Student Question
What literary elements are evident in "Sonnet—To Science" and how does its theme reflect or challenge American values?
Quick answer:
In "Sonnet—To Science," Poe uses literary elements such as personification, metaphor, allusion, and symbolism to express the idea that science is at odds with imagination, fantasy, and poetic inspiration. It robs the speaker by replacing his dreams with "dull realities." This idea reflects one version of American values, as Americans do not typically believe in fairly tales. American values include reason and scientific principle, with less focus on the poetic.
Science is personified as the "true daughter of Old Time," which is subsequently personified as a father. The speaker of the poem describes how science alters everything with its "peering eyes" and preys on the heart of the poet. The speaker uses a metaphor, comparing science to a "Vulture" that has wings made of "dull realities." Such a metaphor suggests that science kills the poet's inspiration and imagination by replacing them with realities that are much less vivid and exciting.
The second part of the sonnet is full of allusions to classical mythology. The speaker asserts that science has "dragged Diana," the Roman goddess of the hunt, "from her car" and "driven the Hamadryad," a particular kind of tree nymph from Greek mythology, from the forest. The speaker argues that science has "torn the Naiad," another kind of mythological nymph said to live in bodies of water, from her...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
home and ejected elves from their places in nature as well.
Finally, the speaker blames science for killing his "summer dream" as he lies beneath a tamarind tree. The tree itself could also work as a symbol, as it produces fruit which is both sweet and sour, like science, which has both benefits and drawbacks. We might see the tamarind fruit, then, as a symbol for the sciences, which can both help us physically but hinder our imaginations. This idea seems to agree with a particular vision of America, a country founded during the Age of Reason. Greece is the country of naiads and dryads, while elves and other nature spirits were thought to roam the countryside in the British Isles, but the United States has never really bought into the idea of these kinds of spirits. The ideals of the Age of Reason, or the Enlightenment, would seem to have precluded these fantastical creatures from finding footing on our shores. Thus, Poe seems correct in the sense that our imaginations are not populated with such myths and legends, unlike our fellows in other countries.