Monday, March 23, 2020

Explore How the Poet Creates the Scene in the Poem ‘in Romney Marsh’ free essay sample

Explore how the Poet Creates the Scene in the Poem ‘In Romney Marsh’. This poem centres on the experiences of the poet in the place Romney Marsh. Right from the beginning, we can tell that this is not going to be just an ordinary description of a place, because had it been that, the poet would have just named it ‘Romney Marsh’. The addition of the word ‘In’ makes the poem sound like an account of things that have happened there. This is backed up immediately by the first stanza, which begins with ‘As I went†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ The fact that it is in the first person immediately sets the tone, and informs the reader that this is a personal story of the poet’s experiences with the Marsh. The anaphora of ‘I’ in the first stanza also helps to bring this out. Throughout the poem the poet makes frequent use of the senses. We will write a custom essay sample on Explore How the Poet Creates the Scene in the Poem ‘in Romney Marsh’ or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Sounds are very prominent in this poem, as they bring the place to life. For example, ‘ringing shrilly’, or ‘clashed on the shore’. In the former example, at the start of the second stanza, this phrase is significant, as it effectively kills the jovial, relaxed mood from the first stanza, and creates a rather more eerie one. This mood does not last long however, and with the phrase ‘a veil of purple vapour flowed’, the jovial mood is restored. This image is one of several, along with ‘like sapphire glowed’, and ‘the saffron beach, all diamond drops’, which contain royal and rich connotations, emphasising how special this place is for the poet, that he would go as far as to compare it to expensive, valuable things like diamonds or saffron. The tranquil mood is upheld throughout by words of gentle movement such as ‘flowed’, ‘trailed’, or ‘wagged’. These all bring the place to life and give it a peaceful, tranquil atmosphere. There are several examples throughout the poem of religious imagery, whereby the poet compares something in the marsh to something sacred or deeply religious. For example, ‘roses filled Heaven’s central gates’. Here he has possibly arrived at Dymchurch wall and could be comparing a gate there to a gate in Heaven, which again emphasises how this marsh is effectively like heaven for the poet. The poet uses several metaphors and similes to bring out his admiration for the marsh. When night falls, he compares the stars that come out to ‘flakes of silver fire’, which presents a rather romantic image of the marsh. In the fourth stanza he continues his trend of comparing the marsh to rich and royal things, by saying ‘beads of surge’. Here he is really describing the white of the waves, and comparing it to pearls. There s also plenty of personification, most notably in the first stanza, where he writes ‘I heard the South sing o’er the land’, referring to the south wind, and personifying it to bring the place to life. Alliteration also plays a key role in this poem, especially in the first stanza, where there is alliteration in every line. For instance, ‘down to Dymchurch’, or ‘knolls where Norman†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This alliteration adds to the rhythmic, musical feeling to create a peaceful, positive atmosphere at the start of the poem. There is also sibilance used to imitate the sound of the wind, in ‘South sing’. In the phrase ‘flicker and fade from out the west’, the poet uses alliteration to bring out the movement of fire, comparing the sunset to bits of fire falling from the sky. This poem is written in iambic tetrameter, which gives a rhythmic feeling to the poem, and it might imitate the rhythm of the poet’s footsteps on his journey through the marsh. The regular alternate rhyme scheme reflects the harmony between all of the elements of Romney Marsh. The structure is seven regular stanzas, and it parallels his journey through the marsh. From the fifth stanza onwards, he has turned around and is heading back. He writes similar phrases to the early stanzas, but simply inverts them. For example, ‘as I went down to Dymchurch Wall’, becomes ‘as I came up from Dymchurch Wall’. In the penultimate stanza, there is a caesura in the first line, which breaks up the rhythm and creates a pause to mark the big moment of ‘Night sank:’ This blunt statement indicates that he might be sad that he can’t see his lovely marsh any longer, but his sadness then disappears as he describes the beautiful night sky.

Friday, March 6, 2020

Of Gifts and Goodbyes Essays

Of Gifts and Goodbyes Essays Of Gifts and Goodbyes Essay Of Gifts and Goodbyes Essay Alicia J Mrs. Miller English 2, 4th Period 7 November 2013 Of Gifts and Goodbyes Phew. Panting, I hoisted my bright orange luggage bag out of the trunk of my grandmas car and lug it across the airports marble floor. It seemed heavier than I remember. And to think that I had to take some stuff out last night because Dad said I put too much stuff in it and there is a possibility of my bag bursting somewhere along the trip. The wheels squealed under the weight in carried and I winced. Shh! The airport buzzed with activity. People scurried about like mice, a middle aged oman consoled her crying baby, a tall man in a business suit yakked into his cell phone. I narrowed my eyes and squinted slightly, scanning the crowds for familiar faces. My shoulders slumped a little. None. Subconsciously, my hand reached up to tug on the black beanie I put on to hide my messy hair. My phone vibrated, I froze and, my hand hung in mid air. Once. Twice. Buzz buzz buzz. Walking to the nearest vacant bench, I sat down to reply to the text messages I received. All of them bore the same question, Hey, where are you? I chuckled to myself. In a matter of seconds, I tapped out my reply and got up after pressing send, casually strolling to Starbucks when I really wanted to sprint over. Effortlessly, I maneuvered through the sea of people and sat down at an empty table, located at the far end. Since it was still early and to avoid appearing awkward, I scrolled down my phone mindlessly while waiting. The enticing aroma of brewing coffee and roasted coffee beans filled my senses and I smiled to myself. I thought of getting up and ordering a cup of semi-sweet, warm, mouth watering goodness and a croissant to go with it but shrugged it off. My friends arrived one by one and I greeted them all with a smile. Oh, dont mention it, they replied with a grin when I thanked them profusely for setting aside some time to come see me before I boarded my plane. Candy, flowers, cards and various trinkets were held out in my direction and I smiled. A stack of letters made me squeal in delight. I arranged them neatly in my backpack and tucked the letters in a compartment that wont wrinkle or crush them. We sat down and snared a tew laughs. Looking back, the stupid things we did, taught s a lesson or two and none of us seemed to regret it. My cousin bought me ice cream. Dont worry about it, kiddo. Its my turn to buy you something this time, he chuckled and ruffed my hair though he knew that I hated it whenever he did that. We made something for you, Aaron, my brother-from-another-mother declared. He held up a long black roll. His face was solemn, I couldnt help but giggle. The black roll turned out to be a large black card and I fell quiet. The word Memories was written at the top. I was at a loss for words. The card was decorated with various roup photos, old movie stubs and a portrait of me, drawn from a photo of me taken a week ago. I remembered it as if it was yesterday. Everyone had the time of their life, laughing and dancing- hula dancing to be exact, under the stars. Aaron played the ukulele onstage and sang his rendition of Jason Mraz Im Yours. The waves seemed to catch the beat and crashed against the rocks, accentuating the performance. Sand got into our flip flops but no one seemed to care. Someone pulled me aside. Hey A1! Look at you, with those flowers on your head. You look great! I looked at the neon pink tank top I paired with a pastel green wraparound. Take a picture, itll last longer, I replied playfully while adjusting the flower crown that sat on top of my head. He whipped his phone out and his finger hovered over a button. Say Hawaii! We took a number of photos together and my cheeks literally hurt from all the smiling. Never smiling. Again! I exclaimed, rubbing my aching cheeks a few times for emphasis. The time passed quicker than I thought it would and it was actually time for me to go. I hugged and was hugged- tightly. I felt my eyes getting wet but I blinked them back. No one else was crying. Dont you be the only one crying. I hugged my grandma the last and I saw that her eyes were red. Tears sprang into my eyes again and my voice broke when I told her that I would be back soon, and that she had to take care of herself well. Well miss you! everyone called out before I disappeared into the domestic gate. I waved at them until they were out of sight. My heart soared. My head spun. Im leaving today! Throughout the year, daydreams werent unusual for me. I have been dreaming of eaches, tanned skin and a fabulous life ever since I found out that I would be flying to the United States to continue my studies. Just the thought of it made me giddy with excitement. It felt Just like it was yesterday that I was dragging my feet, knowing that the day I would be leaving seemed like a few light years away. Now it seemed as if I couldnt take big enough strides. I Just couldnt wait. I buckled my seatbelt before the safety announcements came on and sat back. It wasnt a full flight so I had all three seats to myself. I sat near the window and put my ag on the seat next to me. My fingers tugged at the zipper on my bag and I dug inside for the stack of letters. The pilot started talking and went through a few announcements but my mind was back home. Tears burned the back of my eyes, my throat swelled and it hurt to swallow. My vision blurred and a tear ran down my cheek. It quivered for a moment on the tip of my nose, then splashed onto my light colored sweater, leaving a small, dark circle. More tears followed as I let it all out. My shoulders quaked and I tried to keep silent and pretended to be fascinated by the view out the window. IVe been here all my life, I realized. IVe met all kinds people, blessings and curses. These people have helped mold the person I am today. I also realized that I might not see these people ever again. A part of me is relieved because IVe been scarred by many, like everyone else. But I do believe that people step in and out of ones life for a reason. Be it a blessing or a curse, I hope I become a blessing for many. I closed my eyes and leaned back, the letters strewn on my lap. A small smile tugged on the corner of my lips. This is a new beginning.