Looking at the lyrical poetry selections read it is easy to see that lyrical poetry is timeless. Relating to concepts that are expressed in the lyrics containing a deep personal emotion is simpler than one would think. The works of Sapho, Tamil, and an Egyptian poet all share many things in common, but also many distinctions; the plainest of which are the connection of the sexual feeling and young love expressed by the author of each of the works, and the distinct and differing manner in which each group of selections is written.
Sexual feelings are an apparent thing every human deals with in their life. Holding to that truth each of the three authors expresses an individual sexual feeling or emotion in their lyrics. In the Egyptian works, sexual emotion is apparent in every selection. "O she'll give me pleasure! In future no grown man will deny it," hints at the raw sexual emotion the author feels towards a girl he is simply watching change garments. This poem also uses a unique element called `blason' which is term used to describe from head to toe and women's body, which again hits hard the emotion felt by the speaker.
In the Greek culture young girls led a life of extreme separation from members of the opposite sex. At a time in any young person's life when hormones flourished, girls were kept to themselves. This in turn brought about distinct infatuations with members of the same sex. These sentiments are brought to life in the poems of Sapho, she expresses what "some would say" about the glory and beauty of men, but then expresses, "she whom one loves the best is the loveliest." Written in a confident air, Sapho's sensations were very easy to relate to in the time they were first written, but have since lost a bit of their value because of the social issues of homosexuality today. Unlike that of the Egyptian poetry the love and feeling expressed through Sapho's lyrics never wavered in the confidence she felt with the bond between her and her female companion.
The writing of Tamil displays a more subtle form of sexual emotion that is only featured symbolically. In the selection `What Her Girl-Friend Said' the symbols of a chariot wheel to represent the harshness of the male, and the flower to represent the delicate woman are even more valuable poetically then the very straight forward style of the previous writers.
The two poems that I have selected for the Analytic Paper are “Blue Light Lounge Sutra For The Performance Poets At Harold Park Hotel” and “Thanks” by Yusef Komunyakaa. The former was read and analyzed as part of a class discussion early on in the quarter while the latter is a piece never analyzed, but closely related to another that was examined for its content and stylistic techniques (“Facing It”, Penguin Anthology, page 441). Though both were written by the same author, there are specific discrepancies in rhythm and wording that create artistic differences that suit the subject of each piece.
In classical Greek literature the subject of love is commonly a prominent theme. However, throughout these varied texts the subject of Love becomes a multi-faceted being. From this common occurrence in literature we can assume that this subject had a large impact on day-to-day life. One text that explores the many faces of love in everyday life is Plato’s Symposium. In this text we hear a number of views on the subject of love and what the true nature of love is. This essay will focus on a speech by Pausanius. Pausanius’s speech concentrates on the goddess Aphrodite. In particular he looks at her two forms, as a promoter of “Celestial Love” as well as “Common Love.” This idea of “Common Love” can be seen in a real life context in the tragedy “Hippolytus” by Euripides. This brings the philosophical views made by Pausanius into a real-life context.
I have elected to analyze seven poems spoken by a child to its parent. Despite a wide variety of sentiments, all share one theme: the deep and complicated love between child and parent.
One of the most important differences between the classical Egyptian poem “My god my Lotus” and the Chinese poem “Fishhawk” is the representation of female sexuality. In terms of female sexuality, the ancient Egyptian poem “My god my Lotus” is clear, dramatic and visual. The physical appearance of women indicates freedom of sexual expression regardless of their gender. For instance, in the poem the girl is says “My heart longs to go down to bathe before you, that I may show you my beauty in a tunic of the finest royal linen.” here she is describing her technique of attracting her lover. She is also describing her desire for her loved one by saying “My heart desires you, Let us release it to...
The film Chunhyang gives an insight into ancient Greek song culture. Although each of these stories is from a different culture, the themes and symbolism are the same and central in both cultures. Both of these tales sêmainô in order to show the connection between lovers. The importance of recalling events is an integral aspect of Greek song culture. By watching the film Chunhyang, one can gain a deeper understanding of the meaning of metonymy.
Can a simple emotion such as love be regarded as one of the greatest weapons to create or attain power? It’s a renowned fact that human beings are by nature designed to need, crave, and even require love as part of their survival mechanisms. It comes to no surprise that one of the first accounts of antique poetry maintains love and the craving for it as its main theme; thereby, reinforcing the deep importance that it upholds in the lives of many individuals. Sappho’s “Deathless Aphrodite” clearly epitomizes the suffering and bitterness that arises from an unrequited love. In Sappho’s case, which portrays the case of many, she constantly finds herself in loneliness and despair for though she tries repeatedly, she is only let down recurrently as no one reciprocates the love she gives. It is only the Greek goddess Aphrodite, who holds
Ancient Greece produced a multitude of sophisticated poets. One such poet, Sappho, happens to be the only female Ancient Greek author, in the midst of a male-driven field, whose work has survived. Frequently referred to as the tenth muse, Sappho often wrote on the topic of homosexuality. Her poetry, combined with the name of the island she lived on, Lesbos, inspired the modern day term ‘lesbian’. Another influential Greek poet was Catullus. Catullus typically wrote using intense emotion; this periodically led to the use of vulgar language. Catullus was a blunt, bold anti-political writer whom consistently referenced Sappho throughout his poetry. Although there are a plethora of differences between the two poets, such as their writing style; with Sappho including an abundance of detail while Catullus opted for a more concise approach, there are also distinct similarities. Both poets discuss controversial topics; more importantly, neither were afraid to stand up for what they believed in.
Poetry is literary work in which special intensity is given to the expression of feeling and ideas, by the distinctive style and myth. It relies on different devices such as assonance, themes and even the tone to be successful. Even though many poems seems to be different, in some way they have similarities.
The invention of ancient Egyptian literature has generally been attributed to the Middle Kingdom and was perceived as the result of the expansion of the intellectual class, the memory of the individuality established in the First Intermediate Period, and the availability of written materials (Parkinson, 2010: 45-46, 49-50, 55-56, 64–66; Morenz, 2003: 102). The production and dissemination of written discourse in the early Middle Kingdom has been associated with the contemporaneous process of state regeneration of the period. Interpretations of the role of Middle Kingdom literature in its respective social and political spheres often adhere to Posener’s (1956) theory, which construes all genres of Middle Kingdom literature as political persuasion created to facilitate the re-centralization of the state after the political fragmentation of the First Intermediate Period. However, the Middle Kingdom's retrospective portrayal of the First Intermediate Period as chaotic in literature to accentuate the legitimacy and virtues of the current regime was also used as a literary device. Thus, although it recognizes the political element of Middle Kingdom literature, the application of this modern label to an ancient construct fails to fully appreciate the value of this intellectual development. Rather, it is more appropriate to perceive the corpus as a mode of communication between and within literate members of the society and a proclamation of the superiority of literacy.
Relationships between two people can have a strong bond and through poetry can have an everlasting life. The relationship can be between a mother and a child, a man and a woman, or of one person reaching out to their love. No matter what kind of relationship there is, the bond between the two people is shown through literary devices to enhance the romantic impression upon the reader. Through Dudley Randall’s “Ballad of Birmingham,” Ben Jonson’s “To Celia,” and William Shakespeare’s “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?” relationships are viewed as a powerful bond, an everlasting love, and even a romantic hymn.
The poets integrated ?metaphysical conceits? as focal parts of these poems. Along with these, they used effective language as a basis for their convincing arguments, they included subjects of periodical importance (e.g. ?courtship? and ?religion?), and use very clever structures that are manipulated in order to make the poem read in the desired way. The very clear indication of the theme in question was strongly aided by the way in which the personas portrayed the emotions they felt and the way they showed their attitudes towards the subject. Considering all these factors, the poets made critical arguments to the mistresses in order to alter their views, thus changing their minds, on denying the poets the sex that they desired so strongly.
In Sappho's poems, she does not take on a typical point of view of love as she describes the allure and agony through her own experience. This alternative approach to love is shown in Sappho's poems 16 as she makes a connection between her own life and the emotions behind the Trojan war. Also, in 31 she describes a physical pain that opens up her life to the audience through her experience with jealousy. Another link between author and audience is seen in poem 94 as Sappho tells a story of her heartbreak. Then in Sappho's fragments 48 and 51, there are short personal phrases, allowing the readers to fill in the rest with their thoughts. It is with Sappho's first-person perspective that she creates an intimate connection with the audience
Sweetbitter Love: Poems of Sappho: A New Translation. Trans. Willis Barnstone. Boston: Shambhala Press, 2006.
Cultured and socially structured, Ancient Egypt was a civilization highly advanced for its time. The Nile River provided the gift of fresh water allowing the surrounding land to be settled. Its yearly predictable flooding created fertile soil for farming. This was the perfect environment in which Egyptian society would prosper. Egypt was equipped with all the amenities of a modern society including people who married, had children, practiced religion, and even had festivals with food, beer, music and dancing. All that is known about ancient Egypt is a result of the hieroglyphic carvings of the Great Pyramid walls and on tombs of dead. Originally from the Book of The Dead, “The Chapter Of Changing Into Ptah” was and remains a significant poem in the culture and traditions of Ancient Egypt.
The far-reaching effects of love are often underestimated. It is a powerful emotion that dictates other extreme emotions, and influences decisions, thoughts and actions. Women are constantly exposed to romantic love, and because of that, women crave love from men. Love causes women to do things they would normally never do. The experiences that come from acts of love also lead to other emotions of passion. This is evident in female literary characters. The women in literary works seek love. But, as they fall in love, other conflicts arise. From these conflicts, other emotions, such as pain, anger, hatred or happiness, emerge and these emotions influence their lives. In Memoirs of a Geisha, written by Arthur Golden, Sayuri’s love for the Chairman affects every aspect of her life. Every decision she makes is based around her undying love. In Jane Eyre, written by Charlotte Bronte, Jane is constantly seen making sacrifices for Rochester, the man she loves. Her love for Rochester determined every outcome and resolution in her life. In Medea, written by Euripides, Medea’s obsessive and passionate hatred for Jason evokes a murderous desire for revenge. This terrifying hatred originally sprouted from a radical love. Sayuri, Jane and Medea, from Memoirs of a Geisha, Jane Eyre and Medea, base their decisions on strong emotions, which stem from a deep, romantic love for another person, which cause them to make significant sacrifices.