Dover Beach
BY
MATTHEW ARNOLD
1867
The sea is
calm tonight.
The tide is
full, the moon lies fair
Upon the
straits; on the French coast the light
Gleams and
is gone; the cliffs of England stand,
Glimmering
and vast, out in the tranquil bay.
Come to the
window, sweet is the night-air!
Only, from
the long line of spray
Where the
sea meets the moon-blanched land,
Listen! you
hear the grating roar
Of pebbles
which the waves draw back, and fling,
At their
return, up the high strand,
Begin, and
cease, and then again begin,
With
tremulous cadence slow, and bring
The eternal
note of sadness in.
Sophocles
long ago
Heard it on
the Ægean, and it brought
Into his
mind the turbid ebb and flow
Of human misery;
we
Find also in
the sound a thought,
Hearing it
by this distant northern sea.
The Sea of
Faith
Was once,
too, at the full, and round earth's shore
Lay like the
folds of a bright furled girdle.
But now I
only hear
Its
melancholy, long, withdrawing roar,
Retreating,
to the breath
Of the
night-wind, down the vast edges drear
And naked
shingles of the world.
Ah, love,
let us be true
To one
another! for the world, which seems
To lie
before us like a land of dreams,
So varied,
so beautiful, so new,
Hath really
neither joy, nor love, nor light,
Nor
certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;
And we are
here as on a darkling plain
Swept with
confused alarms of struggle and flight,
Where
ignorant armies clash by night.
Overview
"Dover Beach" by Matthew Arnold is a sad poem that
talks about feeling uncertain and worried about the world changing. At first,
it describes a beautiful scene by the sea with the moon shining on the cliffs.
But then, Arnold starts to talk about bigger problems. The main idea is that
people are losing their faith, especially in old traditions and religious
beliefs. The poem uses strong words like "darkling plain" to show
that the world feels confusing and full of struggle. Arnold also talks about
love being temporary and compares it to the tide going out, leaving behind
emptiness. The poem reflects the time it was written when people were
questioning old ideas because of new science and social changes. Overall,
"Dover Beach" is a thoughtful poem about feeling uncertain and sad
about the way the world is changing and losing faith in traditional values.
Imagery Analysis
"The sea is calm tonight."
Visual Imagery: This line immediately evokes a
visual image of a peaceful, calm sea, evoking a feeling of peace and stillness.
"The tide is full, the moon lies fair / Upon the
straits;"
Visual Imagery: These lines introduce the image of
a full tide and a moon casting its gentle light upon the straits (narrow
passages of water), creating a serene and picturesque scene.
"on the French coast the light
Gleams and are
gone;"
Visual Imagery: Here, the poet describes the
intermittent gleaming and disappearance of light on the French coast. This
imagery suggests a transient and fleeting quality, perhaps mirroring the transience
of moments in life.
"the cliffs of England stand,
Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay."
Visual Imagery: The imagery of the cliffs of
England standing in the tranquil bay, glimmering and vast, adds to the visual
richness. The glimmering effect implies a soft and subtle illumination,
enhancing the overall peaceful atmosphere.
"Come to the window, sweet is the night-air!"
Visual Imagery: This line invites the reader to
imagine a scene by the window, where the night air is described as
"sweet." The visual aspect here is more implied, as the sweetness of
the night air sets a mood rather than providing a concrete image.
"Only, from the long line of spray
Where the sea meets the moon-blanched land,"
Visual Imagery: Here, the poet introduces the
image of the sea meeting the moon-blanched land. The phrase "moon-blanched
land" conjures a visual of the land illuminated by the moonlight, creating
a serene and pale landscape.
"Listen! you hear the grating roar /Of pebbles"
Auditory Imagery: The auditory imagery invites the
reader to listen to the sound of pebbles being moved by the waves. The use of
"grating roar" suggests a harsh and grinding sound, emphasizing the
power and force of the waves.
"Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling,
At their return, up the high strand,"
Tactile Imagery: This imagery involves the
sensation of waves drawing back and flinging pebbles. This creates a sense of
movement and rhythm, as well as the tactile experience of the pebbles being
tossed and shifted by the waves.
"Begin, and cease, and then again begin, / With
tremulous slow cadence"
Kinesthetic Imagery: The kinesthetic imagery emphasizes
the rhythmic movement of the waves. The repetition of "begin, and cease,
and then again begin" conveys a cyclical motion, while "tremulous
cadence slow" suggests a gentle, swaying movement.
The mention of Sophocles, an ancient Greek playwright,
immediately sets a visual and historical context. The reader might envision
Sophocles listening to something significant on the Aegean Sea, evoking a sense
of antiquity and classical Greece.
"Heard it on the Ægean, and it brought
Into his mind the
turbid ebb and flow
Of human misery;"
Auditory Imagery: The auditory imagery here involves
the act of hearing something on the Aegean Sea that brought to Sophocles' mind
the "turbid ebb and flow of human misery." This suggests a sound
associated with the tumultuous and troubled movement of human suffering.
"… we
Find also in the sound a thought,
Hearing it by this distant northern sea."
Tactile and Visual Imagery: The use of
"sound" implies an auditory experience, but the idea that the sound
carries a thought suggests a deeper, intellectual engagement with the auditory
sensation. The mention of the "distant northern sea" adds a tactile
and visual element, placing the speaker in a different geographical context,
far from the Aegean.
"The Sea of Faith
Was once, too, at the
full, and round earth's shore
Lay like the folds of a bright furled girdle."
Visual Imagery: The initial imagery presents a
visual metaphor of the "Sea of Faith" as a once-full, expansive
body surrounding the earth's shore, described as the folds of a bright furled
girdle. This metaphor evokes a sense of completeness and encircling unity.
"But now I only hear
Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar,"
Auditory Imagery: The auditory imagery here
introduces the sound of the "Sea of Faith" as a melancholic, long,
withdrawn roar. The use of the word "withdrawing" suggests a receding
or retreating quality, and the auditory description adds to the emotional tone
of the poem.
"Retreating, to the breath
Of the night-wind, down the vast edges drear
And naked shingles of the world."
Tactile Imagery: The tactile imagery involves the
sense of touch, as the sea is described as retreating to the breath of the night-wind.
The use of words like "vast edges drear" and "naked
shingles" conveys a desolate and exposed landscape, adding a tangible
sense of barrenness.
"… for the world, which seems
To lie before us like a land of dreams,"
Visual Imagery: The world is depicted as a land of
dreams, suggesting a picturesque and idealized landscape. The visual imagery
here conveys a sense of optimism and potential.
"So varied, so beautiful, so new,"
Visual Imagery: The use of words like
"varied," "beautiful," and "new" adds to the
visual imagery, creating a vivid picture of a world filled with possibilities
and aesthetic appeal.
"Hath absolutely neither joy, nor love, nor light,"
Visual and Tactile Imagery:
The stark contrast presented here shifts the initial visual
imagery. The world, which initially seemed full of promise, is now described as
lacking joy, love, and light. The tactile sense is engaged through the
implications of emptiness and absence.
"Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;"
Auditory Imagery: The auditory imagery involves the
absence of certitude, peace, and help for pain. The silence or void created by
the lack of these elements contributes to the overall sense of desolation.
"And we are here as on a darkling plain / Swept with
confused alarms of struggle and flight,"
Visual and Kinesthetic Imagery: The imagery
of a "darkling plain" suggests a desolate, dark landscape. The visual
imagery is coupled with kinesthetic imagery, as the plain is described as being
swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight. This implies a chaotic and
disorienting environment.
"Where ignorant armies clash by night."
Visual Imagery: The final line introduces a visual
image of ignorant armies clashing by night, suggesting conflict and strife. The
use of "night" adds a sense of obscurity and uncertainty to the
scene.
The
Second Coming
BY
WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS
1920
.jpeg)
Turning and
turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot
hear the falconer;
Things fall
apart; the center cannot hold;
Mere anarchy
is loosed upon the world,
The
blood-dimmed tide is loose, and everywhere
The ceremony
of innocence is drowned;
The best
lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of
passionate intensity.
Surely some
revelation is at hand;
Surely the
Second Coming is at hand.
The Second
Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast
image comes out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my
sight: somewhere in the sands of the desert
A shape with
lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank
and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving
its thighs slowly, while all about it
Reel shadows
of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness
drops again; but now I know
That twenty
centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed
to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what
rough beast, its hour comes round at last,
Slouches
towards Bethlehem to be born?
OVERVIEW
"The
Second Coming" by W.B. Yeats is a complicated poem that talks about a
confusing time in history, especially after World War I. The poet, Yeats, felt
worried and disappointed about the way the world was changing. The poem has
different meanings, and we can understand it in various ways. It talks about
the idea that history repeats itself, with periods of order and chaos coming
back over time. Yeats is concerned about the world falling into disorder and
violence, as shown by the phrase "things fall apart." There's also a
sense of losing innocence and purity in the face of harsh realities. The poem
talks about a spiritual crisis, suggesting that a big change, "The Second
Coming," is coming soon, but it's unclear and feels a bit scary. Yeats
also compares different forces, with some lacking the will to act and others
acting destructively. The poem has a touch of prophecy and talks about a
significant and transformative change on the horizon. Overall, "The Second
Coming" captures the worries and uncertainties of its time, talking about
human history and how societies go through cycles of upheaval.
IMAGERY ANALYSIS
"Turning
and turning in the widening gyre"
Visual
and Kinesthetic Imagery: The image of a falcon turning in a widening gyre (a spiral or vortex)
creates a visual and kinesthetic image. This movement suggests a sense of chaos
or disorientation, as the falcon moves farther away from the falconer.
"The
falcon cannot hear the falconer;"
Auditory
and Visual Imagery: The
auditory imagery of the falcon unable to hear its falconer emphasizes the
increasing distance and disconnect. The visual image complements the auditory
sense, underscoring the breakdown in communication.
"Things
fall apart; the center cannot hold;"
Visual
and Tactile Imagery:
The visual imagery of things falling apart is complemented by the tactile sense
of disintegration. The center not holding suggests a collapse or loss of
stability.
"Mere
anarchy is loosed upon the world,"
Visual
and Auditory Imagery: The visual image of anarchy being "loosed upon the world"
suggests chaos and disorder. The word "loosed" also implies a sudden
and uncontrollable release. The auditory aspect of this line might evoke the
cacophony of disorder.
"The
blood-dimmed tide is loose, and everywhere"
Visual
and Tactile Imagery: The
visual and tactile imagery of a "blood-dimmed tide" being loose
conveys a sense of violence and upheaval. The use of "blood-dimmed"
suggests a disturbing and ominous quality.
"The
ceremony of innocence is drowned;"
Visual
and Auditory Imagery: The visual imagery of the "ceremony of innocence" being drowned
evokes a poignant and tragic image. The auditory aspect of drowning might
suggest the sounds associated with this loss.
"The
best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full
of passionate intensity."
Visual
and Kinesthetic Imagery: The visual imagery of the "best" lacking conviction and the
"worst" being full of passionate intensity creates a stark contrast.
The kinesthetic sense is engaged as the contrasting qualities suggest a
turbulent and unbalanced state of affairs.
"When
a vast image comes out of Spiritus Mundi"
Visual
Imagery: The poem
begins with the anticipation of a revelation, and the mention of a "vast image"
emerging from Spiritus Mundi engages the reader's imagination. The visual
imagery suggests something monumental and significant taking shape.
"A
shape with a lion body and the head of a man,"
Visual
Imagery: The vivid
visual imagery continues with the depiction of a creature possessing a lion's
body and a human head. This hybrid form creates a striking and fantastical
visual image.
"A
gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,"
Visual
Imagery: The
description of the creature's gaze as "blank and pitiless as the sun"
adds a powerful visual element, emphasizing the intensity and harshness of its
gaze.
"Is
moving its thighs slowly, while all about it
Reel
shadows of the indignant desert birds."
Visual
Imagery: The visual
imagery extends to the movement of the creature's thighs and the swirling
shadows of desert birds, creating a dynamic and evocative scene in the sands of
the desert.
"Hardly
are those words out"
Auditory
Imagery: The mention
of the words "The Second Coming" being spoken creates a subtle
auditory image, suggesting the spoken aspect of the revelation.
"Troubles
my sight"
Tactile
Imagery and Organic Imagery: The use of the word "trouble" in relation to sight
may evoke a tactile sense of disturbance or unease in the perception of the unfolding
revelation. The term "trouble" suggests an organic
disturbance, possibly unsettling the natural order and perception, adding a
layer of organic imagery to the poem.
"Is
moving its thighs slowly"
Kinesthetic
Imagery: The
kinesthetic imagery in the movement of the creature's thighs adds a sense of
deliberate and perhaps ominous motion, enhancing the overall impact of the
visual scene.
"The
darkness drops again;"
Visual
Imagery: The mention
of darkness dropping suggests a visual image of the encroaching obscurity,
creating a mood of foreboding and uncertainty.
"That
twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were
vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,"
Visual
Imagery and Organic Imagery: The visual imagery in these lines involves the idea of twenty
centuries of a stony sleep being disturbed or disturbed by a rocking cradle.
This presents a powerful image of disturbance, as if a long period of dormancy
is interrupted. The organic imagery here involves the notion of centuries of
sleep being troubled or disturbed, creating a disturbance in the natural order.
"And
what rough beast, its hour comes round at last,"
Visual
Imagery: The
anticipation of a "rough beast" and its imminent arrival conjures a
visual image of a powerful and potentially menacing creature.
"Slouches
towards Bethlehem to be born?"
Visual
Imagery: The use of
the word "slouches" creates a specific visual image of a creature
moving slowly and heavily. The destination, Bethlehem, adds a layer of cultural
and religious significance to the visual portrayal.
"Twenty
centuries of stony sleep"
Tactile
Imagery: The tactile
imagery involves the sense of touch, depicting the long duration of a stony,
unyielding sleep over the centuries.
"And
what rough beast, its hour comes round at last,"
Organic
Imagery: The use of
"rough beast" contributes to organic imagery, suggesting a primal and
untamed aspect of the creature.
"Slouches
towards Bethlehem to be born?"
Kinesthetic
Imagery: The
kinesthetic imagery in the word "slouches" implies a slow, heavy, and
deliberate movement of the creature, adding to the sense of impending arrival
and significance.
To Autumn
BY JOHN
KEATS
1819
.jpeg)
Season of
mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring
with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the
thatch-eves run;
To bend with
apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the
core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel
shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still
more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they
think warm days will never cease,
For summer has o'er-brimmed their clammy
cells.
Who hath not
seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting
carelessly on a granular floor,
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a
half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,
Drows'd with the fume of poppies, while thy
hook
Spares the next swath and all its twined
flowers:
And
sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
Steady thy laden head across a brook;
Or by a cyder-press, with patient look,
Thou watchest the last oozings hours by
hours.
Where are
the songs of spring? Ay, where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—
While barred
clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a
wailful choir the small gnats mourn
Among the river sallows, borne aloft
Or sinking as the light wind lives or
dies;
And
full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with soft
treble
The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;
And gathering swallows twitter in the
skies.
OVERVIEW
"To
Autumn" by John Keats is a beautiful poem that talks about how amazing
autumn is. Keats describes the season using lots of details, making it feel
alive. He even talks to autumn like it's a person. The poem starts by talking
about fruits getting ripe and the harvest. It then moves on to show people
working in the fields and making cider. Keats paints a picture of the warm and
colourful autumn, making it feel complete. He mentions the sounds of lambs and
the sight of a setting sun, ending with a peaceful feeling. Even though there's
a bit of sadness about the passing time, the poem is mainly about enjoying the
beauty of nature in autumn. Keats, who knew he was sick and might not live
long, put his feelings into the poem, making it both happy and a little sad.
Overall, "To Autumn" is a special celebration of the wonderful things
in the natural world during this season.
IMAGERY ANALYSIS
"Season
of mists and mellow fruitfulness"
Visual
Imagery: This line
creates a visual image of autumn with misty surroundings and ripe, golden
fruits.
"Close
bosom-friend of the maturing sun"
Auditory
Imagery: This line
suggests a close relationship between autumn and the sun, although it doesn't
directly evoke sound, it conveys a sense of companionship.
"To
bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees"
Tactile
Imagery: This line
invites us to imagine the physical act of apples weighing down the branches of
moss-covered cottage trees.
"And
fill all fruit with ripeness to the core"
Gustatory
Imagery: The idea of
filling fruit with ripeness suggests a delicious taste, appealing to the
sense of taste.
"Conspiring
with him how to load and bless
With
fruit the vines that round the ch-eves run"
Organic
Imagery: This
conveys a sense of nature working together, vines conspiring with the sun to
bear fruit around cottage eaves.
"To
swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells"
Kinesthetic
Imagery: These
phrases involve actions of swelling and plumping, creating a sense of movement
and growth.
"Who
hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?"
Visual
Imagery: This line
prompts visual imagery, suggesting a scene of the persona observing someone in
a specific setting.
"Thee
sitting carelessly on a granular floor, Thy hair softly-lifted by the winnowing
wind"
Visual
and Tactile Imagery: These
lines create a vivid image of someone sitting on a grain-covered floor, with
the tactile detail of the wind lifting their hair.
"Or
on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep, Drows'd with the fume of poppies"
Visual
and Olfactory Imagery: Here, the image is of someone asleep in a partially harvested field, with
the added sensory detail of the aroma of poppies, appealing to both the visual
and olfactory senses.
"while
thy hook Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers"
Visual
and Organic Imagery: This
line presents an image of someone using a sickle (hook) to harvest, sparing the
next row along with its intertwined flowers. The imagery suggests a careful and
considered approach to harvesting.
"sometimes
like a gleaner thou dost keep Steady thy laden head across a brook"
Visual
and Kinesthetic Imagery: This depicts the visual scene of someone like a gleaner, standing with a
laden head, possibly crossing a brook. The word "steady" adds a
kinesthetic sense, emphasizing stability.
"Or
by a cyder-press, with patient look, Thou watchest the last oozings hours by
hours"
Visual
and Auditory Imagery:
This line creates a visual image of someone watching the slow extraction of
cider from a press. The word "oozings" implies a slow, steady
process. The mention of time passing suggests an auditory element, emphasizing
patience.
"barred
clouds bloom the gently-dying day"
Visual
Imagery: This phrase
creates a visual image of clouds with a barred pattern, blooming across the sky
as the day gently fades.
"touch
the stubble-plains with rosy hue"
Visual and
Tactile Imagery: The
imagery here suggests a soft touch as the rosy hue of the clouds interacts with
the harvested fields (stubble-plains).
"in
a wailful choir the small gnats mourn"
Auditory
Imagery: This line
introduces auditory imagery, depicting the sound of mourning gnats in a wailful
choir, contributing to the melancholic atmosphere.
"Among
the river sallows, borne aloft
Or
sinking as the light wind lives or dies"
Auditory
and Visual Imagery: These
lines combine auditory and visual elements, as they describe the gnats moving
among the river sallows, their flight affected by the whims of the light wind.
"full-grown
lambs loudly bleat from hilly bourn"
Auditory
and Visual Imagery: This
line introduces the auditory imagery of lambs loudly bleating, accompanied by
the visual elements of the hilly terrain where they are situated.
"The
red-breast whistles from a garden-croft"
Auditory
and Visual Imagery:
The red-breast's whistling provides auditory imagery, while the mention of a
garden-croft adds a visual element to the scene.
"gathering
swallows twittering in the skies"
Auditory and Visual Imagery: This line combines the auditory image of swallows twittering with the visual image of their flight across the skies.
Komentar
Posting Komentar