Commentary on John Keatss Poems Essay Example for Free

Commentary on John Keatss Poems Essay O golden-tongued Romance with serene lute! Fair plumed Syren! Queen of far away! Leave melodizing on this wintry day, Shut up thine olden pages, and be mute: Adieu! for once again the fierce dispute, Betwixt damnation and impassiond clay Must I burn through; once more humbly assay The bitter-sweet of this Shakespearian fruit. Chief Poet! and ye clouds of Albion, Begetters of our deep eternal theme, When through the old oak forest I am gone, Let me not wander in a barren dream, But when I am consumed in the fire, Give me new Phoenix wings to fly at my desire. COMMENTARY : The poem under study was written in 1818 after the completion of John Keatss 4,000-line poem Endymion. We are facing a traditional and fixed form of poem as Sitting Down to Read King Lear Once Again is an Elizabethan sonnet  composed of fourteen lines which are divided up into three quatrains, that is four-line stanzas, and a final couplet -or two lines of verse. The rhyming pattern is abba, cddc, efef, gg as, notably Lute (l.1) rhymes with mute (l.4), far-away (l.2) with day (l.3) and dispute (l.5) with fruit (l.8). Moreover, the lines are iambic pentameters since they contain five iambic feet for instance : _ / _ / _ / _ / _ / O Gol/den-tongued /Romance, /with se/rene Lute! Like most of Keatss poems, this text deals with the speakers encounter with something which incites him to meditate and alters significantly his vision of life. It is the perusal of King Lear written by William Shakespeare in 1605 which affects him this time and this is not a first reading judging by the presence of Once Again in the title. Keats was a great admirer of Shakespeare. The theme of death, which is one of Keatss main concerns, is latent in the poem. This sonnets thought can be divided into four parts. Firstly, chivalric romances are praised and put aside. Secondly, the effects they provoke are contrasted with those engendered by the reading of King Lear. Thirdly, the speaker begs Shakespeare and heaven , his sources of inspiration, to help him. Finally, he compares himself to the Phoenix, which has the power to be immortal. To begin with, the first quatrain opens with the interjection O which is by definition used to express strong feelings. Indeed, the poem is charged with lyricism, the two exclamation marks contributing to it among other things. In this way, we are conscious from the beginning that the speaker s rereading of Shakespeares tragedy makes him profoundly react. Then, the term Romance refers to medieval romance, a form of narrative which developed in the 12th century and related tales of chivalry and courtly love. Its heroes were idealized and the plot often contained  miraculous or supernatural elements such as dragons or monsters fighting for the sake of the heroine. The adjective which qualifies this genre of literature, that is Golden-tongued, means that it is wonderfully narrated. Besides, it can be paralleled with the realms of gold Keats refers to in the same first line of the sonnet Upon First Looking into Chapmans Homer, the phrase being there a metaphor for books he highly values. Next, the lute is a stringed instrument, whose music acts as an enchantment on readers and leads them to sweet thoughts. This first line is basically an apostrophe since the speaker directly addresses Golden-tongued Romance thus personifying it. The Fair plumed Syren is praised as well, the poet considering her a royal person -a Queen- who melodiz[es] (l.3). She is also present in the romance in question. A siren, in Greek mythology, is one of the three sea nymphs, usually represented with the head of a woman and the body of a bird. They inhabited an island surrounded by dangerous rocks and sang so enchantingly that all who heard were drawn near or shipwrecked. The tune produced by the lute can be compared to the bewitching one sang by the siren which irresistibly attracts the poet to like this kind of literature. But, the lexical field of pleasure including serene Lute, Fair plumed Syren and melodizing among other things is contrasted with more negative phrases such as wintry day, Shut up and mute. This indicates that the poet is willing to wander from the sweet thoughts these readings generate, the Golden-tongued Romance being a synecdote for chivalric romances in general. Moreover, the personification process is extended on line 4 since Golden-tongued Romance is addressed as though it was endowed with life and speech. Indeed, thine () Pages are the books. Moreover, the siren is used as a metonymy for the narrative insofar as the poet combines the two on line 4, the predicates Shut up and be mute referring to the nymph. Finally, the adjective olden alludes to this literatures ancient existence. In short, this first quatrain deals with the poets liking for medieval romances insisting on their enchanting power. Nevertheless, the latter wishes to dismiss them from his mind. And prosopopeia is aimed at showing that he is deeply affected by his rereading of King Lear. The second stanza is going to contrast images of beauty with what Shakespeares tragedy displays. Next, the second quatrain begins with the poet bidding farewell to pleasant meditations. But, we should first and foremost put this sonnet back in its context. We can easily presume that it is autobiographic, thus that Keats reveals us his own worries. In 1818, he is aware that he has short time left to live due to the fatal illness he is suffering from, that is tuberculosis. Moreover, we have already realized that he is scared of death, particularly in his When I have fears that I may cease to be. In the second stanza, the lexical field of hell is present through fierce, damnation and burn through. And the predicate burn through must be taken both literally and figuratively. On the one hand, it hints at Keatss future death. On the other, it indicates his agitation facing antagonistic directions as he is torn between hellish visions and sweeter meditations, designated by damnation versus impassiond clay. So, damnation is a metaphor for the thoughts the reading of King Lear provokes while impassiond clay refers to those generated by chivalric romances. The word clay probably makes reference to the Bible as the sacred book states that God made the human body with this material. So, it symbolizes fecundity and regeneration in other words life. Thus, it is tempting to infer that romances allow the poet to escape from reality whereas King Lears tragic fate reminds him of his bad condition. The second part of the quatrain deals with the poets will to concentrate on  Shaksperean fruit in other words on King Lear itself. While the first stanza introduced his liking for romances, this one gradually leads us to the subject of the poem i.e. the feelings and thoughts the reading of the tragedy trigger. King Lear is quite a sad story as it deals among other things with consequences of the fatal mistake the eponymous character makes at retirement as he divides his kingdom between two of his daughters Goneril and Regan thinking that the youngest Cordelia is the one who loves him the least. Once he realizes that his trusted girls intend to drive him away, he leaves them. Cordelia, disowned, became Queen of France. She is informed of the situation and lands on her fathers old kingdom with an army to fight the other girls. The play ends in a disaster since Goneril, ashamed because unmasked by her husband, who had not known how wicked his wife was, suicides herself after having poisoned her sister Regan, out of a spirit of jealousy. And Cordelia, defeated by her sisters, is hung in prison. Lear dies last, his dear daughter in his arms. The adjective bitter-sweet (l.8) hints at both the pleasure the speaker takes rereading the story and aforementioned sad thoughts. The death of the characters actually reminds him he is to die soon. To summarize, literature acts as a catalyst on Keats since it makes him meditate. And between the images of beauty romances trigger and the unhappy thoughts King Lear provokes, he finally chooses to concentrate on Shakespeare. The reasons of this choice are going to be given in the third stanza. The third quatrain begins in the same way as the second, with an exclamation. Chief Poet! is a characteristic attributed to Shakespeare. In fact, the speaker aims at emphasizing his admiration for the playwright. Then, Albion is the name given by elders to Great Britain because of its white cliffs -in Latin albus means white. This is also where King Lear takes place. And a theme, in a work of literature is an idea that the writer develops or  repeats. If we take into account this definition, Chief Poet! and ye clouds of Albion, Begetters of our deep eternal theme! may mean that Shakespeare and Great Britain are the poets inexhaustible inspiration. Next, the speaker identifies with Lear on line 11. When the latter realizes that what Goneril and Regan really want is to chase him away, he leaves. It is a wild and stormy night and he wanders about the fields half mad with misery. So, lines 11 and 12 allude to that very episode in the tragedy. This is an instance of intertextuality. In addition, we can perceive the presence of heaven in this stanza. First, the phrase clouds of Albion reminds us of that biblical place which is usually imagined as being high up in the sky. And spirits walking on clouds are often pictured. Moreover, the fact that Great Britain is named Albion because of its white cliffs conveys the idea of a bridge between earth and heaven or life and death. Next, the old oak forest is highly symbolical. In many traditions, the oak is a sacred tree which is vested with privileges of heavens supreme divinity. It is also considered as an intermediary between earth where it puts its roots and the vault of the sky that it touches with its top. That is probably due to its majestic appearance and because it attracts lightning. So, the oak forest can be regarded as a sacred and secluded place, in other words as a kind of sanctuary in which the poet roams waiting for his impending death. Personification is also used as the subject of the predicate Let me not wander in a barren dream is not only Chief Poet but also clouds of Albion. Keatss fear to die is perceived in that line and begging the deceased playwright to save him is a way of highlighting his sacredness. Let us remind of Keatss admiration for Shakespeare. Therefore, the Elizabethan writer and heavens importance are dealt with. They are the source of the speakers inspiration and his saviour. The final couplet is about the poets yearning to be reincarnated. Lastly, the legend of the Phoenix is introduced. In ancient Greek and Egyptian mythology, it is a bird. When it felt its death approaching -every 500 or 1461 years-, it would build a nest of aromatic wood, set it on fire and was consumed by the flames. When it was burned, a new phoenix sprang forth from the pyre. In these two lines, the poet compares himself to the mythical bird endowing himself with the same powers as its own, that is those of resurrection and immortality. Indeed, he is tormented by his impending death and yearns to be immortal, what he achieves in a way since 175 years after his death, he is still much read, valued and studied in universities. To conclude, it is pensive introspection in the form of lyric poetry on a young mans impending death. We are made aware of Keatss visionary experience rereading King Lear. His liking for romances is highlighted nevertheless he chooses to concentrate on Shakespeares masterpiece as it makes him think about his worries. Indeed, literature acts as a catalyst for meditation. Finally, we focus on the poets fear of death and yearning for immortality.

The Great Depression in America Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Great Depression was a huge economic downfall in North America and involved many other industrialized countries of the world. The Depression began in 1929 and lasted for about ten years. Millions of people lost their jobs along with many businesses going bankrupt. The common misconception of the Great Depression is people think that the stock market crash was the main cause for it. There were many causes for the Depression; unequal distribution of money during the 1920’s was the main cause of the Depression. This unequal distribution happened on many different classes of people. The imbalance of money is what created such an unstable economy. The stock market was doing much worse than people thought during this period. This lead to the biggest stock market crash in our history. The misdistribution of wealth and the stock market crash caused the economy to plummet (Modern).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The stock market was bigger than ever in the 1920’s. Prices reached levels that people never dreamed of. At one point when the market was roaring in September 1929 forty percent of stock market values were pure air. This meant that investors thought that the stock market would go up because it had been going up. By 1928 and 1929 the Federal Reserve was worried about the high level that the stock market had reached (Galbraith 116). The Federal Reserve feared that the stock market might burst suddenly. If this did happen investment might fall, parts of the stock market might not be able to pay back debts, and even worse recession might result (Galbraith 118). The Federal Reserve in 1928 tried to make borrowing money for stock speculation more difficult and very costly by raising interest rates. All of the options that the Reserve tried had unfavorable risks associated with them. Many economists believed that the Federal Reserve was responsible for the recessi on. The stock market did crash on October 29 1929. The Federal Reserve tried to do to much to stop the recession and in return brought on the recession that they were trying to stop (America).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the stock market crashed in October this day was known as â€Å"Black Tuesday.† On this day Americans saw their stocks lose a tenth of their value. The exact reason for why the stock market busted on this day are unknown (Delong 1). The stock market cras... ...t of 1935, which raised personal income taxes on the highest income levels (America).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On December 8, 1941 the U.S. Senate issued a declaration of war on Japan. Germany declared war on the United States on December 11, 1941. Industrial factories were at first slow to convert into making military machinery. By 1942, 33 percent of the economy was devoted to the war effort (Modern). This gave society a sense of patriotism and devotion to one’s country. Between 1941 and 1945 the United States spent about $250 million a day in order to defeat their enemies. Federal spending was more than $320 billion over that period. That was two times as much money as the federal government had spent in its entire history up until that point. This government spending stimulated an industrial boom and stopped unemployment. By the end of the war in 1945, the farmer’s income had more than doubled. Corporate profits rose by 70 percent and the wages of the employees increased by over 50 percent. The most interesting statistic was that the earnings of the botto m fifth of workers rose to 68 percent. The Great Depression soon came to an end being swept away by the war (America).

Problem Analysis Contract Law

An offer must be firm and demonstrate clear intent, whereas an acceptance must accept the term of the offer unqualifiedly. It should be noted that in the usual case, communication of acceptance and consideration are also essential to constitute a valid acceptance. If all elements are found to exist, the contract will be complete, and Lain will be bound to fulfill his promise. Offer The first issue to address is whether an offer exists. Lain would presumably argue that his statement was merely a puff and lacked intention to be acted upon as he announced it impulsively under the influence of alcohol, and the offer does not give him any benefit.This is, however, a weak argument. The general rule is that the intention of the parties should be assessed objectively, as in Smith v Hughes (1871) LORD 6 CB 597 where Blackburn] stated that the promises conduct should be considered in a way that appears to a reasonable man. The phrase â€Å"would pay El 0,000† exhibits both certainty and intention, because it has stated the exact amount of reward and the wordings shows immediate readiness to be bound. His claim is particularly convincing given his wealth. A reasonable man would therefore believe that Lain did intend to pay the reward if the stated condition was fulfilled.Similar to Williams v Cowardice (1833) 5 Car & P 566, there is only a promise made by one party. Lanai's statement appears to represent a unilateral offer that would be converted into a binding contract once the required act has been performed. This would be further discussed in the following. Acceptance In unilateral contracts, performance of the stipulated act constitutes the acceptance of offer (Cargill v carbonic smoke gall co. [1893] 1 CB 256 (CA)). Both crews have performed the act of â€Å"crossing the finish line† ahead of Lanai's yacht.However, it is highlighted that the current case differs from Cargill v Carbonic Smoke Ball Co. In that it is arguable whether or not anyone who has completed the performance can claim the reward. On one hand, it can be said that since Lanai's offer does not state any conditions, crossing the finishing line is sufficient in itself. This argument is, however, suggesting that any random yacht that happens to cross the finish line by incident is also entitled to the reward, which makes little sense. The court is more likely to accept that only qualified competitors who crossed the knish line ahead of Lanai's yacht should be considered.This is indeed supported by the fact that the crew of † Moon Amour† joined the competition upon knowing the offer. It shows that the offered also understands that being a qualified competitor is a prerequisite. By entering the race, both crews have agreed to the Race Rules and therefore, they should be bound by such rules. In Clarke v Dungaree [1 897] AC 59, the court stated that when the party understands that the race is to be run under a particular set of regulations, and that he delibe rately enter for the race upon those terms, he is bound by such rules.Whilst the crew of â€Å"Bell Raider', being a qualified competitor, had fulfilled the conditions of Lanai's offer, since the French crew was not officially recognized by the race officials due to a breach of the Race Rules, it can hardly be said that the latter has validly accepted Lanai's offer. Communication of acceptance Whilst communication of acceptance is needed in the usual case, in unilateral contract, the offer showed by his language and from the nature of the contract that he waived the need to communicate (Cargill v Carbonic Smoke Ball Co. ).Whether Lain received notice of the performance is irrelevant to the matter at hand. Consideration The agreement has to be supported by consideration in a legally enforceable contract. To determine if there is consideration, it brings up the debate of whether reliance is essential. Lord Dunedin, in Dunlop Pneumatic Tree Co. Ltd v Selfridges & Co. Ltd [191 5] AC 84 7, 855 defined consideration as â€Å"an act or forbearance of one party, or the promise thereof, is the price for which the promise of the other is brought, and the promise thus given for value is enforceable†.Following his definition, obviously, both crews' act Of crossing the finish line, in return for the reward, is treated as good consideration. The answer would be less certain if reliance is required. In the book The Law of Contract, Triple asserts that an act or forbearance would not be consideration â€Å"where the promises would have accomplished the act or forbearance anyway†. This view was supported by R v Clarke (1927) 40 CLC 227, where the court held that the claimant could not recover the reward because his concern was not the reward when he gave the information.In other words, the claimant had not â€Å"act in reliance upon† the offer. It is a matter of debate if this prevailing view is in fact erroneous, as argued by Paul Mitchell and John Philip s in â€Å"Is reliance essential? † , but this is not the current concern. Assuming that this general view is still correct, the French crew's acceptance was clearly motivated by the offer as they did not intend to participate in the race until Lain ‘s announcement. But in the case of â€Å"Bell Raider†, there is insufficient information to tell if their crew did act in reliance to the offer.There may be three different situations depends on the facts. Firstly, if the situation is identical to that of the French crew, they act in reliance to the offer for the same reason. Secondly, if evidence shows that â€Å"Bell Raider will join and win the match even without Lanai's offer, their performance cannot be regarded as consideration as there is no reliance. Thirdly, if â€Å"Bell Raider† will join the match but not necessarily reach the destination ahead of Lanai's yacht, it can still be argued that the reward motivated the crew to outperform themselves and thus, there is reliance.

The Common Ground Between Christianity And Mormonism

Bibliographic Entry Blomberg, Craig L., and Stephen E. Robinson. How Wide the Divide?. Downer Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1997. Content Summary This book attempt to show the common ground between Christianity and Mormonism by examining the individual areas of Scripture, God, Christ, the Trinity and Salvation. The summation of the author’s findings is that although there are great differences there is also much common ground that can be used to strengthen our relationship together and bring unity to the ecumenical community. The book is written in a point, counterpoint style where Craig L. Blomberg is bringing the point with an accusational tone from an Evangelical point of view, and Stephen E. Robinson the counterpoint with a defensive tone from a Mormon point of view. Blomberg pretty much stays with major areas of disagreement between Evangelicals and Mormons, but also gives a strong basis for Christian orthodoxy while Robinson tries to correct he disagreements, identify our similarities and blur the edges of difference between them. In the area of Scripture, Blomberg points out that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) believe the Biblical Canon is still open. He states that the canon must considered open at least in principle, but adds that it is closed in practice (p. 58). Robinson would argue that the canon remains open and that the Prophet Joseph Smith was given divine revelation from Jesus himself to fill in the blanks in the canonizedShow MoreRelatedThe Islam And The Muslim Community1651 Words   |  7 Pagesmentioning that despite the differences between the Sunni and the Shia Muslims, they share the main Islamic beliefs. They venerate the Prophet Mohammed, above everything else and regardless of their involvement in any particular group. They read the same Qur’an and follow the same Five Pillars of Islam. Most importantly, they accept each other as Muslims shifting their individual groups to the background. Mormons and other forms of Christianity According to Mormonism, Jesus Christ appeared to JosephRead More Comparing the Mormon Religion to Catholic and Protestant Faiths3692 Words   |  15 Pagesseen in their respective quotes: I have sought nothing beyond reforming the Church in conformity with the Holy Scriptures. . . . . . . I simply say that Christianity has ceased to exist among those who should have preserved it. (Luther and His Times, E.G. Schweibert) and It does not appear that these extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost were common in the Church for more than two or three centuries. We seldom hear of them after that fatal period when the Emperor Constantine called himself a Christian;Read MoreReligion Information Paper : Buddhism3761 Words   |  16 Pagesto explain to the others in their own way. There are some explanations people tell, may not be accurate teachings of the Buddha. â€Å"The most common misunderstandings are about the teachings: life is suffering, out-worldly and emptiness. It has been more than one thousand and nine hundred years since Buddhism spread to China. Thus, the relationship between Buddhism and China is very close. The development of Buddhism influenced, and was influenced by Chinese culture. In fact Buddhism became aRead MoreDoctrine of the Trinity Essay5290 Words   |  22 PagesScience................................................................................................. Jehovah’s Witnesses........................................................................................... Mormonism......................................................................................................... Unitarianism....................................................................................................... Read MoreLgbt19540 Words   |  79 Pagesthere was no common non-derogatory vocabulary for non-heterosexuality; the closest such term, third gender, traces back to the 1860s but never gained wide acceptance in the United States.[13][14][15][16][17][18] The first widely used term, homosexual, originally carried negative connotations and tended to be replaced by homophile in the 1950s and 1960s,[19] and subsequently gay in the 1970s.[13] As lesbians forged more public identities, the phrase gay and lesbian became more common.[2] The DaughtersRead MoreRastafarian79520 Words   |  319 Pageswhose struggles have enabled us to survive and thrive This page intentionally left blank Foreword One of the most useful things about Ennis Edmondss Rastafari: From Outcasts to Culture Bearers is that it correctly traces the connection between the emergence of Rastafarianism and the history of resistance and black consciousness that has been part of the Jamaican experience for years. The truth is that there has always been a committed Jamaican counter- culture that celebrates and seesRead MoreSociology and Group41984 Words   |  168 Pagesgroups have clear goals. d. Groups suffer if members fail to cooperate. e. Groups rely on member input to achieve a common goal. Answer: a. Members may take time off to play when work becomes too intense. . The cooperative interaction of several factors that results in a combined effect greater than the total of all individual parts is referred to as a. interaction. b. common goals. c. interdependence. d. synergy. e. working. Answer: d. synergy. . A stamp collecting club is an exampleRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesof the world’s human population for the first time in history. He gives considerable attention to changes in city planning, patterns of urban growth, and important differences between industrialized Europe and North America and the developing world, as well as the contrasts in urban design and living conditions between different sorts of political regimes— communist, capitalist, colonial, and fascist. Particularly revealing are Spodek’s discussions of the influence of prominent urban planners