Love And Loss
I chose to discuss love and loss as these were two strong emotions
that have occured in my life. They are both very different but also
similar in a way.
The two poems I felt dealt with love and loss the best were 'The
Thickness Of Ice' by Liz Loxley and 'Remember' by Christina Rossetti.
I chose these poems as the thoughts reflected and the experiences
included related very much to my own life and views.
'The Thickness of Ice' by Liz Loxley is a well structured, modern poem
which refers to how strong love can be but how it can also be the
cause to end a relationship. It shows how couples need more than love
to keep them together.
'Ice' is a metaphor for a relationship. The persona uses this to show
how it can be strong and can withstand pressure but can just as easily
thaw, crack and eventually break.
Also, the persona uses visual metaphors such as "thickness" (stanza
two) and "thinness" of ice. One representing a possible long lasting
relationship, and the other representing how easily it can fall apart.
This poem portrays loss as in a couple going their separate ways.
'Remember' by Christina Rossetti is a pre-1900 sonnet which deals with
life after the death of a loved one. It is a request from the poet on
what to do and how to feel after her death. The persona is young, and
the life expectancy of a young person in Victorian times was not very
high compared to modern society. This suggests the persona may be
dying which could be the reason she felt she should write her requests
down for her partner.
Rossetti led a religious lifestyle which is evident from many of her
poems and sonnets. For example, in this particular sonnet, she applies
euphenisms to sound less harsh. She ...
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...s and experiences. I definitely learnt through my mistakes
and will always have regrets. I felt the theme expressed the poet's
points clearly. This poem was different to the sonnet as it focused on
infatuation and a breakup whereas the sonnet focused on eternal love,
even after the death of one of the partners. I enjoyed "Remember" as I
felt it stated what I wish for my loved ones when I am gone. It was
well written and Rossetti's thoughts were expressed beautifully.
Love is considered eternal and memories will never fade, but life has
to go on, whether you have discontinued a relationship or a partner
has passed on. You shouldn't fall in love with someone you can live
with, you should fall in love with someone you can't live without.
And as the Italians say, "L'amore e un viaggio dentro noi" which
translated means "Love is a journey inside ourselves".
passed away” holds a significantly sombre and melancholy tone. This is juxtaposed to the living
“Pass On” written by Michael Lee is a free verse poem informing readers on grief, which is one of the most difficult obstacles to overcome not only when losing a loved one, but also in life itself. “Pass On” successfully developed this topic through the setting of an unknown character who explains his or her experience of grief. Despite Lee never introducing this character, readers are given enough information to know how they are overcoming this difficult obstacle. In fact, this unknown character is most likely the writer himself, indirectly explaining his moments of grief. One important piece of information Lee provides is the fact that he has experienced loss twice, one with his grandfather and the other a friend who was murdered by the
Marie Howe’s book, “What the living Do” is a book about death, loss, grief, and life. Howe expresses these deep emotional issues using plain language, simple line breaks, and imagery that reminds the reader of an ordinary home. The poem, “Faulkner”, is an exemplary example of how effective Howe’s methods are for conveying a moody and mournful tone.
The interpretations of what comes after death may vary greatly across literature, but one component remains constant: there will always be movement. In her collection Native Guard, Natasha Trethewey discusses the significance, permanence and meaning of death often. The topic is intimate and personal in her life, and inescapable in the general human experience. Part I of Native Guard hosts many of the most personal poems in the collection, and those very closely related to the death of Trethewey’s mother, and the exit of her mother’s presence from her life. In “Graveyard Blues”, Trethewey examines the definition of “home” as a place of lament, in contrast to the comforting meaning in the epitaph beginning Part I, and the significance
Loss. Grief. Mourning. Anger. Disbelief. Emotions are in abundance when a loved one passes away. People need to find a way to cope with the situations and often need to express themselves by writing their feelings down in order to get them out. This is exactly what Paul Monette does in his book of poetry title “Love Alone” in remembrance of his companion Rog. Through writing his poetry Monette describes his emotions and the events that occurred during Rog’s battle with AIDS. By Monette’s transitioning through different emotions, the reader begins to understand the pain the author is dealt. Touching upon Kubler-Ross’ five stages of death including denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance, Monette transitions to Rog’s decline in health. Using different fonts and no punctuation, the lines are interpreted by the reader using instincts to know when to begin and end a sentence. Evident in the poems “The Very Same”, “The Half-life”, and “Current Status”, Monette gives a description of loss that makes the reader tingle.
The poems facilitate the investigation of human experience through illustrating life’s transience and the longevity of memory.
Though most have a desire to leave earth and enter eternal life peacefully, without any sorrow, the departure of a loved one can be despondent. Previously in 2011, my grandfather passed away due to heart failure. It was an arduous battle, not only for my grandfather, but also for the close knit family surrounding him. His battle with heart failure enabled me to create unforgettable memories with him, even in his final days. Laughing together, playing together and learning significant values about life together made me grow to become a more mature and wise person. Therefore, my personal experience is entwined with empathy because the death of my grandfather has made me realize how dismal it is to lose someone important. It also interplays with self-interest because I have grown as an individual to deal with the ache that is attached to losing a family member. It has helped me to realize how beautiful the gift of life is. Stephen Dunn, the poet behind Empathy and my story are connected because they both involve the feeling of empathy for others and the self-interest of an individual. They help us to grow and learn about ourselves and the emotions of
“Bereavement is not a one-dimensional experience. It’s not the same for everyone and there do not appear to be...
At a glance, the poem seems simplistic – a detailed observance of nature followed by an invitation to wash a “dear friend’s” hair. Yet this short poem highlights Bishop’s best poetic qualities, including her deliberate choice in diction, and her emotional restraint. Bishop progresses along with the reader to unfold the feelings of both sadness and joy involved in loving a person that will eventually age and pass away. The poem focuses on the intersection of love and death, an intersection that goes beyond gender and sexuality to make a far-reaching statement about the nature of being
The speaker started the poem by desiring the privilege of death through the use of similes, metaphors, and several other forms of language. As the events progress, the speaker gradually changes their mind because of the many complications that death evokes. The speaker is discontent because of human nature; the searching for something better, although there is none. The use of language throughout this poem emphasized these emotions, and allowed the reader the opportunity to understand what the speaker felt.
The death of a close relative, especially a new born child, is a very terrible life event that tragically affects parents. Grief and desperation preoccupies parent's souls and it takes a long time to recover from such a loss. However, communication between the couple is very important factor that stabilizes the relationship. If this factor is missing in a couple's relationship they will not be able to recover from this tragedy, and it will have further negative effects such as separation and stress. The poem, "Home Burial", is a clear example of how the couple could not recover from the loss of their child due to the lack of communication. In spite of the fact that the characters in the poem are imaginary people, Robert Frost portrayed his personal life events in those character's lives. The unexpected death of a child can lead to a brake up in the family, especially if there is miscommunication between the couple. "Home Burial" illustrates a husband and wife who are unable to talk to each other. It shows details about men's and women's points of view. The characters in the poem will get divorced due to conflicts and difficulties in their relationship.
Death is a natural and inevitable part of life. Everyone will experience death, whether it is of a loved one or oneself. In W.H. Auden’s poem “Funeral Blues” (1003), he describes such a catastrophic event and the drastic effect that it has on his life. It is interesting how people choose to accept this permanent and expected event, death. Similarly, Emily Dickinson has written many poems about death, such as “The last Night that She lived” (843), which describes a family waiting for a woman or girl to die and the dreary and depressed mood that exists within the household. Mourning is considered a perfectly healthy reaction when someone who is deeply loved and cared about passes on, and this is illustrated in “The Memory of Elena” (1070-71) by Carolyn Forche. She writes about the events following a funeral and also flashes back to the actual moment that a wife has watched her husband die. W.H Auden’s “Funeral Blues,” Carolyn Forche’s “The Memory of Elena,” and Emily Dickinson’s “The last Night that She lived” are all poems which share death as their subject matter, but differ in the fact that they discuss death in a unique style with a variety of literary devices to make them more effective.
William Shakespeare is a famous writer who wrote many plays. Most people would concur he is the greatest writer of all time. His plays fall under the categories of histories, comedies, and tragedies. Troilus and Cressida is a tragedy, but many would say it is not because Troilus does not die. Instead a noble fighter named Hector dies. Betrayal, love, and love causing betrayal is expressed in Troilus and Cressida when Cressida betrays Troilus by not railing against the Greeks, Troilus falling in love with Cressida, and in a way, Paris betraying the Trojans because he would not give up Helen which made the Trojans continue fighting.
This poem is literally about a person who is grieving but is okay with the world moving on without them. The speaker says that they are okay with plants blooming, people in relationships, and not having control. They are not willing to come back into the world; they were hurt so badly that they do not want to come back to life.
Funeral Blues by W. H. Auden is a short poem that illustrates the emotions that he is dealing with after the love of his life passes away. The tone of this piece evokes feelings that will differ depending on the reader; therefore, the meaning of this poem is not in any way one-dimensional, resulting in inevitable ambiguity . In order to evoke emotion from his audience, Auden uses a series of different poetic devices to express the sadness and despair of losing a loved one. This poem isn’t necessarily about finding meaning or coming to some overwhelming realization, but rather about feeling emotions and understanding the pain that the speaker is experiencing. Through the use of poetic devices such as an elegy, hyperboles, imagery, metaphors, and alliterations as well as end-rhyme, Auden has created a powerful poem that accurately depicts the emotions a person will often feel when the love of their live has passed away.