituent of the ice cream and consequently, the emperor of ice cream is to make all the attendees pleased though they came to wake.
To sum up, a big quantity of symbols used in the poem makes it obvious that the kitchen has been chosen by the poet in order to show lickerish and thoughtless style of the deceased woman which is confirmed and shared by her friends-attendees, their careless behavior and atmosphere which is completely not suitable for wakes. Thus Wallace Stevens has managed to create a bright example of life which seems to be a melting ice cream; however, every individual has possibility to keep it cool and solid.
Probably, when the writer Alan Moore together with his artist Dave Gibbons and a colorist John Higgins were creating Watchmen, they did not know it would be a bestseller one day or would be adapted in a movie. What is the secret of their success?
I will try to answer this question in my paper. Watchmen is a graphic novel, in which verbal and visual elements are perfectly combined. A verbal element that includes the main heroes, central themes, and authors main messages plays a more important role, while a visual element makes a story more vivid and involving.
Watchmen: A Verbal Aspect
To understand the importance of a verbal aspect in the novel, let me first discuss briefly the theme of superheroes and their extreme popularity. Superheroes have always been the main characters of almost all or, at least, the most famous comic books. They possess abilities, and very often personal traits that normal people do not. For both kids and adults, superheroes turn into champions always ready to fight for justice this is what Jamie A. Hughes writes in The Journal of Popular Culture (39: 546-547).
However, what do we see in Watchmen? Authors of this graphic novel make a unique attempt to deconstruct the very idea of the hero by shattering this idealized reflection of humanity (McLaughlin 101). They do it by mean of the character of Adrian Veidt or Ozymandias who becomes the main villain of the novel.
One of the authors main purposes was to show that by such medium as comics it is possible to show and make emphasis on some real world problems that exist in society. The main themes covered in the novel perfectly reflect some major 1980s issues that bothered Alan Moore. He saw superheroes of his times, Ronald Reagan or Margaret Thatcher who were supposed to be watchmen, who had to control the world, and rescue it if necessary (Wright 273). Obviously, Moore was disappointed by those superheroes .
Watchmen: A Visual Aspect
It is said that the artist Dave Gibbons deviated from some widely accepted rules of drawing comic books. He used a so-called nine-panel grid system for making Watchmen, which he believed gave Alan Moore more control over the plot and storyline (Salisbury 80).
Although somebody may find this style of creating comic books unique or special, I cannot fully agree that it contributes to the overall success of this novel greatly. Yes, all the characters are depicted in a simple and rather realistic way, which definitely makes reading the novel more captivating. However, from my point of view, Gibbons style does not differ significantly from other comics.
I can agree with the role of the colorist John Higgins who I think managed to make this novel more lively and moody by using colors. Watchmen is done in so-called European style colors, secondary colors, which are not too bright, but still convey the mood of the main characters, their feelings, etc, perfectly (Duin, Richardson 460).
What can be said in the conclusion? I am sure that millions of people will agree that Watchmen is not just a graphic novel. A brilliant combination of visual and verbal aspects can turn it into motion pictures in someones mind, and perhaps this is why the novel was successfully adapted into a movie.
Yet, it is a novel that cannot be understood fully after the first reading. It is a work that should be re-read several times, and each time a reader will discover new meanings and themes in Watchmen.
Bibliography
Duin, Steve, Richardson, Mike. Comics Between the Panels. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Comics, 1998.
Hughes, Jamie A. Who Watches the Watchmen?: Ideology and Real World Superheroes . The Journal of Popular Culture 39.4 (2006): 546-547.
McLaughlin, Jeff. Comics as Philosophy. Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi, 2005.
Salisbury, Mark. Artists on Comic Art. Michigan: Titan Books, 2000.
Wright, Bradford W. Comic Book Nation: The Transformation of Youth Culture in America. Baltimore, Maryland: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001.
In his work, Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans, Plutarch selects some few individuals who had some outstanding characters or who achieved salient things in their lives. Amongst these noble Grecians and Romans are Nicias and Crassus. Plutarch expounds lives these two nobles and compares them as exposited in this paper.
Life of Nicias
Nicias was amongst the three renowned, honest, and loving citizens in Athens according to what Aristotle noted. Moreover, he was a captain most of the time working with his master Captain Pericles but sometimes working alone. Fortunately, after Pericles passed away, Nicias fame and popularity propelled him to nobility for people loved him dearly. &his gravity was neither severe nor odious, but mingled with a kind of modesty&which made them thereby the more to love and esteem him (Plutarch 295).
There appeared to be some fortune in all that Nicias did. He managed to overcome his closest rival Cleon, by use of subtle tactics. For instance, while Cleon was humorous, something that Nicias lacked, Nicias noted the weakness and, crept into peoples favor with liberality, with charges of common plays&exceeding in cost and pleasant sports& (Plutarch 295). He had massive wealth.
His simplicity and popularity ensured that he fitted in any group that he found himself. For instance, he would reward his cravers generously regardless of whether they are malicious or good-hearted. Through these tactics, orators could not find anything to accuse him for he did not even drink, engage in useless talk, or get involved in pleasures that would taint his reputation.
In office he would busy himself with office issues; not meddling with other peoples business. Nicias simplicity and openness made him bring peace amongst Grecians something they call, Nicium peace even to date. His nature to create peace enabled him to stoop low before Gylippus who had taken hostage some Athenians; unfortunately, he was seized, taken in as a prisoner, and killed.
Life of Crassus
Crassus was a man of good character; however, accusations that he had defiled Licinia; a nun, tinted his reputation. &vice of covetousness in Crassus that drowned many other goodly virtues in him (Plutarch 333). It is unfortunate that one vice would destroy many of Crassus virtues.
Nevertheless, despite this shortcoming, Crassus was a wealthy man through diligence, by fire and blood. He was a friendly person even to strangers; moreover, he would lend his friends interest-free money. Unfortunately, Cinna and Marius attacked Rome forcing Crassus, his father and brother to escape to Spain in a flight. Rumors had it that, some tyrants were looking for Crassus. In Spain, he lived in caves until Cinna died after eight months. He maneuvered his way back to Italy under Sylla.
Later he became part of Cesars reign in Rome where he worked under Pompey and became popular amongst Romans for he would lend them money and spend time with them in the market place. To pleasure everyman; so that by this easy access and familiarity&he grew to exceed the gravity and majesty of Pompey (Plutarch 340).
At one time, he saved Cesar by lending him 838 talents to satisfy his creditors something that elevated Crassus to nobility; he became the governor and praetor of Gaul; however, Po attacked and overthrew him. Fortunately, the senate was offended, overruled this act, and restored Crassus.
He achieved several feats like conquering Spartacus in Romania. However, later in his reign, Crassus fell into conflict with King Hyrodes and he was slew by Surena, one of the kings men. His head his head was brought the same night before the kings& (Plutarch 374). This marked the end of one Marcus Crassus.
Nicias and Crassus
Before comparing these, two noble men, it is important to note that, even though both were rich, Nicias wealth was more just than Crassus was. Nicias was a man of the people as aforementioned; he never did anything malicious; on the contrary, he purposed to do things that would benefit all.
On his side, Crassus was unpredictable; at one time, he would be friendly, at the other cruel. He had a way of getting what he wanted. For instance, he admitted that he came to be consul the second time by plain force and cruelty, having hired two murderers to kill Cato and Domitius (Plutarch 378).
Crassus was an enterprising person and he believed greatness was to be earned. On the other side, Nicias was a quiet character and revered people regardless of their class and status. Whilst the Athenians forced Nicias to war against his wish, Crassus forced Romans into war against their wish. Therefore, the commonwealth fell into misery by the one, brought into misery by the other (Plutarch 380). These are some of the differences exhibited by this Grecian and Roman.
Nevertheless, these two great men shared some traits. In his fight against Cleon, Nicias portrayed ambition similar to that of Crassus against Spartacus. Crassus died in the hands of Surena after falling apart with his enemies; he yielded himself to his enemies. Similarly, Nicias surrendered before his enemies in a bid to strike a peace deal; unfortunately, he died infamously. The bottom line is that, they al yielded to their enemies.
Conclusion
Nicias, a Grecian and Crassus, a Roman were both noble men in their times. They ruled differently with Nicias believing in peace while Crassus believed in fighting and violence to have his way. They were rich even though Nicias wealth was more just than that of Crassus. Nevertheless, they died similar death of yielding to their enemies.
Works Cited
Plutarch. Plutarch Selected Lives. Mossman, Judith. (Ed). Wordsworth Classics of World Literature, 1994.
Is there something that could level the absurdity of a suicide? Probably, this is only a humans life that can. The question of what crimes people have been given the chance to live for remains open. The only that people can do is merely guesswork.
The Dove in Santiago, a poem by Yevtushenko, is a moving attempt to figure out if there are answers to all these questions, an attempt so moving in its futility.
People are born to live, but the life that they are granted with is full of misery and torments, it seems completely deprived of any common sense. The absence of any reasons to go on with this experience is evident, and yet people are trying to escape this fact, searching for the hidden truths that they have thought up themselves not to go completely mad.
The poem is breathing this idea with every line. The torn and tossed style and the manner of writing, the words that seem to have collided accidentally, the scraps of ideas that rush through the main character, Enrique. He is all torn just like the rest of the world.
Yet this mess is governed by a law that lives within it. The mechanism of the world, so easy to watch and so hard to understand, so easy to break and so difficult to mend, consists of the parts that are interdependent.
There is no chance, or accidents. Once something goes wrong, the whole structure collapses, leaving the remains of the world without a crutch to lean on. Every single action that a man takes drags a string of consequences, either tragic or comic. This is a black-and-white pattern that follows people throughout their entire life, making the rest of the world depend on Mr. Doe. A crazy idea as it is, it is one of the three pillars the world is based on. Which are the other two is a mystery.
Everything is linked. These simple words from the poem make the whole lots of truths come together in a fancy stir, shining peoples lives with a happy nonsense. A world is a string of beads, and whenever you want to take one out, you cut the whole string. We are all interconnected in the great circle of life. That sounds way too familiar to me&
While it is more or less understood with the writers philosophy, it is far more complicated with the readers perception of the poem. The readers philosophy, at times not hat sophisticated as the authors one, and sometimes being almost equal to Yevtushenkos, is bound to be different and make even a broader question to discuss.
What do people feel as they read these sharp, sad and troubled lines?
There must be the feeling of a slight misconception not about the poem, but about the way the world turns around and a touch of ease. Eventually, you find out that the world is not a desert with rare planets of different people colliding to push each other even further.
The thought of all things depending on each other as close as a baby depends on the mother is a relief. There is not a single thing that will pass without another event happening. A butterfly that has been stepped on might be the initial reason for a revolution in an eastern country.
There is very little that is needed to understand the interdependence of all existing in the world. A man commits a suicide and kills a dove the symbolism of the poem is amazing, Enrique kills the symbol of peace and love, taking it together with his own life! and that is his contribution to the earth to keep rolling. There could be no other warning so clear to tell people that they should be careful about what they are doing.
The world that the mankind is bound to live in is tragic in its irreversibility. Once done, an action cannot be called off. And this might give people some food for thoughts. At least, while thinking, they will not have so much time to make a lot of mess.
Everyman is an old English morality play with an anonymous writer. The play presents the idea of salvation in the Christian context. It is believed that the author of the play wrote it during the late fifteenth century (Frohman, 10; Flesch, 179). The play shows Everyman traveling on a long journey to account his life to God.
The teaching the play presents is that God records Everymans character and actions, which represents the actions and characters of an ordinary person, after death as in a book. On the other hand, The Wanderer presents the case of a man who is in exile and roaming the earth (Channing, 1). This man laments for the loss of his family members, friends and he hates being away from his kind king.
In the middle of disillusionment and despair, The Wanderer remembers that it is good to have faith in God in order to be saved. According to The Wanderer, salvation is based on faith in Christ rather than in a mans own deeds. The Wanderer and Everyman have both similar and contrasting ideas.
The author of Everyman used allegorical characters to present his message (Cummings, Para. 6). These characters include Death, Everyman, God, Fellowship, Goods, Good Deeds, Knowledge, Strength, Five Wits, among others. The first scene of the play shows God looking at Everyman from heaven.
He sees that Everyman loves the goods and possessions of this earth and has forgotten him. Everyman is young, rich and preoccupied with worldly things. He not only forsaken God, but also despises his fellow human beings who are poor. God therefore becomes angry with Everyman and send his servant Death to take a message to Everyman that he has to embark on a long journey (Effinger, para.1).
Everyman is therefore required to put himself in order and be ready for the journey because Death reminds him that there is no returning from that journey. Because of his love of the world, Everyman tries to bribe Death to leave him to continue enjoying his life on earth. However, Death refuses. Everyman tries to ask his Friends, Fellowship and Kinsmen to accompany him for the journey but they let him down.
After prayers and penance, his friend Good Deeds, whom he had forgotten for a long time, gets enough energy to accompany him and assist him in presenting his case before God. All the other friends who had promised to go with Everyman like Strength, Discretion, Beauty and Knowledge leave Everyman as he enters the grave.
The wanderer is an old English poem that presents an old warrior who roams the world in search of accommodation and help (Gerould, 63). The poem is a monologue where the aging warrior presents his grievances. The unknown author gives the introduction and conclusion of the poem.
The wanderer is sorrowful for being in exile (Alexander, 63). He laments for losing his family members, friends, and his home and remembers his caring king. Through his dreams, the Wanderer sees himself in the company of his friends and kinsmen and sees himself embracing his king.
He wakes up from his sleep to find himself in his exile, faced with gray winter, snowfall and hailstorms ( The Wanderer Summary , Para. 1). Further, on the Wanderers second monologue, he considers giving up self-control since he considers them similar to ways of meeting diversity. The wanderer also sees many negative things and destruction happening in many places as he travels than in his own society.
This poem also links the values of pagans and Christians in an unfair combination. The authors voice in the poem refers to God and shows the importance of having virtues like faith, an issue that the wanderer seems to have forgotten. The Wanderer through his lamenting, however, gives an indication of upholding values like loyalty, generosity, courage and strength. The wanderer appears resigned in life. The wanderer appears resigned in life ( The Wanderer poem, para. 3).
However, at the culmination of the poem he brightly illustrates his lack of companionship and anticipates for the previous days in which life was more interesting. He finally concedes to his faith in God.
There are several themes and characters presented in both Everyman and The Wanderer. Some of these point towards similar ideas while others are contrasting. In both episodes, faith in God is presented and God is shown and acknowledged as the sole controller of the universe.
Men are seen to forget God and concentrate more on the cares and concerns of earthly issues and only come to remember God when they are in problems. Everyman forsakes God and loves earthly goods and riches than God. This is why he is not ready to leave his earthly possessions and even offers to bribe Death to leave him stay on Earth.
Everyman remembers his good deeds when he finds that no one stands with him. We are also informed that he remembered the days he used to serve his God. The Wanderer also is too much worried of his fate on earth and forgets his God as he journeys the earth. The wonderer comes to remember his God when he is aging and admonishes us to put faith in God.
They also agree that man needs some virtues while travelling through this world. They agree that man often needs to put his relationship right with God. He needs generosity, strength, good deeds and courage. For Everyman, he needed Good Deeds to present his case before God when he reached heaven. He also needed Strength, Beauty and Five Senses to go with him in the journey.
The wanderer also admonishes us that we need strength, courage, generosity, loyalty and faith in God throughout our journey on Earth. These works use allegorical characters to present their message. While Everyman uses allegorical characters such as Goods, Good Deeds, fellowship, Five Senses among others (Cummings, Para. 6; Lawrence and Reich, 204), The Wanderer uses an allegorical character of the life of a man in the image of a sea-journey (Gordon, para. 1).
There are a number of differences that can be identified from the two literature materials. Everyman is a play while The wanderer is a poem. Everyman uses many allegorical characters to present the message while the Wanderer uses one soliloquy character to present the message. The narrator in The Wanderer makes the introduction and conclusion. Everyman believes that good deeds are necessary to save a person.
This is why he goes for repentance and penance to give Good Deeds strength to accompany him in his journey. The Wanderer on the other hand believes in salvation by faith. He believes that faith in God is enough to save a person without deeds. Thus, The Wanderer presents the theme of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, while Everyman presents the theme of salvation by works.
In conclusion, the two literature materials present the themes of Christianity, isolation and betrayal by the trusted friends (Marin, Para.2; Marsden, 327; Treharne, 42). They use characters that are in a journey on earth. The Wanderer is in exile while Everyman is traveling to God. Even though these materials present similar themes and messages, they also conflict in some ideas. Conspicuous in the texts is the difference in the means by which people gain salvation.
While Everyman believes it is by works, The Wanderer believes it is by faith in Christ. Everyman and The Wanderer reflect the life of ordinary men on earth and their Christian walk. Everyman shows the evils people do against their fellow human beings and against God. The two stories reflect the life on an ordinary person on earth and advices people to live a life they know they will give an account of at last.
Works Cited
Alexander, Michael. The earliest English poems. London : Penguin, 1991. Print.
Channing, William E. The wanderer: a colloquial poem. Boston : J. R. Osgood and Co., 1871. Print.
The themes of death and immortality occupy pivotal roles in many of Emily Dickinsons major works. For the purposes of this paper, the focus will be on two: Because I Could Not Stop for Death, and I Died for Beauty, but was Scarce.
This paper compares these two poems to the play Hamlet, William Shakespeares tragedy. The basis of comparison herein dwells on the conflicting views toward death and immortality espoused by the three works. Dickinsons poems personify Death as a male, and a gentleman, in her eyes, attractive, cultured, and refined.
Both Because I Could Not Stop for Death, and I Died for Beauty, but was Scarce depict death as a pleasurable state, one to be wished for and sought after. Dickinsons view of immortality, similarly, envisions a painless Eden, where both time and worldly cares dissolve into peace, conversation, and companionship. There is a cleaving toward death in Dickinsons poems, and a view of immortality as an infinite gift.
Conversely, in Hamlet, Shakespeare treats the themes of death and immortality in a more conventional manner. The author describes death as the undiscoverd country, the unknown, and as a state to be feared and despised (DiYanni, 2007). The main character Hamlet fears death to the point of paralysis.
Shakespeare also personifies Death in Hamlet, however it arrives through the form of Hamlets murdered father, who demands revenge, a request that lays waste to Hamlets peace of mind and eventually his life. Indeed, Hamlet knows full well the moment the ghost arrives that his life is forfeit. Regicide, the revenge the ghost exacts, will be Hamlets doom. Immortality, in Hamlets eyes, resembles the eternal blazon that his father describes, full of darkness, punishment, fire, and retribution (DiYanni, 2007).
Thus there is a shrinking from death in Hamlet, in utter contrast to Dickinsons longing for the grave, and a view of immortality as an infinite curse. The reason for this discrepancy, as this essay will prove, lies in religion. Shakespeares tragic hero holds a religious view of death and immortality, one which is punishment focused, while Dickinsons view of death and immortality, utterly devoid of religion, is much more personal and individual.
Let us begin the discussion with the treatment of the theme of death in these three works. Emily Dickinsons poem Because I Could Not Stop for Death begins with the lines Because I could not stop for Death He kindly stopped for me (DiYanni, 2007).
While this line certainly alludes to the inevitable quality of death, in that it will stop for all of us, whether we have time for it or not, there is something deeper to note in the language itself. To apply the descriptor kindly, especially, is noteworthy. This word immediately generates an image of Death in the readers mind as first and foremost, a man, and secondly, a gentleman.
Dickinson employs genteel language to describe Death in decidedly non-threatening terms, and firmly locates Death as a common fixture of the social order. There is nothing strange or frightening in his portrayal. In fact, the complete absence of fear in Dickinsons voice roots her depiction of Death as tender, kind, obliging, neighborly, and quite friendly.
The next line of the poem reads, The Carriage held but just Ourselves (DiYanni, 2007). Again, the calmness of the voice and the soothing quality of the language underscores Dickinsons view of death as a pleasurable, desirable state. Dickinson also hints at the intimacy that she shares with her traveling companion when she employs the term just Ourselves, further emphasizing the closeness of the exchange with the capitalized Ourselves (DiYanni, 2007).
Hamlet, by contrast, in his first encounter with the ghost of his father, expresses a more conventional view when he asks: Why thy canonized bones, hearsed in death, Have burst their cerements; why the sepulchre, Wherein we saw thee quietly inurnd, Hath oped his ponderous and marble jaws, &What may this mean, That thou, dead corse, again in complete steel, Revisitst thus the glimpses of the moon, Making night hideous; and we fools of nature, So horridly to shake our disposition, With thoughts beyond the reaches of our souls? (DiYanni, 2007).
Note the harshness of Shakespeares descriptors, specifically the use of the words bones, jaws, horridly, corse, and the phrases make night hideous and shake our disposition (DiYanni, 2007). Shakespeares language contrasts sharply and definitively with Dickinsons depiction of the quiet, calm afternoon carriage ride steeped in politesse.
In Dickinsons poems, a certain intimacy seems to be achieved with, and perhaps as a result of, spending time with Death, or through the act of dying. We see this in I Died for Beauty, but was Scarce most noticeably. The poems second stanza reads, He questioned softly why I failed? For beauty, I replied. And I for truth, -the two are one; We brethren are, he said (DiYanni, 2007).
The significance here lies in the use of the word brethren, a word that connotes intimacy, companionship, camaraderie, and trust, and the personification, once again, of the dead neighbor as a gentleman who speaks softly, and assures Dickinson that the two are one, a reference not only to their proximity in the grave, but also to their shared loved of literature (DiYanni, 2007).
The poem goes on to create an image of friendship and solidarity: And so, as kinsmen met a night, We talked between the rooms (DiYanni, 2007). Dickinson speaks of her kinsman almost as a lover.
The phrase we talked between the rooms especially symbolizes closeness and shared harmony. Hamlet, again in complete opposition, nearly vomits when he finds the skull of the former court jester Yorick: Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy: he hath borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is! My gorge rims at it (DiYanni, 2007).
The difference between how Dickinson views death, almost as a lover, and how Hamlet views it, as something abhorred and sickening, creates a clear delineation between the three works in regards to how death is portrayed and understood.
At this point in the paper, let us turn our attention to several interesting similarities that exist between Dickinsons view of death and Hamlets, particularly when we analyze Hamlets view as espoused through the soliloquies. In Because I Could Not Stop for Death, the lines We slowly drove He knew no haste, And I had put away, My labor and my leisure too, For His Civility make mention of the peace and tranquility that death brings (DiYanni, 2007).
The lack of haste here represents the release of death. In these lines, Dickinson points to the pleasure found in the dropping of all worldly cares and concerns. The next line, We passed the School, where Children strove, offers a fascinating perspective on the idea that death releases us from the struggles and tribulations of life (DiYanni, 2007).
Note that when Dickinson and Death pass the school where children strove, the insinuation resembles empathy and compassion (DiYanni, 2007). Dickinson feels some pity and sadness for these striving children, for all of their efforts and competitions, because she now knows that Death will eventually nullify all of them.
The character of Hamlet echoes these very thoughts in his Act Three, Scene One soliloquy, following the departure of Claudius and Gertrude: To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer, The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them?
To die: to sleep; No more; and by a sleep to say we end, The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks, That flesh is heir to, tis a consummation, Devoutly to be wishd (DiYanni, 2007). With these words Hamlet ponders the release of death, as does Dickinson, and he clearly glimpses the attraction death offers as means to finally be free of the thousand natural shocks that life affords the living (DiYanni, 2007).
Much like Dickinson, Hamlet wishes for it. Similarly, in the soliloquy where we first meet Hamlet in Act One, Scene Two, Hamlet expresses a desire for death, if only as means to escape the pain of his fathers death and Gertrudes marriage, when he exclaims O that this too too solid flesh would melt, Thaw and resolve itself into a dew! (DiYanni, 2007). Through these examples we learn that Dickinsons view of death and Hamlets share some commonalties.
The discussion now moves on to the treatment of the theme of immortality in these three pieces. In Because I Could Not Stop for Death, immortality rides in the carriage alongside death and Dickinson. Although it is quiet, there is no sinister element implied by its silence. In fact, once immortality is introduced, it becomes incorporated into Dickinsons we (DiYanni, 2007).
Toward the end of the poem, Dickinson describes being placed in the ground, where she still remains: We paused before a House that seemed, A Swelling of the Ground, The Roof was scarcely visible, The Cornice in the Ground. Since then tis Centuries and yet, Feels shorter than the Day, I first surmised the Horses Heads, Were toward Eternity (DiYanni, 2007). It is vital to note that the poem does adopt a slight chill in these lines, when compared to its opening stanzas.
However, Dickinsons language still retains the calm sense of peace and tranquility that infuses the entire poem. Here, her view of immortality as unending bears analysis. Essentially, by ending the poem with the words since then, Dickinson offers her view of immortality as a place where the dead continue to live, if only to comment on the living (DiYanni, 2007).
Dickinsons immortality holds that she has preserved her consciousness and insight into the human condition, even though she no longer breathes. We see that in Dickinsons immortality, the experience of time is much different, as centuries feel like a day. However, the poem alludes to no punishment, no pain, no torment, and no real death, in the sense that she does not end. She simply watches.
The treatment of immortality in I Died for Beauty, but was Scarce follows the same course. Dickinsons immortality includes a friendly, literate neighbor who remains at her side throughout: And so, as kinsmen met a night, We talked between the rooms, Until the moss had reached our lips, And covered up our names (DiYanni, 2007). There is no punishment, no fire, and no fear. Instead, she has a companion who stays with her. In eternity, she is not alone.
When we look at Shakespeares treatment of immortality in Hamlet, we find a wholly different view of eternity, one that concerns itself with punishment, pain, torment, and retaliation. When Hamlet witnesses the ghost of his father, he asks what has cast thee up again (DiYanni, 2007).
This implies that Hamlet assumes his father has been in hell. The ghost uses terrifying descriptors to impart his experience of immortality to his son: My hour is almost come, When I to sulphurous and tormenting flames, Must render up myself (DiYanni, 2007).
Again, when laying out the terms of its revenge, the ghosts depiction of immortality remains rife with images of pain and punishment: I am thy fathers spirit, Doomd for a certain term to walk the night, And for the day confined to fast in fires, Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature, Are burnt and purged away (DiYanni, 2007). Shakespeares descriptions of immortality contrast penetratingly with those of Dickinsons.
Not surprisingly, Hamlets musings on immortality following the encounter with the ghost of his father emphasize its penalizing nature: To die, to sleep; To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, theres the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come, When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause (DiYanni, 2007).
Hamlets fear of what the after life holds for him is enough to stay his suicide, as evidenced in his Act Three, Scene One soliloquy: Who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, The undiscoverd country from whose bourn, No traveller returns, puzzles the will, And makes us rather bear those ills we have, Than fly to others that we know not of? (DiYanni, 2007).
How do we explain the conflicting views of death and immortality in these three works? For the purposes of this paper, let us focus on one plausible elucidation: religion.
The ghost speaks of the torment he undergoes as a result of losing his life before the benefit of confession: Thus was I, sleeping, by a brothers hand, Of life, of crown, of queen, at once dispatchd: Cut off even in the blossoms of my sin, Unhouseld, disappointed, unaneld, No reckoning made, but sent to my account, With all my imperfections on my head: O, horrible! O, horrible! Most horrible! (DiYanni, 2007).
Examples of Hamlets religious leanings proliferate the play. When Hamlet finds Claudius alone and at prayer, he stays his own hand and forgoes the opportunity for vengeance on religious grounds: Now might I do it pat, now he is praying; And now Ill dot. And so he goes to heaven; And so am I revenged. That would be scannd: A villain kills my father; and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send
To heaven (DiYanni, 2007). Hamlet so believes in the conventional religious interpretation of immortality as a place where sinners pay for their transgressions, that he decides instead to kill Claudius while in the midst of sin: Up, sword; and know thou a more horrid hent: When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage, Or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed; At gaming, swearing, or about some act, That has no relish of salvation int; Then trip him, that his heels may kick at heaven, And that his soul may be as damnd and black, As hell, whereto it goes (DiYanni, 2007).
When Hamlet contemplates suicide in his Act One, Scene Two soliloquy, he refutes his own desire to end his life on religious grounds, wishing that the Everlasting had not fixd, His canon gainst self-slaughter! (DiYanni, 2007).
Dickinsons poetry, by contrast, lacks entirely any modicum of religious sentiment or explanation. Though the subject matter of her poems covers the same terrain as that of Hamlet, particularly death and the experience of immortality, there are no direct references to religion, God, or the church in either Because I Could Not Stop for Death, or I Died for Beauty, but was Scarce (DiYanni, 2007). In Because I Could Not Stop for Death, the focus of the poem is the personification of Death and the journey from one of the living to one of the dead, albeit the immortal dead (DiYanni, 2007).
Dickinsons Death is one of us he is not described as an ethereal being. He bears more resemble to a man. Dickinson places herself as both Death and Immortalitys equal, through her constant use of the word we when describing the carriage ride. Death is a part of the world, in Dickinsons poetry; he notices the School, where Children strove, At Recess in the Ring (DiYanni, 2007).
Death traverses the Fields of Gazing Grain, and passes the Setting Sun, with no connotation of fear, punishment, sin, or judgment (DiYanni, 2007). Dickinson does not mention the need for confession in the poem. Similarly, in I Died for Beauty, but was Scarce, no religious symbolism exists (DiYanni, 2007). The notion of punishment is absent.
Therefore, Dickinsons view of death and immortality remains informed by something decidedly personal and idiosyncratic. The absence of a religious element in Dickinsons work offers an explanation for the qualitative difference in language when used to describe death and immortality. Because Dickinson does not believe that immortality equates to everlasting punishment, she fears neither it nor death.
In conclusion, death and immortality are important themes in many of Emily Dickinsons major poetic works. For the purposes of this paper, the focus was on Because I Could Not Stop for Death, and I Died for Beauty, but was Scarce (DiYanni, 2007).
The comparison between these two poems and William Shakespeares tragedy Hamlet concerned conflicting views toward death and immortality espoused by the three works, with an eye to why these differences arose, and what these differences tell us about the individual authors as well as the works (DiYanni, 2007). Dickinsons poems personify Death as a gentleman, a neighbor, and a part of the human landscape.
Both Because I Could Not Stop for Death, and I Died for Beauty, but was Scarce depict death as a pleasurable state (DiYanni, 2007). Dickinsons view of immortality, similarly, envisions a painless afterlife where both time and the perils of living vanish into timelessness, peace, companionship, conversation, and reflection. Dickinsons poems cleave toward death, and her view of immortality is as an infinite gift.
In Hamlet, Shakespeare treats the themes of death and immortality in a more conventionally religious manner (DiYanni, 2007). The paper illustrates, through Shakespeares language principally, how immortality, in Hamlets eyes, resembles the eternal blazon that his father describes, full of darkness, sin, judgment, punishment, fire, and retribution.
Thus there is a shrinking from death in Hamlet, in utter contrast to Dickinson, and a view of immortality as an infinite curse (DiYanni, 2007). The reason for this discrepancy, as this essay proves, lies in religion. Hamlet maintains a religious view of death and immortality, centered on punishment, while Dickinsons view of death and immortality, utterly devoid of religion, is idiosyncratic and self-generated (DiYanni, 2007).
Reference
DiYanni, R. (2007). Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama (6th ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill.
The elements of comparison that immediately come into focus when there is mention of the book princess and the goblin and Artemis fowl range widely. The variance of themes span from the essentials that describe a society such as food, clothing, money and the fundamentals that describe a place such as its geographical landscape or terrain.
The landscape at the heart of the story in the book princess and the goblin is a mountainous terrain that has very many subterranean hollows. Winding caves and caverns characterize the landscape in this book. Some of the caverns have water coming out of them, while some shine when light gets inside these structures.
In this book, two characters of very distinct backgrounds and with very different lifestyles get to interact, and end up being friends. The two come from the two different social groups that define the living standards of the region. Irene, the princess, born of the king and therefore enjoys every ounce of leisure life could offer. She has spent her life enjoying the comfort of the palace built by his father on one of the mountains.
The palace is beautiful and it is what the princess has grown up to believe is the whole world, until her curiosity leads her out of the palace into the outside world beneath. There are seemingly a different type people beneath the palace, strange people who it seems have different lives, and are of a different race, these are the goblins.
Legends attribute their existence to the fact that they all lived together in the same kingdom, until the king levied upon them higher taxes, tried to impose more severity, and handled them with stricter rules. As a result, these people escaped from the kingdom, but instead of going far away from the kingdom, they sought refuge in the underground caves and caverns from where they came out only at night (Macdonald, 1990).
The tale has it that these people hardly walk in groups, they come out only in the dark and never show up to large groups of people. This tale goes on to say that they operate in large groups of people in the areas of the mountain that are least visited, deeper into the mountain and that they even gathered in the open air.
As a result of them hiding away from the sun, dwelling in the cold and dark dungeon that was the mountain, their bodies had changed greatly both in form and texture through the course of time. They looked abnormally strange to the extent that no literary genius could put to pen the matching description of their appearance.
The goblins, in as much as they grew more disheveled in face and form, they grew smarter and brighter in the head. They had advanced intellectually to the point that they could do things that were unheard of in the world of mortals, yet all this creativity they dedicated to making the life of the people living on top of the mountain a living hell (Macdonald, 1990).
This community was very cruel to the people living on the mountain (suns), but they treated others of their type with affection and love. Their wits saw them establish a government run by a chief. The main business of this government besides running their own personal affairs was devising trouble for their neighbors on the mountain (Macdonald, 1990).
They held onto the grudge they bore against the suns people with a passion, they professed it with a near religious zeal; their perception of the suns was negative. They viewed them as the people who occupied their former abodes, and more so as the descendants of the king who caused their expulsion from the mountain. For this reason, the princess had never seen the sky at night the whole of her life.
Also at the heart of this kingdom is a young girl called Irene, she happens to be the kings daughter; the princess. On one, boring, rainy day she decides to take a stroll through their old huge kingdom house. Due to the complexity of the structure of the house, she gets lost in the rooms and wanders her way into her great grandmothers secret room.
Her grandmother been living beneath their house for ages and therefore knows a lot about the kingdom, yet the occupants of the kingdom didnt know she was there. She is stunningly beautiful for a grandmother and Irene soon bonds with her. Upon returning to the castle, she tells her nanny Lootie about her encounter with her grandmother, an assertion to which Lootie does not believe and a quarrel ensues.
On the first sunny day, they set out for a walk and stay out late. This is their first encounter with the scary goblins, but they are saved by a young boy called Curdie, who sings rhythms which the Goblins find unbearable and they leave the two alone. Curdie has saved their lives and Irene promises him a kiss but Lootie interrupts.
This marks the beginning of a relationship that would go along way affecting the lives of the people around them, at one point even the fate of the kingdom. This happened when they boy eavesdropped on some goblins and heard them talking and planning an attack on the suns kingdom. He also got to know that their heads were hard but the lower parts of their bodies were weak (Macdonald, 1990).
Artemis Fowl is a book based on the story of a young boy living with his mother. The father, who happens to be a crime lord, has deserted the family and they are the only members. This boy, at only twelve ears was intelligent, a genius for that matter and had the determination, zeal and desire to be rich. In his quest to attain wealth, he conducts an extensive research on fairies and discovers their existence.
He hatches out a plan to kidnap a fairy, this involves trailing them and learning their ways. Artemis and his friend, Butler track down a rogue fairy pretending to be a healer in Vietnam, they intend to get from her the book of the people, a holy book for fairies that is written in gnomish. At the same time, a police captain Holly short happens to be going after another troll which has escaped from the fairy city deep underground from the earths surface. (Colfer, 2001)
Captain Holy is assisted by her friends and they debilitate the troll, this exercise consumes all of her magical ability, forcing her to carry out a sacrament that would help bring back her magic. Using his wits, Artemis translates the book using a computer, and while at it he learns the essentials of the ritual. From the details in the book, they locate over 100 places where the ritual could be conducted.
Four months later they find Holly on the spot conducting the ritual, they tranquilize him with a hypodermic syringe. The Fairy council sends a group of fairies to examine Fowl Manor. The members are equipped with a special ability that allows them to travel faster than the human eye can follow, this was called shielding ability, but Artemis expects this and installs a camera that could resonate with their speed by freezing the image.
Butler debilitated the threat while Root cordoned Fowl Manor by initiating a time stop and entered discussions (Colfer, 2001). The amount demanded to release Fowl manor was 24 carats of gold. Artemis, armed with the knowledge he gained from decoding the book, took the chance to disclose his ability to undo the time stop.
Following Artemis guidance, they break into the Manor. He digs underground to get to the house and finds a safe where a copy of the book was stored. This gives a hint to where Artemis got his knowledge about fairies. In the meantime, Holly digs a space through the concrete wall of her cell, gets an acorn that had been smuggled inside. She takes it and completes the ritual, this enables him to regain his magic and he sets off to the main house.
The fairies honor their end of the bargain and give Artemis the ransom they had initially agreed upon. They give him the gold, but in the face of all that and coupled with all the riches bestowed upon him, he cannot cure his mothers condition. He requests holly to grant him a wish; he wants her to cure his mothers insanity, which had been caused by the loss her husbands disappearance (Colfer, 2001). As result she is bed ridden.
In return Holly offers to grant the wish and cure her mothers insanity but at a price, he demands to be given half the gold Artemis had. The fairies had other intentions, they intended to kill Artemis by infecting him with a biological bomb and get the gold, but this flops when Artemis drugs himself and his comrades with sleeping pills. The sleeping pills enable him to escape the time-stop, when he wakes up he finds his mothers health in top condition, having recovered from her insanity.
In both stories, there is a common theme that comes to light. A theme that has been a factor in both instances, it has also been the driving force behind most of the events in these books. This is money. Because of money the goblins were expelled from the kingdom that they rightfully belonged, one that was rightfully theres.
The king used it to expel them from the kingdom by raising the tax rates imposed on them, purposefully in order to get rid of them. Money has caused there to be division and classification according to how much one had, them that lacked had to escape the kingdom, and moved to inhabit the subterranean dungeons. As a result of the limited exposure to the sun and other environmental factors, they had grown scarily grotesque.
This had caused all the difference in the lives of these people, hence the contrasting lifestyles. The people who had money lived and enjoyed their lives, though they were not at peace wherever they were, its like they lived in total seclusion, in that some of them had never seen the sky, let alone know. They were confined in their freedom, and did not even know the beauty and glory that lay beyond the confines of their kingdom.
In Artemiss case, the quest for money and wealth almost caused him his life were it not for his intelligence and ability to see ahead and think faster than his adversaries. The biological bomb they had sent him kills all forms of organic life, and his life, however bright was no exemption. After outwitting them all and having amassed all that wealth that was to the tune of twenty four gold carats, he discovers he still has needs that the money can not buy.
The money cannot buy him happiness; it cannot repair the broken relationships, it can neither heal illnesses nor better them, and certainly too much of it does feel uncomfortable.
It surprises us at the end when he gives out half the amount of gold he had worked so hard to attain, but what is all that when the person who is closest to you, your mother, is still sick? It surpasses logic. He did it out of the love, it is what matters most and that is what counts. He was happy eventually when the mother recovered, and he still had half the gold.
In the case of the kingdom, this people harbored anger and scorn towards each other. The goblins were so cruel to the suns to the point the established an own government whose sole purpose was to create disturbance and mayhem to the suns people. Money had caused this problem, the goblins wanted to attack the sun people, and submerge their kingdom as a result of the hate they had for the suns (MacDonald.1992).
This is salvaged after a boy overhears their conversations and alerts the suns . The get ready to protect the kingdom so by the time the goblins attack, they defend. These two, Irene and Curdie, save the kingdom not for the money but because of the love and the indifference of heart they saw among the people of the two communities.
In both cases, money has been of utmost disservice to the peace that has existed. Whenever the characters considered money as a factor, there was division and war. Money has proved its ability to buy almost anything that has economic value, but it has failed to buy virtues upon which good life is based upon, such as love, peace and harmony.
It happens that people who have all the money dont have it all when it comes to these virtues; instead money cultivates greed, envy, war and instability in the case of kingdoms and power centers. Money could not buy the suns people the peace they so yearned for, neither could it heal Artemis mother of her condition.
He had to make a wish to the Fairy, it is only because the fairy had been frustrated by Artemis that he decided to punish him by charging him half the gold he had. Artemis needed joy and happiness, and he could stop at nothing to get it, his only joy was his mothers well-being, and he reaped the fruits when he sacrificed half his wealth. His mother was well, the other kingdom was rescued after the money factor was put aside and they all lived happily ever after.
Dantes Inferno follows the example of Homas Ilioad because it begins at the middle of Dantes life, makes a quick flash forward of his life and then comes to a quick end. The middle of Dantes life is characterized by the time he lost his way in life; at a presumable age of 35, which marked the middle of a hypothetical 70 years lifespan.
The setting was in the Easter of 1300 AD but Dante did not make it to his 70-year lifespan (because he died from Malaria at the age of fifty-four) (Gutchess 1). Dantes literary piece (Inferno) is an unprecedented work because seldom did writers of his time start a literary work by narrating their own life experiences (Gutchess 1).
Nonetheless, since the Middle Ages, many writers have taken the cue and now follow Dantes footsteps. Some of the medieval dream visions that exist today are diverse and may be sampled by Langlards Piers Ploughman, Wordsworths Prelude among other conventional literary writers.
The subject and inspiration of Inferno are all conceptualized in the first paragraph of the poem where the author lets the readers know he is about to narrate everything he saw in a vision (Alighieri 2). However, unique to Dante, the author does not talk about some superficial being, but himself. In other contexts, it can be analyzed that Dante speaks of his experiences in the vision as he personally witnessed it.
The subjectivity of this epic is unique when analyzed with other similar literary pieces of his time. For instance, classical poets normally talked about how certain beings sang to them or how certain supernatural forms of man or muses spoke to the authors; however, in Dantes works, the muses are actually Beatrice Portinari and Virgil (Alighieri 3).
These two individuals guide Dante throughout the narration and unlike other literary pieces; they do not recite the poem. Some observers note that Beatrice and Virgil actually guide and teach Dante along the way but the author reports on the details of this encounter because he exposes what the two showed him during his trip through hell and the Garden of Eden.
However, Beatrice Portinari represents the authors idea of a being with divine wisdom, but at the same time, she is the authors partner in the sharing of courtly love. Dante first set eyes on Beatrice when he was still very young and when she died at the age of 25, Dante was inspired to write a novel about her in one of his works tiled: Vita Nuova (Gutchess 10).
Nonetheless, Inferno was written at a time when the author was working as a municipal officer in the city of Florence, and considering the poem has a lot of reference to religious principles, Christianity acted as the official background to the literary piece; a concept which other poets such as Plato have used in their works (Gutchess 3).
This is why Dantes Inferno, ought to be openly understood that it was not written as a philosophical work but to enforce religious doctrines. In the same religious context, Dante introduces Inferno from the religious perception of Catholics Holy Thursday which is referred in other contexts as the dark wood period to signify a timeline just preceding Jesus crucifixion (Gutchess 3).
This background can also be equated to the spring equinox period where the sun shines from the constellation of Aries because in the same setting, Dante travels practically the whole Friday and throughout Saturday with Virgil. Nonetheless, from the religious context, Dante represents a framework of virtues, vices and morality from his personal view on morality and judgment.
Dantes Moral Stand
Dantes stand on morality is represented from his perception of crimes done against God. Dante represents the contravention of Gods laws to persecution and agony which are characteristic of hell. He makes the readers understand that evil is a moral sin and it is regarded just like any type of sin because immorality is in contravention of the will of God; however, in the same regard, it is not possible to judge the will of God.
Conversely, Dante lets his readers know that an otherworldly hell would follow his representation of hell. His trip through hell, while in the company of Virgil, represents his allegorical representation of the hierarchy of pain and suffering associated with wrongful acts, and to a large extent, Dante represents the Old Testament teachings on morality and judgment which can be best represented through the eye to eye or tooth to tooth philosophy.
In this regard, Dante identifies certain moral offenders in Inferno who are depicted as serving punishments that befit the offences they committed, and in a way that reflects the nature of their sin. For example, Dante equates the moral sin of homosexuality to walking on hot sand. This is Dantes way of pointing out that the moral sin of homosexuality directly befits the punishment of walking on hot sand.
Human suffering and subsequent judgment given to those who fail to observe Gods instructions is justifiable according to Dante. The type of punishment given for any moral sin does not therefore occur randomly because Dante observes that morality is judged from the most serious offences to the lightest. These variations are represented from Dantes segmentation of hell to suit the different type of moral offenders.
In this regard, Trombley (cited in Gutchess 5) notes that: In Dantes view there are three major divisions of the circles of Hell, populated by those who give into their lesser instincts and desires, those that refuse God, and those that intentionally do harm to themselves or others by physical or deceptive means .
In Dantes perception of morality and punishment, it can be analyzed that under the issue of evil and Gods will, those who give in to their instincts and desires contravene Gods will and attract punishments that befit their moral sin while people who refuse the will of God and those who intentionally do harm to their neighbors, all manifest the levels of punishment and morality.
Virgil is seen as falling in the category of people who dont have enough faith in God and this is why he was unable to guide Dante into the Garden of Eden. To a large extent, this can be seen as his punishment for not having enough belief in Christ.
In this regard, it is clearly evident that from Dantes stratification of hell, he is able to show the level of misdeeds which warrants different levels of punishment. Through the same analysis, he is able to justify his perception of judgment. This explains why Dante comes out as a very perplexed individual; especially in the way he quantifies the degree of punishment.
For example, the stratification of hell explains why the moral sin of bribery was considered graver than the sin of murder as represented in the eight and sixth chronicles of hell. In the same manner, Dante considers acts of violence and murder as graver than acts of fraud.
In this example, the greatest moral sin that contravenes Gods will is fraud; which goes against Gods principles of mankind living in harmony. On the other hand, murder is in contravention of the love but fraud manifests as the biggest deprivation of love.
Moral Depictions
In Inferno, Lucifer is often referred to as Satan and is depicted as the King of Inferno because his fall from heaven into earth created hell where he was imprisoned in. Lucifers multicolored face represents certain negative sentiments of hate, powerlessness, and deceit when contrasted to positive attributes advanced by the holy trinity. The triple aspect character of Satan is also representative of the three-faced aspect of paganism which was severally referred to in the novel.
When Lucifer flapped his wings, the tears of the sinners were frozen; meaning that they could not find any relief from their mourning and at the same time, greater populations of those who fell in this category (mourners) were treacherous people. This therefore means that treacherous people were associated with Satan because they deserved the same punishment because of the contravention of Gods will.
Lucifer is also the representative being who exposes the importance of the state and the church to harmoniously coexist together because he is seen as the moral punisher of both church and political leaders. To illustrate this, Lucifer is quoted as chewing on Judas Iscariot (Jesus betrayer), Brutus and Cassius who committed atrocious acts of murder and betrayal; something which ironically Lucifer was supposed to reward them for (Gutchess 16).
In the poem, Lucifer is found on the roadway, but in heaven, he is seen as desiring what he cannot have, and in so doing, ignores the will of God. His contravention of the will of God is also the ticket that led to his casting from heaven into hell. Again, the will of God is hereby seen as the benchmark to morality because when Satan went against Gods will, when he desired that which he could not have, he was thrown down to hell.
In close resemblance to Lucifer is the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church who represented deceit and bribery. Boniface was the ruling pope at the time when Dante was writing his work.
He was the predecessor to Celestine V who abdicated in 1924; afterwards, the corruption and chaos Dante makes reference to, when referring to his town, Florence, began when the pope made a decree that his title as a pope was enough assurance that he had the authority to rule all of Italy. In this regard, he started committing moral sins which later saw his fall from his position as the pope.
One of his prominent moral sins was his backing of the Guelphs to take over Florence through the bribery of French military men to assist them. According to Dantes perception of punishment for such atrocious acts committed by a servant of God, he makes reference to the pope as a de facto servant of God who was thrown into hell after he failed to heed to the rules guiding all servants of God. His destination in hell can be regarded as the punishment for his wrongful deeds on earth.
This fact is affirmed in the 8th circle where Dante points out that Boniface had a section in hell especially left for his occupation because if his poor moral example on earth (Gutchess 19). Boniface died in 1318 when Pope Benedict VI took the mantle as the pope of the Roman Church.
Importance of the Church and States Co Existence
The leopard, lion, and she wolf represent three animals that were a hindrance to Dantes chances of succeeding in Canto 1. These animals are representative of biblical animals like Daniels casting into the lions den and the she-wolf representation of the last days in the book of revelation.
Even though Dante avoids naming these animals in complete censorship, they can be analyzed in political terms as representing Florence, France and Papacy. Comprehensively, the leopard that was seen symbolizes Florence city, whereby back in 1300 AD it was deeply divided between the black and white Guelphs. This division is representative of the need of the state and church to coexist together.
The blacks can be perceived as proponents of the Popes quest to rule Italy (which is representative of the churchs will), while the White Guelphs were critics of such a move and represented the will of the state to control Florence. In this regard, they were supported by secular leaders. For the sake of their security from the pope; they had to go to extreme lengths to support secular leaders like Dante.
Nonetheless, Dante found it difficult to maintain peace between the two factions (in his capacity as a magistrate) and he therefore made enemies from both sides of the divide. As a resultant measure, he banned all Guelphs, who he thought were causing havoc, and in this process, he also banned his friend Guido Calavcanti too.
Unknown to Dante, the blacks came back with the backing of the pope while the novels narration during the spring of 1300 AD and its writing, three years down the line (when Dante was in exile) gives enough room for Dante to note that the prophecy of his exile was true.
The lion symbol represented France as an ally to the Pope; after they were bribed to support the blacks in the Florence conflict. The king of France thereafter reinstated the black Guelphs in the city of Florence and later tried Dante in his absence and vowed to kill him if he ever returned back into the city.
The she-wolf on the other hand represents Rome, which took control of the city of Florence in 1302 (Gutchess 18). During this period, Dante is exiled in an unknown foreign land because he feared for his life; considering he opposed the power of the pope while in Florence. Nonetheless, the symbol of the she-wolf can be best analyzed to represent Rome in its totality and also as the home of Virgil who happened to be one of the greatest poets of Rome.
In the analogy, the wolf is seen as preventing Dante from achieving the highest status of poetry in Rome. Lastly, the Greyhound symbol happens to represent Dantes patron in Verona, through Can Grande Derlla Scalla, although ironically, Can Grande represents a gigantic dog; which may imply that Dantes patron may probably be a domesticated wolf (Gutchess 19).
This use of biblical symbols can also be perceived as representative of the need to merge the state and the church since Dante uses them to explain political intrigues. Interestingly, these political intrigues also determine the biblical destination of some of the key players like the Pope who was sent to hell because of bribery and corruption.
Conclusion
Dante uses many literary techniques such as symbolism, and character casting to best convey his perception of punishment and morality in Inferno. The 1300 AD setting of his literary piece and the religious connotation of his poems is a representation of the religious undertones related with morality and judgment.
The use of symbols is a more subtle manner of representing controversial opinions and Dante uses them tactfully to let his readers know his trail of thought. Nonetheless, Dante extensively uses religion (Christianity) to form his opinion on morality and punishment. Tactfully, he also uses his imagination about Gods opinion to advance his own opinion of morality and punishment.
In this manner, it is difficult for anyone to question his personal ethical system. Nonetheless, he bases his virtues and vices on religion and integrates it with his political experiences to present a belief system that also advances his personal thought. He also integrates the ancient virtues and vices associated with the Roman Empire to reflect on his political beliefs. These attributes therefore outline Dantes framework of virtues, vices and morality in his work.
Works Cited
Alighieri, Dante. The Inferno of Dante Alighieri. London: Forgotten Books, 1962. Print.
Notes from Underground by Dostoevsky is a book which tells the reader about the life and the actions done by the protagonist. The whole novel seems to be a confession. He protagonist stars his story with the words, I am a sick man& I am a spiteful man. I am unattractive man (Dostoyevsky 1).
The notes are like the dairy which is published. It is important to keep in mind that the protagonist never tells his name, he writes his notes from the first person narration. Still, this method of narration does not make the narration less interesting and exciting. Moreover, it seems that the absence of the protagonists name only adds to the impression the novel provides.
Before stating the main thesis statement of the further research, it should be mentioned that the thorough work should be provided before the paper is going to be completed. To claim a thesis statement, it is important identify a topic which should be considered. Notes from Underground by Dostoevsky can cover many different topics, still, we want to pay attention to the absence of the protagonists name in the novel.
It is important to conduct a research and to identify the scholars who considered this problem in their works. The next step for writing should be focused on the thesis statement creation, what we are going to deal with in this paper, and on the paper structure. The structure of the paper should depend on the thesis statement directly.
The main idea which should be considered in the essay is the understanding of the reasons why the author uses the protagonist without a name. There are a number of reasons which could guide the author. On the one hand, the author explains the position himself. Dostoevsky writes, the author of the dairy and the diary itself are imaginary. Nevertheless.., such persons& must exist in the society (Dostoyevsky 1).
Thus, representing a protagonist without a name, the author tries to express the ideas of some representatives of the society without attaching the situation to any specific person. On the other hand, the case may be easily explained by the tendency which was in the 19th century when authors tried to make the impression that the writings they presented were autobiographical. Only close familiarizing with the works made it possible to distinguish between the reality and the fiction (Smith and Watson 8).
Aristotle writes that there are protagonists who are not named in the reason because there is no appropriate name for him/her. He writes, the extremes have the appearance of being opposed to one another, because the mean has no appropriate name (Aristotle 71). This opinion may be easily related to the novel by Dostoevsky.
The person describes his life with the purpose to understand why he had became a person who he was (it is possible to understand from the narration that the protagonist is a man). Therefore, the stories in the book are so terrible, that it is really impossible to name the person who performed those actions.
Thus, the thesis statement of the story is as follows: Dostoevsky in his novel Notes from Underground does not name the protagonist, it has a symbolic meaning: the story is not unique and there are many people in the society who could appear in the same situation and come to the same conclusions; moreover, the reason for leaving the protagonist without a name may be for the reason because it is impossible give a name to the person due to the actions he performed.
Annotated Bibliography
Dostoyevsky, Fyodor. Notes from the underground. Champaign, Ill.: Project Gutenberg, 1999. Web. Local Database. 16 Nov. 2010.
It is impossible to avoid the use of the primary source in the discussion because the author states his opinion on giving his protagonist no name. The main idea presented by the author is that the story is not unique and there are a lot of different people in the society who may have the same background which caused them to act like the protagonist in the story.
The author of the book explaining the nature of the protagonists absence of the name states that he tried to show the representative of the generation who was still living in the society, to make everybody to think after the novel is read.
Smith, Sidonie and Julia Watson. Reading autobiography: a guide for interpreting life narratives. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota Press, 2001. Web. Local Database. 16 Nov. 2010.
Smith and Watson dwell upon the historical development of the literature and state that Dostoevsky was not the only person who chose a protagonist without a name for the story teller. Moreover, that choice was made not by chance. Many writers of that period were choosing the method of narration from the first person never naming their protagonists.
This action was provided with the purpose to give the reader an impression that it was an autobiography and only the content of the books showed that it was not true. Moreover, such technique made the readers feel each word told by the protagonist, clearly imagine each scene, that allowed the readers deeper understand the whole story.
Aristotle. Nicomachean Ethics. New York: Cosimo, Inc., 2008. Web. Local Database. 16 Nov. 2010.
It should be mentioned that the ideas presented by Aristotle are difficult to argue. It is also significant to remember that the novel Notes from Underground by Dostoevsky was written many centuries later after Aristotle presented his ideas. Still, it is impossible to reject that those ideas remain actual nowadays.
Aristotle dwells upon the states, still, it does not restrict us from making a parallel between the ideas he used and to direct them at the Dostoevskys narration. Therefore, if to relate some ideas by Aristotle, it may be stated that Dostoevsky doe not name his character because there is no appropriate name for this person. The actions he did, the thoughts he had does not allow the author to name a person in any way.
Matthes, Melissa. A Checkered Past. Commonweal, 135.17 (2008): p 21. Literature Resource Center. Web.
This article is not directly related to the novel Notes from Underground by Dostoevsky, another book is reviewed, still, this source is important for our discussion. The author of this article states that protagonist, in fact, has no namebut lives on every page (21). It is crucial to remember that when the narration comes not from the first person singular, the narration may be distracted from the main character. Here, the narrator is present on each page of the novel.
Works Cited
Aristotle. Nicomachean Ethics. New York: Cosimo, Inc., 2008. Web. Local Database. 16 Nov. 2010.
Dostoyevsky, Fyodor. Notes from the underground. Champaign, Ill.: Project Gutenberg, 1999. Web. Local Database. 16 Nov. 2010.
Matthes, Melissa. A Checkered Past. Commonweal, 135.17 (2008): p 21. Literature Resource Center. Web.
Smith, Sidonie and Julia Watson. Reading autobiography: a guide for interpreting life narratives. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota Press, 2001. Web. Local Database. 16 Nov. 2010.
In order to properly analyze the poem, it is necessary to know its main elements. First of all, it is important to define the main them of a poem. In most cases, poems discloses the problem of love, death, friendships of choice making. Second, the poems are often based on symbolic and literal representation of some conceptions. This is carried out through using various stylistic devices.
Finally, the analysis of a poem presupposes the consideration of versification characteristics which contribute to better understanding of poets intentions.
Representation of Theme in Frosts Road Not Taken
Road Not Taken is a poem written by poet Robert Frost. While reading the poem, it is possible single out several thematic concerns. One the one hand, the last lines of the verse express the notes of individualism and ironically interpret the authors searching for his place in life.
In particular, the last two lines I took the one less traveled by,/ And that has made all the difference implies that the poet was not afraid of taking important decisions (Frost 881). Moreover, this renders the speakers desire to remain unconventional and original in searching for unusual way-outs.
Considering another side of the poem, it should be stressed that the work reflects the idea of making choices in life and explaining peoples decisions. In this case, the poem discusses the mains underpinning for rationalizing choices and solutions and sometime those actions can be perceived either with pride or with regret. In addition, by describing two roads, the poet intends to say that everything that happens is the result of actions and non-actions.
A person always takes responsibility for his/her life. This theme of fate and choice is explicitly presented in the following lines: Two roads diverged in a yellow wood/ And sorry I could not travel both/ And be one traveler not travel both (Frost 880). Analyzing the above-presented lines in more details, the author, on the one hand, emphasizes that each person should inevitable make one choice out of several. Therefore, humans life consists of constant decision making that move person further.
As the poem bear an autobiographical character, it is possible to assume that the poet feels some regret for choosing the unknown path in life. Hence hesitates whether [he] should have ever come back (Frost 880). The sign, therefore, can express the poets disappointment and regret about the path chosen.
Discussing Symbolic Meaning of Frosts Acquainted with the Night
Robert Frosts poem Acquainted with the Night bears a deep symbolic meaning. In particular, the work reflects authors deep depression and isolated existence. He finds himself in an empty place, although he is in the city full of noise and people.
In such a way, he provides a metaphoric comparison city with the night: I have been one acquainted with the night/ I have walked out in rain and back in rain/ I have outwalked the furthest city light (Frost 702). In addition, night also symbolically conveys silence and solitary life of the speaker.
Hence, the poet highlights tat he can stop the sound of feet (Frost 702). In other words, the city is so empty that can hear a drop of a pin. By using such word epithets like saddest , unwilling , and furthest , the speaker emphasizes his deep depression (Frost 702). Moreover, Frost compares time with the luminary clock against the sky as if intending to underline its indifference to the events and people surrounding him.
The poem also provides interpretation of loneliness by using different metaphors and indifference to an uninterrupted cry (Frost 702). More importantly, he perceives this scream as something alien and hostile that does not concern him. By using personification, the poet compares this sound with another world that is separated from the speaker.
The next lines presume that the city and people that surround him are not willing to accept the speaker either: & But not to call me back or say good-by; And further still at an unearthly height/ One luminary clock against the sky (Frost 702). In such a way, the author establishes the gap between the inner world of the city and his own. In general, the author put an emphasis on metaphoric constructions and similes.
Analysis of Versification in My Papas Waltz by Theodore Roethke
My Papas Waltz written by Theodore Roethke belongs to iambic trimeter. It means that the poem is composed of three iambic units in one line. The iamb identifies that the stress is posed on the second syllable. It should be stressed that the author makes use of accentual-syllabic iambic trimeter, where each line is composed of three iambic feet.
In the poem, the metric feet successfully vary in accordance with the subject consideration. In order to understand the verse, it is necessary to bracket the first and third stanzas. Hence, the slant rhymes easy and dizzy in the first stanza can be considered as feminine endings whereas knuckle and buckle in the third stanza represents masculine endings, particularly fathers waltzing. Although these lines are not limping iambs, they still create a similar meaning.
The second stanza, the second line, represents he metrical touch in the form of trochaic foot: Slid from / the kit / chen shelf Such form accurately emphasize the demolition of the pans (Roethke 769). Therefore, it is possible to conclude that waltz is not easy to dance.
The second lines trochee is repeated in the fourth line to emphasize mothers countenance: Could not/ unfrown / itself (Roethke 769). Finally, the second metric foot is read an out spondee: You beat time on my head with a palm/ caked hard / by dirt (Roethke 769). In general, the form and rhythm are closely connected with semantic feeling of the poem.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the poems presented for analysis have successfully disclosed the main theme, symbolism, and versification characteristics. In particular, the first poem called Road Not Taken has a multidimensional representation of the topic and, therefore, it impels the readers to provide a two-polar approach to characterizing the topic.
The second poem symbolic is largely represented through the use of metaphoric constructions and similes. Finally, the verse analysis of the final poem by Roethke reveals the impact of versification on semantic filling.
Works Cited
Frost, Robert. Acquainting with the Night. The Compact Bedford Introduction to, Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing. US:Bedford/St. Martins, 2002 p. 702
Frost, Robert. Road not Taken The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing. US:Bedford/St. Martins, 2002, pp. 880-881
Roethke, Theodore. My Papas WaltzThe Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing. US:Bedford/St. Martins, 2002. p. 769