With close reference to at least 2 poems explore how the poets create

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With close reference to at least 2 poems explore how the poets create a sense of mood and atmosphere. In "Porphyria's Lover" by Robert Browning and "Mariana" by Alfred Tennyson, the poets use many different literary techniques to create a sense of mood and atmosphere. They choose their language and vocabulary carefully to make the reader use all of their senses, using techniques such as imagery, rhyme and rhythm. "Porphyria's Lover" begins with a description of the rain and the "sullen wind" which makes the mood seem dark and gloomy, though unlike in "Mariana," this changes later in the poem. This is shown when he appears to be sulking when Porphyria calls and he does not respond. However, Porphyria's entrance into the cottage causes the atmosphere to become warmer by lighting the "cheerless grate," which again could mirror her lover's feelings for her in the same way as the setting in "Mariana" reflects the main character's emotions. This change in atmosphere in "Porphyria's Lover" suggests that she is the most important thing in his world and his source of happiness. In "Mariana," the building has fallen into disrepair, as the flowerpots were "thickly crusted" with moss and the shed was falling apart, which is similar to the feelings in her heart. In the same way that there is no one there to look after the garden, there is no one to love Mariana. The writers use rhythm, rhyme and repetition to give the poems movement and structure. For example, in "Mariana," Tennyson returns to a similar pattern of five lines at the end of each verse, which gives the poem phrasing. In "Porphyria's Lover," repetition is not used as much, but, as in "Mariana" there are patterns in the rhyme at the end of each li... ... middle of paper ... ...oftly. The flowing rhythm makes the mood eerily calm, and this feeling continues right to the end of the poem. The opposite effect is created in "Mariana," as Tennyson uses punctuation such as commas and semi-colons to create breaks, which gives the poem a slow pulse and almost shows the passage of time that Mariana has to put up with. The last three to four lines of each poem have many similarities. Both refer to God, showing the religious thoughts of the time, and, more importantly, the both leave the reader wondering what happens next, and leave many questions unanswered. "Porphyria's Lover" and "Mariana" are both examples of how poets can create depressing and eerie moods and atmosphere using clever vocabulary, imagery, rhyme and rhythm. I think that the poems are both quite romantic, but are both examples of how too much love can be a bad thing.

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