Diana Nguyen Period: 1 AP English Language The Convergence of the Twain In “The Convergence of the Twain,” by Thomas Hardy, the speaker opens up his attitude towards the sinking of the ship. What the title, “The Convergence of the Twain,” means is when two things come together to merge into one, in this case, the iceberg and the ship. The speaker uses multiple poetic devices to convey his opinion that the sinking of the ship was not a surprise, but rather something that nature has control over man. As tragic as it may sounds, the speaker elucidates the idea that everything has a plan, the sinking of the ship was inevitable. By depicting mankind’s pride and vanity, the speaker uses imagery, connotative diction, and metaphors to demonstrate that the sinking of the ship was not a tragedy. The first five stanzas utilizes imagery to describe the setting under the sea. At first, the audience is able to visualize how the ship is quietly resting from “human vanity” and the “Pride of Life.” Pride got in the way of humanity’s creation of the ship since they believed that the Titanic to be …show more content…
Fate is made up of two halves that are either creative or destructive. According to stanza 7, the more advanced the ship becomes, the more the ¨shadowy silent distance grew in the iceberg.¨ Although the Immanent Will exists, it is difficult for “the moral eye” to anticipate where the force will lead humanity. The Immanent Will has to wait for the right moment to have the iceberg and the Titanic collide. Fate decides the events of mankind and no amount of hubris or vanity can change the unavoidable
Personification is used in both passages to create vivid images of how the ships flounder during the process in order to accomplish the dreams that people persist in minds. In “The Cargo Hulks”, personification illustrates the natural hardship that the ship undergoes: “ferocious high seas thundering, merciless Antarctic gales, the howling challenge of the Horn.” The difficulties are symbols of the hunger,
Nevertheless, the flag stands erect and flapping in the wind. On the right side of the piece, we view the exact magnitude of the storm through the “white wash” of the violent waves. Additionally, the sky to the right of the ship’s crow’s nest is lighter and hints of a sun trying to break through the lurking darkness. Despite the presence of other visual elements, what clearly connects is that the ocean, embellished and predominantly highlighted in the work, was Moran’s principal interest. However, the fact that something so fleeting as surging waves dominates the composition even to the visual expense and weight of an obviously colossal ship.
Taking Adrienne Rich’s “Diving into the Wreck” at face value, one may literally summarize the poem by stating that an individual, hearing stories about a wrecked ship, decided to dive down to the fabled ship alone to see it for themselves and found it. However, reading between the lines, one may also feel that the poem is more than just an adventure for the narrator, but rather a personal journey as well. At the beginning of the poem, the narrator describes hearing about the wreck and preparing to visit it alone, descending the ladder and entering the water below. However, the narrator seems to feel apprehensive and a bit fearful, referring to their scuba-suit as “body-armor” (Rich 5) and describing the growing foreboding feeling as the water gets darker. But these feelings soon vanish, for the narrator comes upon the wreck, captivated by the ship’s figurehead who is forever trapped at the bottom of the ocean. However, at this point in time, the narrator seems to have a sort of epiphany while engrossed by the image of the ship that is a bit difficult to describe. The narrator states, “I am she: I am he” (Rich 77) in reference to the figureheads after traveling into the ship’s hold, eventually emerging from their adventure as a different person who now identifies with the forgotten, damaged, and lost articles of the ship (which may also relate
(213). The narrator once again speaks of the sea as if it were human. Stating the “waves paced to and fro” and “the great sea’s voice”, he gives the sea life and a voice. Having figures of speech such as these gives the story life and a vivid
Mark Twain, one of the most famous and influential American writers, was born in Hannibal, Missouri on November 30, 1835 and died April 21, 1910. Born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, he eventually adopted his famous pseudonym in 1863. Shortly after his father's death in 1847, when Clemens was twelve, his father passed away. After his father death, he applied for an apprenticeship at the local-printing shop. While working in the printing shop, Twain learned the skills required to be a printer and developed an aptitude for witty short essays and responses. Mark Twain was enthralled by his opportunity to develop his skills as a printer, and later he realized that he had a unique talent for writing. By working as an apprentice printer, he
The sinking of the Titanic was a tragedy that had an impact for the entire world. To this day, everyone is familiar with the event. It’s no wonder why mention of the ship would incite a certain dread in the hearts of those who lay their eyes on it. The title, “Titanic” (391), however, is a mere decoy. It’s a tool used to set up the ironic tone of the poem. This is made clear through the rather blunt first line, “Who does not love the Titanic?” The word “love” is a rather explicit word used to describe the world’s reaction toward the vessel for years to come. While the initial set up seems to be satirical, this isn’t the speaker’s true intention. The poem references something other than fear or
Adrienne Rich uses many poetic resources in her poem "Diving into the Wreck." In this poem a diver goes on a trip to investigate a shipwreck in the socially accepted schema. Rich shifts the role of the hero and the strategy for success in her second schema. In the second schema the hero goes on a journey where she discovers her true identity, both female and male.
When the skipper cannot bear the tragic scene no more, and decides to save all the stricken passengers, Whitman uses a Biblical allusion to add a deeper meaning to the skipper's heroic act. "How he follow'd them and tack'd with them three days and would not give it up, how he saved the drifting company at last" (Whitman 1). The skipper's strife to save the drifting passengers for three days is an allusion to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the Bible, Jesus dies to save mankind from sin, and resurrects three days later. Whitman uses this Biblical allusion to bring the skipper up to the level of Jesus Christ, making the two saviors equal. As the skipper looks onward at the faces of the survivors, Whitman applies imagery to describe the passengers. "How the silent old-faced infants and the lifted sick, and the sharp-lipp'd unshaved men" (Whitman 1). The passengers that survive the ship wreck are no longer the same people that stepped foot on that ship. The image of old babies doesn't describe their age, but their sense of maturity, even though babies cannot be mature. Likewise, the image of the sharp-lipp'd unshaved men doesn't describe their lips and hair, but their burden of being unable to save their own families from the storm, even though that is the duty of a father. At first, it may seem as if the skipper is the sole hero in the poem, but that is not the case. Through "Song of Myself," Whitman
Mark Twain, in his essay¨, The lowest Animal¨,(1896), Mark Twain argues that human beings are not on the same ¨level with other animals¨.He claims that humans are the most lowest animals in the world. He announced that humans are the most idiotic creatures and that humans starts wars for no reason. Mark Twain suggest the problem for humans, that they are reveal as the lowest animal. Mark Twain explain the humans for being shelfless, cold hearted and less intellligent then the rest of the animals.To his audience Mark Twain revealed the humans problems not being reasonable with mankind. Fur the audience to know humans weakness to mankind.
Although several aspects of life are predetermined, there are moments people have control over their fate. For example, no one has control over death, and even though many refuse their undeniable fate, it cannot be avoided. However, there are choices we make that mold our future, thus, changing our fate. On various occasions, there will be a fork in one’s path, and that person will have to choose which journey to take. In life, there are small, ineffective decisions you have to resolve, but there are also larger, life altering choices. Of course, others may feel the same way about fate, or entirely different. In fact, since the beginning of time, authors of literature have discussed their ideas on such matters, a few examples being Dr. Seuss, Charles Dickens, and Edgar Allen Poe. These authors, famous for their thought provoking literary work, provide differing opinions on the fate and destiny of a human being through the use of allegory.
The lines that follow deal with death and punishment. Part 3, describes how the sailors' "throats unslaked, with black lips baked, We could nor laugh nor wail; Through utter drought all dumb we stood! I bit my arm, I sucked the blood, And cried, A sail! A sail! " Then all the shipmates die "Four times fifty living men, (And I heard nor sigh nor groan) With heavy thump, a lifeless lump, They dropped down one by one." And so the ancient mariner was "Alone, alone, all, all alone, Alone on a wide wide sea! A never a saint took pity on My soul in agony." He sat
In Mark Twain 's satirical essay, “The Damned Human Race,” Twain critiques human beings by declaring that “The human race is a race of cowards; and I am not only marching in that procession but carrying a banner.” The motif of cowardice and the cruelty of humanity is also present in another one of Twain’s most famous works: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Throughout this novel, Twain passionately decries the immorality and corruption of society through the employment of rhetoric and themes. He utilizes irony to draw attention to the hypocrisy and self-righteousness of many Christians and the detrimental effects this hypocrisy can have on society. He implements pathos to highlight the greed and
"All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure" (Twain). This quote is from Mark Twain. He is a very famous author who has written such classics as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Mark Twain’s real name is Samuel Clemens, and was known to have experienced different many things in his lifetime. He has worked as a miner, printer, river pilot, and more (www.cmgww.com). This tells us that he must have known many things, and possibly how he came up with this quote.
Sophocles states that “Fate has terrible power. You cannot escape it by wealth or war. No fort will keep it out, no ships outrun it.” Fate derives from a Latin word, fatum, meaning that one’s future is predetermined. In Oedipus Rex, Sophocles unfolds the misfortune of a noble king who searches for knowledge. Evidently, Greek heroes like Oedipus are destined to rule, but are also bound to fall, therefore, he cannot alter his own fate. This tragic play proves that the power of fate is indeed stronger than one’s free will. Despite his attempts to fight his destiny, Oedipus can never outrun his fate. Regardless of his parents’ desperation to evade the predicted outcome, fate guides his journey for knowledge, leading to his destruction.
Education may be conveyed in many formats, such as classrooms, laboratories, and books. Teachers instruct within the classroom, while researchers and scientist utilize a laboratory setting for instruction and education, while other forms of education derive from authors who communicate by the written word. One well known author and educator is Samuel L. Clemens, more commonly known as Mark Twain. Twain was born in Florida, Missouri on November 30, 1835 and utilized his childhood and adolescent experiences as a method of education. Mark Twain is powerfully depicted as an unconventional educator through his books, literature, and personal quotes.