The Laughing Heart

552 Words2 Pages

In life, many are forced to make critical decisions. The poems The Laughing Heart by Charles Bukowski and The Journey by Mary Oliver demonstrate the importance of making those difficult choices for the benefit of oneself. The two poems have similar tones and word choice but differ in the tone and approach to the theme. Through the use of figurative language, such as word choice, tone, sentence structure and voice, Oliver and Bukowski develop the theme of their story in ways that are both similar and different. In The Laughing Heart, Bukowski employs a candid and direct tone when he suggests that one should “be on the watch. / the gods will offer you chances” (9). This tone tells the reader that the narrator is implying something important and truthful. The reader can tell from the tone and the including of the word, “god” that life is about seizing opportunities, which is the overall theme of the …show more content…

For example, Bukowski often uses the line “be on the watch” (3,8) to imply that people should look for opportunities to seize and take advantage of. Bukowski also used the word, “it” in lines 6, 7. The use of it multiple times implies that something is of high value to a specific person. Also, Bukowski employs specific word choice to influence the reader, and ultimately, the theme. On line 9, Bukowski says that “the gods will offer you chances”, the word chances translates into opportunities, and the use of god implies that the opportunity must be momentous and has to be seized. In The Journey, Oliver uses word choice to develop the theme. For instance, the usage of the word “voice” on lines 3, 11, 24, and 27, imply to the reader that there are many distractions and influential people when making difficult decisions. The word choice is directly related the the theme, as strength is needed to ignore the influences and distractions when making personal

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996 Words | 2 Pages
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480 Words | 1 Pages
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991 Words | 2 Pages
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1542 Words | 4 Pages
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598 Words | 2 Pages
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939 Words | 2 Pages
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The Laughing Heart

Janie and Hester: Dealt Unfair Hands But Played the Game

London 1802 vs. Douglass

Heart

Analysis Of Mary Oliver's Of Power And Time

What Is The Difference Between Severn Lee And The Road Not Taken