Linda Arellano
Srygley, Cheryl
AP Literature
War Is Kind
Stephen Crane
Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind,Because your lover threw wild hands toward the skyAnd the affrighted steed ran on alone,Do not weep.War is kind.Hoarse, booming drums of the regiment,Little souls who thirst for fight,These men were born to drill and die.The unexplained glory flies above them.Great is the battle-god, great, and his kingdom--A field where a thousand corpses lie.Do not weep, babe, for war is kind.Because your father tumbles in the yellow trenches,Raged at his breast, gulped and died,Do not weep.War is kind.Swift blazing flag of the regiment, Eagle with crest of red and gold,These men were born to drill and die.Point for them the virtue of slaughter,Make plain to them the excellence of killingAnd a field where a thousand corpses lie.Mother whose heart hung humble as a buttonOn the bright splendid shroud of your son,Do not weep.War is kind!
1. First Impression: My initial reaction to this poem was the irony of the title; in what way, shape or form is war kind to anyone? The author begins with the phrase “Do not Weep” which usually either serves to comfort someone to provide words of relief or only wants them to weep longer. Nevertheless, the war-filled stanzas reveal a much profound thought than just the idea of ‘War being kind’. The poem addresses three different people, and each have been wounded in some way or another due to the fact that war has taken away a vital piece of their lives.
2. Line-by-Line Paraphrasing:
a. Do not weep, wife, for war is kind
b. Because your lover threw wild hands toward the sky
c. And the scared horse ran on alone,
d. Do not weep.
e. War is kind.
f. Rough, booming drums of the regiment,
g. Little souls who thirst for fight,
h. These men were born to drill and die.
i. The unexplained glory files above them.
j. Great is the battle-god, great, and his kingdom—
k. A field where a thousand corpses lie.
l. Do not weep, babe, for war is kind.
m. Because your father tumbles in the yellow trenches,
n. Raged at his breast, gulped and died,
o. Do not weep.
p. War is kind.
q. Rapid blazing flag of the regiment,
r. Eagle with crest of red and gold,
s. These men were born to drill and die.
t. Point for them the virtue of slaughter,
u. Make plain to them the excellence of killing
v. And a field where a thousand corpses lie.
w. Mother whose heart hung humble as a button
x. On the bright splendid shroud of your son,
y. Do not weep.
z. War is kind.
3. Syntax: The author’s word choice in this poem is very bold; the author directly addresses the most immediate impact that war had on the relatives of soldiers that had dispatched to go fight for these war-gods who were looking for the ‘country’s best interest’. Crane’s employment of diction and rather clever use of sarcasm, ensure a powerful delivery. The poem contains 5 stanzas and has no sentence scheme, nevertheless has somewhat of a rhyme going on.
4. Imagery: The author uses the images of mothers, wives and “babes” that were left behind by the soldiers that have gone on to fight other man’s wars. In the first stanza he refers to a lover who “wildly threw his hands towards the sky” which immediately give the reader the image of this young lover dying in combat, as his stallion runs away without the rider. An image that is mentioned several times in the poem includes that of “a field where a thousand corpses lie”, which can stand alone without much details needed. The poem contains many images from that of a “blazing flag of the regiment” to that of a mother’s heart being like a humble button. The author’s detailed snapshots of the fallen soldiers quickly lend the reader to experience the savagery the soldiers are exposed to when dealing with these and many other misfortunes.
5. Figurative Language: This poem employs the usage of repetition (i.e. “Do not weep. War is kind”), as well as alliteration and simile. Another form of figurative language employed is onomatopoeia (the booming drums).
6. Tone: The tone of this poem is accusing and mocking. It is obvious that the author has a very strong opinion of the effects war has had on the people he talks about, therefore he uses the irony of the situation to state that “War is kind”.
7. Theme: There are several themes to this poem; the ironies of war and the indifference of nature. The ironies of war are discussed by the author highlighting that the soldier leaves behind his lover, his mother and his child, yet bombards the idea of them leaving to fight for the useless purposes of war.
8. Conclusion: Crane’s usage of highly detailed scenes of war evoke great sadness on the reader, nevertheless, it helps the reader create a bond with the author’s dislike for war. The author establishes his sympathy for the victims but never justifies the cruelty and savagery that soldiers have to deal with for the purposes of war.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Musee de Beaux Arts (W. H. Auden)
Linda Arellano
Srygley, Cheryl
AP Literature
Musee des Beaux Arts
W. H. Auden
About suffering they were never wrong,The old Masters: how well they understoodIts human position: how it takes placeWhile someone else is eating or opening a window or just
walking dully along;How, when the aged are reverently, passionately waitingFor the miraculous birth, there always must be
Children who did not specially want it to happen, skatingOn a pond at the edge of the wood:They never forgotThat even the dreadful martyrdom must run its courseAnyhow in a corner, some untidy spotWhere the dogs go on with their doggy life and the
torturer's horseScratches its innocent behind on a tree.
In Breughel's Icarus, for instance: how everything
turns awayQuite leisurely from the disaster; the ploughman mayHave heard the splash, the forsaken cry,But for him it was not an important failure; the sun shoneAs it had to on the white legs disappearing into the greenWater, and the expensive delicate ship that must have seenSomething amazing, a boy falling out of the sky,Had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.
1. First impression: Musee de Breaux Arts, or Museum of Fine Arts in French, is a very elegantly and deep poem about the author’s reaction to art that is being displayed at the Museum. There is a lot of imagery and specific references to certain works of art. The author vividly describes what he sees, and constantly refers to the artists as “they”. The poem can be very confusing if one is not familiar with the works of art through the centuries. For example, “The old Masters” were fully trained European painters of skill before the 1800’s.
2. Paraphrased:
a. Artists were never wrong about suffering
b. The “old Masters’’ understood it very well
c. Its human position takes place very well
d. While other people are caring about their business
e. How, when the aged are waiting patiently
f. For the birth of Christ, there always must be
g. Children who did not specially want it to happen, skating
h. On a pond at the edge of the wood:
i. They never forgot
j. That even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course
k. Anyhow in a corner, some dirty spot
l. Where the dogs go on with their doggy life and the torturer’s horse
m. Scratches its innocent behind on a tree.
n. In Breughel’s Icarus, for example: everything turns away
o. Quite leisurely from chaos; the ploughman may
p. Have heard the splash, the cry for help,
q. But for him it was not an important failure; the sun shone
r. As it had to on the white legs disappearing into the green
s. Water, and the expensive delicate ship that must have seen
t. Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky,
u. Had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.
3. Syntax: The syntax in this poem is very straight-forward, the words used in this poem were not in the least flamboyant. At times it was even childish; “Where the dogs go on with their doggy life”. The language used is very vivid and colorful and highly descriptive of the events that occur in the art. The title as well as various references to specific artists (The Old Masters) and works of art (Breughel’s Icarus) ties the overall idea of the significance of this ‘Museum of Fine Arts’. There is no sentence structure and no rhyming scheme.
4. Imagery: The poem talks about art; therefore imagery is a key element in describing its main purpose. In the first stanza the author opens the author opens the poem talking about the old masters and how well they have depicted suffering throughout the years. He also shared the child like image of a dog and his “doggy life”. In the second stanza the author talks about Breughel’s Icarus, and employs imagery at its best. From the color of the water to the content of the image itself, the reader can easily picture what the painting is before even taking a look at it.
5. Figurative Language: In the first stanza of this poem, the author uses allusions to Christ and his birth; “passionately waiting/ for the miraculous birth”.
6. Tone: The tone of this poem is not happy, nevertheless it is not somber. The author has a rather careless point of view for the topic just like everything he is talking about.
7. Theme: The theme of this poem greatly refers to human greed; people go about their own business without even realizing the happenings that occur right in front of their very eyes. The author uses the example of Icarus in his painting. No one really seems to notice his tragedy as he gasps for someone to come to his aid. Everyone in the painting is truly concentrated in their own issues and endless to-do lists.
8. Conclusion: The poem has a rather deeper message than simply just the idea of art. The poem interprets and rather dissects art in a broader sense and then zooms into this one particular aspect of human greed and selfishness. The imagery used in this poem immediately cancels out the need to use the picture but if both are handy, the reader can almost instantly pinpoint the exact location he is referring to as the poem continues.
Srygley, Cheryl
AP Literature
Musee des Beaux Arts
W. H. Auden
About suffering they were never wrong,The old Masters: how well they understoodIts human position: how it takes placeWhile someone else is eating or opening a window or just
walking dully along;How, when the aged are reverently, passionately waitingFor the miraculous birth, there always must be
Children who did not specially want it to happen, skatingOn a pond at the edge of the wood:They never forgotThat even the dreadful martyrdom must run its courseAnyhow in a corner, some untidy spotWhere the dogs go on with their doggy life and the
torturer's horseScratches its innocent behind on a tree.
In Breughel's Icarus, for instance: how everything
turns awayQuite leisurely from the disaster; the ploughman mayHave heard the splash, the forsaken cry,But for him it was not an important failure; the sun shoneAs it had to on the white legs disappearing into the greenWater, and the expensive delicate ship that must have seenSomething amazing, a boy falling out of the sky,Had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.
1. First impression: Musee de Breaux Arts, or Museum of Fine Arts in French, is a very elegantly and deep poem about the author’s reaction to art that is being displayed at the Museum. There is a lot of imagery and specific references to certain works of art. The author vividly describes what he sees, and constantly refers to the artists as “they”. The poem can be very confusing if one is not familiar with the works of art through the centuries. For example, “The old Masters” were fully trained European painters of skill before the 1800’s.
2. Paraphrased:
a. Artists were never wrong about suffering
b. The “old Masters’’ understood it very well
c. Its human position takes place very well
d. While other people are caring about their business
e. How, when the aged are waiting patiently
f. For the birth of Christ, there always must be
g. Children who did not specially want it to happen, skating
h. On a pond at the edge of the wood:
i. They never forgot
j. That even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course
k. Anyhow in a corner, some dirty spot
l. Where the dogs go on with their doggy life and the torturer’s horse
m. Scratches its innocent behind on a tree.
n. In Breughel’s Icarus, for example: everything turns away
o. Quite leisurely from chaos; the ploughman may
p. Have heard the splash, the cry for help,
q. But for him it was not an important failure; the sun shone
r. As it had to on the white legs disappearing into the green
s. Water, and the expensive delicate ship that must have seen
t. Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky,
u. Had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.
3. Syntax: The syntax in this poem is very straight-forward, the words used in this poem were not in the least flamboyant. At times it was even childish; “Where the dogs go on with their doggy life”. The language used is very vivid and colorful and highly descriptive of the events that occur in the art. The title as well as various references to specific artists (The Old Masters) and works of art (Breughel’s Icarus) ties the overall idea of the significance of this ‘Museum of Fine Arts’. There is no sentence structure and no rhyming scheme.
4. Imagery: The poem talks about art; therefore imagery is a key element in describing its main purpose. In the first stanza the author opens the author opens the poem talking about the old masters and how well they have depicted suffering throughout the years. He also shared the child like image of a dog and his “doggy life”. In the second stanza the author talks about Breughel’s Icarus, and employs imagery at its best. From the color of the water to the content of the image itself, the reader can easily picture what the painting is before even taking a look at it.
5. Figurative Language: In the first stanza of this poem, the author uses allusions to Christ and his birth; “passionately waiting/ for the miraculous birth”.
6. Tone: The tone of this poem is not happy, nevertheless it is not somber. The author has a rather careless point of view for the topic just like everything he is talking about.
7. Theme: The theme of this poem greatly refers to human greed; people go about their own business without even realizing the happenings that occur right in front of their very eyes. The author uses the example of Icarus in his painting. No one really seems to notice his tragedy as he gasps for someone to come to his aid. Everyone in the painting is truly concentrated in their own issues and endless to-do lists.
8. Conclusion: The poem has a rather deeper message than simply just the idea of art. The poem interprets and rather dissects art in a broader sense and then zooms into this one particular aspect of human greed and selfishness. The imagery used in this poem immediately cancels out the need to use the picture but if both are handy, the reader can almost instantly pinpoint the exact location he is referring to as the poem continues.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)