Death is such a cardinal and powerful portion of our society that it has intelligibly been a prevailing influence in 1000s of old ages of poesy. Therefore for my English literature poesy coursework, I have decided to research the outstanding subject of decease and the ways that it is portrayed and presented in poesy. Among the six verse forms selected verse forms for this piece of work, A Mother in the Refugee Camp ( Achebe ) and Do non travel gentle into that good dark ( Thomas ) are by modern-day modern poets, Because I could non halt for decease ( Dickinson ) , Break, Break, Break ( Tennyson ) and Remember ( Rossetti ) are from the 19th century, and Death be non proud ( Donne ) is from the Renaissance 16th century period. The contrasts in tone, manner, point of view and period between these six verse forms promise some noteworthy comparings and observation.
Make non travel gentle into that good dark ‘s attitude of rebelliousness and opposition of decease creates a blunt contrast with Emily Dickinson ‘s well-known Because I could non halt for decease. While Do non travel gentle into that good dark uses dominant imagination and nonliteral linguistic communication to make a powerful temper of rebelliousness and opposition, Dickinson does the exact antonym in Because I could non halt for decease ; she uses mellower and solemner imagination to specify a tone of credence, obeisance and fear. Within Do non travel gentle into that good dark, poet Thomas ‘ usage of extremely passionate metaphors such as “ death of the visible radiation ” mentioning to decease and repeating subject of fire and fury to symbol opposition is comparable to Dickinson ‘s usage of a “ passenger car ” as an drawn-out metaphor for the procedure of decease. Dickinson ‘s fear of decease is evident as she begins the verse form, mentioning to decease in the first line with capitalisation, efficaciously bodying decease as a well-thought-of gentleman. This is farther supported by the fact that the personified decease is shown in a positive visible radiation with words such as “ kindly ” – “ he kindly stopped for me. ” The thought of a passenger car is so introduced in “ The Carriage held but merely Ourselves- And Immortality. ” “ Immorality ” signals the talker ‘s belief that life does non stop at decease, and that life after decease exists. In the stanza one, it is clear that the writer is compliant to decease, volitionally “ siting ” with him. The following in-between four stanzas develop the drawn-out passenger car metaphor, making a journey in the procedure of decease. The personified Death is farther described to be a respectable and considerate figure – “ he knew know hastiness ” , with “ civility ” used to depict him as a considerate and civil individual. Scenes of kids and Fieldss act as a trigger of unagitated nostalgia, and “ go throughing the scene Sun ” is used as a metaphor for deceasing. By stanza four, the temper of the verse form has changed as the journey towards decease nears the terminal. Having passed the Sun, she is now traveling into the cold, and mentions to “ gossamer, gown, tippet and tulle ” – all thin veil stuff – show that she is underprepared for decease. By stanza five, the journey of decease has come to an terminal, as the talker reaches “ a house that seemed a swelling in the land ” , a metaphor for a grave. In the last stanza, it is revealed to the reader that this passenger car journey of decease really occurred long ago, though it remained fresh in the talker ‘s memory. It is besides revealed that the talker knew from the start, life would travel on after decease. Throughout the verse form, the drawn-out metaphor of a passenger car journey, which gives a moving, fluxing feel, every bit good as the usage of standard iambic pentameter beat and repeat in construction aid give the verse form a flow, which contributes to the composure and calm tone of the verse form. Dickinson frequently refers to the talker and the personified decease as “ we ” , demoing their close relationship. It is interesting to observe that although Do non travel gentle into that good dark and Because I could non halt for decease have opposing attitudes towards decease, their writers use similar literary technique to show these attitudes, even sharing the metaphor of the terminal of a twenty-four hours as stand foring decease. This demonstrates that nevertheless decease is perceived and represented, it is basically the same ; the dimming of life accompanied by a temper of bereavement, nevertheless angry or quiet the mourning is. The two contrasting positions of decease in for-mentioned verse forms can be traced to their periods of beginning and writer ‘s believes. Because I could non halt for decease was written during the Victorian epoch when faith still had a strong influence on western society, and therefore the outstanding belief of life after decease and immortality, shown in the verse form itself, is likely to be the ground for the verse forms unagitated credence of decease. Make non travel gentle into that good dark on the other manus was written during the modern-day 1950s period when faith had lost much of its appreciation on the general populace ; as a consequence Thomas ‘ has reflected society ‘s secular beliefs at that clip every bit good as his ain – that life terminals at decease – and so he writes so passionately for his male parent to contend and defy decease.
Normally, poets tend to show a negative attitude of decease in their plants due to decease ‘s associations with wretchedness and grudge. This position can be seen rather clearly in both Do non travel gentle into that good dark and 17th metaphysical poet John Donne ‘s Death be non Proud. However, the grade to which Thomas and Donne demonstrate decease negatively is quite utmost. As opposed to Thomas ‘ passionate call for opposition against decease, Donne has taken to take downing decease, assailing him on about personal degrees through effectual personification. Written in the signifier of a Petrarchan sonnet, the octane of the verse form dressed ores of informing decease that he is has no right to be proud – “ Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art non soe ” ( You are non mighty and awful ) . Death is perceived to be something that is meant to be feared, who is “ mighty and dreadfull ” and invokes fear and panic. However, the poet tells decease that he is in world non so. Donne mocks decease in line four, naming him “ hapless decease ” , and declares decease to be like sleep and remainder, as something that is of “ much pleasance ” . On the 9th line- the Volta of the sonnet – Donne increases his onslaughts on decease. He writes “ Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, male monarchs, and despairing work forces ” , naming decease a slave who simply appears when ordered by others. He so goes on to diss decease more with “ And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell ” , stating decease ‘s couples are basically thugs, as toxicant, war and illness are all wretchednesss of life. In the undermentioned two lines, Donne suggests that even drugs and appeals can bring on kip better than decease, returning to the original subject of decease simply being sleep. “ Why swell’st 1000 so? ” asks decease why he is proud when he clearly has no right. Donne ends the verse form with a scriptural mention, common in his twenty-four hours when spiritual influence was strong – “ One short sleepe past, we wake everlastingly ” refers to the Resurrection of all at the terminal of the universe by Jesus for ‘Judgement ‘ . He so finishes in a characteristically contradictory manner for metaphysical poets, by stating “ decease, 1000 shalt dice ” and stating decease to decease. Throughout the verse form, Donne sticks to the many stigmas of poesy composing during his clip, utilizing scriptural mentions every bit good as the literary technique amour propre normally adopted by Metaphysical poets, where he uses the drawn-out metaphor of comparing decease to rest and kip. Within this verse form, the flow given by the Petrarchan sonnet ‘s ABBA rime strategy has transformed the verse form about into a kind of angry harangue. Hence, while Thomas focuses on the loss of promising life in decease which invokes him to recommend the opposition of decease, Donne has gone for the extreme, assailing decease itself and transforming a fearful, commanding decease into a matter-of-fact person.
A Mother in the Refugee Camp is a mournful verse form which examines the adversities of life during Biafra ‘s ( now Nigeria ) Civil War. Contemporary poet Chinua Achebe has taken a alone attack towards decease ; instead than offering his ain position of decease he has placed decease into context and offered it to the reader through a first-person position. By composing about a refugee female parent assiduously caring for her kid despite his inevitable decease under the destitute conditions, Achebe has successfully invoked the empathy of the reader. The poet begins the verse form with important imagination, mentioning to the celebrated Madonna of the Child statue. By comparing the statue to the female parent and her kid, a strong image is created of the particular bond of love between the female parent and her kid. Achebe so goes on to research this particular bond, depicting the female parent ‘s sedulous attention for her kid. Achebe so creates contrast by depicting the grim, rough conditions of life in the verse form, which helps set up a cheerless and melancholic temper which blends in good with decease. For illustration, Achebe writes “ common kids with washed-out ribs ” . Through the cagey drama of the word “ wash ” , Achebe manages to stress the meager, suffering conditions by depicting that the kids are common, yet there ribs are “ exhausted ” , intending that all their flesh is gone, go forthing a skeletal frame covered by bone. “ Exhausted ” besides implies deeper significance into the lives of the kids ; it suggests that the ‘essence ‘ has been washed out, like the bleached coloring material of a fabric, and metaphorically implies the attenuation of the kids ‘s lives, as it easy ebbs off. To assist stress the inseparable bond of love between female parent and kid and its nexus to decease here, the poet besides actively puts accent on the female parent ‘s tireless attention for her kid. This can be seen in “ bathed him and rubbed him down with au naturel thenars ” and the manner she combs and parts her boies hair. This identifies the province of denial of the female parent, who refuses to accept the inevitable decease of her boy, and is in a superficial province of hope. Achebe nevertheless, allows the reader to feel this grim day of reckoning through sparks of world, such as “ her tenderness for a boy she would shortly hold to bury. ” The poets add to this sense of inexorable world by completing off the verse form with “ like seting flowers on a bantam grave ” . Both “ Soon she would hold to bury ” and “ grave ” straight indicate the attenuation of life from the kid, with grave being a metaphor for the kid being every bit good as dead, and Tells of the female parent ‘s manifestation of love amid her inability and impotence to change destiny. By contrasting the female parent ‘s denial and hopelessness, and attentive attention of her kid with the inventible decease of the boy, the poet has managed to strongly arouse understanding and empathy from the reader, showing the fated bond between love, decease, and the powerful emotions that the connexion between the two causes.
Like A Mother in a Refugee Camp, Remember by Christina Rossetti explores the plaint between decease and love. Written in the signifier of a Petrarchan sonnet, Rossetti writes of a love relationship between the talkers, presumptively herself, and a suer. Throughout the verse form, Rossetti sets a melancholic temper as the talker envisages her ain decease, as we can see from the first two lines of the verse form – “ Remember me when I am gone off, gone far off into the soundless land. ” “ Remember me when I am gone ” is a sad petition by the talker, puting the temper in the first line. “ Silent land ” is a metaphor for decease, and therefore we sense the talker ‘s compulsion with her ain decease. The octane of the verse form ( first eight lines ) consists of the talker stating her lover to retrieve her one time her awaited decease occurs, and sets a dejecting tone to the verse form. On line nine, the Volta brings a alteration of way to the verse form for the sestet ( last six lines ) as the talker changes her head, as she tells her lover that if he forgets her to non be sad. The last two lines of the sonnet act as noncompliant drumhead – “ Better by far you should bury and smile, than you should retrieve and be sad ” . She states that she would instead her lover bury her and be happy, than retrieve her and be sad. The verse form presents the procedure of deliberation as the talker tries to work out a quandary in her life. Within this verse form, Rossetti has conveyed the sense of plaint and heartache in a milder mode, making a sad yet at the same clip composure and comforting verse form. The talker within the verse form is non so much concerned with decease as she is concerned with how her lover will retrieve her after her decease. This deficiency of focal point on decease straight helps soften the suffering and plaintive tone, altering the overall tone to an ambivalent melancholy. The usage of the characteristic ‘ABBA ‘ Petrarchan Sonnet rime strategy besides helps give a beat to the verse form, about doing it into an lament, as seen in Do non travel gentle into that good dark, and therefore adding to the melancholy atmosphere.
The subject of decease is frequently closely related to decease through the association of loss and heartache. The connexion between decease and love are the cardinal motive explored within A female parent in a Refugee Camp, Remember and Break, Break, Break, and besides makes up an of import portion of Do non travel gentle into that good dark. A female parent in a refugee cantonment dressed ores on the manner a powerful female parent grips as she watches her boy faux pas off, pulling of all time closer to inevitable decease under blue life conditions. Within the verse form, writer Achebe creates a suffering, plaintive atmosphere and arouse empathy from the reader, allowing out glances of the suffering life that is covered up by the female parent ‘s assiduous attention for her kid and her province of denial. In Remember, a contrasting composure and melancholic tone can be sensed as Rossetti chooses non to concentrate on the component itself but instead how the talker will be remembered after her inevitable decease. This in bend brings out the relationship between the talker and her lover, as she finally chooses from her quandary that she would instead her lover bury her and be happy, so retrieve her in bereavement and wretchedness. This intimate yet elusive relationship between the deceasing talker and her lover gives the verse form a stamp and touching feel. In Do non travel gentle into that good dark, Thomas focuses on his deceasing male parent, pleading him to defy and contend decease as he still has more to populate for. The repeats, choruss, correspondence within the verse form every bit good as its villanelle rime strategy wonderfully turns the verse form into an lament, efficaciously showing Thomas ‘ love for his male parent as his male parent slips through the spreads of life. In Break, Break, Break, poet Alfred Lord Tennyson has written an lament of mourning for his passed off friend “ Arthur Hallem ” and there is a strong sense of isolation, heartache and nostalgia within the verse form as Tennyson captures his ain emotions. The short verse form begins with strength through the forceful repeat of the word “ interruption ” , giving a cold, mechanic feel. Tennyson describes himself as lost for words following his friend ‘s decease, and the perennial vowel rhyme “ o ” sound in “ On thy cold grey rocks, O Sea! ” helps voice this feeling of loss. The sea crashing into the cold Grey stones represents the writer ‘s emotional convulsion, as a dark and violent image is conjured up. In stanza two, Tennyson contrasts between felicity in young person and unhappiness in adulthood through his reminiscence of the yesteryear. This artlessness and joy is shown foremost through initial rhyme, in “ cries for his sister ” and “ boat on the bay ” , which gives the stanza a sense of flamboyancy, and besides through the obvious rime between “ drama ” and “ bay ” which adds to the beat. The usage of the two kids – “ fisherman ‘s male child ” and “ crewman chap ” add to this thought of reminiscence as it contrasts with Tennyson ‘s friendly relationship with Hallem, which has been severed by decease. Thus the two kids are a reminder to him of his formal ego. The terminal of the verse form reverts back to the “ interruption, interruption, interruption ” seen in the first stanza and the emotions demonstrated at the start. This deficiency of patterned advance points to the writer ‘s inability to travel on from the emotional convulsion caused by his friend ‘s decease. The word picture of the stones as “ at the pes of thy crags ” suggests that they are unsmooth and crisp, demoing the painful nature of his emotions. The drawn-out metaphor of a sea throughout the verse form helps develop coherence throughout the verse form, giving a soothing melancholy flow suited to the bereaved nature of the verse form. The sea is a metaphor for Tennyson ‘s belief of something beyond the mere rhythm of life and decease, with the enormousness of the sea moving as a enigma in the metaphor. Through the verse forms plaintive nature and Tennyson ‘s emotional convulsion and hurting caused from the decease of his friend, the inseparable friendly relationship bond between him and Hallem is strongly inferred.
Death is both intangible and unmeasurable ; hence the assorted perceptual experiences we have of decease are simply figures we have conjured up through our imaginativenesss, catalyzed by emotions and societal influences. It is because of this unreal nature of decease that it is so powerful ; it can be anything and everything our head perceives it to be- feared, revered, resisted, hated and condescended – it is the root of heartache, choler and credence. From this piece of work, we see these galvanizing contrasts in perceptual experience, from the denial in A Mother in a Refugee Camp, to the composed melancholy in Remember and Break, Break, Break, to the composure credence seen in Because I could non halt for decease, and eventually to the fervent opposition and hatred in Do non travel gentle into that good dark and Death be non Proud. The connexion between decease and love is peculiarly noteworthy, as all six verse forms have explored this subject to different grades. It is this subtly intimate relationship between decease and love that invokes the mourning and empathy normally associated with decease.
