Imagination in the Poetry of Wallace Stevens Essay example

What are â€Å"Castratos of moon-mash?† Who are these seemingly real but only partially embodied figures, which Wallace Stevens mentions almost in passing at line three in his poem, â€Å"Men Made Out of Words.† As readers, how are we to understand this short ambivalent phrase, which while confounding us appears to answer the question raised in the previous two lines: â€Å"What should we be without the sexual myth, / The human revery or the poem of death† (1-2). Stevens does not elaborate on the image of the moon-mashed castratos he has just presented, but instead using a hyphen formulates and finishes the relatively short ten-line poem. One can argue that this second part of the poem could even be a separate strophe from the lines already noted,†¦show more content†¦Stevens makes this fact apparent from the beginning of the poem, when he notes not only â€Å"human revery† but also â€Å"the sexual myth† and the â€Å"poem of death† (1). Therefore, these defined formulations are only categories of a greater whole, which remains unmentioned in the poem. In deliberating on Stevens’s poems, we can come to understand this encompassing whole as the imagination, which impels an individual to make â€Å"eccentric propositions† about his or her life and fate (4-5, 10). In his essay, Imagination as Value, Stevens reminds us that â€Å"the imagination is the power of the mind over the possibilities of things [†¦] it is the source not of a single value but of as many values as can reside in the possibilities of things† (136). With these words in mind and from what we have already noted in â€Å"Men Made Out of Words,† we can assert that the â€Å"possibilities of things,† mentioned in the essay, are the same as the reveries, poems, and myths, hinted at in the poem; however, one needs to clarify the difference between the ‘possibilities of things’ and the ‘thingsà ¢â‚¬â„¢ themselves. For Stevens, the imagination is ‘metaphysical’ or something which resides in the abstract but at the time it serves as â€Å"the only clue to reality [i.e. things]† (137); therefore it is through the imagination that reality derives its possibilities i.e. its myths, reveries, and poems. In Stevens argument, the imagination is the liberatorShow MoreRelatedA Force of Nature: Imagination in the Poetry of Wallace Stevens and John Ashbery1602 Words   |  7 Pagesseems to him to be poetry at that time† (The necessary vii). What Stevens is suggesting here is that a poet must find a particular voice among other voices –other poets– and that his voice will be significant only if it intends to be a contribution to the theory of poetry, in the sense that they â€Å"are disclosures of poetry, not disclosures of definitions of poetry† (Ibid). Precisely, the poetry of Wallace Stevens and John Ashbery are disclosures of poetry re garding imagination, for they deal withRead MoreThe Plain Sense Of Things By Wallace Stevens1017 Words   |  5 PagesSense of Things† Written by the poet Wallace Stevens, â€Å"The Plain Sense of Things† creates an atmosphere of imagination, reality and symbolism of natural progression. Stated by POETRY FOUNDATION, Wallace Stevens is one of America’s most respected poets (Wallace Stevens, 2017). Wallace Stevens work is known for its imagination and relates to both English Romantics and French symbolists and is considered one of the major American poets of the century (Stevens, Wallace 2014). In â€Å"The Plain Sense of Things†Read MoreAllan Stevens s Poem Disillusionment Of Ten O Clock775 Words   |  4 PagesWallace Stevens falls in the category with America’s most respected poets. Stevens wrote many of poems that got him to that prestigious category. Stevens was born in 1879 in Reading, Pennsylvania and he took his last breath in August 1955 due to cancer. Harvard University is where he was educated on literacy and was very successful at his time spent there. One particular poem he wrote is short poem â€Å"Disillusionment of Ten O’Clock† in 1915 and it was published in his first book of poetry at the ageRead MoreA Critical Appreciation of Wallace Stevens the Idea of Order at Key West1253 Words   |  6 PagesA critical appreciation of Wallace Stevens- â€Å"The Idea of Order at Key  West† â€Å"The Idea of Order at Key West† was written in 1934 and is considered Stevens’ most complicated poem. It is both long (being eight stanzas and 56 lines) and in depth.†The Idea †¦Ã¢â‚¬  is in a loose iambic pentameter and is written in free verse, meaning that there is no organized rhyme pattern. The stanzas are a bit confusing because the fifth one is indented a lot after the fourth one. In fact, there is no actual line betweenRead MoreEzra Pound And Modernist Poetry780 Words   |  4 Pagespoems share a similar theme: Ezra Pound’s â€Å"A Few Don’ts,† Wallace Stevens’ â€Å"Of Modern Poetry,† Archibald Macleish’s â€Å"Ars Poetica,† and Marianne Moore’s â€Å"Poetry.† Each of these authors felt they had discovered superlative methods to write the most powerful poetry. However, the details and methods which each author used varied from one another. Born in 1885, Ezra pound is known as one of Modernist poetry’s biggest contributors. His poetry of the early 20th century was unconventional and controversialRead MoreThe Snow Man by Wallace Stevens1518 Words   |  7 PagesAfterlife: the complete emptiness Wallace Stevens (1879–1955) wrote most of his poems during the world wars period, which took the lives of millions of people. As a result, Wallace Stevens started to question the importance of religion in the modern era, and felt that you should enjoy your life in the present and not waste time living for an afterlife. In his poem â€Å"The Snow Man†, Stevens describes a harsh winter environment creating a unique dramatic situation through an effective imagery. HeRead More Modernist Poets E.E. Cummings, Wallace Stevens, and T.S. Eliot Change the Face of American Poetry1710 Words   |  7 PagesModernist Poets E.E. Cummings, Wallace Stevens, and T.S. Eliot Change the Face of American Poetry Modernist poets such as E.E. Cummings, Wallace Stevens, and T.S. Eliot changed the face of American poetry by destroying the notion that American culture is far inferior to European culture. These and other American poets accomplished the feat of defining an American poetic style in the Modern Era by means of a truly American idea. That idea is the melting pot. Just as American culture exists asRead More Reality in Wallace Stevens’ The Man with the Blue Guitar Essay2476 Words   |  10 PagesReality in Wallace Stevens’ The Man with the Blue Guitar For Wallace Stevens, reality is an abstraction with many perspective possibilities. As a poet, Stevens struggles to create original perspectives of reality. Wallace Stevens creates a new, modern reality in his poetry. Actually, Stevens decreates reality in his poetry. In The Necessary Angel, Stevens paraphrases Simone Weil’s coinage of decreation as the change from created to uncreated or from created to nothingness. Stevens then definesRead MoreA Comparison and Contrast Between the Two Poems, Poetry and Modern Poetry890 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"I, too, dislike it: There are things that are important beyond all this fiddle.† Poetry has been around for a long time. As the years go by poetry adapts to the time period. However, the authors have different views. Majority of them will read and enjoy all types of poem, but they have their own opinions. The new, has to be truly unique to the author and to the time period. Shakespeare still had plays that we study, but it is hard to comprehend the message behind the words. Worlds change and theRead MoreSummary Of Thirteen Ways Of Looking At A Blackbird783 Words   |  4 PagesI chose to write about Wallace Stevens’ â€Å"Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird†. This poem spoke to me because of the similarities to â€Å"Blackbird† by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It is very interesting to examine the relationship between music and poetry. Songs are poetry in one of its most popular forms. Prior to this class, I had a deep familiarity with the song â€Å"Blackbird† but was completely unaware of the poem by Stevens. The title of the poem, Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird

The Development of the City of Dubai - 1288 Words

How many years will a city take to develop? This question doesn’t have an answer. It all depends on how much of effort has put on it. â€Å"Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle† (Napoleon Hill). Nothing can be achieved without any effort, just like students that need to put a lot of effort to get good grades. For a city to get developed, lots of patience is needed and strong focus on time and effort in developing. Every decision needs to be taken very carefully as that will determine the development of a city. By taking a wrong decision, millions of loss can be made. After 40 years of struggling, Dubai has reached the current position of vast development because of planning and technology. This essay will explore how Dubai has turned out to become one of the most developed city in the world. The history of Dubai is quite fascinating and memorable. Many people come back to this land just to see the development that has happened over the few years. The city was just a desert before and there has been a lot of development until now. When it was one of the least developed city in the world, the rulers had to put a lot of effort to develop the country. Sheikh Zayed road can be taken as a great example. Looking into the past of it now, doesn’t seem like it was something as such before. In 1980’s the roads hardly consisted of two lanes and there were barely any buildings constructed. Now the road contains a minimum of 5 lanes and many buildings built inShow MoreRelatedDubai Development And Transformation Of Dubai1478 Words   |  6 PagesELSâ€Æ' There are many cities that have experienced a tremendous amount of development in short periods of time, but there is none like that of Dubai. Dubai is a city that has developed from the sands of the Arabian Gulf and has become one of the leading economic centers in the world. The rapid development and transformation of Dubai has captured the world’s attention and has become a model, modern city through the vision of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, who is the Vice-President and PrimeRead MoreHuman Resources And Sustainable Development1378 Words   |  6 PagesHumanity has the power to make development sustainable. This power ensures that development will meet the needs of the present without disrupting the ability of future generations to pursue their own particular desires. Sustainable development is maintaining harmony between the human need to improve lifestyles and preserving natural resources and ecosystems, for which present and future generations depend on. Too often, in today’s world, development is driven by one specific need, without completelyRead MoreThe United Arab Emirates1464 Words   |  6 PagesSustainable Development Throughout the extent of time in which humans have inhabited the Earth, it has only been in the past couple hundred years that humanity has developed technology at an astonishing rate. From the early 1800s and onward, the human population has skyrocketed and advancements in technology have rapidly progressed through the course of a relatively short period of time. In that time, society has become a massive, interconnected network of people that are dependent on resourcesRead MoreGlobal Warming And The United Arab Emirates1748 Words   |  7 Pagesregion. As development propels population growth along its shore and recreational tourism increases, the ecological well-being of the inter-tidal zones and their sea life need to be safeguarded. Global warming and the predicted rise in water levels will also impact coastal developments. There is therefore an urgent need for an integrated land/sea strategy of sustainable growth along regional/global dimensions. (Al-Manakh Book) Since the discovery of oil in the 1960s, the UAE and notably Dubai has experiencedRead MoreTheme Of Dubai Expo 20201603 Words   |  7 Pages 3.1. Theme of Dubai Expo 2020 Each world expo carries a central theme, the guiding principle being a universal concern to humanity. The current Milan Expo 2015 core theme is Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life which is focusing on the key issue concerning humanity, food, health and hunger. The expo aims to embrace technology, innovation and creativity to tackle critical issues related to food scarcity, quality and sustainability. The Shanghai Expo 2010 theme was Better City – Better Life withRead MoreEconomic Impact of Dubai Essay1251 Words   |  6 PagesEconomic Impact: Dubai Dubai is the largest of the seven emirates in the United Arab Emirates. It is quickly growing into a huge tourist spot and prides itself on having some of the world’s greatest attractions. However, sometimes having the best comes with consequences. Despite the Middle East’s relatively low tourist rate, Dubai had been able to attract many â€Å"big spenders,† which has enhanced its economy, but can also take a toll on the people. In her article, â€Å"Tourism in Dubai,† Joan HendersonRead MoreThe United Arab Emirate s Hotspot Destination895 Words   |  4 PagesDubai is a sophisticated, metropolitan oasis in the Arabian Desert that has become the United Arab Emirate’s hotspot destination. Dubai offers many wonderful experiences, including fine dining, world renown shopping, one of the world’s finest seven-star hotels, and so much to do! Travelling abroad, whether it is for the first time or not, can be extremely exciting. However, in today’s day and age, travelling overseas is more than just packing your bags, buying a ticket, and hopping on to a planeRead MoreGlobalization And International Trade And Investments Aided By Information Technology1009 Words   |  5 Pagesdifferent nation’s governments. Globalization is processed by international trade and investments aided by information technology. This process has many effects on a nation. It affects the environment, cul ture, political systems, economics, and development. In addition to human’s physical wellbeing in societies around the world. Citizens and companies do not desire to do business with other nations just because, but instead it is an occurrence because there is a better benefit for that citizen orRead MoreHow Does Diversity Help A Company Succeed?1397 Words   |  6 Pages View of UAE Nathalie Germain MSVU â€Æ' Table of Content Contents Business Diversity 3 Demographic 3 Business 3 Social 4 Benefits vs. Challenges 4 Opportunity and Development 5 Dubai 5 Fujairah 6 Ras al-Khaimah 6 Abu Dhabi 7 Potential Target 8 Dubai 8 Abu Dhabi 9 Sources 10 Graphics 11 Business Diversity The important factor in a company is the people; as we have yet to see the age of robots, businesses still require the use of humans for day to day workflow. But how does Diversity help a companyRead MoreTourism As A Source Of Revenue Managing Destinations Essay1644 Words   |  7 Pagestourism’s environmental impacts and promoting sustainable tourism in the region. Destination management includes planned business permits to organizations, land use planning, environmental and other regulations and various other methods for the development and operations of activities related to tourism. According to UNWTO â€Å"The programme for Destination Management is committed to respond positively to the growing need for systematic, multidisciplinary and intersectoral strategies for tourism at

Langston Hughes Dream Variations Free Essays

Langston Hughes, an extraordinary figure in the Harlem Renaissance when many African writers and poets emerged (Poquette), shows his style and personal characteristics through his poem â€Å"Dream Variations† Written in 1924 when the Back to Africa movement was gaining strength. This poem is used to describe Hughes’ dream, which many say may be to return to Africa. During this time, African Americans still did not have respect in America and Africa to Hughes was a warm and inviting place. We will write a custom essay sample on Langston Hughes: Dream Variations or any similar topic only for you Order Now There is no rhythmic structure to this poem. The poem’s structure is similar to that of blues music, with the first, second, and fourth lines of each stanza parallel each other in that they each have four syllables, while the third is extended and longer to build an emotional climax. Like many of Hughes’ poems, â€Å"Dream Variations† is mainly written for children to encourage them and stress the possibilities life holds. This poem was very understandable and easy to read with simple sentences and words.This was written in that manner so that uneducated people or younger people could feel equal to everyone else, no less. From beginning to end Langston Hughes he uses the same words but gives them different meaning. The poem’s tone transforms during the poem. â€Å"To whirl and to dance† (Line 3) and â€Å"Till the white day is done† (Line 4) use the same words whirl, dance, day as in lines 12 and 13. In the later lines the speakers tone is harsher, frantic and turns into a command. Dance! † (Line 12) is a command unlike how in line 3 it sounds as though the speaker is dancing to rejoice and celebrate. The poem in the beginning is very calm and just going through the motions but later on the speaker realizes that life is running out and each day is passing by. The reference of darkness and night in positive terms can actually be considered a subtle celebration of African Americans. In all of Hughes’ poems he creates pictures of pride in blackness.The main theme of this pofem though, it to reach for your dreams everyday and do not take for granted time because before you know it, it may be over. Hughes was mostly liked as a poet by the critics and they believed he had good ideas. Most of his poetry was about dreams. As a true Renaissance man, he was strating a new wave: a wave of African Poets and writers and many critics respected that. In short, Potamkin believed the blues could be made into good poetry if an author put his original ideas into his work, but he did not think that Hughes added enough of himself.In the words of Theodore R. Hudson, reviewing Hughes’s last book of poetry in the CLA Journal, â€Å"His message is both valid and valuable.Work Cited Uma Kukathas, Critical Essay on â€Å"Dream Variations,† in Poetry for Students, The Gale Group, 2002. Ryan D. Poquette, Critical Essay on â€Å"Dream Variations,† in Poetry for Students, The Gale Group, 2002 â€Å"Dream Variations. † Poetry for Students. Ed. Anne Marie Hacht. Vol. 15. Detroit: Gale Group, 2002. 40-53. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 28 May 2010. How to cite Langston Hughes: Dream Variations, Papers

Poetry English language Essay Example For Students

Poetry English language Essay Wars have been around for many years, in fact, they have been around as long as humans have been around. When you come to think of it, Warfare means solving problems by force (fighting, War). The problems that might result to War could be: to gain land (this could be to gain power), to get resources from another country (oil, gold, and diamonds). Religion (this is the War that we are fighting now), to support another country who is lured (maybe reluctantly) into War, this is known as supporting an ally. I think that the scale of Warfare has changed; firstly, the weapons used in War these days have become more sophisticated. Today we use auto reload rifles, bullet-proof vests, bombs with sensors etc. back in World War 1 (WW1) they used rifles, bayonets and had no knowledge of the machine guns that were used by the German army. As a result, more people will be killed. Secondly troops can be moved from long distances much easily; before if you were in the English army (in the middle ages especially) you were shipped off to your location of War and you would march to wherever you were ordered to fight. Nowadays you are transported in helicopters or jet planes, so the soldiers can get to the battle-zone more easily, so the job will be done much quicker as a result. Most governments have now ensured that they have a professional army. In WW1 Lord Kitchener managed to recruit millions of British men, about a third of them were either: unfit, too young or unwell. Now the armed forces have become more sophisticated, they do fitness tests and medical and drug tests to ensure that the new recruits are well prepared for battle.  In approximately a couple of years I could see myself joining the armed forces, preferably the army, it, in fact, it is the future that I hope to fulfil as a career. If I was called up for the army like they were in WW1 then I would feel confident and relieved because it would be easier to get in there. Plus I wouldnt need all the stress with the interviews and getting in. I realise that poetry can change according to the fashions and attitudes of that periods of time. Just like everything else, I have studied a selection of War poems from a period of time and I am going to compare the attitudes from those times. Ive learnt that generally people who go to War mainly feel happier if they have power over what they do, whereas people who fell unhappier are the people who have no power, and forced to go to battle. The first poem we looked at was a poem by William Shakespeare, we realised that it wasnt designed to be a poem but it was a speech extracted from a play called Henry V. The speech was written in 1599, but the actual event took place in 1415, it wasnt exactly a War, but a battle known as the battle of Agincourt. This battle was being fought because England owned parts of France and France wanted their land back so Henry V called a battle to stop the French winning back the land. The French were probably professional soldiers, but the English were under qualified peasants who were forced into battle. They were taken from their homes, marched to a boat, shipped over to Calle (on the border of France) then march over to the battlefield. So evidently they would be feeling sick, scared and exhausted. The reason behind this poem is for Henry V to motivate his army by: reminding them about times when they have won before, give tactics, have confidence in them. .u60884ffd40df621b48738f07d2835c79 , .u60884ffd40df621b48738f07d2835c79 .postImageUrl , .u60884ffd40df621b48738f07d2835c79 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u60884ffd40df621b48738f07d2835c79 , .u60884ffd40df621b48738f07d2835c79:hover , .u60884ffd40df621b48738f07d2835c79:visited , .u60884ffd40df621b48738f07d2835c79:active { border:0!important; } .u60884ffd40df621b48738f07d2835c79 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u60884ffd40df621b48738f07d2835c79 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u60884ffd40df621b48738f07d2835c79:active , .u60884ffd40df621b48738f07d2835c79:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u60884ffd40df621b48738f07d2835c79 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u60884ffd40df621b48738f07d2835c79 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u60884ffd40df621b48738f07d2835c79 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u60884ffd40df621b48738f07d2835c79 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u60884ffd40df621b48738f07d2835c79:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u60884ffd40df621b48738f07d2835c79 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u60884ffd40df621b48738f07d2835c79 .u60884ffd40df621b48738f07d2835c79-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u60884ffd40df621b48738f07d2835c79:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The War Zone EssayAlthough Henry V aims his words at his soldiers, it is written in the 1st person, like our English dead. This makes the reader feel as if the reader is if they are talking to them, which makes the poem more interesting. Henry also uses flattery you noblest English this kind of language makes the soldiers feel more important than they really are. He also uses inclusive language, by when he says dear friends, he makes it seem like hes making them feel included and wanted, this would make them want to do this. Most of these soldiers were peasants, and would be using the weapons of their trade (such as pitch forks, axes, hammers etc). He persuades them that t hey can do this, truly when he says I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips. He persuades them because his army would be feeling uneasy and needed their morale lifting. Henry talks in the formal language because of the way he talks in a smart posh tone, a kind of language that most of us would not understand today, for example as fearfully as a galled rock Henry talks in a formal language because he is a high status person, therefore a formal language is what suits his status. I know that Henry V is very excited and really enjoys War. I know this because he was the one who sends them out to War in the first place. In those days the monarch was the one who decided about when or where they went to War. In those days the kings were actually at the front line leading the army out onto the battlefield. Nowadays government people sit in offices and decide War like they do on videogames. I know that Henry V enjoys War from when he says the games afoot; this shows that he thinks of War as a game and something that is ought to be enjoyed. So he makes the other soldiers enjoy it as well. So the result of this would be that Henry V has total responsibility over what happens. As a matter of fact Henrys army won the battle so that is a coincidence. Shakespeare uses blank verse in his poems; blank verse means the organisation of the poems, it also is used for upper class characters, like Henry V was. So it is a way of identifying main characters in Shakespeares plays. An example of this is once more unto the breach once more. This contains something blank verse always contains such as iambic pentameter, which means the description of blank verse.