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- Magistrōrum at allpoetry
These are my muse-born kith,
ancient men who speak - Oh, If For Once at allpoetry
Oh, if for once love were a mutual thing: There is the man with whom I feel nothing but sisterly affection, - Revelation at allpoetry
Of numinous phantasmagoria that tread the glassy sea,
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on “Hope” is the thing with feathers— by Emily Dickinson, on February 13, 2004Unlike her parents, Emily Dickinson was not a religious person. However, some of her poetry seems to point to the fact that she may have been an agnostic, one who believes in a higher deity, but not in any particular religious sect. One such example is a poem entitled, “Hope is the Thing with Feathers.”
Personified as a bird, Dickinson creates an illusion of freedom in life. Even though there is only one bird mentioned, several qualities that derive from different species describe the bird; from the soft flitting of the wings, to spans that relates to damaging storms.
The structure of the piece is in three, four-lined stanzas. Although Dickinson does not rhyme, her poem flows neatly into concise concepts, highlighted with assonance. In the version that was read for this essay, the use of her trademark dashes was non-existent, replaced by semicolons and commas.
Out of the entire poem, the last stanza leaps out unto the eye. The beginning of the poem entails the spirituality of the bird. The second stanza compares the avian to earth and its many moods. The last few lines bring the poem full-circle, and usurps the attention onto the relationship between the narrator and the bird. She attempts to continue on with her original nature-based theme, yet makes a decision in the last two lines of the poem. It reveals her philosophy on human nature and soul, both in humans and animals. Soul is the same in everything. It shows no discrimination between or for any species. The soul, wanting nothing in return, through all of its gifts and hope that it can bring. Hope is found in many things, objects in which one would never have used normally if it had not been already ordained as such.
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on Proud Music Of The Storm by Walt Whitman, on February 13, 2004
A personal favorite!
Although one of Whitman’s longer poems, “Proud Music of the Storm” impacts a variety of different readers; however, it may be moreover for musicians. His use of diction has two connotations; that which any layman would understand, and a completely different meaning for those with a musical background, using such words as: “serenades, “rhythmus,” “chords,” “rest,” “tutti,” “measur’d,” and “metrical.”
Spoken by a narrator, Whitman portrays a cacophony of triumphant emotions, set in and around the world and its cultures. He speaks of the heart of a little child, the lullaby of a mother, the exotic from Germany, Ireland, England, France and Italy. Ancient verses from early Rome, Egypt, China, spill forth into emotions on paper. The elements of life – of wind, earth, fire and water – their intricate patterns of music.
Each portion set into large stanzas, ranging from two to twelve lines in length, Whitman uses free verse. This structure enhances the fact that both earth and music are abstract objects, conformed in an unconventional way.
Obviously, the auditory sense is a widely used tool in this poem, Whitman entices the reader visually as well. Not only is one able to hear the intruments’ cry, but one can also begin to see the musicians at the mouths, the sheet music played and the personal reaction of those it encounters.
Overall, “Proud Music of the Storm” shows that the earth could not exist without music. Our lives, experiences, memories, hopes and dreams all make up a gigantic opus that makes “us” as humans. Music is what connects past, present and future, ethnicities, male and female, young and old.
The first falacy, though minor, would be that if Revere truly were to have ridden at midnight, then technically, the correct date would have been 19 April 1775. But that is extraneous information.
The signals were in Christ's Church, not North Church. The steeple in North Church was too stumpy and there was a hill in the way - the lights would never have been seen. Also, the lights were meant to signal the towns, not Revere.
Which brings up the point of actually how many rides he made. Revere had to ride to Lexington and Concord to let them know of the signals in the first place - there weren't telephones or e-mail back then
It has been said that Revere had forgotten to close the door when he left, and the dog ran after him. Upon disovering his spurrs missing, he tied a note to the dog's collar and sent him back home for them. Petticoats were possibly used to muffle the sound of the oars as they passed the Sommerset.
The original intent of his ride was to alert Adams and Hancock that the British were soming to arrest them. Warning the counrtyside was icing on top of the cake, so to speak. He was harshly scolded by the sentry upon arriving for making too much noise and bothering the other guests.
Revere continued onto Concord where the weapons were hidden, and was met up with William Dawes. Dr. Samuel Prescott joined further down the way. The three of them actually were caught by British soldiers. Both Prescott and Dawes escaped, but Revere was kept. Later, after hearing the alrm begin across the counrtyside, he was released without his horse, and forced to walk back to Lexington. There, he witnessed the 'shot heard round the world.'
Another event he was party to was the Boston Tea Party. Dressed like Indians, they dumped tea into the harbor to send the King a messege about his tea tax. Afterwards, they swept the ships!
Regardless of its inaccuracies, this poem is a classic and a favorite of mine. It was well written with tight rhyme scheme and wonderful imagery. While he may not have been center to the Revolutionary War historically, Revere was an American hero - Longfellow knew this and gave credit to his continual sacrifice.
A fine read