Poetry

The main theme of "The Discovery" is innocence on the verge of being lost. The Taino man, seeing Columbus's ships, is unaware of the impending changes. The mood shifts from contentment to surprise...

Alan Brownjohn's "The Rabbit" explores themes of ecological disaster and the consequences of technological advancement. The poem uses repetition and a dark tone to highlight the near-extinction of a...

Keith Douglas' poem "How to Kill" uses a structured free verse to convey its themes. The language is stark and direct, reflecting the brutality of war. Figurative meanings are prevalent, with death...

In "An Ordinary Day," Norman MacCaig employs various figures of speech to highlight the beauty in everyday scenes. He uses personification, as in "small flowers were doing their level best to bring...

Tu's "The Gift in Wartime" grieves the futility of war, employing the visual imagery of roses, clouds, and the body of a corpse. She also uses such figurative language as irony, apostrophe, anaphora,...

Literal language uses words in their exact meanings, while figurative language employs metaphors, similes, and other devices to convey meanings beyond the literal. Poetry often uses figurative...

"Meeting at an Airport" by Taha Muhammad Ali is a free verse poem that narrates a reunion between two people who haven't seen each other in years. The poem highlights how the same question, asked...

"The Right Word" by Imtiaz Dharker uses phrasing, pauses, and figures of speech to convey confusion and apprehension. The poem's short phrases and punctuation create rhythm, emphasizing the speaker's...

Jackie Kay uses figurative language and meter in "Late Love" to explore themes of love and its impact. She employs vivid descriptions and hyperbole, likening people in love to "filmic" figures,...

Songs that use figurative language and relate to power include "Power" by Kanye West, where metaphors and hyperbole emphasize his influence and dominance, and "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor, which...

To analyze poems like "Sheltered Garden," "The Student," "Nativity Play," and "The Man In The Bowler Hat," focus on reading for content, identifying themes, and examining literary devices like...

Using figurative language in poetry can present challenges, such as readers not understanding the unfamiliar references or misinterpreting the intended meaning. This is particularly problematic when...

In "Conversation with a Stranger" by Erich Fried, figures of speech include unadorned dialogue and implied meanings, reflecting a critique of inaction during atrocities like the Holocaust. The poem's...

Effective poem analysis involves several strategies: first, read the poem multiple times to understand its surface meaning and deeper nuances. Pay attention to the poem's structure, such as its form,...

To critically appraise a poem, analyze its figurative language, such as similes, metaphors, and imagery, which create visual and auditory effects. Examine poetic techniques like symbolism and...

Brian Bilston uses imagery and figurative language to communicate his theme of hope in the poem "Kindness" by using simile, juxtaposition, metonymy, alliteration, enjambment, and caesura.

Alliteration involves the repetition of initial consonant sounds, as in "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers." Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds, exemplified by "Hear the mellow...

Robert Frost's poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" exemplifies poetic language through various devices. Figurative language is used with metaphors like "nothing gold can stay," symbolizing the fleeting...