Sonnet Elizabeth Bishop Analysis

The main theme within Clarke’s Sonnet is his distance and inability to communicate with a lover due to his alcoholism, and the way in which his coping mechanism, and alcoholism affects this relationship. In the opening octet,

Befitting of the overall tone, the sonnet commences with uncertainty, plainly illustrated with the language of the speaker’s initial statement: “I’m not sure how to hold my face when I dance” (1), for he arranges his words to portray a feeling of vacillation. Immediately following this reflective proclamation, the speaker poses three questions, all of which allude to the contemplative tone apparent in the text. While these inquiries regard the subject of dance, the speaker also intends for them to be metaphors for the uncertainty he, as a black man, has for his place in society. His questions are rapid-fire, almost probing the audience for answers that are seemingly nonexistent. As a result of the rapidity, there is an absence of breaks for these questions to be answered, evincing the speaker’s belief that they, in fact, have no answers. These first four sentences are crucial in the sonnet’s development, as they kindle ruminations for both the speaker and the audience.

The main theme within Clarke’s Sonnet is his distance and inability to communicate with a lover. This poem is written for his lover as an attempt to connect with her, although within the poem, he is continuing to communicate poorly. The way in which he copes with this broken relationship drives the tone of the poem.

Poetry is often meant to be smooth, flowing, pleasing to the ear and the mind. To achieve this effect, many poets use different poetic techniques to help convey the meanings of their poetry. In the sonnet, 'Yet Do I Marvel' written by Countee Cullen, many different features of poetry is used. In this essay, I will discuss the relationship between the meanings and the theme Cullen tries to convey in his sonnet and the techniques of metaphors, both religious and non-religious, allusions to Greek mythology, different rhyme schemes and repetition that he uses.

The ending couplet sums up the main idea of the sonnet. It continues with the image of eternity and the memory of the addressee. When Shakespeare writes “So, till the judgment that yourself arise / you live in this and dwell in lovers eyes” there is still an emphasis on the word of the poem itself.

Written in the form of a Shakespearean sonnet, one could hardly mistake it for anything so pleasant. Sonnets being traditionally used for beautiful, appealing topics, already there is contradiction between

The first story I chose was “After Twenty Years”. The suspense in this story was that it was dark and neither Jimmy nor Bob could see one another. The foreshadowing in the story is that when Bob lights his cigar. The light from the cigar gave Jimmy enough light to be able to see his face and the diamonds that he was wearing. What I though was ironic is that if Bob hadn’t come back after twenty years he wouldn’t have gotten arrested, but because he made a promise to keep his appointment, the only person who would recognize him.

Donne even goes so far as to command God to destroy the person he has

Throughout the whole sonnet, the poet maintains a very mournful tone, which he mainly emphasizes by experimenting with sound. In the first line, for example, the combination of “past” and the repetition of “pitch” results in an alliteration of the strong plosive /p/ sound. The exact same phenomenon can be found in line nine with the nasal /m/ sound in “mind” and “mountains”. Because this poem is teeming with alliterations, it clearly should be read out loud. In this way the reader will also notice that Hopkins uses many mono-syllabic words to speed up the rhythm. Line one, for example, only consists of words of one syllable. Another way in which the poet affects the rhythm of his poem is the excessive use of punctuation. The octave is made

Americans value equality, freedom, and independence. These value shape every aspect of American culture. We make one gender or race more superior than the other, making people fight for equality. Problems and responsibilities make people fight for their freedom. Trying to take away the rights of an American individual, that they rightfully have, will make them battle for it.

As opposed to the majority of Shakespeare’s sonnets in the series that are addressed to an unnamed young man, sonnet 60 deals largely with the relentless approach of time and its war against humanity rather than love. In this sonnet, the breaking of the poetic form expected of a sonnet is utilized to not only enhance the specific localized metaphors in the poem, but the overall thematic content as well. By taking the traditional iambic pentameter and presenting moments of disruption, this poem draws attention to the dramatization of Time’s march against humanity, and also to the ability of the writer of this poem who appears in the final couplet. In this paper, I intend to look specifically at the utilization of trochaic feet in order to examine the ways in which the manipulation of metrical devices can create meaning.

The sonnet opens with a statement of uncertainty as the speaker admits, “I’m not sure how to hold my face when I dance” (1). Immediately thereafter, the speaker poses three questions, all of which allude to the contemplative tone of the poem. While these inquiries regard the subject of dance, the speaker also intends for them to be metaphors for the uncertainty he, as a black man, has for his place in society. His questions are rapid-fire, almost probing the audience for answers that may not truly exist. An obvious lack of breaks for these questions to be answered shows that the speaker must believe that they, in fact, have no answers. These first four sentences are crucial in the sonnet’s development, as they provoke thought and contemplation so that the reader’s mind can be in the same place as the speaker.

     The sonnet, being one of the most traditional and recognized forms of poetry, has been used and altered in many time periods by writers to convey different messages to the audience. The strict constraints of the form have often been used to parallel the subject in the poem. Many times, the first three quatrains introduce the subject and build on one another, showing progression in the poem. The final couplet brings closure to the poem by bringing the main ideas together. On other occasions, the couplet makes a statement of irony or refutes the main idea with a counter statement. It leaves the reader with a last impression of what the author is trying to say.

“On Being Cautioned against Walking on an Headland Overlooking the Sea, Because it was Frequented by a Lunatic,” Charlotte Smith’s sonnet, comments on the poet’s feelings toward this lunatic and the thought process he instigates in her mind. By using different syntax to describe her two characters, Smith draws the attention of the reader to the message in the sonnet instead of the scene on the surface. The structure of the English sonnet also lends to the poem’s power, giving Smith a perfect avenue to deliver her message.

has the gentle heart of a woman but is not inconsistent as is the way