Research Papers on Poetry

Click on any of the term papers to read a brief synopsis of the research paper. The essay synopsis includes the number of pages and sources cited in the paper.

  • Alice Cary's 'The West Country' Poem

    A 5 page analysis of this early nineteenth century poem. This paper points out the simile and metaphor which is presented in regard to nature and how they correspond to the many societal changes which took place during the Industrial Revolution. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Bilingual/Bilingüe - A Poem about Belonging

    This 3 page paper discusses the poem Bilingual/Bilingüe by Rhina Espaillat. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Death in 2 Poems by Seamus Heaney

    A 6 page essay that compares two poems by Seamus Heaney, "Mid-term Break" and "Punishment." The writer argues that although these poems are different in context, both poems feature a narrative voice that is detached and distant from the tragic death that each poem relates. By taking this detached perspective, the poet allows the details of the scene to speak for themselves, and this tactic conveys abject horror much better than if the poet related more overtly what he was feeling in each instance. No additional sources cited.

  • Out, Out by Robert Frost

    A 5 page analysis of Robert Frost’s poem Out, Out. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Grace Nichol's Collection The Fat Black Woman's Poems

    This 5 page paper discusses Grace Nichol's poems from the collection titled: The Fat Black Woman's Poems. Particular attention is paid to the use of various imagery in several poems from this collection as well as the overall theme of the poems.Examples given from text and cited. Also includes a short quote from the poet herself.

  • Emily Dickinson and the Poems of Fascicle Twenty-Eight

    A 14 page research paper that examines the poems in fascicle 28, a division that refers to packets of poems that Dickinson grouped together herself. The writer offers a brief explication of each poem, emphasizing thematic content and how the individual poems fit with the overall pattern. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • 'Eyes That Last I Saw in Tears' by T.S. Eliot

    A 6 page research paper/analysis of Eliot's poem "Eyes that Last I Saw in Tears." The writer argues that this poem conveys a haunting sense of regret, sorrow and, also, lingering guilt. The poem does not inform the reader as to why the memory of a look, the image of crying eyes, haunts the poet, yet an examination of this work clearly shows that this is what is taking place. Considering this fact, it seems logical to look at possible circumstances in Eliot's life that could have provided the impetus for this poem. By looking at both the poem and at certain known facts about Eliot's life, it is possible to find further illumination on the meaning of the poem from understanding the basis for Eliot's failed marriage. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Robert Lowell/Skunk Hour

    A 7 page explication of Robert Lowell's poem "Skunk Hour," which was written in 1959 and describes Lowell's impressions of a Maine sea town (Lowell 131). At the beginning of the poem, that is, the first four stanzas, Lowell describes a sterile, decaying setting, which he tries to lighten with a "tone of tolerance, humor and randomness at the sad prospect" (Lowell 131). However, even in this section of the poem, Lowell's perspective drifts as it "sinks out of sight into the causal, chancy arrangements of nature and decay" (Lowell 131). Then, in the later half of the poem, i.e., the last four stanzas, Lowell's tone dramatically changes as he describes the "dark night" of his soul, which is not "gracious, but secular, puritan and agnostical. An Existentialist night" (Lowell 132). A close reading of this poem demonstrates the accuracy of Lowell's personal assessment of his poem's meaning. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Four Poems on Grief

    This 8 page essay explicates 4 poems that deal with grief. These poems are: "Stairway to Heaven" by Joaquin G. Rubio; "Don't Forget About Me!" by Jenny Gordon; "My Mother Just Died" by Attila Jozsef; and "A Picture of You" by Deborah Robinson. Bibliographical information is incomplete and only the poems are cited.

  • God in a Technical Age, Arnold and Hopkins

    A 4 page essay that contrasts and compares Matthew Arnold's "Dover Beach" and Gerard Manley Hopkins' "God's Grandeur." The writer argues that both poems address the concerns of the Victorian era over a lack of societal religious faith, but that Arnold's poem is the most pessimistic. Only the poems are cited.

  • 'Out Far Nor in Deep' by Robert Frost

    A 5 page research paper that analyzes this Frost poem. The writer first discusses the form of the poem and then takes the poem stanza by stanza to discuss the meaning of its images and metaphors, drawing on scholarly and personal interpretation. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

  • Romantic Essence of 'Tintern Abbey' by William Wordsworth

    William Wordsworth thought that the essence of the Romantic poem was meant to stem from the heart or passions of the poet while the structure, theme and language are grounded in reality. This 9 page paper argues that line within the poem, The Task by William Cowper states: God made the country and man made the town, reflects the romantic tradition of poetry as defined by Wordsworth and reflected in the poem, Tintern Abbey. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

  • 'Because I could not stop for Death' by Emily Dickinson

    A 3 page essay that analyzes Emily Dickinson's poem. The writer argues that in this poem, Dickinson presents a rather cordial view of death, which she personifies as a courtly gentleman. Her verse proposes that death entails an adjustment in perspective from the human state of awareness toward one that is universal. In other words, the poem describes a period of adjustment in which the speaker adjusts to a new state of awareness and being. No additional sources cited.

  • Linguistic Analysis of Thomas Hardy's Poem 'Darkling Thrush'

    A 10 page linguistically oriented analysis of Thomas Hardy's poem "The Darkling Thrush." The writer offers an examination of this poem that explores syntax, phonology, morphology, and lexicon/cohesion. Analysis addresses the poem line-by-line, sometimes word-by-word. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Fathers and Sons in Poems by Robert Hayden and Theodore Roethke

    A 5 page paper on Theodore Roethke's poem 'My Papa's Waltz' and Robert Hayden's 'Those Winter Sundays.' The paper shows that while both poems are about a man's memories of his boyhood relationship with his father, the experiences related are very different because of the fathers' ability or inability to communicate with their sons. Bibliography lists two sources (the poems themselves).

  • A Report onthe Poem 'Gretel in Darkness'

    This 5 page report discusses the short (less than 20 lines) poem, 'Gretel in darkness.' As the poem develops, the reader senses both urgency and bitterness from Gretel with a great deal of frustration and bewilderment. Her brother, Hansel, appears to have forgotten what the two of them have gone through but she cannot forget that she killed a person. Ultimately, the poem may serve as an example of the difference response to self-preservation as experienced by women compared to men. No bibliography.

  • Poems That Reveal Joy Harjo's Life and Art

    This 5 page paper considers two poems by writer Joy Harjo which relate her life as a Native American and demonstrate a number of the contemporary problems facing Native American communities. This paper reflects upon the poems as they are a product of Harjo's own life, and focuses on her poems Mourning Song, Northern Lights and The Dawn Appears with Butterflies. No additional sources cited.

  • 'Kubla Khan' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

    A 7 page research paper that analyzes Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem Kubla Khan. The writer discusses the enigmatic quality of this poem and then argues that the clearest interpretation is that the poem is concerned with the process of creating poetry. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • 'Over There, World War II,' and 'I Sing, Too, America' by Langston Hughes

    An 8 page research paper/essay that analyzes two of Hughes poems, "I, too, Sing America" and "Over there, World War II." First, the writer gives a brief biography of the poet, then discusses critical opinion of his work, and then, critically analyzes these two poems. The writer demonstrates how the political content of these poems was aimed at both a black and white audience. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Ten Poems by Emily Dickinson

    A 5 page paper which analyzes the use of diction, rhythm, detail, apostrophe, and imagery in 10 of Emily Dickinson’s poems as retrieved from “The complete poems of Emily Dickinson edited by Thomas h. Johnson. The poems are 216, 223, 239, 248, 249, 435, 712, 754, 976 and 1651. No additional sources cited.

  • Styles of Poets Alfred Lord Tennyson and Robert Browning

    This 5 page paper considers the styles and meanings of Browning's Porphyria's Lover and Tennyson's Tithanus. Even though the meanings vary, the thematic approaches of both poems remain the same. Each poem includes poem include 1) the initial yearning or seeking of permanence - not wanting things to change. 2) Definition of the mythic or the ideal - what is love/life 3) How are decisions and actions and new decisions, from those actions related according to the narrators point of view? Bibliography lists no external sources.

  • Wordsworth’s Nutting

    A 7 page paper which analyzes William Wordsworth’s poem Nutting. No additional sources cited.

  • Gwen Harwood and her Poetry

    A 5 page essay on change that focuses on the poem "Suburban Sonnet" by Gwen Harwood. Using this poem, the writer discusses how motherhood involves change for the protagonist of the poem and to women in general. The positives and negatives of motherhood are discussed, with the conclusion that motherhood can be process that facilitates the growth of self. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • DRUG ADDICTION AND CULTURAL REFERENCES IN HAYDEN’S “SOLEDAD”

    This 5-page paper analyzes Robert Hayden's poem "Soledad." Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • e.e. cummings' poem 'In Just'

    A 3 page paper which anaylzes E.E. Cummings’ poem “In Just.” No additional sources cited.

  • 'The Waste Land' by T.S. Eliot

    T. S. Eliot – The Waste Land: This 6-page analytical essay examines the poem The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot. This poet believes that modern society lacks a vital sense of community and a spiritual center. In addition, Eliot asserts that human beings are isolated, and sexual relations have become sterile and meaningless. Bibliography lists 1 source. SNEliot1.doc

  • Cisneros/”Loose Woman”

    A 3 page explication of the poem “Loose Woman,” Sandra Cisneros, which turns a societal signifier of patriarchy completely around and uses it as a declaration of female empowerment. Under the patriarchal sexual double standard, a “loose woman” has traditionally indicated a woman of poor reputation, that is, a woman who has been “loose” in her sexual behavior. In the past, this societal pronouncement has meant ostracism and social censure for the woman on whom such a judgment was collectively given by a community. Cisneros reinterprets and redefines what it means to be a “loose woman” by, first of all, redefining an appropriate reaction, and then redefining the term itself.

  • 'The Holdfast' Poem by George Herbert

    A 5 page research paper/essay that examines and analyzes "The Holdfast," a religious poem by seventeenth century poet George Herbert. The writer offers a line by line "translation" of the poem into Modern English, as well as offering a discussion as to the meaning of the poem. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • William Butler Yeats' Poem 'The Second Coming'

    5 pages. This paper explores the poem The Second Coming by William Butler Yeats. This poem is broken down into its independent parts, with a thesis and explanation. The language, tone and context are all taken into consideration in the analysis of this poem. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • Human Condition as Described by Andrew Marvell and William Blake

    A 5 page essay that contrasts and compares two poems, Marvell's To his Coy Mistress and Blake's The Sick Rose. In both poems, the decay of death is contrasted against the beauty and vibrancy of life. Therefore, both poems can be seen has having a similar carpe diem orientation toward the human condition. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Emily Dickinson's Works on Self and Death

    A 5 page analysis of several of Dickinson's poems pertaining the subjects of death and the self. The writer discusses Dickinson's style as well as the meanings conveyed by these poems. Featured are poems 280, 712, 288, 303 and 435. No additional sources cited.

  • Analysis of Robert Frost's Poem 'Out, Out'

    A 5 page analysis of Robert Frost’s poem “Out, Out---.” Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.

  • 'The Ecstasy' by John Donne

    An 8 page paper which analyzes John Donne’s poem “The Ecstasy.” Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • 3 Poems by Robert Frost

    This 3 page paper examines three of Frost's poems. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • Poe/Annabel Lee

    A 3 page explication of Edgar Allan Poe's last poem, Annabel Lee, which was written in 1849. The writer argues that this poem is a haunting tribute by the still grieving Poe for his young wife Virginia who had passed away two years previously from tuberculosis. Examination of this poem's theme, mood and point-of-view demonstrates the depth of emotion that Poe had for his deceased child/bride, as well as how he viewed his own death with equanimity because he saw it as uniting him with his beloved. No additional sources cited.

  • War Poems of Wilfred Owen

    7 pages. Wilfred Owen had a great distaste for the horrors of war, and his poems were highly reflective of this. He is considered one of the greatest war poets and has written many powerful poems about the ravages of war and the rantings and ravings of those in war-torn sites. This paper will compare and contrast two of his war poems, Dulce et Decorum est and Anthem for Doomed Youth. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Horrors of War in 2 Poems by Wilfred Owen

    8 pages. Wilfred Owen had a great distaste for the horrors of war, and his poems were highly reflective of this. He is considered one of the greatest war poets and has written many powerful poems about the ravages of war and the rantings and ravings of those in war-torn sites. This paper will compare and contrast two of his war poems, Dulce et Decorum est and Anthem for Doomed Youth. Bibliography lists 2 sources. .

  • Three Poems by Philip Arthur Larkin

    A 5 page essay that examines three poems by British poet Philip Larkin. These poems are "The Whitsun Weddings" (from the collection that bares that name), "Ambulances," and "MCMXIV." The writer also relies heavily on the criticism of Michael O'Neill and argues that these poems prove O'Neill's assertions pertaining to Larkin. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Analysis of Both Versions of 'The Chimney Sweeper' in William Blake's Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience

    A 6 page essay that analyzes Blake's poems "The Chimney Sweep" (both versions) in his Songs of Innocence and Experience. The writer argues that the ultimate meaning of the poems derives from a synthesis of the two "contraries" considered together. Blake's intent with these poems is always to alter the consciousness of the reader, to open a new vista, a new perspective, to force the reader to reconsider the paradigms of the era. No additional sources cited.

  • Mixture of Christianity and Paganism in 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'

    A 3 page essay that analyzes the medieval poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" (circa 1375-1400). The writer argues that this poem is an amalgamation of Christian and pagan elements, which are discussed and substantiated with quotes from the poem. No additional sources cited.

  • Explication of 'Lake Isle of Innisfree' by W.B. Yeats

    A 3 page explication of W.B. Yeats' poem "The Lake Isle of Innisfree." The writer argues that Innisfree reflects Yeats' desire to escape from the turmoil of urban life and live in a manner that puts him in touch with nature, and, by implication with his own inner self. While this is a highly romantic notion, examination of Yeats' poem demonstrates that Yeats achieves romanticism without sentimentality, imparting to the poem a haunting quality that is timeless. No additional sources cited.

  • 'Songs of Innocence' and 'Songs of Experience' Poems by William Blake

    This 4 page paper examines two different poems, one from Blake's "Songs of Innocence" and one from "Songs of Experience". In this way, these poems are compared and contrasted regarding the way in which the pastoral dream either helps or hinders the characters of the poems. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • Analysis of Robert Frost's Poem 'Mending Wall'

    A 3 page paper which analyzes Robert Frost’s poem “Mending Wall. No additional sources cited.

  • 'Nothing is Lost' by Anne Ridler

    This 3 page paper discussed Anne Ridler's poem "Nothing is Lost." Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Meaning of 'Daddy' by Sylvia Plath

    A 3 page essay that analyzes the meaning behind Sylvia Plath's poem "Daddy." The writer points out that throughout the poem, images of men jumble together, some of her father, some of her ex-husband, some that present attempts by Plath to understand her father through his Germanic background. Collectively, along with the intentionally schoolgirl-like rhymes, the poem conveys the black desperation of a lost little girl, which definitely was Plath's psychic state at that time. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • 3 Poems by Robert Frost

    This 3 page paper examines three of Frost's poems. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • Poe/Annabel Lee

    A 3 page explication of Edgar Allan Poe's last poem, Annabel Lee, which was written in 1849. The writer argues that this poem is a haunting tribute by the still grieving Poe for his young wife Virginia who had passed away two years previously from tuberculosis. Examination of this poem's theme, mood and point-of-view demonstrates the depth of emotion that Poe had for his deceased child/bride, as well as how he viewed his own death with equanimity because he saw it as uniting him with his beloved. No additional sources cited.

  • War Poems of Wilfred Owen

    7 pages. Wilfred Owen had a great distaste for the horrors of war, and his poems were highly reflective of this. He is considered one of the greatest war poets and has written many powerful poems about the ravages of war and the rantings and ravings of those in war-torn sites. This paper will compare and contrast two of his war poems, Dulce et Decorum est and Anthem for Doomed Youth. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Horrors of War in 2 Poems by Wilfred Owen

    8 pages. Wilfred Owen had a great distaste for the horrors of war, and his poems were highly reflective of this. He is considered one of the greatest war poets and has written many powerful poems about the ravages of war and the rantings and ravings of those in war-torn sites. This paper will compare and contrast two of his war poems, Dulce et Decorum est and Anthem for Doomed Youth. Bibliography lists 2 sources. .

  • Three Poems by Philip Arthur Larkin

    A 5 page essay that examines three poems by British poet Philip Larkin. These poems are "The Whitsun Weddings" (from the collection that bares that name), "Ambulances," and "MCMXIV." The writer also relies heavily on the criticism of Michael O'Neill and argues that these poems prove O'Neill's assertions pertaining to Larkin. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Analysis of Both Versions of 'The Chimney Sweeper' in William Blake's Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience

    A 6 page essay that analyzes Blake's poems "The Chimney Sweep" (both versions) in his Songs of Innocence and Experience. The writer argues that the ultimate meaning of the poems derives from a synthesis of the two "contraries" considered together. Blake's intent with these poems is always to alter the consciousness of the reader, to open a new vista, a new perspective, to force the reader to reconsider the paradigms of the era. No additional sources cited.

  • Mixture of Christianity and Paganism in 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'

    A 3 page essay that analyzes the medieval poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" (circa 1375-1400). The writer argues that this poem is an amalgamation of Christian and pagan elements, which are discussed and substantiated with quotes from the poem. No additional sources cited.

  • Explication of 'Lake Isle of Innisfree' by W.B. Yeats

    A 3 page explication of W.B. Yeats' poem "The Lake Isle of Innisfree." The writer argues that Innisfree reflects Yeats' desire to escape from the turmoil of urban life and live in a manner that puts him in touch with nature, and, by implication with his own inner self. While this is a highly romantic notion, examination of Yeats' poem demonstrates that Yeats achieves romanticism without sentimentality, imparting to the poem a haunting quality that is timeless. No additional sources cited.

  • 'Songs of Innocence' and 'Songs of Experience' Poems by William Blake

    This 4 page paper examines two different poems, one from Blake's "Songs of Innocence" and one from "Songs of Experience". In this way, these poems are compared and contrasted regarding the way in which the pastoral dream either helps or hinders the characters of the poems. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • Analysis of Robert Frost's Poem 'Mending Wall'

    A 3 page paper which analyzes Robert Frost’s poem “Mending Wall. No additional sources cited.

  • 'Nothing is Lost' by Anne Ridler

    This 3 page paper discussed Anne Ridler's poem "Nothing is Lost." Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Meaning of 'Daddy' by Sylvia Plath

    A 3 page essay that analyzes the meaning behind Sylvia Plath's poem "Daddy." The writer points out that throughout the poem, images of men jumble together, some of her father, some of her ex-husband, some that present attempts by Plath to understand her father through his Germanic background. Collectively, along with the intentionally schoolgirl-like rhymes, the poem conveys the black desperation of a lost little girl, which definitely was Plath's psychic state at that time. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Poetic Analysis of 'The Wood Pile' by Robert Frost

    A 5 page explication of Robert Frost's poem "The Wood-Pile." The writer summarizes the poem, and then examines it closely, line by line, as to Frost's use of poetic devices, as well as the poem's thematic meaning. No additional sources cited.

  • Robert Frost's 'Now Close the Windows'

    This 7 page paper discusses Robert Frost's poem: Now Close the Windows. This poem is analyzed thoroughly for tone, symbolism, imagery, meaning, metaphors. This poem is also analyzed from a technical standpoint and includes rhythm, meter, form and texture. Bibliography list 3 sources.

  • Poetic Spiders

    This 5 page paper discusses the two poems by Whitman 'A Noiseless Patient Spider' and Dickinson's poem, 'A Spider Sewed at Night'. Specifically discussed are the use of implied metaphors, theme, imagery, as well as a line by line analysis of each poem. Quotes cited from text. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • William Butler Yeats' Poems 'A Coat' and 'Ego Dominus Tuus'

    A 5 page paper which analyzes the poem “Ego Dominus Tuus” by William Butler Yeats. The paper discusses how the poem seems to somewhat further develop and transform an early Yeats’ poem, “A Coat.” No additional sources cited.

  • Analysis of 'The Tyger' by William Blake

    A 5 page essay that analyzes Blake poem "The Tyger." The writer explains the nature of Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience and relates this poem to its counterpart, "The Lamb." The writer also argues that this poem's principal concern is the nature of God. No additional sources cited.

  • Nature Perspectives

    A 5 page essay that contrasts and compares Williams Carlos Williams' poem "Spring and All" with Elizabeth Bishop's poem "The Fish." The writer argues that while the poems are quite different in content, the styles of the two poets are similar in that both create vivid visual images that convey a particular view of nature, which shows how nature relates to a human perspective. No additional sources cited.

  • Christina Rossetti's 'In An Artist's Studio'

    This 5 page paper discusses Christina Rossetti's poem, In an Artist's Studio. The poem is analyzed using the elements of repetition, identifying the turning point of the poem, discussing the implied relationship between teh artist and teh mode (muse) and the contrast made between the 'real' woman and the representation of her in art. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • 'The Negro Speaks of Rivers' by Langston Hughes

    A 5 page essay that explicates the many layers of meaning in this poem by Hughes. The writer argues that this poem presents a vision of African American culture and life that was totally different from the one that existed at the time of the poem's publication (the 1920s). No additional sources cited.

  • Wordsworth & Hardy/Perspectives on Nature

    A 3 page essay that observes that both William Wordsworth, in 1838, and Thomas Hardy, in 1900, wrote poems that were inspired by the beautiful song of the thrush. But while these two poems share a common topic, the Romantic approach and exuberant optimism of Wordsworth is quite different from the dark skepticism that characterized the Victorian worldview exemplified by Hardy. Nevertheless, examination of the two poems shows that each poet took inspiration and encouragement from the thrush, each in his own way. No additional sources cited.

  • Gary Soto/”Oranges”

    A 3 page explications of “Oranges,” a poem by Gary Soto, which is evocative of innocence, as it tells of the narrator’s experience on his first “date” with a girl. This memory is obviously a profound one for the narrator and the reason for the memory’s significance in this man’s life is largely conveyed through the poem’s lyrical imagery and symbolism. A close reading of the poem and examination of this feature demonstrates this point. No additional sources cited.

  • Whitman: "Song of Myself"

    This 4 page paper discusses Whitman's classic poem "Song of Myself." Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Carl Sandburg’s Chicago

    A 3 page analysis of Carl Sandburg’s poem Chicago. No additional sources cited.

  • 'Andrea del Sarto; by Robert Browning

    A 4 page analysis of Robert Browning’s poem “Andrea del Sarto.” No additional sources cited.

  • 'Rhine Boat Trip' by Irving Layton

    A 4 page analysis of the Canadian scribe’s poignant 1977 poem. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • 'Answering the Unanswerable' by Nancy Willard Analyzed

    This 3-page paper is an analysis of the poem, "Answering the Unanswerable" by poet Nancy Willard.

  • Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard

    A 5 page essay that analyzes Thomas Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard," an enigmatic in which Gray does not disclose precisely for whom he mourns. In other words, the reader is left to guess at the identity of the "youth" whose epitaph make up the final twelve lines of the poem. Is it the poet, foreseeing his own demise? Or, an ode to someone whom he loved? It is difficult to say; however, the emotions that the poem engenders in the heart of the reader are more distinct. This poem leaves the reader feeling nostalgic toward the simple life of the agrarian past. The latter part of the poem leaves the reader feeling pensive and reflective on the sanctity and transient nature of life, which causes one to identify with the unfortunate young man described at the end of poem who has passed away in the flower of youth. No additional sources cited.

  • Maya Angelou: Million Man March

    This 3 page paper explicates Angelou’s poem about the black experience. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • The “King of Kings,” Ozymandias

    This 6 page paper explicates Percy Shelley’s classic poem “Ozymandias.” Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Langston Hughes The Trumpet Player

    This 3 page paper discusses Langston Hughes’ poem “The Trumpet Player.” Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Martin Espada: Heart of Hunger and Imagine the Angels of Bread

    This 3 page paper analyzes two poems by Martin Espada. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Blake’s London

    A 3 page paper which analyzes William Blake’s poem London. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Martin Espada: Federico's Ghost and Imagine the Angels of Bread

    This 3 page paper analyzes two poems by Martin Espada. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • A Poem by Wislawa Szymborska

    This 3 page paper explicates the poem “The Terrorist, He Watches.” Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • 'My Heart Leaps Up' by William Wordsworth

    This 4 page paper discusses Wordsworth's poem "My Heart Leaps Up." Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • 'Boundless Moment' by Robert Frost

    A 5 page paper which analyzes Robert Frost's poem "Boundless Moment." No additional sources cited.

  • Piercy: “The Secretary Chant”

    This 3 page paper analyzes Marge Piercy’s poem “The Secretary Chant.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Robert Frost: “Mending Wall”

    This 3 page paper analyzes Robert Frost’s poem “Mending Wall.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • A New England Tradition: Robert Frost’s “Mending Wall”

    This 3 page paper explicates Robert Frost’s classic poem, “Mending Wall.” Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • Yusef Komunyakaa's Poem 'Facing It'

    A 4 page review and analysis of Yusef Komunyakaa’s poem “Facing It.” No additional sources cited.

  • Analysis of Robert Frost's Poem 'Design'

    A 6 page paper which examines Robert Frost’s poem “Design.” No additional sources cited.

  • Student's Poetry Rewritten

    A 3 page paper which rewrites the student’s poems. No sources cited.

  • Interpretation of 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock' by T.S. Eliot

    A 5 page essay that offer interpretation of Eliot's famous poem. The writer argues that Prufrock realizes that he has aged without ever really having lived and there is the suggestion at one point in the poem that he toys with the idea of asking a woman to marry him. He does not, however, do this because of his fear of rejection. As this suggests, Eliot's poem captures perfectly the psychic state of a shy, insecure person who feels trapped in a "hell" created by his social paralysis, which keeps him from ever doing anything, from ever really living, out of fear of looking foolish, as well as the fear of embarrassment that results from having tried and failed. As this suggests, examination of this poem shows how it is a psychological profile of a modern individual whose life is meaningless due to his internalization of what he feels is expected of him. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

  • Dante’s Inferno & Humanism

    A 3 page essay that discusses “The Inferno” from Dante’s medieval epic poem The Divine Comedy. This poem describes the experience of the author, led by the specter of the ancient Roman poet Virgil, through a journey of spiritual enlightenment that takes him through Hell, Purgatory and finally to Heaven. The punishments that are inflicted on the souls in Hell strike Dante, as a character in the poem, as inhumane, but Dante, the poet, makes it clear that each punishment is ideally suited as retribution for the sins committed by these souls while the individuals were alive on earth. Therefore, as the poem’s narrator moves through Hell, he receives progressive lessons pertaining to what it means to be fully human and fully in accord with the expectations of God. No additional sources cited.

  • Perillo/Dangerous Life

    A 4 page explication of a poem "Dangerous Life" by Lucia Maria Perillo. While it does not appear to be so with a cursory, surface-skimming first-reading, closer examination of Lucia Maria Perillo's psychologically complex poem "Dangerous Life" is a poem of hope. Perillo presents a woman who is caught within the between the trap of societal expectations and her own inner direction. However, the ultimate meaning of the poem asserts the positive nature of the narrative voice and her determination to find her own path and make that path successful whatever it might be. No bibliography is offered.

  • Analysis of the Poem 'The Elixir' by George Herbert

    A 3 page explication of the poem featured in the 1633 collection of religious poetry, “The Temple: Sacred Poems and Private Ejaculations.” No additional sources are used.

  • A Poetic Analysis of 'Homecoming' by Lenrie Peters

    This is 4 page paper meant as an explication of Lenrie Peters’ poem “Homecoming”. Gambian poet and novelist Lenrie Peters was born in 1932 in Bathurst, the capital of Gambia during the time when Gambia was still a British colony. The background of Peters and that of his country is important when analyzing his poem “Homecoming” as readers can better understand the climate in which he left Gambia to become educated and that to which he returned many years later. The poem “Homecoming” is among his collection which shows the corruptive greed of the tribal leaders while at the same time is balanced by “nostalgia for a pastoral past with cautious assertion of hope for a future built on that past”. Peters’ “Homecoming” writes of the sadness and strange shadows and skeletons which awaited him when he returned to Gambia to which he had “longed for returning”. The poem can be analyzed through several meanings including literal, connoted, figurative, imagery, allusions and tone among others. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Analysis of Two Poems by Sharon Olds

    A 3 page essay that analyzes two of Olds' poems, "Indictment of Senior Officers" and the "The Death of Marilyn Monroe." In these poems, Sharon Olds addresses violence perpetuated toward women and arrives at conclusions that suggests that, in both cases, society must bear some of the responsibility for the women's pain. Her verse causes the reader to contemplate the challenges facing women and how they are prepared for those challenges. Evocative and thought provoking, both poems compel the reader to consider women's place in Western society, as these poems are essentially critiques against the manner in which women are treated in Western society. No additional sources cited.

  • 'Song to a Waitress' by Aron Kessbury

    A 5 page essay that interprets the poem "Song to a waitress" by Aron Kessbury. The poem is included in its entirety as the writer offers a stanza by stanza analysis. "Song to a Waitress" is a blank verse poem that expresses a great deal of anger and dissatisfaction with the transformed nature of male/female relationships that have come with the dismantling of patriarchy. The thrust of the poem expresses the narrator's longing for -- what to him -- appears to be a simpler time, a time when women, particularly lower class women, were somewhat cowed by men, that is, a time when women "knew their place." No bibliography is offered.

  • Poetic Analysis of 'The Wood Pile' by Robert Frost

    A 5 page explication of Robert Frost's poem "The Wood-Pile." The writer summarizes the poem, and then examines it closely, line by line, as to Frost's use of poetic devices, as well as the poem's thematic meaning. No additional sources cited.

  • Robert Frost's 'Now Close the Windows'

    This 7 page paper discusses Robert Frost's poem: Now Close the Windows. This poem is analyzed thoroughly for tone, symbolism, imagery, meaning, metaphors. This poem is also analyzed from a technical standpoint and includes rhythm, meter, form and texture. Bibliography list 3 sources.

  • Poetic Spiders

    This 5 page paper discusses the two poems by Whitman 'A Noiseless Patient Spider' and Dickinson's poem, 'A Spider Sewed at Night'. Specifically discussed are the use of implied metaphors, theme, imagery, as well as a line by line analysis of each poem. Quotes cited from text. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • William Butler Yeats' Poems 'A Coat' and 'Ego Dominus Tuus'

    A 5 page paper which analyzes the poem “Ego Dominus Tuus” by William Butler Yeats. The paper discusses how the poem seems to somewhat further develop and transform an early Yeats’ poem, “A Coat.” No additional sources cited.

  • Analysis of 'The Tyger' by William Blake

    A 5 page essay that analyzes Blake poem "The Tyger." The writer explains the nature of Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience and relates this poem to its counterpart, "The Lamb." The writer also argues that this poem's principal concern is the nature of God. No additional sources cited.

  • Nature Perspectives

    A 5 page essay that contrasts and compares Williams Carlos Williams' poem "Spring and All" with Elizabeth Bishop's poem "The Fish." The writer argues that while the poems are quite different in content, the styles of the two poets are similar in that both create vivid visual images that convey a particular view of nature, which shows how nature relates to a human perspective. No additional sources cited.

  • Christina Rossetti's 'In An Artist's Studio'

    This 5 page paper discusses Christina Rossetti's poem, In an Artist's Studio. The poem is analyzed using the elements of repetition, identifying the turning point of the poem, discussing the implied relationship between teh artist and teh mode (muse) and the contrast made between the 'real' woman and the representation of her in art. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • 'The Negro Speaks of Rivers' by Langston Hughes

    A 5 page essay that explicates the many layers of meaning in this poem by Hughes. The writer argues that this poem presents a vision of African American culture and life that was totally different from the one that existed at the time of the poem's publication (the 1920s). No additional sources cited.

  • Wordsworth & Hardy/Perspectives on Nature

    A 3 page essay that observes that both William Wordsworth, in 1838, and Thomas Hardy, in 1900, wrote poems that were inspired by the beautiful song of the thrush. But while these two poems share a common topic, the Romantic approach and exuberant optimism of Wordsworth is quite different from the dark skepticism that characterized the Victorian worldview exemplified by Hardy. Nevertheless, examination of the two poems shows that each poet took inspiration and encouragement from the thrush, each in his own way. No additional sources cited.

  • Gary Soto/”Oranges”

    A 3 page explications of “Oranges,” a poem by Gary Soto, which is evocative of innocence, as it tells of the narrator’s experience on his first “date” with a girl. This memory is obviously a profound one for the narrator and the reason for the memory’s significance in this man’s life is largely conveyed through the poem’s lyrical imagery and symbolism. A close reading of the poem and examination of this feature demonstrates this point. No additional sources cited.

  • Whitman: "Song of Myself"

    This 4 page paper discusses Whitman's classic poem "Song of Myself." Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Carl Sandburg’s Chicago

    A 3 page analysis of Carl Sandburg’s poem Chicago. No additional sources cited.

  • 'Andrea del Sarto; by Robert Browning

    A 4 page analysis of Robert Browning’s poem “Andrea del Sarto.” No additional sources cited.

  • 'Rhine Boat Trip' by Irving Layton

    A 4 page analysis of the Canadian scribe’s poignant 1977 poem. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • 'Answering the Unanswerable' by Nancy Willard Analyzed

    This 3-page paper is an analysis of the poem, "Answering the Unanswerable" by poet Nancy Willard.

  • Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard

    A 5 page essay that analyzes Thomas Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard," an enigmatic in which Gray does not disclose precisely for whom he mourns. In other words, the reader is left to guess at the identity of the "youth" whose epitaph make up the final twelve lines of the poem. Is it the poet, foreseeing his own demise? Or, an ode to someone whom he loved? It is difficult to say; however, the emotions that the poem engenders in the heart of the reader are more distinct. This poem leaves the reader feeling nostalgic toward the simple life of the agrarian past. The latter part of the poem leaves the reader feeling pensive and reflective on the sanctity and transient nature of life, which causes one to identify with the unfortunate young man described at the end of poem who has passed away in the flower of youth. No additional sources cited.

  • Maya Angelou: Million Man March

    This 3 page paper explicates Angelou’s poem about the black experience. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • The “King of Kings,” Ozymandias

    This 6 page paper explicates Percy Shelley’s classic poem “Ozymandias.” Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Langston Hughes The Trumpet Player

    This 3 page paper discusses Langston Hughes’ poem “The Trumpet Player.” Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Martin Espada: Heart of Hunger and Imagine the Angels of Bread

    This 3 page paper analyzes two poems by Martin Espada. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Blake’s London

    A 3 page paper which analyzes William Blake’s poem London. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Martin Espada: Federico's Ghost and Imagine the Angels of Bread

    This 3 page paper analyzes two poems by Martin Espada. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • A Poem by Wislawa Szymborska

    This 3 page paper explicates the poem “The Terrorist, He Watches.” Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • 'My Heart Leaps Up' by William Wordsworth

    This 4 page paper discusses Wordsworth's poem "My Heart Leaps Up." Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • 'Boundless Moment' by Robert Frost

    A 5 page paper which analyzes Robert Frost's poem "Boundless Moment." No additional sources cited.

  • Piercy: “The Secretary Chant”

    This 3 page paper analyzes Marge Piercy’s poem “The Secretary Chant.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Robert Frost: “Mending Wall”

    This 3 page paper analyzes Robert Frost’s poem “Mending Wall.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • A New England Tradition: Robert Frost’s “Mending Wall”

    This 3 page paper explicates Robert Frost’s classic poem, “Mending Wall.” Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • Yusef Komunyakaa's Poem 'Facing It'

    A 4 page review and analysis of Yusef Komunyakaa’s poem “Facing It.” No additional sources cited.

  • Analysis of Robert Frost's Poem 'Design'

    A 6 page paper which examines Robert Frost’s poem “Design.” No additional sources cited.

  • Student's Poetry Rewritten

    A 3 page paper which rewrites the student’s poems. No sources cited.

  • Interpretation of 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock' by T.S. Eliot

    A 5 page essay that offer interpretation of Eliot's famous poem. The writer argues that Prufrock realizes that he has aged without ever really having lived and there is the suggestion at one point in the poem that he toys with the idea of asking a woman to marry him. He does not, however, do this because of his fear of rejection. As this suggests, Eliot's poem captures perfectly the psychic state of a shy, insecure person who feels trapped in a "hell" created by his social paralysis, which keeps him from ever doing anything, from ever really living, out of fear of looking foolish, as well as the fear of embarrassment that results from having tried and failed. As this suggests, examination of this poem shows how it is a psychological profile of a modern individual whose life is meaningless due to his internalization of what he feels is expected of him. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

  • The Flea vs. To a Coy Mistress

    A 7 page analysis of John Donne's 'The Flea,' and Andrew Marvell's 'To His Coy Mistress.' Donne and Marvell were two of the seventeenth century's greatest poets. Men of profound thought, intellect, and understanding, they could also be witty, casual and ­yes‹lecherous. In their poems, both of these exemplary poets turn their formidable arts of persuasion toward the goal of convincing the women, to whom the poems are directed, to consent to sex. No additional sources cited.

  • Ethnic Poetry of Tato Laviera and Chitra Divakaruni

    A 5 page analysis of two poems, 'Indian Movie, New Jersey' by Chitra Divakaruni and 'AmeRican' by Tato Laviera. Both poems address the poets' ethnic origins and both offer a perspective of American culture that originates from their experience as members of minorities within mainstream American culture. While they have these factors in common, there are also distinct differences between their points of view. No additional sources cited.

  • Explication of 2 poems by Martin Espada

    A 3 page explication of 2 poems by Latino poet Martin Espada. No additional sources are cited.

  • Joy Harjo and the Dawn Butterflies

    This 3 page paper analyzes the poem “The Dawn Appears with Butterflies” by Joy Harjo. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • 'Nothing Gold Can Stay' by Robert Frost

    A 5 page paper which examines the poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" by Robert Frost. The paper offers an examination of the poem through discussing imagery, metaphor, allusion, and theme. Bibliography lists 3 additional sources.

  • An Anlysis of The Road Not Taken

    A 5 page paper which examines Robert Frost's poem "the Road Not Taken" and argues that it is a very universal and powerful poem that many can relate to. Bibliography lists 15 sources.

  • Raymond Carver's Poems

    A 4 page paper which examines some of Raymond Carver’s poems as they involve the theme of relationships. The poems examined are “Photograph of my Father in His Twenty -Second Year,” “Marriage,” and “The Other Life.” No additional sources cited.

  • The 'Sir Patrick Spence Poem

    A 3 page essay that analyzes "Sir Patrick Spence," a medieval poem (author unknown) that was written in the twelfth century. The poet relates how Sir Patrick Spence set to see on the king's command and met with watery grave. The poem is a sea saga that is told in vivid images, which serve to connect the modern reader to the real human feeling of loss that is portrayed in the verse. No additional sources cited.

  • Number 305 'The difference between Despair' by Emily Dickinson

    a 5 page essay that analyzes Emily's Dickinson's poem "The difference between Despair," #305. The writer argues that this poem demonstrates Dickinson's amazing ability to choose precisely the correct words to convey deep meaning within just a few lines. No additional sources cited.

  • Dylan Thomas's 'Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night'

    This 5 page essay on Dylan Thomas's poem gives examples of the poet's use of imagery, tone, repetition, metaphor, and word choice. Quotes and examples included as well as interpretation of the poem, itself. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • William Wordsworth's 'Composed Upon Westminster Bridge' and William Blake's 'London'

    A 5 page paper which compares William Blake's poem "London" with William Wordsworth's poem "Composed Upon Westminster Bridge." No additional sources cited.

  • 'Recipe' by Janice Mirikitani

    A 5 page research paper that discusses Janice Mirikitani's poem 'Recipe,' which concerns the desire of some Asian women to have 'round' eyes. The wrier discusses the poem and relates this issue to problems of identity and appearance that are common to all Western Women. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • 'Variations on the Word Love' by Margaret Atwood

    A 5 page essay that examines Margaret Atwood's poem "Variations on the Word Love." In this poem, Atwood expresses her thoughts and feelings on the inadequacy of the English language at expressing what is meant by "love." Atwood accomplishes this by exploring the many connotations, or "variations," in which this word is used. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • An Analysis of Three Frost Poems

    A 5 page essay that compares three poems by Robert Frost, "Acquainted with the Night," "Desert Places," and "Out, Out--." The writer argues that Frost's world perspective is basically dark, regardless of whether the poem has urban or rural setting, or rather Frost is examining human relations. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Emily Dickinson's Poem, After Great Pain

    A 5 page analysis of Emily Dickinson's poem "After great pain, a formal feeling comes." The writer discusses the multiple layers of meaning in this poem. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Hating Allen Ginsberg's Poem 'America'

    A 5 page reaction paper that examines "America" by Allen Ginsberg, a poem and poet that the writer dislikes intensely. The reasons for this dislike are examined and related to the poem. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Swirszczynska's A Conversation Through the Door

    A 10 page paper which analyzes the poem "A Conversation Through the Door" by Anna Swirszczynska. The paper discusses historical and biographic information related to the poem as well. Bibliography lists 5 additional sources.

  • 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight' and Setting

    A 4 page paper which discusses the use of setting in the epic poem, and considers what physical or geographical settings are important, in what ways the setting helps to set the mood of the poem, what it reveals about character, and how various settings compare and contrast with each other. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Use of the Word 'I' in 'The Road Not Taken' by Robert Frost

    A 3 page essay that explores why Frost used the word "I" both at the end of line 18 and the beginning of line 19 in this poem. The writer argues that this emphasis on a first person perspective can be better understood if the poem is considered within the context of Frost's life. No additional sources cited.

  • 'The Road Not Taken' Poem by Robert Frost and a Line Analysis

    This 3 page paper discusses Frost's use of the repeated 'I' in the last stanza of the poem, The Road Not Taken. Brief overview of the poem in general. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • An Examination of Four Love Poems

    A 3 page essay that examines four poems in terms of how they use poetic devices to express the emotion of love. Poems examines are Elizabeth Barret Browning's "How do I love thee?", Robert Burns' "My Love is like a red, red, rose", Ann Bradstreet's "To my dear and loving husband", and Sir Walter Raleigh's "The Nymph's reply to the shepherd." No additional sources cited.

  • Wordsworth/Solitary Reaper

    A 4 page essay that offers summation and analysis of Williams Wordsworth's "The Solitary Reaper, a poem which offers a romantic view of what was undoubtedly a common sight during his lifetime for anyone traveling through the countryside--a person reaping the grain harvest on some rural farmstead. The context of the poem implies the everyday nature of this occurrence. However, Wordsworth's romantic vision teaches his reader to perceive this young woman, reaping and singing to herself, with new eyes and to consider how this ordinary scene was uniquely beautiful. No additional sources cited.

  • Contemporary Thought Reflected in William Butler Yeats' Poetry

    An 11 page paper which examines two of W.B. Yeats’ poems and discusses how they reflect the modern school of thought. The poems discussed are “Among School Children” and “A Dialogue of Self and Soul.” Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • 'Move' by Lucille Clifton

    A 4 page explication of Clifton's poem "Move," which was written to commemorate the bombing of Philadelphia Afro-centric movement in Philadelphia in 1985. The writer argues that Clifton's poem is an indictment against the black mayor of Philadelphia at that time for authorizing the attack. No additional sources cited.

  • Comparative Analysis of Poems by Gary Snyder and Robert Creeley

    A 3 page essay that contrasts and compares poems by Robert Creeley and Gary Snyder. The writer argues that in Creeley's "I Know a Man," he demonstrates the shallowness of consumerism as an answer to life's problems. Snyder, on the other hand, in "Riprap" and "Mid-August at Sourdough Mountain Lookout," takes a more naturalistic approach, focusing on the contrast between the grandeur of nature and the inconsequential nature of human existence in comparison. While vastly different in context and tone, the stark imagery of each poem shows that the poets are not dissimilar in their consideration of thematic material as they both endeavor to demonstrate the nature of modernity. No additional sources cited.

  • 'This World is not Conclusion' by Emily Dickinson

    A 3 page paper analyzing Emily Dickinson’s Poem 501. Dickinson makes her point in the first line of the poem, and provides the remainder of it in support of her opening statement. Her message is that despite the efforts of people to explain God, ignore God, “serve” God or define God, He operates in a manner that defies human logic and focuses on the individual. If the individual is able to avoid awareness of God, He is at work nonetheless, nibbling away at the soul, making His presence sensed, at least, if not fully known without first gaining commitment of belief. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • Browning's Last Duchess & Her Fatal Misstep

    A 3 page essay that discusses Robert Browning's poem "My Last Duchess" and how this applies to the concept of "hamarita." The literary term "hamarita" has been defined simply as a "tragic flaw," however, it does not necessarily refer to flaw in character, as it can also be an "unwitting, even a necessary, misstep in doing rather than an error in character" (Literary Vocabulary). In Robert Browning's poem "My Last Duchess," it is made clear that the duke's last duchess did, indeed, take a fatal misstep that brought about her demise and that action consisted, not in a character defect, but in the fact that she was too good, too caring, too human, to be a proper aristocrat in the eyes of her husband. Her hamarita lay in her love of life and individuality, which prevented her from existing solely as just one more beautiful possession belong to the duke. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • 2 Poems By Emily Dickinson

    A 5 page essay that analyzes two poems by Emily Dickinson -- "I felt a Funeral in my Brain" and "Because I could not stop for Death," which the writer argues are exemplary of this category of Dickinson's poetry. These are not uplifting poems that offer a reassurance of life after death. Rather Dickinson presents disturbing images of being aware, conscious, but nevertheless in the grave. However, from her poetry, one gains new insight into the processes of death, and the customs that surround it. No additional sources cited.

  • Happy Eyes Prose of Liz Rosenberg

    A 3 page review of Liz Rosenberg's Happy Eyes, which is a collection of extraordinary prose poems. In her introductory note to this text Rosenberg explains that she considers this form of expression to present a wider view than conventional poetry, which is "vertical" as opposed to the "horizontal window" presented by a prose poem. As the reader delves into the Rosenberg's world, this meaning becomes clearer. Using the tools of poetry, metaphor, lyrically descriptive phrases and the natural rhythm of words, Rosenberg offers prose vignettes that perfectly capture a moment in time. No additional sources cited.

  • Frost and Longfellow

    A 15 page research paper that contrasts and compares the poetry of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Robert Frost. This examination of the legacies of these poets first of all places these poets within the context of their times by briefly examining the major issues and events that shaped the world and the country during their lifetimes. Then, each author’s biography will be discussed with particular emphasis on the factors that shaped the poet’s worldview and his verse. Against this informational background, a poem by each poet will be discussed in reference to how the poem exemplifies a prevalent theme in that poet’s verse. Bibliography lists 25 sources.

  • 'Early Snow' by Mary Oliver

    A 3 page essay that discusses the imagery in Mary Oliver's poem "Early Snow." The writer states that this is a lyrical description of an early snow fall. Examination of this poem shows that, first of all, the poet concentrates on how the snow looks as it covers familiar objects in the landscape. Then, the poet goes on to internally explore the sense of awe and amazement that she feels watching the snow. These musings lead her to consider humanity's place in the scheme of things, as represented by the natural world. No additional sources cited.

  • Shoah Train Holocaust Poetry of William Heyen

    A 3 page research paper/essay that examines Heyen's latest volume of Holocaust poetry. Heyen's poetry has frequently focused on the Holocaust. He published his collection The Swastika Poems in 1977, which was subsequently revised and expanded into Erika (1984). His latest volume of Holocaust poetry is Shoah Train, which encompasses more than 70 poems written over the last dozen years (Shoah Train, 2003). A great deal of Holocaust literature has addressed the question of how such evil could have taken place. The Holocaust poetry in Shoah Train does not offer the reader definitive answers, but it does reveal multiple perspectives on human nature and its seemingly engrained propensity toward violence and evil. Heyen's poetry not only illuminates the nature of the evil that was the Holocaust, but also relates this experience to today's world and the continuing legacy left by this world-altering example of what human beings are capable of perpetuating on each other. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Time Perceptions in Poetry

    A 4 page explication of four poems dealing with the passage of time: "Sonnet 18"/Shakespare, "Sonnet 75"/Spencer, "The Soote Season"/Howard, and "My Galley"/Wyatt, the Elder. The writer argues that human beings are the only creatures aware of their morality and that this has influenced artistic expression since the dawn of history. This examination of four sixteenth and seventeenth century poets demonstrates that while the topic is universal, the artistic slant of individuals can vary considerably, as the tone of these poems ranges from the morose to the hopeful. No additional sources cited.

  • Wordsworth/A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal

    A 3 page research paper/essay that discusses William Wordsworth’s enigmatic short poem “A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal,” which has generated considerable scholarly debate over its meaning. In eight brief lines, Wordsworth records his reaction to the death of a woman, in which he conveys a vision of death that equates it with immortality through a return to nature. Examination of two different interpretations of the poem reveal its complex nature, as well as the fact that correct interpretation lies in the perspective of the reader, as both positions have validity. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Browning & Bradsteet/Love Poetry

    A 3 page essay that discusses the fact that Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672) and Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861) penned two of the greatest love poems that the world has known, “To My Dear and Loving Husband” and “How to love thee? Let me count the way.” While there are certainly differences in style between the two poems, these poets each express similar themes. They each describe the depth and breadth of their love, which is heartfelt and selfless, and is grounded in Christian imagery. No additional sources cited.

  • Robert Frost/The Road Not Taken

    A 4 page essay that analyzes Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken.” There are crucial decisions in life that influence the nature that the person’s life takes from that moment onward. For a Christian, one such decision is when the individual decides to accept the gift of Salvation and follow Christ. This crucial decision sets the path or course for the person’s life. Robert Frost beautifully dramatizes the significance of this type of momentous decision in his poem “The Road Not Taken.” Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Sylvia Plath, Mirror & Metaphors

    A 5 page research paper/essay that discusses 2 poems by Sylvia Plath, who was born in 1932 to Aurelia and Otto Plath in Boston, Massachusetts and died in 1963 by her own hand, committing suicide just a few months after her thirtieth birthday (Inness 10-13). Talented, young, beautiful, with two small children—despite the depression caused a separation from her husband--Plath’s suicide remains an enigma that critics draw upon when facing the task of deciphering the meaning of her poetry and her life. Looking specifically at two of her poems, “Metaphors,” which is dated March 20, 1959 and “Mirror,” which is dated October 23, 1961, it is possible to discern something of the disintegration of Plath’s mindset between writing these two works. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Greek Values in Homer's 'The Iliad'

    A 4 page essay that examines Greek values in the Iliad. In his epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey, the ancient Greek poet Homer praised numerous qualities and values. "Patriotism, heroism, loyalty, resistance to temptations, truthfulness, generosity, honesty and hospitality" are just a few of the virtues that "Homer praised and exalted" (Christian and Greek philosophy, 2003, p. 15). This examination of Homer's Iliad focuses on what this epic poem tells the modern reader concerning the importance of Greek values, specifically heroism, honor and solidarity, in Greek society. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • 'Verses on the Death of Dr. Swift' by Jonathan Swift

    A 4 page essay that analyzes Jonathan Swift's poetic commentary on his own death. Swift (1667-1745) is one of the greatest satirists of all time. His wit and critical viewpoint of society did not exclude himself as a topic. In his poem "Verses on the Death of Dr. Swift," he addresses how he imagines his own decline, death and the response of his so-called friends and public. The underlying theme in this poem is that profuse shows of concern and compassion serve to cover the basic self-interest of the individual, who is enormously glad that the sufferer is not himself. Likewise, Swift lampoons his own reactions to the success of others. Examination of this work shows how Swift uses the symbol of pride to point out the follies inherent in human behavior. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Death and the Works of Emily Dickinson

    Many of Emily Dickinson's 1775 poems deal with her beliefs concerning the process of death, the rituals surrounding death and the question of immortality. This 6 page paper focuses on three of her poems: 'After Great Pain A Formal Feeling Comes', 'Because I Could Not Stop For Death' and 'I felt A Funeral In My Brain', where it can be seen that Ms. Dickinson did indeed believe in an afterlife and viewed death from the vantage point that it should be faced and celebrated with a sense of dignity. Her outlook toward organized religion and the rituals accompanying death was skeptical, if not cynical. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

  • 'Bushed' by Earle Birney

    A 3 page explication of Earle Birney's poem "Bushed." The writer argues that as Thoreau demonstrated when he secluded himself in the woods and wrote Walden, nature holds many secrets to the human heart and finding a relationship with nature can open up mystic vistas that were previously unknown to the individual. This appears to be what Earle Birney is saying in his Poem "Bushed." In this highly lyrical and evocative work, Birney seems to be saying that the human minds cannot grasp fully what nature is trying to say, but it is extremely important to listen nonetheless. No bibliography is provided.

  • 'Big Black Car' by Lynn Emanuel

    A 3 page essay that discusses the poet's use of metaphor. Poets frequently face the question of how to describe the indescribable, that is, how to convey, within the limited context of a poem, the complexity of life and its multi-layered, convoluted reality. One way of accomplishing this task is through the utilization of metaphor, imagery and action, which are part of the poet's "toolbox" for conveying complex meaning through the representation of sights, sounds, smells, touch, etc. An ideal example of this point is Lynn Emanuel's poem "Big Black Car." No bibliography is provided.

  • Depictions of Nature in the Poetry of Dickinson and Frost

    A 3 page essay that contrasts and compares 2 poems. Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost are both evocative poets whose verse shows each poet's gift for reflecting natural scenes with photographic accuracy, conveying to the reader not only how the scene looked, but also what it made the poet feel and the thoughts it conjured. Two representative poems, "The Wind begun to knead the Grass" by Dickinson and "Design" by Frost, demonstrate the marked similarities between the ways in which these two great American poets utilized diction and poetic imagery in their work and also how they differed. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Julia's Petticoat by Herrick

    A 3 page explication of "Julia's Petticoat," by seventeenth century poet Robert Herrick. The writer argues that Herrick creates a seduction poem that uses the extended metaphor of his love's petticoat as an elaborate and poetically lyrical way of referring to the sexual allure of the woman who wears it. Examination of the poem shows that Herrick focuses on the effect that this undergarment has on the poet as he finds it suggestive of the woman's beauty and allure, so much so that the occasional glimpse of petticoat seems to excite him as much as the woman herself. No additional sources cited.

  • Explication of 'My Last Duchess' by Robert Browning

    A 5 page research paper/essay that examines Robert Browning's poem "My Last Duchess." This poem takes the form of an extended monologue. A duke is showing his art collection to an emissary, who has come to arrange a marriage between the duke and his master's daughter. The collection includes a portrait of the duke's first wife. What soon becomes clear is that the duke is a jealous, paranoid, egomaniac who had his "last duchess" killed because she did not worship him in a manner to suit his ego. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • 'Weary Blues' by Langston Hughes

    A 5 page research paper that examines Hughes' poem "The Weary Blues. The writer argues that Hughes attempted to convey an understanding of blues values through his verse to the wider modern world. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Analyzing 'To His Coy Mistress' by Andrew Marvell

    This 5 page paper explicates this poem by Andrew Marvell. Language is discussed as well as themes and the meaning of the work. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • 'The Odyssey' by Homer Content Analysis

    A 5 page paper which examines the Robert Fagles’ translation of the classic Greek poem to consider why Odysseus did not immediately return to Ithaca, the reasons behind his lengthy hiatus, contemplates what he is searching for and determines whether or not the text can be read as a metaphor for the Ionian exile. No additional sources are used.

  • 'In An Artist Studio' by Christina Rossetti Explicated

    This 5 page paper analyzes this poem for form and content. Content is emphasized and the meaning of the work is discussed in depth. No additional sources cited.

  • Death in Korn's Song 'Alone I Break' and Robert Frost's Poem 'After Apple Picking'

    This 7 page paper compares and contrasts Robert Frost's infamous poem with a contemporary song from the rock group Korn. Themes of death are discussed. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • John Donne's Seventeenth Century Love Poetry

    This 5 page paper discusses the way in which John Donne, a 17th century poet, treated love in his works. Examples from four of his poems are included with quotes cited from the text. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • 'Absalom and Achitophel' by John Dryden and Honesty

    This 5-page paper sets up the concept of honesty in John Dryden's 17th century poem "Absolam & Achitophel," explaining where the concept of dishonesty caused several problems and murder.

  • 'Black Magic' by Dudley Randall

    A 3 page essay that explicates "Black Magic" by Dudley Randall, which is also known by the title "Blackberry Sweet." The writer argues that this homage to the beauty of a young black woman is in the tradition of English seduction poems. No additional source cited.

  • 'The Road Not Taken' and 'Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening' by Robert Frost

    A 6 page paper which examines tone, diction, symbolism and theme in Robert Frost's poems Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening and The Road Not Taken. Bibliography lists 12 sources.

  • Poetry of Countee Cullen and Langston Hughes During the Harlem Renaissance

    A 3 page paper which examines poetry from the Harlem Renaissance. The poems discussed and compared are Langston Hughes’ “Dream Deferred” and Countee Cullen’s “From the Dark Tower.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • 3 Women in Odysseus's Life in 'The Odyssey' by Homer

    A 4 page paper which examines the roles of these women in Odysseus’s life and how they affect the protagonist as well as the epic poem, “The Odyssey.” Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Mexicans Begin Jogging by Soto

    A 6 page analysis of the poem “Mexicans Begiin Jogging” by Gary Soto. No additional sources cited.

  • To S.M., a Young African Painter, on Seeing His Works by Phillis Wheatley

    A 3 page analysis of Phillis Wheatley’s voice in her poem “To S.M., a Young African Painter, on Seeing His Works.” No additional sources cited.

  • Symbols Used in Poetry and in the Bible

    A 6 page essay that explores the meaning of symbol in 4 works: Matthew 13:24-30; "The Boston Evening Transcript" by T.S. Eliot; "The Lightning is a Yellow Fork" by Emily Dickinson and "The Road Less Traveled" by Robert Frost. The writer offers some biographical facts on each author; then discusses the meaning of the poem and then how it uses symbols to convey that meaning. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Douglas Robertson's Wake Up Australia

    A 4 page analysis of the poem “Wake Up Australia” by Douglas Robertson. No sources cited.

  • Sappho's 'To Evening' Analyzed

    This 1 page paper examines this passage poem include in the paper. The passage is evaluated for its thematic elements. No additional sources cited.

  • Homer's 'The Iliad' and Achilles' Shield

    A 3 page essay that discusses the moving images on the shield of Achilles, which is wrought before the final battle with Hector. The writer contrasts the story told by these images with the plot of the poem and speculates about their purposes within the overall structure of Homer's epic. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • 'War is Kind' and 'A Mystery of Heroism' by Stephen Crane

    A 4 page paper which examines Stephen Crane’s short story “A Mystery of Heroism” and his poem “War is Kind,” and discusses Crane’s apparent attitude towards war. No additional sources cited.

  • Portrayal of Time in Works by Terence Davies and T.S. Eliot

    A 3 page paper which examines time as presented in T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Four Quartets” and the films of Terence Davies. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • 'And Death Shall Have No Dominion' by Dylan Thomas

    An 11 page research paper/essay that analyzes Thomas' poem "And death shall have no dominion." The writer argues that in this poem, it is not religion that Thomas honors, but the idea behind Christian dogma, which is that there is life from death-- an idea, which Thomas argues in his verse is self-evident in nature. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Panic Over Aging in 'Mirror' by Sylvia Plath

    A 5 page essay that analyzes Sylvia Plath's poem 'Mirror.' The writer argues that in this poem, Plath created a narrative voice that perfectly expresses the sense of panic that women frequently feel at the prospect of aging. Through her use of tone, situation, and imagery, she expresses how the societal evaluation of women makes them feel trapped in a cycle that offers no escape, no recourse, from an ever-diminishing feeling of self-worth. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Examination of Walt Whitman's 'Song of Myself'

    A 4 page paper which discusses how Whitman’s poem “Song of Myself” has influenced others to write similar poems. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Elitist Poetry of Langston Hughes

    A 5 page paper which examines three of Langston Hughes’ poems, illustrating how he is actually an elitist more than a socialist. The poems examined are “Walkers with the Dawn,” “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” and “Dream Deferred.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Sonnet Uses of Hopkins

    A 9 page research paper/essay that analyzes four of Hopkins's poems in relation to how they demonstrate Hopkins' use of the sonnet form. The poems "God's Grandeur," "The Windhover," "As Kingfishers Catch Fire," and "Carrion Comfort" are explicated. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Andrew Marvell's 'The Garden'

    This 5 page paper provides an analysis of this poem by Andrew Marvell. The poem is discussed and the final stanza explicated. This paper provides support for the thesis that The Garden reveals man is capable of experiencing oneness with God through nature on Earth. No other sources cited.

  • 'Infant Joy' and 'Infant Sorrow' Poems by William Blake

    A 4 page essay that discusses Blake's intentions with his poems Songs of Innocence and Experience. The writer explicates and contrasts "Infant Joy" and "Infant Sorrow" and also discusses both poems by Blake entitled "The Chimney Sweeper." No additional sources cited.

  • Pablo Neruda: 4 Poems

    A 3 page paper which analyzes nature in four poems by Pablo Neruda. The poems are Ode to Tomatoes, Ode to a Storm, Ode to the Yellow Bird, and Ode to a Chestnut on the Ground. No additional sources cited.

  • Mallarme, Baudelaire and Goethe

    This 4 page paper discusses the poem “Afternoon of a Faun” by Mallarme; and the poem “Correspondences” by Baudelaire; and how these two symbolic works compare to Goethe’s works. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Women: The Other

    A 10 page paper which examines two poems as they relate to women being portrayed as the “other” in a male dominated society. The poems are Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers by Adrienne Rich and Still I Rise by Maya Angelou. No additional sources cited.

  • Blake and Wordsworth

    A 6 page essay that offers 2 3-page essays: one on William Blake’s “Chimney Sweep” poems and one on William Wordsworth’s “The World is Too Much With Us Late and Soon.” The writer in each case uses the poems to discuss each poet’s poetic philosophy and style. No additional sources cited.

  • Reactions to Various Poems

    A 5 page paper that offers reflective paragraphs on 8 different poems, which includes also examples of how to write 2 original poems. The poets addressed include Nye, Feringhetti, Eliot, and others. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Researching the Poem ‘Ars Poetica’ by Archibald MacLeish on the Internet

    In four pages this paper instructs the student how to conduct Internet research on the poem ‘Ars Poetica’ by Archibald MacLeish with a description of how the research was conducted, resources used, and how the selected literary criticism assists in a greater understanding of the poem included. Three sources are cited in the bibliography.

  • W.B. Yeats/An Irish Airman Foresees His Death

    A 3 page essay that analyzes this Yeats poem. During World War I, millions of young men lost their lives. In his poem “An Irish Airman foresees his Death,” Irish poet W.B. Yeats explores why one particular young man, a pilot, engages in that awful conflict and how he views his death, which he knows is sure to come. The words that Yeats selects and the pilot’s manner of speaking tells the reader a great deal about how Yeats imagined this man’s character. No additional sources cited.

  • Poetic Analysis of Jane Kenyon's 'Happiness'

    In three pages this paper presents an analysis of Jane Kenyon's poem 'Happiness' that includes such topics as theme, important images, language and striking words, logical development of ideas throughout, and the relationship between the poem's speaker and its ideas. There are no additional sources listed in the bibliography.

  • 3 Poems Analyzed for Content and Language

    A 3 page paper discussing the relationship of language and content in three poems. Language provides the method by which the tools of poetry become operational. It can convey meaning without explicitly stating it, as John Dickson, Richard Cole and James A. Autry illustrate in three poems from the business world. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • Life Experiences and Poetry Themes

    A 4 page paper which examines the themes of three different poems as they relate to the experiences of the writer. The poems used are “Ethics” by Linda Pastan, “Driving Lessons” by Neal Bowers, and “Funeral Blues” by W.H.Auden. No bibliography provided.

  • 'Nineteen' by Elizabeth Alexander

    A 4 page explication of Alexander's poem "Nineteen, which captures the essence of her style, which is free flowing and lyrical. Explication of this poem shows that Alexander, like other experts of the free verse style such as Whitman, has the ability to capture the essence and spirit of a time, place and age through the voice of her youthful narrator/protagonist, which expresses the poet's impressions and memories in free verse. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Emily Dickinson's Religious Perspectives in 'Some Keep the Sabbath by Going to Church'

    This 3 page paper is an essay on Emily Dickinson's religious views as expressed in the poem, "Some Keep the Sabbath By Going to Church". This poem illustrates Dickinson's deep-rooted spirituality while evidencing her skepticism toward religion. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Nikki Giovanni's Life and Poetry

    This 9 page paper examines the poetry of this prolific author. Several poems and collections are examined. Her life and poems are discussed in depth. How they have changed over time is the focus of this paper. Bibliography lists sources.

  • Gender and Death in 4 Poems by Anne Sexton

    A 7 page essay that examines four poems by Anne Sexton. The writer asserts that by examining these poems, it is possible to demonstrate how the poet is pushed toward depression by the manner in which patriarchal society defines gender. No additional sources cited.

  • 'Arms and the Boy' by Wilfred Owen

    A 5 page research paper/essay that analyzes one of Owen's war poems, "Arms and the Boy." The writer discusses the technical aspects of this poem, as well as the usual themes that Owen employed. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Poems 'Sir Patrick Spens' and 'Schoolsville'

    This essay compares and contrasts two extraordinarily different poems; "Schoolsville," by Billy Collins and "Sir Patrick Spens" by an anonymous writer. The theme of the paper is that while the poems do differ, they also share similarities.

  • 'Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock' by T.S. Eliot

    A 6 page essay/analysis of Eliot famous poem. The writer argues that this poem captures perfect the ennui and alienation that has characterized the way people have felt for so much of the last century. It captures the sense of social paralysis that keeps the shy, insecure person from ever doing anything for fear of seeming foolish, or out of place, or experiencing the embarrassment of having tried and failed. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Robert Browning's Poetry and Women

    A 5 page paper which examines how Robert Browning presents women in his poems. The argument is made that he is often overly obsessed with them. Poems discussed are “Life in a Love,” “Love in a Life,” and “My Last Duchess.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Robert Frost's Poetry and Darkness

    A 12 page paper which examines the use of darkness in several of Robert Frost’s poems. The poems discussed are “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening,” “Come In,” “Desert Places,” Design,” “Acquainted with the Night,” and “For Once, Then Something.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • 'The Gift Outright' by Robert Frost

    This 6 page report discusses 1942 poem by Robert Frost titled “The Gift Outright.” He recited it at the inauguration ceremony for President John F. Kennedy in 1961. The poem opens by describing the fact that the early settlers in the North American colonies thought of the land they were cultivating as simply “their” land and continues in only 16 lines to show the connection between Americans and the land mass that is the United States. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Mary Robinson's Feminist Poem 'The Lamentation of Marie Antoinette'

    This 6 page paper discusses the Mary Robinson poem, The Lamentation of Marie Antoinette. The subtle thread of feminism is discussed within the body of the poem, as well as various aspects of poetry are illustrated. All examples given from text and cited.Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • A Poetic Explication of Robert Frost's 'Birches'

    A 5 page explication of the poem "Birches" by Robert Frost. The writer lists aspects of the poem's form, tone, imagery and gives an overview. No additional sources cited.

  • 'Harlem' by Langston Hughes

    A 5 page essay/research paper that offers an analysis of "Harlem," a poem by Langston Hughes. Written in 1951 and later re-titled "Dream Deferred," the writer argues that the structure of the poem portrays metaphorically what has happened to the dream of equality, and the realities of black experience. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Love and Marriage Disappointments

    A 5 page paper which examines “A Story of an Hour” by , “A Doll’s House” by Ibsen, and three poems as they present the reader with a look at the disappointments often found in love and marriage. The poems discussed are “Aunt Jennifer’s Tiger” and “Moving in Winter” by Adrienne Rich and “Ex-Husband” by Gabriel Spera. Bibliography lists 4 additional sources.

  • 'A Noiseless Patient Spider' by Walt Whitman

    A 5 page essay/research paper that discusses Walt Whitman, his era, and his poetry. The writer specifically analyzes the poem "A Noiseless Patient Spider," and how this poem demonstrates the timeless quality of Whitman's verse, as well as how it reflects his era. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Analysis of Christina Rossetti's 'The Goblin's Market'

    This paper analyzes Christina Rossetti's poem "The Goblin's Market," focusing on the final scene between the two sisters, Laura and Lizzie. The paper analyzes Lizzie as savior, victim and an object of desire and also cites some literary critics' views on the poem. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters

    This is a 6 page paper, that talks about the poet's Spoon River Anthology. It discusses the characters in the poems and a brief description of each poem is given. 4 sources cited.

  • Analysis of 2 of Elizabeth Daryush's Poems

    A 4 page paper which examines and analyzes two of Elizabeth Daryush’ poems. The poems discussed are “You Should at Times Go Out” and “Children of Wealth in your Warm Nursery.” No additional sources cited.

  • Poems of William Blake and Theodicy

    An 8 page paper which examines how the theme of theodicy is interwoven into Blake’s poetic works, “Songs of Innocence” and “Songs of Experience” such that the reading of a single poem can be influenced or altered by its relationship to other poems in the collection. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

  • 'Sonnet 54' in Amoretti by Edmund Spenser

    A 7 page paper that explicates Spenser's Sonnet 54. This close reading of the poem offers a line-by-line interpretation of the poem, discussion of its meter and rhyme scheme, and also Spenser's use of poetic devices. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • 'Blackberry Sweet' by Dudley Randall

    A 3 page essay that explicates this seduction poem by Dudley Randall. Also known as "Black Magic," this poem concerns Randall's description of a black girl's beauty and the effect that this has on the poet. No additional sources cited.

  • 'Cross' by Langston Hughes

    A 3 page essay that explicates Langston Hughes' poem "Cross," which refers to the "cross" that the narrator has to bear, which is his mixed-race heritage. Due to this heritage, the narrator of the poem feels that he has no cultural "home," as he does not fit with either white or black society. Unlike current society in which mixed-raced individuals, such as golfer Tiger Woods, are regarded simply as "people," in the first half of the twentieth century, which is when this poem was composed, this was not the case. No additional sources cited.

  • 2 Poems by Roman Poet Catullus

    A 4 page essay that describes Catullus and 2 of his love poems. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • 'I HAD been hungry all these years' by Emily Dickinson

    A 3 page explication of Emily Dickinson's poignant poem "I HAD been hungry all the years." In this poem, Dickinson offers images of what life's banquet is liked when viewed by someone who feels like an outsider. Dickinson was a recluse most of her life and seldom ventured from her home. Examination of this poem suggests that, at some point in her life, she had the opportunity to experience more than her solitary existence and that the "plenty" of this occurrence was both painful and revealing to her. No additional sources cited.

  • Love According to Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Margaret Atwood

    A 3 page essay that contrasts and compares contemporary Canadian poet Margaret Atwood's "You Fit Into Me" and nineteenth century poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Sonnet XLIII, better known as "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways." The writer argues that these poems are complete opposites. Atwood's poem is terse and short, expressing her stance in just four lines. As her title suggests, Browning's poem has the traditional 14-line form of a sonnet. Also, Browning employs a traditional rhyme scheme, while Atwood uses unrhymed free verse. But while these differences are striking, the biggest difference between the two works is the individual poet's stance on love. No additional sources cited.

  • Robert Frost Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

    This 3 page paper discusses Robert Frost’s poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • Love in Geoffrey Chaucer's 'Parliament of Fowles' and 'The Book of the Duchesse'

    A 14 page research paper that argues that love plays a pivotal thematic role in two of Geoffrey Chaucer's greatest poems, The Book of the Duchesse and The Parliament of Fowles. While Chaucer is acknowledged as one of the greatest and most eloquent advocates of love in English literature, in these poems, he qualified his endorsement and dedication to love by placing it within certain institutional and societal boundaries. In The Book of the Duchesse, his elegy of consolation over the death of the Black Knight's lady is couched within the parameters established by the conventions of courtly love. Likewise, while the Parliament of Fowles is a love poem, Chaucer pictures love as susceptible to certain natural laws that should be meticulously followed. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • 'Forgiving My Father' by Lucille Clifton

    A 4 page essay that explicates Lucille Clifton's poem "forgiving my father." The writer argues that this poem concerns the legacy of a childhood made harsh by a father's inability to provide for his family. Clifton, as a woman, identifies most heavily with her mother's anger and disappointment at having married a man who could not provide for his family. However, within the context of this poem, Clifton comes to perceive that her mother's anger is not necessarily her own and that she can forgive them both and, in doing so, move on with her own life. No additional sources cited.

  • Explication of 'London' by Poet William Blake

    A 3 page essay that explicates William Blake's poem London. The writer argues that Blake was frequently critical of English society in his poetry, subtly attacking many of the established institutions and cultural ideas of his era. In his poem "London," Blake paints a portrait of the city that depicts it has having fallen into moral chaos. Appalled at the suffering, poverty, prostitution and mistreatment of children, Blake's poem is scathing social commentary that was intended to open the eyes of the upper classes to the degradation of their society as a whole. London is also briefly compared to Blake's The Chimney Sweeper. No additional sources cited.

  • 'A Prayer for My Son' by William Butler Yeats

    A 7 page essay that offers a detailed explication of W.B. Yeats' poem "A Prayer for My Son," which is one of most religious poems, yet it also has secular aspects. By combining these two tonal features, Yeats demonstrates how the divine is intrinsically connected to the cares of everyday life. In this poem, the speaker, by beginning with this relationship to his son, extrapolates from the microcosm of his family life to the macrocosm of the relationship between the divine and humanity, and, in so doing, offers reassurance on the protective quality of love, both human and divine. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • My Last Duchess/Robert Browning

    A 5 page paper which analyzes Robert Browning's poem "My Last Duchess." Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Edwin Arlington Robinson's 'Richard Cory'

    A 3 page paper which examines the possible causes for the suicide in the poem "Richard Cory" by Edwin Arlington Robinson. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Examination and Analysis of 'Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening' and 'The Road Not Taken' by Robert Frost

    A 6 page paper which examines and analyzes the Robert Frost poems "The Road Not Taken" and "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening." No additional sources cited.

  • Symbolism in 'The Second Coming' by William Butler Yeats

    This 3 page paper discusses the symbolism in the poem "The Second Coming" by William Butler Yeats, which is a bleak and frightening work.

  • Jealousy and Materialism in Robert Browning's 'My Last Duchess'

    A 10 page paper which analyzes Robert Browning's poem My Last Duchess as it involves materialism and jealousy. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • 'A Work of Artifice' by Marge Piercy

    This 5 page paper provides a feminist interpretation of this poem by author Marge Piercy. An outline is included. No additional sources cited.

  • Walcott's A Far Cry from Africa

    A 3 page analysis of Derek Walcott's poem "A Far Cry from Africa." No additional sources cited.

  • Edgar Allan Poe's Poetry and Death

    A 6 page paper which examines how the deaths of people close to him influenced Poe’s poems. Specifically considered are “Alone,” Annabel Lee,” “The Raven,” “To My Mother,” and “Ulalume.” Bibliography lists 6 sources.

  • 'Delilah' and 'Salome' Poems by Carol Ann Duffy Compared

    A 4 page paper which examines the validity of one critic’s contention that in these two poems from the feminist collection of prose, “The World’s Wife,” there is a trend reversal in that the author presents men as victims and women as totally unsympathetic. No additional sources are used.

  • Nature Imagery in the Works of Zora Neale Hurston and William Wordsworth

    A 3 page paper which discusses the nature imagery as presented in Wordsworth's poem "Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey" and Nora Zeale Hurston's novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God." Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.

  • Analysis of the Poem 'The Horse and His Rider' by Joanna Baillie

    A 6 page paper which analyzes the poem, its form and language, and considers how meaning is achieved through an examination of rhyme, rhythm, metaphor, imagery, tone, word order, alliteration, and point of view. No additional sources are used.

  • Lazarus's The New Colossus

    This 7 page paper explicates and reacts to this well known poem. Information about the author is provided. An outline is included. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Analyzing Poet Elizabeth Bishop’s “One Art”

    In six pages this paper presents an analysis and criticism of Elizabeth Bishop’s famous poem, “One Art.” Four sources are listed in the bibliography.

  • Tennyson: “Ulysses”

    This 4 page paper argues that the poem “Ulysses” by Tennyson demands that a reader consider that with old age comes not decay, but dignity, and if the body is weaker, the intellect, soul and determination are stronger than ever. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Sublime and Subjective Romanticism in William Wordsworth’s “Tintern Abbey”:

    In four pages this paper examines the Romantic themes of the sublime and subjectivity within the context of Wordsworth’s poem, and also considers how these themes are similarly expressed in the Romantic musical compositions of Robert Schumann, Franz Schubert, and Felix Mendelssohn. Six sources are listed in the bibliography.

  • Fame, Fate and Destiny in “Beowulf”

    In four pages this paper examines the roles that fame, fate, and destiny play in the anonymous Germanic epic poem “Beowulf.” Three sources are listed in the bibliography.

  • The Eolian Harp

    This 8 page paper considers the use of the Eolian harp in the poems of Coleridge and Shelley. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Immigrants: A Comparative Analysis of Poems by Robert Frost and Pat Mora

    In three pages this paper presents a comparative analysis of two poems entitled ‘Immigrants’ by Robert Frost and Pat Mora with subject, diction, style, and devices among the topics discussed. Four sources are listed in the bibliography.

  • John Keats and Ernest Hemingway

    A 3 page paper which compares and contrasts the love seen in John Keats’ poem “La Belle Dame sans Merci” and Ernest Hemingway’s short story “A Very Short Story.” No additional sources cited.

  • An Analysis of the Blakes Poems, Songs of Innocence, and Songs of Experience

    A 14 page paper which applies three types of literary criticism (historical, formalism, and deconstruction) to these two very different poems. Bibliography lists 20 sources.

  • Maya Angelou: Her Works and Her Life

    This 5 page paper discusses Maya Angelou’s life and four of her poems, and argues that many of the things that happened to her in her life are expressed through her poetry. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

  • Children’s Perceptions of Adults

    A 3 page paper which examines Robert Hayden’s poem Those Winter Sundays and Constance Squires’ short story Running Out of Music as they relate to children’s perceptions of adults. No additional sources cited.

  • Wallace Stevens: “Disillusionment at Ten O’Clock”

    This 3 page paper explicates the poem “Disillusionment at Ten O’Clock” by Wallace Stevens. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • Life and Poetry of Emily Dickinson in a Historical Context

    In five pages this paper examines the life of Emily Dickinson in an analysis of how the times in which she lived influenced her poetry. Specific poems considered are “Much madness is divinest sense,” “A light exists in spring,” “From all the jails the boys and girls,” “The bustle in a house,” “Faith is a fine invention,” and “I know that he exists.” Five sources are listed in the bibliography.

  • Analysis of Beowulf

    In six pages this paper examines the anonymously written Medieval epic in an analysis that includes the poem’s meaning; its prevalent themes; how these themes relate to the characters, to the writer, and to society; the association (or lack thereof) to Christianity and Paganism; and considers what Beowulf, Odysseus, and Jesus Christ might have in common in anything. There are no other sources listed in the bibliography.

  • Poetic Explication of Robert Burns’ “A Red, Red Rose”

    In three pages, this poetic explication of Robert Burns’ “A Red, Red Rose” includes basic information on the poet and the poem, identifies the speaker, subject, and ideal, and also considers the poetic devices of imagery, simile, and metaphor. Two sources are listed in the bibliography.

  • Rich, Freire and Education

    This 3 page paper discusses the essay and poems of Adrienne Rich and the banking theory of education put forth by Paolo Freire, and how they can be related to education. Bibliography lists 2 sources

  • Ezra Pound, "A Virginal"

    A 3 page explication of Ezra Pound's poem "A Virginal" that begins with roughly a page covering the poet's biography and background. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • The Epic “Beowulf”

    The Epic “Beowulf”: In three pages this paper discusses the major epic characteristics featured in the classic anonymously written Medieval classic poem “Beowulf.” Three sources are listed in the bibliography.

  • The Second Coming by Yeats

    A 3 page examination of William Butler Yeats’ poem The Second Coming. No additional sources cited.

  • Marvell/To His Coy Mistress

    A 3 page essay that explicates this poem by Andrew Marvell, the seventeenth century British poet, in which Marvell makes a carpe diem argument that his mistress should throw caution to the wind and surrender her virginity because life is short and they will grow old and die within a heart beat. No additional sources cited.

  • Poe’s Life and Work

    A 3 page paper which examines the depth of Edgar Allan Poe and his work, a depth that was very unique and one that is still greatly admired today. The paper uses the poem The Raven to help illustrate this point. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Jorge the Church Janitor Finally Quits

    A 3 page paper which examines gender, as it is related to machismo, and culture within Martin Espada’s poem Jorge the Church Janitor Finally Quits. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • The Consequences of a Simple Decision

    This 4 page paper analyzes Robert Frost’s poem The Road Not Taken. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • 'Patterns' of Life and in the Poem by Amy Lowell

    In three pages this paper analyzes the poem’s language, rhyme, meaning, images, and symbolism. There are no additional sources listed in the bibliography.

  • Snake by Lawrence and The Fish by Bishop

    A 3 page paper that examines whether there is defeat or victory in two poems; Snake by D.H. Lawrence and The Fish by Elizabeth Bishop. No additional sources cited.

  • The Happy Fault in Paradise Lost

    This 3 page paper discusses the “happy fault” in Paradise Lost, and how it relates to Milton’s purpose in writing the poem. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Design by Robert Frost

    A 3 page paper which examines the duality presented in Robert Frost’s poem Design. The paper examines elements such as good and evil, light and dark, day and night. There are no additional sources.

  • Eighteenth Century Analysis of Poems "Little Black Boy" by William Blake, "Holy Willie's Prayer" by Robert Burns, and "We Are Seven" by William Wordsworth

    In four pages this paper contrasts and compares the style and poetry of each of these eighteenth century British poems. Three sources are listed in the bibliography.

  • Lacking Conviction in Sexual Intimacy in "Sex without Love" by Sharon Olds and "Lust" by Susan Minot

    In three pages this explication examines the theme of intimacy without conviction in Susan Minot’s short story and in Sharon Olds’ poem. There are no additional sources listed in the bibliography.

  • A Night-Piece on Death by Thomas Parnell

    This 3 page paper discusses Thomas Parnell’s poem A Night-Piece on Death. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • How We Grow Into Who We Are

    This 5 page paper uses three of Bruce Dawe’s poems as a springboard for a discussion of how we choose our relationships and what they tell us about ourselves. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Analysis of When Death Comes by Mary Oliver

    A 4 pages analytical essay that explicates the poem "When Death Comes" by Mary Oliver. No additional sources are cited.

  • Travelled,gladly beyond by e.e. cummings

    This 4 page paper explicates the poem somewhere I have travelled,gladly beyond and offers a short essay about it. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Gabriela Mistral

    A 3 page paper which analyzes elements of Gabriela Mistral’s poems Miedo and Yo No Tengo Soledad. No sources cited.

  • Dunbar and Brooks: Poems

    A 5 page paper which analyzes elements of Gwendolyn Brooks’ poem To the Diaspora and Paul Laurence Dunbar’s Sympathy. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Comparing poems by Atwood and Smith

    A 3 pages paper that explicates "The Dead" by A.J.M. Smith and in "It is Dangerous to Read Newspapers" by Margaret Atwood. The writer argues that both of these poets address the horror of war, while arguing the same theme. In both poems, strikingly descriptive imagery is used within free verse to emphasize the idea that Western apathy towards war and the atrocities of war is not neutral, but, in fact, promotes war. No additional sources cited.

  • Eternal Life and The Wanderings of Oisin

    This 4 page paper discusses the epic poem The Wanderings of Oisin by William Butler Yates, and argues that the inhabitants have in fact found eternal life. Bibliography lists 1 sources.

  • The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

    A 5 page paper which offers up a character analysis of the narrator in T.S. Eliot’s poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • John Donne’s Flea

    This 3 page paper explicates Donne’s famous poem about a flea who really is a metaphor for sexual intercourse. Bibliography lists 1 sources.

  • The Poetry of Robert Frost: A Tonal and Thematic Analysis

    This is a 3 page paper that provides an overview of three of Frost's poems. Emphasis is placed on the use of setting and tone to serve the theme of existential isolation. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Poe's The Raven

    This 9 page paper explicates the Raven and evaluates to whom the poem is really dedicated. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Poetry by Edgar Allan Poe

    This 4 page paper discusses three of Poe’s poems, and gives a brief biographical sketch of the writer. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • A Thematic Analysis of Lovelace's "To Lucasta, Going to the Wars"

    This is a 3 page paper that provides an overview of Lovelace's "To Lucasta, Going to the Wars". Formal elements of the poem are used to build a thematic interpretation. Bibliography lists 0 sources.

  • Chimney Sweeper

    A 4 page paper which compares and contrasts the poetic themes in the poems, one from Songs of Experience and one from Songs of Innocence, by William Blake. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Dante, the Inferno, and the Question of Gender

    This 4 page paper discusses the way Dante treats gender in his poem, The Divine Comedy. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • "Wickedness" and Liberation in Cisneros

    This is a 6 page paper that provides an overview of Cisneros' "His Story". The poem is analyzed in the context of feminist theory. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • "Lanval" - Subversion of Gender Norms in Arthurian Legend

    This is a 4 page paper that provides an overview of Marie de France's "Lanval". The poem is analyzed in terms of Lanval's foreignness being representative of his subversive masculinity. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • "I'm Nobody! Who Are You?": An Analysis of a Poem by Emily Dickinson

    In three pages this poetic analysis of Emily Dickinson’s poem 288 includes the poetic situation, subject matter, and literary devices (including diction, style, and tone) that are used. There are no additional sources listed in the bibliography. TGnobody.rtf

  • Analyzing Twelve Poems

    A 6 page paper which analyzes 12 different poems. The poems are analyzed in terms of tone, rhyme, and theme. The poems presented are "Dover Beach" by Mathew Arnold, "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning, "Ulysses" by Alfred Lord Tennyson, "The love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Elliot, "Song: Go, lovely rose!" by Edmunc Waller, "Ode To The West Wind" by Percy Shelley, "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell, "Ode to The Nightingale" by John Keats, "Ode on a Grecian Urn" by John Keats, "Ode on Melancholy" by John Keats, "Kubla Khan" by Samuel Coleridge, and "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. No additional sources cited.

  • Sharon Olds’ Vision of Children

    This 4 page paper compares and contrasts two poems by Sharon Olds: “The One Girl at the Boys Party” and “Rite of Passage.” Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Puerto Rican Obituary and the Nuyorican Community

    This 3 page essay explores the text of the poem in relationship to the Nuyorican community on the thesis that while Pietri felt the American Dream a lie, he felt the community would transcend the lie. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • 2 Poems by Robert Herrick Analyzed

    A 2 page analysis of two poems by the seventeenth century poet Robert Herrick-- 'Corinna's Going A-Maying' and 'The Hock-cart.' The writer argues that these two poems can be read simultaneously at three levels. On one level the poems describe the events that help to mark the human year‹the coming of spring and the celebration of the harvest. On the other hand, these events of the human year are reflective of the natural order, the passage of the seasons, and the cyclical nature of time. No additional sources cited.

  • A.E. Housman/An Athlete Dying Young

    A 3 page paper that offers an explication of this poem. Death is the universal denominator. Everything living eventually dies. When a young life is cut short, it is viewed as a tragedy, but poet A.E. Housman offers a different perspective in his poem "To An Athlete Dying Young." In this work, Housman points out the fleeting nature of fame and glory and asserts that the young man to whom the poem is addressed is fortunate to end his life at its apex rather than live and have to watch his glory fade. The writer offers a detailed explication, but differs from the poet's perspective. No additional sources cited.

  • Song of Myself

    A 3 page paper which examines how a reader could personally relate to this particular poem by Walt Whitman. No additional sources cited.

  • A Loaded Gun - Emily Dickinson’s Exploration of Oppression

    This 7 page paper explicates one of Dickinson’s most obscure poems, “My Life Had Stood – A Loaded Gun.” Bibliography lists 8 sources.

  • The Tropics in New York

    A 3 page paper which examines the effectiveness of the message and metaphors in Claude McKay’s poem The Tropics in New York. No additional sources cited.

  • 'Cinderella' by Anne Sexton

    (5 pp) At a turning point in art history, Marcel Duchamp turned a porcelain urinal, upside down and hung it on the wall, labeling it art, after he signed it 'R. Mutt.' The supposed sophisticated community at large took that to mean - 'whatever I say is art, is art.' The same argument could be made for a poet. If the poet claims it, a poem. Is it then a poem or does it have to follow certain structure, form or meaning to get that title? In this discussion we will examine the poem, Cinderella by Anne Sexton, within two categories, meaning and mechanics of, and see how it stands on its own.

  • An Analysis of Virgil's Depiction of the Tragedy of Dido

    A 3 page essay that examines Book Four of Virgil's epic poem of Rome's founding, the Aeneid, which relates the tragic love of Dido for the epic's hero Aeneas. This section of the poem pictures the course of Dido's love in five stages, which range from her realization that she loves Aeneas to her suicide, as his ships sail away. Throughout this narrative, Virgil pictures love as the equivalent to disease, an external force that subverts attention from what it truly important in life, that is, one's responsibilities. The implication in the poem is that Aeneas, being male, is better able to keep a proper focus than is the hapless, lovelorn Dido. No additional sources cited.

  • t.s. eliot's 'The Waste Land' and Maud Ellmann's 'A Sphinx Without a Secret'

    A 3 page essay that summarizes and discusses Maud Ellmann's "A Sphinx Without a Secret: The Waste Land," a critique of the poem by T.S. Eliot. Ellmann begins her discussion of T.S. Eliot's poem The Waste Land by comparing it to a phrase from an Oscar Wild's story, saying that the work is an example of a "sphinx without a secret" (Ellmann 258). In so doing, Ellmann begins her detailed and insightful examination of Eliot, which looks at this poem from a psychoanalytical perspective, which favors a post-structuralist reading of the text. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • 'Cinderella' by Anne Sexton

    (5 pp) At a turning point in art history, Marcel Duchamp turned a porcelain urinal, upside down and hung it on the wall, labeling it art, after he signed it "R. Mutt." The supposed sophisticated community at large took that to mean - "whatever I say is art, is art." The same argument could be made for a poet. If the poet says it is a poem. Is it then a poem, or does it have to follow certain structure, form or meaning to get that title? In this discussion we will examine the poem, Cinderella by Anne Sexton, within two categories, meaning and mechanics, and see how it stands on its own.

  • 'Ode to a Grecian Urn' and 'To Autumn' by John Keats

    A 7 page essay that analyzes Keats' "To Autumn" and "Ode to a Grecian Urn," with a primary focus on "To Autumn." It is Keats' rich use of language that pays tribute to this season. As the poem progresses, Keats piles up sensory images in much the same way as a farmer piles up his harvest. An examination of this poem, in comparison with another poem that exemplifies Keats' style, the famous "Ode to a Grecian Urn" reveals Keats' optimistic outlook, a perspective that found meaning in the ordinary events of life, as well as in great art. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Rhina Espaillat: Bilingual/Bilingüe

    This 3 page paper discusses the poem Bilingual/Bilingüe by Rhina Espaillat. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • The Haunted Palace

    A 3 page paper which analyzes elements of Edgar Allan Poe’s poem The Haunted Palace. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Robert Browning's 'My Last Duchess'

    A 3 page essay that addresses Robert Browning's poem "My Last Duchess." This poem presents a dramatic monologue, in which a duke is discussing his art collection with the emissary of a family with whom the duke is negotiating the details of an arranged marriage. The duke stops before a portrait of his last duchess and begins to recount a story that is clearly intended to relay a message to the family concerning the duke's expectations for his next wife. In presenting the duke's diatribe against his previous duchess, Browning, in many ways, contrasts the restricted Classical worldview against the more humanistic Romantic worldview. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Review of Homer's 'The Iliad'

    A 6 page book review that summarizes and analyzes aspects of this classic epic poem. The Iliad, by the ancient Greek poet Homer, is one of the greatest poetic epics in history. This poem has held readers in thrall for millennia as there is it is a grand tale of heroic adventure. As time has past, its allure has increased due to the fact that Homer's storytelling prowess opens a window for the modern reader that reveals another time, an ancient era, with its mores, customs, traditions, beliefs and lifestyle illustrated in the lives of the Greek and Trojan heroes. In accomplishing this, the Iliad reveals a pagan world whose orientation is quite different from the Western world known to the reader. Thematic content is also discussed. No additional sources cited.

  • Choice and its Conundrums

    (5 pp.) Conundrum is a fifty-cent word, which means "riddle." That is often what a choice is. It involves information, intuition and risk; sometimes it appears that spitting into the wind has as much possibility as the productivity of choice. But, who knows, maybe the wind will suddenly change. In examining the idea of change, one way to look at it is through poetry. The ideas of poetry move more fluidly, and are more open to introspection than prose. Poets and poems considered in this discussion will be " Lucille Clifton - "the Lost Baby Poem;" Robert Frost - "Stopping by a Snowy Wood;" and W.H. Auden - "The Unknown Citizen."

  • Poems for Children by Shel Silverstein and Robert Louis Stevenson

    A 3 page essay that contrasts and compares children's poems by these two poets. Being able to recreate the magic and joy of childhood and to do it from the child's perspective is a rare gift that few poets have exhibited. Two poets who manage to accomplish this feat are Shel Silverstein and nineteenth century author Robert Louis Stevenson. Examination of a representative poem demonstrates not only the technical virtuosity of each poet, but also the fact that each man managed to capture a child's narrative voice without talking down to their young readers, but rather showing empathy and understanding of a child's world. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Mourning and Separaton in the Poems of John Donne and W.H. Auden

    A 3 page essay that contrasts and compares poems by these two poets. Separation from a loved one, either through death or prolonged absence, engenders the natural response of mourning. In his poem "Funeral Blues," W.H. Auden captures in metaphors the heart-wrenching experience of losing a loved one. John Donne's "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" also uses metaphor in order to offer solace to his beloved concerning a prolonged separation. In both cases, the poets capture the experience of mourning the creative use of metaphor. No additional sources cited.

  • Analysis of Robert Frost's Poem 'The Road Less Traveled'

    This 5 page report discusses the short and apparently simple poem “The Road Less Traveled” written by Robert Frost that describes a traveler who chooses between two paths that diverge in the woods. it is clear throughout his writing that Frost also understood that the “order” of nature was such that it defined the very existence of a human being. The poem, “The Road Not Taken,” is an example of how he constantly frames the actions and thinking of a person against the backdrop of the natural world. It also suggests that one’s choices in life can be dependent upon what one sees before them in the natural world. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • 'Claudette Colvin Goes to Work' by Rita Dove

    This 4 page report discusses one of the poems in Rita Dove’s poetry volume titled “On the Bus with Rosa Parks.” “On the Bus with Rosa Parks” exemplifies the ways in which Dove captures a moment, sees it for what it was and is, and then addresses its unique beauty and power and the poem “Claudette Colvin Goes to Work” provides the reader with a truly unique insight into the awarenesses and experiences of one woman who . . . “goes to work.” Bibliography list only the primary source.

  • 'Poem (As the Cat)' by William Carlos Williams

    A 5 page essay that discusses the imagery in this poem. The poetry of William Carlos Williams (1883-1963) uses imagery that typically refers to everyday experiences and concrete images that describe material objects. Goodblatt and Glicksohn propose that comprehending a metaphor is akin to problem solving, "in its more creative form," and that this involves "an act of perceptual and semantic restructuring. Considering this perspective, this analysis focuses on the imagery that Williams employs in his verse entitled "Poem (As the cat," which offers a typical example of Williams utilization of metaphor and imagery within a short lyric form. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Cultural Influences Exerted by the Life and Art of Robert Frost

    A 3 page essay that discusses the life of Robert Frost in connection with his poetry. Three poems are briefly analyzed and the writer relates what has been learned by this assignment. One of twentieth century America's greatest poets, Robert Frost (1874-1963), wrote verse that was not initially popular with the American public. For the first several decades of his adult life, Frost worked at a variety of jobs, and his family existed on the edge of poverty. He did not obtain financial stability and success as a poet until he was forty years old (Baym, et al 1762). Frost was a conservative poet who adhered to traditional forms and continued to write in the twentieth century the "kind of traditional poetry that modernists thought could no longer be written" (Baym, et al 1762). Through his remarkable use of imagery and also through his use of rhythm, which mirrors that of colloquial speech, Frost's poems often draw on the natural world to express complex meanings and nuances of understanding concerning life's major issues. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

  • Dante’s Inferno & Humanism

    A 3 page essay that discusses “The Inferno” from Dante’s medieval epic poem The Divine Comedy. This poem describes the experience of the author, led by the specter of the ancient Roman poet Virgil, through a journey of spiritual enlightenment that takes him through Hell, Purgatory and finally to Heaven. The punishments that are inflicted on the souls in Hell strike Dante, as a character in the poem, as inhumane, but Dante, the poet, makes it clear that each punishment is ideally suited as retribution for the sins committed by these souls while the individuals were alive on earth. Therefore, as the poem’s narrator moves through Hell, he receives progressive lessons pertaining to what it means to be fully human and fully in accord with the expectations of God. No additional sources cited.

  • Perillo/Dangerous Life

    A 4 page explication of a poem "Dangerous Life" by Lucia Maria Perillo. While it does not appear to be so with a cursory, surface-skimming first-reading, closer examination of Lucia Maria Perillo's psychologically complex poem "Dangerous Life" is a poem of hope. Perillo presents a woman who is caught within the between the trap of societal expectations and her own inner direction. However, the ultimate meaning of the poem asserts the positive nature of the narrative voice and her determination to find her own path and make that path successful whatever it might be. No bibliography is offered.

  • A Poetic Analysis of 'Homecoming' by Lenrie Peters

    This is 4 page paper meant as an explication of Lenrie Peters’ poem “Homecoming”. Gambian poet and novelist Lenrie Peters was born in 1932 in Bathurst, the capital of Gambia during the time when Gambia was still a British colony. The background of Peters and that of his country is important when analyzing his poem “Homecoming” as readers can better understand the climate in which he left Gambia to become educated and that to which he returned many years later. The poem “Homecoming” is among his collection which shows the corruptive greed of the tribal leaders while at the same time is balanced by “nostalgia for a pastoral past with cautious assertion of hope for a future built on that past”. Peters’ “Homecoming” writes of the sadness and strange shadows and skeletons which awaited him when he returned to Gambia to which he had “longed for returning”. The poem can be analyzed through several meanings including literal, connoted, figurative, imagery, allusions and tone among others. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Analysis of Two Poems by Sharon Olds

    A 3 page essay that analyzes two of Olds' poems, "Indictment of Senior Officers" and the "The Death of Marilyn Monroe." In these poems, Sharon Olds addresses violence perpetuated toward women and arrives at conclusions that suggests that, in both cases, society must bear some of the responsibility for the women's pain. Her verse causes the reader to contemplate the challenges facing women and how they are prepared for those challenges. Evocative and thought provoking, both poems compel the reader to consider women's place in Western society, as these poems are essentially critiques against the manner in which women are treated in Western society. No additional sources cited.

  • 'Song to a Waitress' by Aron Kessbury

    A 5 page essay that interprets the poem "Song to a waitress" by Aron Kessbury. The poem is included in its entirety as the writer offers a stanza by stanza analysis. "Song to a Waitress" is a blank verse poem that expresses a great deal of anger and dissatisfaction with the transformed nature of male/female relationships that have come with the dismantling of patriarchy. The thrust of the poem expresses the narrator's longing for -- what to him -- appears to be a simpler time, a time when women, particularly lower class women, were somewhat cowed by men, that is, a time when women "knew their place." No bibliography is offered.

  • Comparative Analysis of Allen Ginsberg's Howl and Walt Whitman's Song of Myself

    A 5 page paper discussing two separate poems by Whitman and Ginsberg. The first poem is Walt Whitman's 'Song of Myself,' and the second poem is Alan Ginsberg's 'Howl.' The poems are discussed in relationship to their depiction of individuality and freedom. Both poets depict their subjects in different ways, while still maintaining similarities. Both see these issues as illustrating the connected nature of humanity, whether spiritually or not. One speaks of hopelessness and the other or beauty and God. Each also speaks of these issues in ways that have been, and always will be, thought of for people will always continue to have hope or the lack of it. No additional sources cited.

  • Advancing Age in the Poetry of W.B. Yeats

    A 5 page essay that summarizes and analyzes 3 poems by Yeats. In three of his best poems, William Butler Yeats addresses the age-old topic of mortality and the bitterness of advancing age. These poems are "Among School Children," "Sailing to Byzantium," and "Byzantium." These three poems thematically share and develop Yeats' thoughts relative to the loss of youth and the decline and decay of the human body contrasted against what is eternal in human experience, which is the medium of art and the striving of the soul toward perfection. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

  • Sexual Imagery/Depression in 3 Poems By Robert Frost

    A 5 page essay that analyzes 3 poems by Frost. Robert Frost is one of America's best-loved poets. His use of evocative and lyrical natural imagery speaks to a broad audience. However, in addition to the folksy wisdom, there is tension in many of Frost's poems that subtly intimates both his battles with lifelong depression, as well as conflicted feelings toward sex. The following examination of 3 of Frost's poems, "Acquainted wit the Night," "The Road Not Taken," and "Birches," demonstrates that below the literal surface meaning of these poems, Frost invites the reader to look deeper into his perception. No additional sources cited.

  • Nature and Poetic Views Contrasted

    A 5 page essay that contrasts and compares four poems, --"A Sick Rose" by William Blake; "Apparently with no surprise" by Emily Dickinson; "Digging" by Seamus Heaney; and "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost. The writer argues that in these poems the reader encounters brilliant imagery that perfectly invokes scenes of nature in the reader's imagination. However, examination of these four poems shows that the poets intend their verse to send very different messages. Blake and Dickinson picture nature as beautiful, but unfeeling. Their poems see nature as evidence of a divine power that can be capricious in its cruelty. Frost and Heaney, on the other hand, picture nature as soothing, positive and more benign. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

  • A Reading of Emily Dickinson's 'I heard a Fly buzz…'

    A 5 page analysis of Dickinson's poem 'I heard a Fly buzz—when I died.' The writer particularly examines the way figures of speech are employed by Dickinson. No additional sources cited.

  • 'dandelions' by Deborah Austin

    A 5 page analysis of a poem, 'dandelions,' by Deborah Austin. The writer offers an explanation for the war-imagery that Austin employs to describe the tiny flower, relating it to the poet's feelings on nature. No additional sources cited.

  • Poetry and the Concepts of Sovereignty and Ancestry

    This 5 page paper analyzes the work of Wayne Westlake and Richard Hamasaki in regard to ancestry and cultural heritage as influence on poetry. Three poems are analyzed, examples quoted and cited from text. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Love in Andrew Marvell's 'The Definition of Love' and in Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey's 'Love, That Doth Reign and Live Within My Thought'

    A 10 page paper which examines how each poem defines love and how, in the end, love fails in both. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold

    A 3 page essay that explicates the poem "Dover Beach" by Matthew Arnold. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Mending Wall by Robert Frost

    A 4 page essay that explicates "Mending Wall," a poem by Robert Frost. The writer argues that Frost envisions the task of mending the wall between himself and his neighbor as an extended metaphor that protests the blind acceptance of ideas. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock/Eliot

    A 3 page essay that offers explication of T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." The writer discusses how love and romance are envisioned in the poem. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Langston Hughes' Blues Poetry

    In five pages this paper examines the interplay between rhythm, metaphor, and imagery in five of Langston’s blues poems: “The Weary Blues,” “Young Gal’s Blues,” “Dream Boogie,” “Listen Here Blues,” and “Ballad of the Landlord.” Six sources are listed in the bibliography.

  • Brooks' "To Be in Love" - Biographical Connections

    This is a 3 page paper that provides an overview of Brooks' "To Be in Love". Biographical elements are mapped to passages in the poem. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • The World is Too Much with Us/William Wordsworth

    A 3 page explication of William Wordsworth's poem "The World is Too Much With Us," which focuses on Wordsworth's use of imagery and metaphor. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • "The last Night that She Lived:" An Analysis of Comprehending Death According to Emily Dickinson

    In three pages this paper summarizes and analyzes Emily Dickinson’s poem, “The last Night that She lived.” The bibliography lists only the primary source.

  • Philosophy of Negative Capability in the Poems of John Keats

    In four pages this paper examines how Keats used technique to employ his philosophy of negative capability in some of his most famous poems. Two sources are listed in the bibliography.

  • Poets R.S. Thomas and John Betjeman on Nature and the Modern World

    This 5 page paper compares and contrasts the poetry of RS Thomas and John Betjeman. The poems utilized are "Cynddylan on a Tractor" and "Slough". Examples are given from text and conclusions drawn about the symbolism, theme, and attitudes of the poets on the issue of nature and the modern society. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Comparative Thematic Analysis of Raymond Chandler's The Long Goodbye and T.S. Eliot's 'The Waste Land'

    (5 pp) Sometimes the things unite two works of fiction are the most obvious, and so we do not even consider them. Such may be the case with Raymond Chandlers, The Long Goodbye and T.S. Eliot's poem The Wasteland: one is about a mystery, and one is mystery. It would be nice if it were settled that easily, wouldn't it? But not nearly so much fun, as if we see what other elements might tie these diverse appearing works together.

  • Auden, Braque, and Picasso

    (6 pp) In this discussion we will be comparing and contrasting two paintings (Picasso and Braque) and one poem (W H Auden), with a quote, "art is a lie that tells the truth." Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Wordsworth, Frost, and Nature

    This 6 page paper looks at two poems by Robert Frost—Birches and After Apple Picking—and Michael by Wordsworth, and contemplates how each author uses nature. The works are compared and contrasted. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • The Lais by Marie de France

    An 8 page research paper that examines the work of Marie de France (circa 1155-1170), a French poet, whose work offers a fascinating view into what life was like for the medieval French noblewoman. Her surviving works are a collection of 'Lais,' which are short stories in verse form that usually dealt with romantic themes. The writer relates the literary elements of her poetry and its significance to what the poems tell the modern reader about medieval life. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • 'My Last Duchess' by Robert Browning

    A 5 page paper which examines how the poem has all the makings of a classic Greek tragedy. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

  • Critical Responses to Death in Dickinson's Poetry

    A 6 page research paper that examines Emily Dickinson's 'death' poetry, specifically concentrating on 'Because I Could Not Stop for Death.' The writer offers several critical responses to this poem before offering a personal interpretation. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

  • 4 Poetry Classics and Their Meanings

    A 5 page essay that looks at four poems and analyzes them according to the poet's meaning and purpose. These are Robert Browning's 'My Last Duchess,' 'Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam' translated by Edward Fitzgerald; 'Ulysses' by Alfred, Lord Tennyson; and 'Ozymandias' by Percy Bysshe Shelley. No additional sources cited.

  • A Discussion of the poem Mending Wall by Robert Frost

    (5 pp) The imagery in Robert Frost's poem "Mending Wall" is the major topic of this discussion. Incorporating the title into any of Frost's work is an essential bit of word distillation. From this title we know that the images will be about the process of mending the wall as well as the wall itself.

  • Analysis of the Poem 'The Road Not Taken' by Robert Frost

    A 5 page paper which analyzes the poem and its meaning by considering such literary devices as metaphor, simile, rhyme, rhythm, structure and tone, while also discussing its critical reaction. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

  • Analysis of 'I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud' by William Wordsworth

    A 3 page paper which analyzes the poem “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” by William Wordsworth. No additional sources cited.

  • Simple Eloquence of 'I Wandered Lonely As a Cloud' by William Wordsworth

    A 3 page explication of Wordsworth's poem "I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud," which is a simple, but eloquent, depiction of nature that emphasizes how a moment of natural beauty can bring solace and pleasure when remembered. Wordsworth describes a rather ordinary occurrence, which is seeing a field of daffodils blowing in the wind. Yet, his artistry serves to use the very commonality of this experience to help the reader see a connection between humanity and the natural world. No additional sources cited.

  • Margaret Atwood's Poem 'Spelling'

    A 5 page paper which analyzes the poem “Spelling” by Margaret Atwood. Bibliography lists 4 additional sources.

  • 'The Aurora of Autumn and the Plain Sense of Things' by Wallace Stevens and 'Wasteland' by T.S. Eliot Compared and Contrasted

    This 10 page paper discusses the poetry of T.S. Eliot in his work, The Waste land, and compares/contrasts it with the work of Wallace Steven's collection in The Aurora of Autumn and The Plain Sense of Things. The two poets are compared/contrasted on points of worldview, philosophies, subject selection, as well as an analysis of various poems from the collections. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • 'Dance' and the Painting by Matisse and Poem by Natalie Safir

    A 7 page research paper that contrasts and compares Matisse's painting "Dance" with Natalie Safir's poem "Matisse's Dance." The writer argues that Safir attempts to capture the primitive exaltation of the nude dancers in Matisse's painting. An examination of Safir's verse and Matisse's painting demonstrates that Safir is highly successful in capturing the essence of Matisse's genius. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Colonial Age and Wilderness Literature

    A 5 page paper which examines some colonial recordings and poetry, discussing the concept of wilderness in colonial times. The paper examines John Smith’s “General History of Virginia,” William Bradford’s “Of Plymouth Plantation,” and three of Anne Bradstreet’s poems. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Humanism Themes in Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience by William Blake

    This 25 page paper gives an in-depth detailed analysis of William Blake's humanist views as exampled by his poems in both Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience. Specific, cited, quoted, examples are given which indicate Blake's humanism. Reasons for his philosophy are also explored as well as leading theories from scholarly journals and experts on Blake literature. Loads of quotes. Bibliography lists 10 sources.

  • Nature and the Poetic Views of John Keats

    A 10 page paper which examines Keats’ view on nature. The poems discussed are “Bright Star,” “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” “To Autumn,” “In a Drear-Nighted December,” “Ode on Melancholy,” and “Ode to a Nightingale.” Bibliography lists 3 additional sources.

  • Poetry of Christina Rossetti and Gender

    This 5 page paper discusses how Rossetti addresses the issue of gender in her poetry. Specifically, the poems this paper examines are "Maude", "Goblin Market", and others. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

  • Comparison and Contrast of The City and Ithaca

    An 8 page paper which compares and contrasts the poems “The City” and “Ithaca” by Constantine Cavafy. Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.

  • 'A Lone Striker' by Robert Frost

    A 5 page paper which analyzes Robert Frost’s poem “A Lone Striker.” Bibliography lists 3 additional sources.

  • 'Salut au Monde!' by Walt Whitman

    A 5 page analysis of a poem featured in Whitman’s masterpiece “Leaves of Grass.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • The Affectionate Shepherd by Richard Barnfield

    A 3 page essay that analyzes Richard Barnfield's homoerotic Renaissance poem. The writer analyzes Barnfield's argument that homosexual love is no more sinful than heterosexual love, exploring his points and classical allusions. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • The Use of Figurative Language in Plath, Keats, and Layton

    A 5 page paper which compares and contrasts how the figurative language of imagery (or symbolism), metaphor, personification, and simile in each poem. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

  • Poetic Analysis of 'If We Must Die' by Claude McKay

    A 5 page paper which considers the poem’s meaning and impact and critically analyzes its form and use of metaphor, tone and mood, irony, and figurative language. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • 'The Odyssey' by Homer and Characters Penelope and Athena

    A 5 page paper which examines how the wife and the goddess influenced Odysseus, thus assuring their importance in the epic poem. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • E.M. Forster's Novel A Passage to India and Walt Whitman's Poem 'Passage to India' Analyzed

    A 5 page paper which examines how Forster’s novel reacts to the assertions in Whitman’s poem. No additional sources are used.

  • James Merrill's Life and Environmental Influences

    This 5 page paper provides an overview of the life and times of James Merrill. How his environment affected him and how he had contributed to the world with his work are the primary subjects of contemplation. A great deal of biographical information is contained in this paper and the poem An Urban Convalescence is discussed. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

  • Poetry and Time

    This 5 page paper contemplates essential life and death issues but focuses on time as a concept. Many poems are discussed including some of Shakespeare's works, Poe's "The Raven," Sir Walter Ralegh's "The Author's Epitaph, Made By Himself," and Keats's "On first looking into Chapman's Homer." Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • Comparing Wordsworth's 'Ode Intimations of Mortality' to Keats' 'Ode to a Grecian Urn'

    A 5 page comparison of the literary genre of odes using the poems of two of the most noted poets of the romantic genre. Discusses the ode genre, distinguishing between irregular odes and regular odes. Emphasizes that while certain aspects such as structure differ in many respects between Wordsworth’s “Ode” and Keats’ “The Grecian Urn”, there are a number of commonalties between these presentations as well. No additional sources are listed.

  • Analysis of Emily Dickinson's Poem 712

    A 5 page explication which identifies the poem’s basic theme and purpose, as well as considers how the significant poetic elements of imagery, structure, language, and meaning contribute to its understanding. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Summary and Analysis of 'The Raven' by Edgar Allan Poe

    A 4 page paper which summarizes and examines Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven.” Bibliography lists 4 additional sources.

  • Sylvia Plath's 'Above the Oxbow'

    This 3 page paper discusses the poem, Above the Oxbow, by Sylvia Plath. Quotes cited from text and explained. Imagery, literary devices used, examples of non-sense words, exampled and discussed. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Modernist Theme in 'The Waste Land' by 'T.S. Eliot

    A 5 page paper which examines the theme within T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Waste Land.” The focus of the paper is on modernism. Other poets discussed: Ezra Pound, William Carlos Williams, and Hilda Doolittle. No additional sources cited.

  • Geography in the Poetry of W.H. Auden

    An 11 page paper which discusses the geographies within the poems of W.H. Auden. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Carpe Diem Poems by Herrick and Donne

    A 4 page essay that contrasts and compares Herrick's poem "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time" and Donne's "The Flea." The writer argues that both poets make use of the carpe diem them to create seduction arguments. No additional sources cited.

  • 'In Memoriam' by Alfred Lord Tennyson and its 'Spring Songs'

    This 4 page report discusses the “spring songs” of the poem’s sections 38, 83, 91 and 115. In each, Tennyson discusses the return of spring, the possibility of rebirth, and a measure of hope and reassurance. Bibliography lists only the primary source.

  • 'Song' by Allen Ginsberg, 'Story of an Hour' by Kate Chopin, and Love

    A 5 page paper which examines love in the short story “Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin. The idea of love is discussed in relationship to the poem “Song” by Allen Ginsberg. No additional sources cited.

  • Romanticism, Modernism, and Victorian Literature

    A 5 page paper which examines literature and the development of literature as seen through the work of Mary Shelley (Romancitsm), Thomas Hardy (Victorian) and Yeats (Modernism). Bibliography lists 6 sources.

  • Differences in Silence in Poetry of the East and West

    A 5 page essay that analyzes the differences between Eastern and Western poetry, using the work of Matsuo Basho for the east and Walt Whitman for the West. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Poetry, Literature, and Justice and Freedom Themes

    A 5 page paper which examines a common theme in two pieces of literature and two pieces of poetry. The theme discussed is that of freedom and the works are “The Conversion of the Jews” by Philip Roth, “A Room of One’s Own” by Virginia Woolf, “Ego Tripping (There May Be a Reason Why)” by Nikki Giovanni, and “How We Carry Ourselves” by Jimmy Santiago Baca. No additional sources cited.

  • Literature, Poetry, and Self Reliance

    A 5 page paper which examines the theme of self reliance in the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Robert Frost’s “Mending Wall,” Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” Chinua Achebe’s “Dead Man’s Path” and Sophocles’ “Antigone.” Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Literature of the First World War, Dying, Mutilation, and Death

    A 7 page essay that examines the work of 5 WWI British poets and also Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises. The writer argues that this literature recounts the horrors of war through subtext, that is, not stating observations overtly. Subtext, expressed through metaphor, satire and allusion, provides the motivational engine that propels these works. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

  • Literature and Epiphany

    A 4 page paper which discusses epiphany in literature. The works examined are Emerson’s “Self Reliance,” Whitman’s “Song of Myself,” and Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues.” Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Symbolism in Belle Epoch Literature

    A 4 page paper which examines the influence of symbolism in Belle Epoch literature. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Dante's Hell and Characters

    A 5 page apper which examines where one would place various characters in classic/ancient literature in Dante’s Inferno. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • The World of Work

    This 3 page paper uses two works of literature to comment on the way in which work can destroy a person; in one ("Hazel tells LaVerne"), the lack of self-esteem leads a woman to miss a great opportunity; in the other ("A&P"), a manager's slavish devotion to "the rules" costs him a good employee. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Ireland's Version of Masefield's 'Sea Fever' and Barnby's Setting Of Tennyson's 'Crossing The Bar'

    5 pages in length. Understanding the greater meaning behind traditional songs of the sea enables one to gain a significantly better perspective of just how powerful the ocean's presence is in some people's lives. To those who live and breathe by the sea, her swelling waves and wafting salt air reflect a world still unknown to man yet comforting nonetheless. When Tennyson's Crossing the Bar and Masefield's Sea Fever were put to music by Barnby and Ireland, respectively, the already absorbing and intimate meanings beheld by the poems took on an even greater sense of emotion with each man's haunting melody, clearly expanding the meaning of the words. Bibliography lists 10 sources.

  • Poetry by Behn and Rossetti

    A 3 page paper which examines the theme of sexuality in The Disappointment by Aphra Behn and Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Satan Imagery in 'Paradise Lost' by John Milton and The Bible

    An 8 page paper which compares and contrasts how these two literary works portray evil. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • John Donne and God

    A 4 page research paper/essay that looks at the religious poetry of John Donne, specifically Holy Sonnets 14 and 18. The writer argues that Donne's religious poetry expresses his confusion, sometimes anger, over the doubts engendered by Reformation theology. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

  • Moral and Ethical Principles Learned from The Odyssey

    This 3 page paper discusses three moral and ethical ideas we can find in The Odyssey. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: Comparison/Contrast

    A 7 page paper which compares and contrasts Maya Angelou’s poem I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings to the life and experiences of a white male teaching in a Black school. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • Learning as a Theme in Milton's Paradise Lost

    A 5 page paper which examines what Adam and Eve learned before and after the fall, and considers their differences in the ways in which they receive their education. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

  • Water Symbolism in The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot

    A 5 page paper analyzing the symbolism of water in Eliot's landmark poem. It concludes that water, in the world of the Waste Land, stands for sustenance, healing, and faith, and for the orderly and proper progress of the universe; it is only through the restoration of balance that the Waste Land can be healed. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Lacking Conviction in Sexual Intimacy in "Sex without Love" by Sharon Olds and "Lust" by Susan Minot

    In three pages this explication examines the theme of intimacy without conviction in Susan Minot’s short story and in Sharon Olds’ poem. There are no additional sources listed in the bibliography.

  • One Art by Elizabeth Bishop

    A 3 page paper which analyzes One Art by Elizabeth Bishop. No additional sources cited.

  • Three Poets: Dickinson, Frost and Hughes

    This 3 page paper discusses the way three poets, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost and Langston Hughes, use sound and motion to convey a sense of life and death in three of their poems, “Safe in Their Alabaster Chambers” (Dickinson): “Out, out…” (Frost) and “The Weary Blues” (Hughes). Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Nature in the Poetry of Emily Dickinson

    A 5 page paper which examines how nature is portrayed in “The Soul Selects Her Own Society” (#303), “After Great Pain, A Formal Feeling Comes,” (#341), “This is My Letter to the World” (#441), “I Had Been Hungry” (#579), and “They Shut Me Up in Prose” (#613). No additional sources are used.

  • Emily Dickinson's Poems 435 and 632 Compared

    A 5 page paper which examines how both of these poems are expressing the same message. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

  • Emily Dickinson's Poetry and Transcendentalism

    A 6 page paper which examines the poetry of Emily Dickinson for tenets of Transcendentalism. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Emily Dickinson's Poetry Reflects a Lonely Life

    A 5 page paper that examines the life of Emily Dickinson, the many contradictions that this life presented, and the resulting loneliness of this life that is reflected in her poetry. This paper includes a short synopsis of Dickinson's childhood as well as an examination of those few individuals who impacted her life, plus a discussion of the influence these events and individuals bore on both her life and works. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, Boundaries and Limitations

    This 5 page paper discusses the significance of boundaries and limits in Conrad's, "Heart of Darkness". This issue is examined in terms of the character, plot and symbolism in the story. Bibliography list 1 source.

  • Imagination, Emotion, Intuition, and Values of Romanticism

    (5 pp) "One of the problems of definition is that the Romantics were liberals and conservatives, revolutionaries and reactionaries. Some were preoccupied with God, others were atheistic, to the core. Some, began their lives as devout Catholics, lived as ardent revolutionaries, and died as staunch conservatives. " However, there are some generalities, that the author will discuss, which will give us a rough outline, of that historical period, usually thought of, from 1750 to 1850. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Dream State Validity and 'Ode to a Nightingale' by John Keats

    A 5 page essay that posits that contrary to Keats' critics at the time, Keats was not lost in the romantic dream state, but was fully aware of the aesthetic artifice of his poetry. The writer explores both sides of the argument through myriad examples from within the poem itself. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

  • John Forbes and John Keats

    A 3 page paper which compares and contrasts poetic elements within John Forbes’ Anzac Day and John Keats’ On the Sonnet. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • John Keats, John Donne, and Robert Browning's Uses of Imagery

    A 3 page essay on the imagery of death created by these three authors in Porphyria's Lover, A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning, and La Belle Dame sans Merci. The author proves the argument in terms of techniques such as diction, shaping, figurative language. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Literary Period Known as the Anti Heroic Age

    A 4 page paper which examines how this is often called the anti-heroic age and how it has been in the making for some time. Individuals discussed in this discussion are D.H. Lawrence, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Alfred Lord Tennyson, and William Butler Yeats. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • The Snow Cricket by Mary Oliver

    A 3 page analysis of The Snow Cricket by Mary Oliver. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Langston Hughes' Blues Poetry

    In five pages this paper examines the interplay between rhythm, metaphor, and imagery in five of Langston’s blues poems: “The Weary Blues,” “Young Gal’s Blues,” “Dream Boogie,” “Listen Here Blues,” and “Ballad of the Landlord.” Six sources are listed in the bibliography.

  • Child Neglect Theme in 'The Chimney Sweeper' by William Blake

    A 6 page paper discussing this theme in William Blake's infamous Romantic-era poem. The writer details various references made by Blake to child neglect and also describes some of the attitudes that were prevalent at that time. Thesis is well-argued and well-supported. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

  • 'Daddy' by Sylvia Plath

    This 8 page paper analyzes Sylvia Plath's poem, Daddy for feminist overtones. Examples are given from the text to support the thesis and cited. In addition, the supporting statements of several other experts are given which support the claim. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • 'Daddy' by Sylvia Plath

    This 5 page paper looks at Sylvia Plath's famous poem. An analysis is presented using a feminist archetypal perspective. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

  • Meaning of 'Daddy' by Sylvia Plath

    A 3 page essay that analyzes the meaning behind Sylvia Plath's poem "Daddy." The writer points out that throughout the poem, images of men jumble together, some of her father, some of her ex-husband, some that present attempts by Plath to understand her father through his Germanic background. Collectively, along with the intentionally schoolgirl-like rhymes, the poem conveys the black desperation of a lost little girl, which definitely was Plath's psychic state at that time. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Epic Poem 'Beowulf' and Comparison of the Dragon and Grendel

    A 6 page paper which compares and contrasts two of Beowulf’s opponents and analyzes their symbolic significance. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • The Dream of the Rood

    A 4 page paper which analyzes the Dream of the Rood. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Comparing Poems about War to Beowulf

    A 10 page paper which discusses and compares the classic Beowulf with W.B. Yeats’ poem “An Irish Airman Foresees His Death” and Rupert Brooke’s “The Soldier.” Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Four Poems on Grief

    This 8 page essay explicates 4 poems that deal with grief. These poems are: "Stairway to Heaven" by Joaquin G. Rubio; "Don't Forget About Me!" by Jenny Gordon; "My Mother Just Died" by Attila Jozsef; and "A Picture of You" by Deborah Robinson. Bibliographical information is incomplete and only the poems are cited.

  • Fish Symbolism in Elizabeth Bishop's 'The Fish'

    A 5 page paper which examines the symbolic nature of the fish in “The Fish” by Elizabeth Bishop. No additional sources cited.

  • Selfishness in O'Connor and Browning

    This 4 page report discusses O'Connor's short story and Browning's "dramatic monologue." In comparing the primary characters of each, the writer makes the assertion that the character of the grandmother is more selfish than Browning's duke. Bibliography lists only the primary sources.

  • Poe/Annabel Lee

    A 3 page explication of Edgar Allan Poe's last poem, Annabel Lee, which was written in 1849. The writer argues that this poem is a haunting tribute by the still grieving Poe for his young wife Virginia who had passed away two years previously from tuberculosis. Examination of this poem's theme, mood and point-of-view demonstrates the depth of emotion that Poe had for his deceased child/bride, as well as how he viewed his own death with equanimity because he saw it as uniting him with his beloved. No additional sources cited.

  • A Reading of Emily Dickinson's Short Poem #1755

    5 pages. This paper examines one of Emily Dickinson's short poems, #1755. Emily Dickinson was a prolific poet and the amount of work as well as the quality still tends to amaze readers. The simplest lines can speak volumes as we can see when we examine poem #1755. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • Death and the Works of Emily Dickinson

    Many of Emily Dickinson's 1775 poems deal with her beliefs concerning the process of death, the rituals surrounding death and the question of immortality. This 6 page paper focuses on three of her poems: 'After Great Pain A Formal Feeling Comes', 'Because I Could Not Stop For Death' and 'I felt A Funeral In My Brain', where it can be seen that Ms. Dickinson did indeed believe in an afterlife and viewed death from the vantage point that it should be faced and celebrated with a sense of dignity. Her outlook toward organized religion and the rituals accompanying death was skeptical, if not cynical. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

  • Religious Influences on Emily Dickinson

    This 4 page paper examines the divergent religious influences in Emily Dickinson's life and how those influences are expressed within her poetry. This paper specifically highlights the combatting Puritan and transcendental beliefs that pervaded her work. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Analysis: Monologue for an Onion

    This 3 page paper explicates the poem “Monologue for an Onion” by Suji Kim, with attention to the metaphor of the veil and the heart. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • 2 African American Poets/Cullen & Hughes

    A 3 page essay/research paper that discusses and analyzes 2 Harlem Renaissance poets, Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen. The writer briefly discusses the historical context and background of each poet and analyzes Hughes' "Mother to Son" and Cullen's "Saturday's Child." Bibliography lists 3 sources that were drawn from the Norton Anthology of African American Literature.

  • A Poem Comparison, Frost, Hughes

    This 3 page essay compares "Design" by Robert Frost and the "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" by Langston Hughes. No additional sources cited.

  • Women and Love According to Kahlil Gibran

    A 4 page essay that discusses and analyzes three poems by the famous Arab writer and poet. The poems addressed are "Marriage," "Love," and "Children." No additional source are cited.

  • An Examination of Four Love Poems

    A 3 page essay that examines four poems in terms of how they use poetic devices to express the emotion of love. Poems examines are Elizabeth Barret Browning's "How do I love thee?", Robert Burns' "My Love is like a red, red, rose", Ann Bradstreet's "To my dear and loving husband", and Sir Walter Raleigh's "The Nymph's reply to the shepherd." No additional sources cited.

  • Literary and Poetic Examples of True Love

    A 5 page paper which examines what true love is as described by literature and poetry. The paper discusses Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 116,” Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “How Do I Love Thee?,” Bernard Malamud’s “The Magic Barrel,” Judith Viorst’s “True Love,” and Linda Pastan’s “Love Poem.” No additional sources cited.

  • 'Smile' in the Poetry of Robert Browning and Dorothy Parker

    A 3 page essay on the use of the world "smile" in 2 poems. Robert Browning in "My Last Duchess" and Dorothy Parker in "A Certain Lady" create poems that employ the word "smile." "Smile" in each poem refers to the standard meaning of the word, that is, a facial expression in which the corners of the mouth turn upward, indicating pleasure or amusement; however, this word is employed quite differently within the context of each poem. Browning's Duke Ferrara condemns his "last duchess" because she smiled too freely and too genuinely and did not keep her smiles as something belonging solely to him. Dorothy Parker's "certain lady" convinces her lover that her special smiles are only for him, but admits that they hide a duplicitous heart. No additional sources cited.

  • Comparison of the Poems by Christina Rossetti and John Milton

    A 5 page essay that contrasts and compares works by Milton and Rossetti. John Milton (1608-1674), in his epic poem Paradise Lost, and Christina Rossetti (1830-1894), in her poem The Goblin Market, each present narratives in which women are tempted by sin that is represented allegorically by fruit. In each poem, there are also depictions of acts of love. But while these features indicate that the poems bear similarities, they also have fundamental differences that deal mainly with the poet's depiction of women. Eve is depicted as shallow, easily deceived and not capable of thinking as rationally as Adam. Rossetti's heroine, Lizzie, on the other hand, is clever, self-sacrificing, and saves her sister from sin through her actions. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • 'To His Coy Mistress' by Andrew Marvell and Imagery

    A 5 page essay that discusses Andrew Marvell's seduction poem "To His Coy Mistress." In this poem, Marvell (1621-1678) employs striking use of imagery delineates both the pleasure involved in "ceasing the day" (carpe diem) and the shortness of time, which is the philosophy's rationale. The first half of the poem employs imagery to establish a sense of intimacy between Marvell and his lover. The second half employs time imagery to focus on the point that life is short. Collectively, this argument makes this one of English literature's most persuasive seduction poems. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • 'Dialogue between the Soul and the Body' by Andrew Marvell

    A 3 page essay that explicates Marvell's poem "A Dialogue between the Soul and the Body." In this poem, Marvell addresses the duality of human nature. Examination of Marvell's thought on this topic shows that he considers the perspective of the soul and the body to be contradictory. No additional sources cited.

  • Analysis of the Poem 'The Elixir' by George Herbert

    A 3 page explication of the poem featured in the 1633 collection of religious poetry, “The Temple: Sacred Poems and Private Ejaculations.” No additional sources are used.

  • Three Poems by Gary Soto, Nikki Giovanni, and William Blake

    A 4 page essay that contrasts and compares poems by eighteenth century poet William Blake and modern poets Nikki Giovanni and Gary Soto. Examination of a representative poem from Blake, Giovanni and Soto shows that each of these poets, in his or her own individualistic manner, addresses how human beings deal with each other and how this affects the individuals involved. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Poetry of Frank O'Hara

    A 6 page paper which examines and analyzes two of Frank O'Hara's poems: Personal Poem and The Day Lady Died. Bibliography lists 4 additional sources.

  • 4 Poems by Robert Frost

    A 4 page paper which examines 4 poems of Robert Frost. The poems examined are "Mending Wall," "Fire and Ice," "Road Not Taken," and "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening." Bibliography lists 6 sources.

  • Poems: Dickinson, Donne, Marvell, Parker, and Roethke

    A 4 page paper which examines what the narrator is saying in various poems. The poems are John Donne’s The Flea, Emily Dickinson’s After Great Pain, A Formal Feeling Comes, Andrew Marvell’s To his coy mistress, Dorothy Parker’s One Perfect Rose and Theodore Roethke’s My Papa's Waltz. No additional sources cited.

  • Death/Injury in Poetry

    A 3 page paper which examines how death or injury has a very powerful impact on the adults in various poems. The poems examined are Mid-Term Break by Seamus Heaney, Rush Hour by Elaine Terranova, and The Boxes by Shelly Wagner. No additional sources cited.

  • Explication of George Herbert's "Virtue"

    A 4 page explication that describes George Herbert's early seventeenth century poem "Vertue" (Virtue). The writer explains how the main point of the poem is the immortality of the virtuous soul. No additional sources cited.

  • Maya Angelou/Phenomenal Woman

    A 4 page essay that offers an explication and analysis of this poem. Throughout the course of human history, men haven been primarily admired for their accomplishments, but the focus of admiration for women has been on whether or not their appearance fit with what a particular society considered beautiful. In her poem "Phenomenal Woman," Maya Angelou challenges this pervasive cultural feature and asserts that she is extraordinary and immensely attractive, without fitting within any of society's preconceived notions of how female beauty and attractiveness should be defined and conceptualized. No additional sources cited.

  • ‘Requiem’ by Anna Akhmatova

    This 3 page paper discusses the poem “Requiem” by Russian poet Anna Akhmatova, what the poem means and what her purpose is in writing it. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Teaching and Learning in Poetry

    A 6 page paper which examines the theme of teaching and learning in different poems. The poems examined are Langston Hughes’ Theme for English B, Linda Pastan’s Pass/Fail, Paul Zimmer’s Simmer’s Head Thudding Against the Blackboard, Jane Kenyon’s Trouble with Math in a One-Room Country School, and Mark Halliday’s Graded Paper. No additional sources cited.

  • The Art of Indirection

    This 6 page paper compares Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 (“My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun”) to John Donne’s poem “A Valediction Forbidding Mourning,” and argues that they are examples of the poet using indirect methods to make his point. It also argues that neither poem could be considered a traditional romantic effort. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Lord Byron, We'll Go No More A-Roving

    A 5 page research paper/essay that analyzes this poem by George Gordon, Lord Byron. A close examination of this poem and where it fits in Byron's life suggests a negative view of Bryon, both as a poet and as an individual. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Robert Frost Poems

    A 3 page analysis of three of Robert Frost’s poems. The poems examined are Mending Wall, Nothing Gold Can Stay, and The Road Not Taken. No additional sources cited.

  • Nature Poems

    This is a nine page paper that provides an overview of poems about nature. Nine different poems are presented. Bibliography lists 0 sources.

  • The Dead and the Living by Sharon Olds

    A 4 page essay that offers a general overview of Sharon Olds' poetry collection The Dead and the Living. Several poems are briefly explicated and the major themes of each section are addressed. The writer argues that the poems serve to capture a moment in time, a feeling, a memory, preserving not only the way something or someone looked, but also the emotions involved. In this manner, her verse preserves human experience. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Women and Love According to Kahlil Gibran

    A 4 page essay that discusses and analyzes three poems by the famous Arab writer and poet. The poems addressed are "Marriage," "Love," and "Children." No additional source are cited.

  • Omar Salinas, Raymond Carver, and Issues of Fathers and Sons

    This 5 page paper discusses the issues of sons and fathers as depicted in the poetry of spanish poets, Raymond Carver and Omar Salinas. The poems utlized are: My Father is a Simple Man and A Photograph of My Father on His Twenty-Second Year. Excerpts and analysis of each poem included. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Emily Dickinson's Views of Self and Society

    A 5 page essay that examines three of Dickinson's poems that deal with the self, how Dickinson saw herself and her society, "I'm Nobody! Who are You?," "Much Madness is divinest Sense," "The Soul selects her own Society." The writer argues that these poems give the reader insight into the remarkable personality of this nineteenth century poet. No additional sources cited.

  • Christian Allegory and 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

    A 5 page research paper, in which the writer argues that the traditional interpretation of "Mariner," which sees the poem as Christian allegory, comes closest to capturing its meaning. The writer also explores how the poem has been interpreted by various critics. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

  • A Reading of Emily Dickinson's 'After Great Pain…'

    A 5 page essay that offers an explication of Dickinson's poem "After Great Pain a Formal Feeling Comes." The writer argues that, in this poem, Dickinson indicates the various stages of recovery from traumatic pain. Her verse delineates the various stages that an individual goes through after experiencing great pain: the philosophical questions that one asks; the mechanical feeling of detachment; and, also, that the pain eventually ceases, if one survives it. No additional sources cited.

  • 'Coole Park and Ballylee, 1931' by William Butler Yeats

    A 5 page essay that examines Yeats' assertion in this poem that 'We were the last romantics…' (line 41). The writer argues that this is a fair assessment and that examining the context of the poem demonstrates Yeat's version of romanticism, which is embedded in his love of the Irish country. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Comparison of Poems by Keats and Blake

    A 3 page essay that compares "La Belle Dame sans Merci" by John Keats with William Blake's "The Divine Image." The writer first addresses their similarities by showing how both poems reflect the characteristics of Romantic poetry, but then differences are addressed by outlining the themes of each poem. Bibliography lists 3 sources

  • A Reading of Emily Dickinson's Poem #632

    A 5 page essay that critically analyzes Dickinson's poem #632, "The Brain is wider than the Sky." The writer argues that, in this poem, Dickinson equates humanity's capacity to reason with the divine, locating God within humanity's ability to reason and imagine. No other sources cited.

  • Emily Dickinson, Popular Music, and Death Fascination

    A 5 page essay that compares two poems by Emily Dickinson, "I heard a fly buzz when I died" and "Because I could not stop for death," to two popular songs concerning death -- "The Death Song" by Marilyn Manson and "Prey for Death" by Graham Woolley. The writer argues that Dickinson's poems, like the songs profiled, take the approach that death is not to be feared. However, the writer also points out where the tone of these works differ. No additional sources.

  • Nature in R.S. Thomas' Poetry

    This 5 page paper discusses the nature element as theme in two representative poems of R.S. Thomas: Soil and Cynddylan on a Tractor. Specific examples are quoted and cited from the text. In depth analysis also included for both poems. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • The Bean Eater vs. Old Couple, Comparison

    A 5 page paper which compares and contrasts elements within two poems. The poems are “The Bean Eater” by Gwendolyn Brooks and “Old Couple” by Charles Simic. No additional sources cited.

  • 'The Children's Hour' by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

    A 5 page research paper that critically analyzes Longfellow's poem "The Children's Hour." The writer argues that this poem speaks directly to feelings that are basic to all humanity and this is why his verse, although no longer critically acclaimed, is so well loved and read throughout the world. The writer also discusses Longfellow's reputation and how his work is regarded. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Science According to the Poems of Walt Whitman and Edgar Allan Poe

    A 4 page essay that compares and contrasts 2 poems by Poe and Whitman. Poe's "Sonnet--To Science" and Whitman's "When I heard the Learn'd Astronomer," address not only the same subject matter, but also they take an identical stand on the topic. While Poe's poem is the most overt in its message, Whitman also takes the stand that science, specifically astronomy, attempts to drain the beauty and mystery from life and turns the wondrous into the mundane. No additional sources cited.

  • 'On Being Brought from Africa to America' by Phyllis Wheatley

    A 7 page paper which examines Phyllis Wheatley’s poem “On Being Brought from Africa to America.” The paper argues that the poem is one that subtly offers praise to the institution of slavery for having brought Christianity to the savage. Bibliography lists 5 additional sources.

  • The Use of Allegory and Symbolism in the Epic Poem Beowulf

    A 5 page research paper and analysis of the Anglo-Saxon Old English epic poem. The writer explores aspects of the symbolism and allegory used in the poem, such as the symbolism behind the Danish great hall. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Comparative Analysis of Walt Whitman's Song of the Open Road and Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking

    In this 6 page essay, the writer uses two of Whitman's poems 'Out Of The Cradle Endlessly Rocking,' and 'Song Of The Open Road, to show how the poets works were usually similar in theme yet dissimilar in purpose. The first of these is a poem filled with rich images, sounds, and symbolic meanings. The second is a collection of meaningful yet ambiguously patterned sentences decorated with inquiries into life -- yet each remain focused upon the underlying theme of humanity, nature, etc. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Meaning of the Poem 'The Second Coming' by William Butler Yeats II

    A 4 page paper on Yeats' "Second Coming" in which the writer attempts to explain the poem's meaning from beginning to end-- focusing on some of the more difficult phrases. It is concluded that the poem was meant to be largely ambiguous and that to fully understand it, certain sections cannot be taken literally. Bibliography lists 4 supporting sources.

  • Romantic Era Poetry and the Conflict of Man versus Nature

    An insightful, 6 page essay on how the poems of Blake, Wordsworth & Keats represented a renewed hope for civilization. The writer argues that each of these poets spoke of how the world could be cured of its problems if man would only work in harmony with nature. Wordsworth's 'The World is Too Much With Us' and Blake's 'London' are among the poems used in this analysis. No Bibliography.

  • William Wordsworth's Poetry and the Themes of Grieving and Death

    A 5 page paper analyzing two of Wordsworth's poems in Lyrical Ballads: 'We are Seven,' and 'Anecdote for Fathers' in terms of their logical sequence. The paper concludes that 'We Are Seven' logically follows 'Anecdote,' because the second poem builds and expands on the theme of the grieving process introduced in the first. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Walt Whitman vs. Emily Dickinson

    Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman were contemporaries in time and space but worlds apart in experience. This 5 page paper argues that the poems, A Noiseless Patient Spider by Walt Whitman and A Spider Sewed At Night by Emily Dickinson are both nature poems that employ allusion and repetition to compare the spider with the soul of the writer. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

  • Domesticity in 'Washing Sheets in July' by Jane Gentry Vance

    A 5 page explication of this poem by Jane Gentry Vance. The paper argues that while it is completely possible to write a profound and moving poem out of material as humble as washing sheets, the poet shows that a complete immersion in domestic duties leaves little time for writing poetry. No additional sources cited.

  • Symbolism in 'Angels' by Robert Wrigley

    A 5 page look at Robert Wrigley's deeply evocative poem from this 1995 collection. The paper looks at a number of symbols used in the poem and relates them to sexuality. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • 'Dover Beach' by Matthew Arnold

    A 5 page research paper that analyzes the poem 'Dover Beach' by nineteenth century British poet Matthew Arnold. This analysis demonstrates how 'Dover Beach' expresses Arnold's dissatisfaction with industrialized society and relates the poem to Arnold's life. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Time, Conflict, and Pleasure in the Poetry of the 17th Century Poetry

    A 5 page paper examining three poems by John Donne, Robert Herrick, and Andrew Marvell, in terms of the presence or absence of overlapping themes. The paper concludes that while evidence exists that all three writers incorporated into their poems thoughts on pleasure and conflict, the most obvious similarity was an obsession with the passage of time. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Time in The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot

    A 7 page paper discussing the motif of time in T.S. Eliot's most famous and perplexing poem. The paper argues that the poem creates a sense of timelessness, not by ignoring chronology, but by telescoping it all together, thus underscoring humanity's ongoing part in the grand cycle of death and rebirth. Bibliography lists five sources.

  • Comparing Four John Keats' Poems as 'A Thing of Beauty'

    A 6 page paper discussing four of John Keats'best known poems -- The Eve of St Agnes, Endymion, Ode to a Grecian Urn, and Ode to a Nightingale. Bibliography lists several critical sources other than the poems themselves.

  • Poetic Comparison of Robert Frost's 'Meeting and Passing,' 'The Road Not Taken,' and 'An Old Man's Winter Night'

    A 4 page paper which compares and contrasts this trio of Frost’s poems. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Literary and Poetic Examples of True Love

    A 5 page paper which examines what true love is as described by literature and poetry. The paper discusses Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 116,” Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “How Do I Love Thee?,” Bernard Malamud’s “The Magic Barrel,” Judith Viorst’s “True Love,” and Linda Pastan’s “Love Poem.” No additional sources cited.

  • Maya Angelou's Poem 'Woman Work'

    This 3 page paper discusses Maya Angelou's poem, Woman Work. Analyzed for theme, rhythm, repetition, and sensual imagery. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Analyzing Sylvia Plath's Poetic Voice

    This 5 page paper discusses the importance of voice in the poetry of Sylvia Plath and draws on examples from three notable works: "Daddy", "Lady Lazarus", and "Metaphors". This paper gives many quotes as examples and offers in-depth insight into why voice is so important in these poems. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Beloved Dismemberment in Poetry

    A 7 page paper which examines early modern poetry as possessing elements addressing a beloved that all but dismembers them. The poems discussed are Sir Philip Sidney’s “Astrophil and Stella #29,” Shakespeare’s Sonnet #98, and Christopher Marlowe’s “Hero and Leander.” No additional sources cited.

  • Time and the Poetry of Emily Dickinson

    This 5 page paper compares and contrasts Emily Dickinson's poems: Because I could not Stop for Death and The Heart Asks Pleasure, for the theme and portrayal of the theme and symbolism of 'time'. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • Communication and Poetry

    A 6 page paper which examines how various poets communicate their thoughts and feelings through words and images. The poets, and poems, discussed are “My Grandmother” by Elizabeth Jennings, “Piano” by D.H. Lawrence and “At Castle Boterel” by Thomas Hardy. Bibliography lists 1 additional source.

  • Tony Harrison's Poetry

    A 6 page paper which examines the dialect problems encountered by Tony Harrison in his poetry. The poems examined are “Long Distance I,” “Book Ends,” and “V.” No additional sources cited.

  • Feminism and Alexander Pope's Poem 'The Rape of the Lock'

    This 5 page paper takes a look at this classic work and while embracing a feminist perspective in terms of the analysis. How the poem relates to female psychology is the focus of this paper. No additional sources cited.

  • Comparative Analysis of 'Lamia' by John Keats and 'Triumph of Life' by Percy Bysshe Shelley

    A 5 page paper which compares the poems “Triumph of Life” by Shelley and “Lamia” by Keats. Bibliography lists 3 additional sources.

  • Analysis of Robert Frost's Poem 'Desert Places'

    A 4 page paper which analyzes Robert Frost’s poem “Desert Places.” Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.

  • A Reading of Emily Dickinson's, 'I Like to See it Lap the Miles'

    A 2 1/2 page paper which analyzes Emily Dickinson’s poem “I Like to See it Lap the Miles.” No additional sources cited.

  • 'First Follow Nature and 'An Essay on Criticism' by Alexander Pope

    This 4 page report discusses a section of Pope’s An Essay on Criticism (published in 1711) that is often thought of as a poem in itself and referred to as “First Follow Nature” (lines 68 through 87). Also addressed is the importance and meaning of nature in 18th century English poetry and thinking. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Emily Dickinson's 'I Dwell in Possibility' (#657)

    A 3 page paper which analyzes Emily Dickinson’s poem “I Dwell in Possibility” (657). No additional sources cited.

  • Poetry of Natives

    A 5 page paper which examines poems of Otto Rene Castillo and poetic literature in “The Names: A Memoir” by N. Scott Momaday. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Examining Yet Do I Marvel By Countee Cullen

    This 3 page paper analyzes Countee Cullen's poem "Yet Do I Marvel." Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Epic Poem Beowulf Contemporary Retelling

    A 7 page paper which retells the epic poem in order to be more easily understood by contemporary readers. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Human Soul's Journey in 'The Waste Land' by T.S. Eliot

    An 8 page paper which examines the theme concerning the journey of the human soul in T.S. Eliot’s poem “Wasteland.” Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • The Life and Works of Emma Lazarus

    A 5 page essay on the poetry of Emma Lazarus (1849-1887) who is the most prominent Jewish American poet of the nineteenth century. Through her eloquent poetry and other literary work, she endeavored to express what it meant to be outside the mainstream of American society, to give a voice to the thousands of immigrants who were trying to integrate themselves into American society during the nineteenth century. The writer discusses 3 of Lazarus' poems. Bibliography lists 10 sources.

  • Love Poetically Approached by John Donne

    A 10 page paper which examines how Donne represents love in his poems, divine works and sonnets. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

  • Lorraine Hansberry and Langston Hughes

    A 3 page paper which compares Langston Hughes’ poem “A Dream Deferred” with Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun.” No additional sources cited.

  • Emily Dickinson's Poem, I'm Wife- I've Finished That

    A 4 page paper which discusses Emily Dickinson’s life and her poem “I’m Wife-I’ve Finished That.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • The Poetry of Wheatley and Hughes

    A 3 page paper which examines, and compares, themes in the poems of Phillis Wheatley and Langston Hughes. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Analysis of the Poem 'Old Photograph of the Future' by Robert Penn Warren

    A 5 page essay that discusses Warren's poem, "Old Photograph of the future." Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Figurative Language in Shakespeare and Cavendish

    A 5 page paper which examines the use of figures of speech to develop the themes of death and nature, considering the different effects of this language, and how it contributes to the overall impact of each poem. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • 'The Odyssey' by Homer and Sports

    A 6 page paper which examines why sports is important to the poem, and the role it played in defining the characters and their actions. No additional sources are used.

  • Journeys and Their Philosophical Meaning in 'Inferno' by Dante Alighieri and 'The Odyssey' by Homer

    A 5 page paper which examines the role of philosophy in the similar journeys taken in each of these epic poems. No additional sources are used.

  • Similarities Between Two Works By Ferlinghetti and Frost

    A 5 page essay that contrasts and compares Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" and Ferlinghetti's "The Poet's Eye Obscenely Seeing." Although these poems are extremely different, the writer argues that they say similar things about the demands of industrialized society. No additional sources cited.

  • Love Poetry and Dependency Themes

    This 5 page paper looks at three poems—Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Ways," Robert Browning's Porphyria's Lover and Dorothy Parker's "General Review of the Sex Situation"—in terms of its thematic elements. Dependency themes are highlighted. Many quotes from the works are included. No additional sources cited.

  • Status and Role of Women in 'The Iliad' and 'The Odyssey' by Homer

    A 9 page paper which examines the role and status of women in these classic epic poems of ancient Greece. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

  • Process of Poetry

    A 8 page research paper/essay that, first of all, examines what Robert Frost and Wallace Stevens have to say about the process of writing poetry, and then looks at how this is expressed in three poems – 'The Road Not Taken' by Frost, 'Democracy' by Langston Hughes, and 'The Young Housewife' by William Carlos Williams. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • 'The Solitary Reaper' by William Wordsworth Explicated

    This 5 page paper provides an analysis that focuses on thematic elements, the five senses, and other literary aspects of this poem. Much of the work is quoted. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • 'The Sun Rising' by John Donne

    A 5 page paper which analyzes John Donne’s poem “The Sun Rising.” Bibliography lists 1 additional source.

  • 'Fragment 93' by Sappho

    A 3 page research paper that examines Sappho's poem fragment 93. Sappho was innovative in directing the "new wave" of Greek lyrists to move from writing poetry that from the perspective of the gods and muses toward using the personal perspective of the individual. The writer argues that fragment 93 exemplifies her style. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Friendship in Three Poems by Sappho

    A 5 page research paper/essay that analyzes three poems by the ancient Greek poet Sappho. The writer argues that Sappho's love of beauty comes across to the reader, establishing a bond of friendship -- a feeling of connection -- between the reader and the poet that transcends the millennia. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • 'The Road Not Taken' by Robert Frost

    This 7 page paper discusses how imagery is used to highlight the major themes of this poem. This paper provides analysis of specific quotes and reference to other poetic devices in order to capture the intent of the writer. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Feminist Critique of Robert Browning's 'Porphyria's Lover'

    This 4 page paper discusses the poem by Robert Browning, Porphyria's Lover, in light of feminist critiques. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Robert Lowell and Bob Dylan

    An 8 page research paper that contrasts and compares Bob Dylan's song "Like a Rolling Stone" and Robert Lowell's poem "Memories of West Street and Lepke." The writer argues that Dylan and Lowell, having established themselves in a particular genre of their craft, changed the course of their careers by taking a different artistic path, much to the surprise of their critics and audiences. Lowell moved from the modernist camp to the postmodern and Dylan moved from folk music to rock n roll. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

  • William Wordsworth and Geoffrey Chaucer

    An 8 page paper which discusses Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” and William Wordsworth’s Tintern Abbey poem. No additional sources cited.

  • Analyzing 'Your Dog Dies' by Raymond Carver'

    This 4 page paper provides an analysis of this disturbing poem. The theme of death is highlighted. No additional sources cited.

  • Death in Jorge Manrique's 'Coplas'

    A 3 page paper which examines Jorge Manrique’s perspectives of death in his poem “Coplas.” No additional sources cited.

  • Pedro Salinas' Razon de Amor

    A 3 page analysis of the courtly love in the poem “Razon de Amor” by Pedro Salinas. No additional sources cited.

  • Comparative Analysis of William Blake 'Songs' of Innocence and Experience

    This 11 page paper compares and contrasts William Blake's poems in his "Songs of Innocence and of Experience." Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • 'The Battle of Frogs and Mice' An Ancient Greek Poetic Analysis

    A 3 page paper which examines the society and situation at the time as it is symbolically represented in the story, and specifically considers why the poem was written, who was meant to read it, the moral, and if it can be compared to any aspects of modern life. No additional sources are used.

  • Robert Louis Stevenson and Shel Silverstein: Child Poetry

    A 3 page paper which examines the child’s voice in the poems of Robert Louis Stevenson and Shel Silverstein. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Anne Bradstreet’s “The Prologue”

    A 3 page paper which examines how Anne Bradstreet’s “The Prologue” is a feminist poem. No additional sources cited.

  • Pablo Neruda: Walking Around

    A 3 page paper which examines Pablo Neruda’s poem “Walking Around.” Bibliography lists 5 additional sources.

  • Theodore Roethke’s “My Papa’s Waltz”

    A 5 page paper which analyzes Theodore Roethke’s poem “My Papa’s Waltz.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • T.S. Eliot Before and After Conversion

    This 3 page paper considers the change in T.S. Eliot's works after his conversion to Anglicanism; his pre-conversion work is represented by "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" and "The Hollow Men"; his after-conversion poem is "Little Gidding." Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • 'Annabel Lee' by Edgar Allan Poe

    A 5 page paper that provides an explication of Poe's poem, while also demonstrating the way he utilizes form to support the themes of love and loss. No additional sources cited.

  • Edgar Allan Poe's Life Reflected in His Art

    A 7 page paper on the personality of Edgar Allan Poe, and how his life experiences fit into his work -- particularly his poems. The writers argues that Poe's obsession with death was simply endemic in the young man's disturbed personality, and his writings are simply a reflection of an emotional problem he'd always had. Bibliography lists five sources.

  • My Last Duchess and Porphyria's Lover/Browning

    A 7 page paper that considers the use of the dramatic monologue as well as the use of language, figures of speech and common symbolism to support the dramatic themes in these poems. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

  • Dream State Validity and 'Ode to a Nightingale' by John Keats

    A 5 page essay that posits that contrary to Keats' critics at the time, Keats was not lost in the romantic dream state, but was fully aware of the aesthetic artifice of his poetry. The writer explores both sides of the argument through myriad examples from within the poem itself. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

  • Comparative Analysis of Poems by Robert Browning and John Keats

    A 7 page paper that compares Keats' 'Ode on a Grecian Urn' with Browning's 'Fra Lippo Lippi' in terms of their representation of Romantic and Victorian poetics. It is the premise of this paper that while Keats and Browning appear to be representative poets of their cultural eras, that these two poems demonstrate the utilizaton of characteristics from both eras. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Critical Analysis of 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

    An 8 page paper discussing an analysis of the Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem Rime of the Ancient Mariner along with its symbolism and influences. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

  • Analyzing Canto XIII of 'Inferno' by Dante Alighieri

    A 4 page paper which examines the suitability of the penalty of suicide, evaluates whether or not the punishment fits the crime, and considers Dante’s thoughts on the punishment. No additional sources are used.

  • Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century British History and Authors

    A 5 page paper which discusses how the authors, as well as poets, of Britain during the 17th and 18th century not only reflected the time periods but also influenced them. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Link Between Death Theme in His Poems and the Personal History of John Keats

    A 5 page paper which examines how Keats’ short life and deaths of those closest to him shaped his poetic works. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

  • Maya Angelou/Phenomenal Woman

    A 4 page essay that offers an explication and analysis of this poem. Throughout the course of human history, men haven been primarily admired for their accomplishments, but the focus of admiration for women has been on whether or not their appearance fit with what a particular society considered beautiful. In her poem "Phenomenal Woman," Maya Angelou challenges this pervasive cultural feature and asserts that she is extraordinary and immensely attractive, without fitting within any of society's preconceived notions of how female beauty and attractiveness should be defined and conceptualized. No additional sources cited.

  • Maya Angelou: Her Works and Her Life

    This 5 page paper discusses Maya Angelou’s life and four of her poems, and argues that many of the things that happened to her in her life are expressed through her poetry. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

  • Maya Angelou: Million Man March

    This 3 page paper explicates Angelou’s poem about the black experience. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Thematic Analysis of ' A Red, Red Rose' by Robert Burns

    A 5 page paper which examines the themes of love, nature, and imagination in Robert Burn’s poem “A Red, Red Rose.” No additional sources cited.

  • Poetic Explication of Robert Burns’ “A Red, Red Rose”

    In three pages, this poetic explication of Robert Burns’ “A Red, Red Rose” includes basic information on the poet and the poem, identifies the speaker, subject, and ideal, and also considers the poetic devices of imagery, simile, and metaphor. Two sources are listed in the bibliography.

  • Literary Comparison of Wallace McRae's 'Reincarnation,' Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, and Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

    A 5 page paper which analyzes how point-of-view shapes the exposition, prose, style, tone, plot, theme, and character of these works. No additional sources are used.

  • Sonnets and Poems

    This 4 page paper discusses Sonnet 130 by Shakespeare and Robert Frost’s “Fire and Ice.” Bibliography lists 6 sources

  • T.S. Eliot Before and After Conversion

    This 3 page paper considers the change in T.S. Eliot's works after his conversion to Anglicanism; his pre-conversion work is represented by "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" and "The Hollow Men"; his after-conversion poem is "Little Gidding." Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Teaching and Learning in Poetry

    A 6 page paper which examines the theme of teaching and learning in different poems. The poems examined are Langston Hughes’ Theme for English B, Linda Pastan’s Pass/Fail, Paul Zimmer’s Simmer’s Head Thudding Against the Blackboard, Jane Kenyon’s Trouble with Math in a One-Room Country School, and Mark Halliday’s Graded Paper. No additional sources cited.

  • Human Soul's Journey in 'The Waste Land' by T.S. Eliot

    An 8 page paper which examines the theme concerning the journey of the human soul in T.S. Eliot’s poem “Wasteland.” Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • E.M. Forster's Novel A Passage to India and Walt Whitman's Poem 'Passage to India' Analyzed

    A 5 page paper which examines how Forster’s novel reacts to the assertions in Whitman’s poem. No additional sources are used.

  • Wordsworth’s Nutting

    A 7 page paper which analyzes William Wordsworth’s poem Nutting. No additional sources cited.

  • Wordsworth & Hardy/Perspectives on Nature

    A 3 page essay that observes that both William Wordsworth, in 1838, and Thomas Hardy, in 1900, wrote poems that were inspired by the beautiful song of the thrush. But while these two poems share a common topic, the Romantic approach and exuberant optimism of Wordsworth is quite different from the dark skepticism that characterized the Victorian worldview exemplified by Hardy. Nevertheless, examination of the two poems shows that each poet took inspiration and encouragement from the thrush, each in his own way. No additional sources cited.

  • Philosophy and Imagination in William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge

    An 8 page paper comparing and contrasting the styles and philosophies of these two early nineteenth-century poets. The paper uses as examples Wordsworth's 'Ode on the Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood' and Coleridge's 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner' , and concludes that whereas Wordsworth's poetry is philosophy in verse, Coleridge gives us images we can see and feel. Bibliography lists six sources.

  • Analysis: Browning and Wordsworth

    This 5 page research paper examines two poems, 'Strange Fits of Passion Have I Known' by William Wordsworth and 'Sonnets From the Portuguese' (XXI, XXII, XXXII) by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Specifically analyzed are the poets' attitudes about love -- Wordsworth's romantic notions despite acceptance of realism and Browning's more dream-like prose.

  • Wordsworth, Frost, and Nature

    This 6 page paper looks at two poems by Robert Frost—Birches and After Apple Picking—and Michael by Wordsworth, and contemplates how each author uses nature. The works are compared and contrasted. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Feminist Perspectives in the Poetry of Bradstreet, Wheatley, and Dickinson

    A 3 page paper that provides a brief overview of the elements of the poetry of these three women poets and their impact in terms of feminism. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Father and Violence in The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

    A 6 page paper on the strange mixture of violence and sexuality in the autobiographical novel by Sylvia Plath. The paper asserts that Plath was haunted all her life by the fantasy of rejoining her dead father, and unfortunately, it would take violence to do this. Bibliography lists six sources.

  • Comparing Four John Keats' Poems as 'A Thing of Beauty'

    A 6 page paper discussing four of John Keats'best known poems -- The Eve of St Agnes, Endymion, Ode to a Grecian Urn, and Ode to a Nightingale. Bibliography lists several critical sources other than the poems themselves.

  • Comparing the Poetry of Percy Bysshe Shelley, John Keats, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge

    A 5 page research paper on the poems: 'Ode To A Nightingale,' 'To A Skylark,' and 'The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner.' The writer describes the symbolism of the birds in each poem and the reasons for their use. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Critical Analysis of 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

    An 8 page paper discussing an analysis of the Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem Rime of the Ancient Mariner along with its symbolism and influences. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

  • Contemporary Developments of Walden Pond and What Would Henry David Thoreau Think

    4 pages in length. What would Henry David Thoreau think about what has happened with his treasured Walden Pond? It can be argued that his reaction to humanity's blatant disregard for its inherent beauty would be less than enthusiastic. The passing years have been a struggle for Walden Pond's very existence: Celebrities and common folk near and far have shown their support in preserving what Thoreau considered one of the most exquisite points in the entire world. The writer considers what Thoreau might say if he were here to witness Walden Pond Developments. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Afterlife in 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock' by T.S. Eliot

    A 4 page paper arguing that Eliot's poem speaks of metaphysical glimpses into an afterlife. It is spoken in the construct of a night when 'J. Alfred Prufrock' is traveling, though not reveling, on the mundane earth with a companion. During the ramble, Eliot takes an ironic look at what is known and what is before him. Within the poem, he orders his words in a purposeful rambling between providing an answer to the 'overwhelming question,' and seeing grace in the present. He also uses subjugated literary techniques, color elements and time to further stipulate indecision and fear. No additional sources cited.

  • Time in The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot

    A 7 page paper discussing the motif of time in T.S. Eliot's most famous and perplexing poem. The paper argues that the poem creates a sense of timelessness, not by ignoring chronology, but by telescoping it all together, thus underscoring humanity's ongoing part in the grand cycle of death and rebirth. Bibliography lists five sources.

  • 'Woodchucks' by Maxine Kumin

    A 3 page explication of the poem 'Woodchucks' by Maxine Kumin, focusing on the transformation of the main character from farmer to murderer. During the first two paragraphs, the character is clearly presented as a farmer concerned that the woodchucks are constantly eating his produce. In the third stanza, the focus shifts to and the main character begins a process of murder. No additional sources cited.

  • Fathers and Sons in Poems by Robert Hayden and Theodore Roethke

    A 5 page paper on Theodore Roethke's poem 'My Papa's Waltz' and Robert Hayden's 'Those Winter Sundays.' The paper shows that while both poems are about a man's memories of his boyhood relationship with his father, the experiences related are very different because of the fathers' ability or inability to communicate with their sons. Bibliography lists two sources (the poems themselves).

  • Meaning of the Poem 'The Second Coming' by William Butler Yeats II

    A 4 page paper on Yeats' "Second Coming" in which the writer attempts to explain the poem's meaning from beginning to end-- focusing on some of the more difficult phrases. It is concluded that the poem was meant to be largely ambiguous and that to fully understand it, certain sections cannot be taken literally. Bibliography lists 4 supporting sources.

  • 'Easter 1916' and the Irish Nationalistic Sentiments of William Butler Yeats

    A 3 page essay that analyzes the poem in terms of the political climate of the time as well as the literary trends of the day. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • 'Dover Beach' by Matthew Arnold

    A 5 page research paper that analyzes the poem 'Dover Beach' by nineteenth century British poet Matthew Arnold. This analysis demonstrates how 'Dover Beach' expresses Arnold's dissatisfaction with industrialized society and relates the poem to Arnold's life. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • An Exploration of The Unities

    A 5 page paper which explains the importance and significance of 'The Unities' in the development of literary structure, as interpreted by Aristotle and John Dryden and its implications as to how people may read literature in the future. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • A Report onthe Poem 'Gretel in Darkness'

    This 5 page report discusses the short (less than 20 lines) poem, 'Gretel in darkness.' As the poem develops, the reader senses both urgency and bitterness from Gretel with a great deal of frustration and bewilderment. Her brother, Hansel, appears to have forgotten what the two of them have gone through but she cannot forget that she killed a person. Ultimately, the poem may serve as an example of the difference response to self-preservation as experienced by women compared to men. No bibliography.

  • 'The Anagram' by John Donne

    This 2 page essay discusses poet John Donne's 'The Anagram' and explores the ways in which it relates to Donne's ideas of female beauty and language. No bibliography.

  • Trope of Song in Derek Walcott's Works

    In 5 pages, the author investigates the trope of song in the works of Derek Walcott. Several passages are taken from Walcott's writing. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Symbolism in 'Angels' by Robert Wrigley

    A 5 page look at Robert Wrigley's deeply evocative poem from this 1995 collection. The paper looks at a number of symbols used in the poem and relates them to sexuality. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • Poems That Reveal Joy Harjo's Life and Art

    This 5 page paper considers two poems by writer Joy Harjo which relate her life as a Native American and demonstrate a number of the contemporary problems facing Native American communities. This paper reflects upon the poems as they are a product of Harjo's own life, and focuses on her poems Mourning Song, Northern Lights and The Dawn Appears with Butterflies. No additional sources cited.

  • Domesticity in 'Washing Sheets in July' by Jane Gentry Vance

    A 5 page explication of this poem by Jane Gentry Vance. The paper argues that while it is completely possible to write a profound and moving poem out of material as humble as washing sheets, the poet shows that a complete immersion in domestic duties leaves little time for writing poetry. No additional sources cited.

  • 2 Poems by Robert Herrick Analyzed

    A 2 page analysis of two poems by the seventeenth century poet Robert Herrick-- 'Corinna's Going A-Maying' and 'The Hock-cart.' The writer argues that these two poems can be read simultaneously at three levels. On one level the poems describe the events that help to mark the human year‹the coming of spring and the celebration of the harvest. On the other hand, these events of the human year are reflective of the natural order, the passage of the seasons, and the cyclical nature of time. No additional sources cited.

  • Opposition in William Blake's Poems

    A 5 page analysis of the poetry of the eighteenth century poet, William Blake. The writer demonstrates how Blake's belief that opposition or 'contrary' forces promoted growth was an underlying metaphor in his work. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • The Flea vs. To a Coy Mistress

    A 7 page analysis of John Donne's 'The Flea,' and Andrew Marvell's 'To His Coy Mistress.' Donne and Marvell were two of the seventeenth century's greatest poets. Men of profound thought, intellect, and understanding, they could also be witty, casual and ­yes‹lecherous. In their poems, both of these exemplary poets turn their formidable arts of persuasion toward the goal of convincing the women, to whom the poems are directed, to consent to sex. No additional sources cited.

  • Theme of Identity in the Literature of Sharon Olds and Sylvia Plath

    A five page look at Sylvia Plath’s poem “Mirror” and Sharon Olds’ “The Death of Marilyn Monroe,” in terms of both poets’ observations on the nature of identity as opposed to appearance. Plath argues that as many times as we return to the mirror to see our reflection there, it is not ourselves we are seeing -- we are merely seeing something similar to what others see. Olds continues this argument by asserting that if others feel they know us by our outward appearance, they are wrong, because the outer shell is not us.

  • The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath and Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

    A 5 page analysis of Sylvia Plath's novel The Bell Jar, which compares the female protagonist's coming of age story with that of J.D. Salinger's misfit hero, Holden Caulfield. No additional sources cited.

  • Poetic Odes of Percy Bysshe Shelley and John Keats

    A five page paper comparing three odes by John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley. The paper defines the ode, then looks at Keats “Ode on a Grecian Urn” and “Ode to a Nightingale”, and Shelley’s “Ode to the West Wind,” discussing form, structure, and imagery. One additional source.

  • Percy Bysshe Shelley's 'Prometheus Unbound' and William Blake's 'Marriage of Heaven and Hell'

    A seven page paper looking at these two works in terms of the way their respective authors, William Blake and Percy Bysshe Shelley, define love. The paper concludes that although their approaches are very different, both poets seem to feel that love is a great healer, and that seeming opposites can be reconciled through its power. No additional sources.

  • Seamus Heaney's Poetry and Ghosts of the Earth

    A fifteen page paper looking at this Irish poet's views of the thin veil between life and death, as depicted in his works. The paper asserts that Heaney views the dead and the living, the past and the present, as occupying the same space. Bibliography lists fifteen sources, including seven poems of Heaney's.

  • Poetry of Langston Hughes

    A 7 page analysis of the poetry of African American poet Langston Hughes. The writer argues, citing several poems, that Hughes eloquently used black vernacular as well as the African American musical idioms of blues and jazz to celebrate the suffering and the beauty in black life. No additional sources cited.

  • 'Sonnet 31' by Sir Philip Sidney

    The sonnet is a type of poetic form that was extremely popular in Elizabethan and Victorian England. Sir Phillip Sidney was a courtier just prior to Shakespeare who was one of the first to popularize the sonnet. He was an instigator in form and a master of metaphor. This 5 page paper explores number 31 in the sonnet cycle of Astrophil and Stella. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • George Herbert's Poetry and Religious Message

    This 9 page paper analyzes some of this author's poems and provides proof for the thesis that Herbert was trying to prompt people to think as opposed to trying to send a hidden message. The religious nature of his work is highlighted. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Comparing the Poetry of Percy Bysshe Shelley, John Keats, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge

    A 5 page research paper on the poems: 'Ode To A Nightingale,' 'To A Skylark,' and 'The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner.' The writer describes the symbolism of the birds in each poem and the reasons for their use. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • 'The Soul Selects Her Own Society' by Emily Dickinson

    A 5 page explication of this poem by Emily Dickinson. The writer details the metaphors of the poem, its form and rhyme scheme, and critical views of its relationship to Dickinson's own life. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

  • Personal Journey Undertaken in 'The Road Not Taken' by Robert Frost

    A 5 page paper giving a personal response to Frost's poem through tying the theme of the poem to an experience in the student's own life. The paper argues that everyone can find a point in his life at which his own life paths diverged, and he took the path 'less traveled by', the path that had no easy social or cultural map to follow. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • 'Alysoun' Medieval Poem Explication

    A 4 page essay/research paper that offers an explication of "Alysoun," a medieval lyric poem. The writer argues that an examination of this poem illustrates the medieval perspective on life, as well as the people's love of life and its pleasures. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Comparison Between John Keats' 'On Seeing the Elgin Marbles' and 'Ozymandias' by Percy Bysshe Shelley

    This 3 page paper compares Keats' poem: On seeing the Elgin Marbles to Shelley's poem: Ozymandias. In addition an actual description of the art works both poets are discussing is included. Notes on the romantic poet included. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • 'Ovid's Banquet of Sence' by George Chapman

    A 3 page essay that examines Chapman's sixteenth century poem "Ovid's Banquet of Sence." The writer discusses how Chapman assumed that his readers would be cognizant of numerous literary references and focuses on how Chapman's poem reflects Platonic ideals expressed by Diotima in Plato's Symposium. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Edward Taylor and Anne Bradstreet Poetic Comparision

    A 3 page paper which compares Anne Bradstreet’s poem “By Night when Others Soundly Slept” with Edward Taylor’s poem “”Huswifery.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Analysis of 'Ode on Melancholy' and 'To Autumn' by John Keats

    A 5 page paper which analyzes Keats’ poem “To Autumn” and also discusses it in relationship to his poem “Ode on Melancholy.” Bibliography lists 1 additional source.

  • Phyllis Wheatley and Edward Taylor

    A 3 page paper which compares Edward Taylor’s poem “Huswifery” with Phillis Wheatley’s poem “On Being Brought from Africa to America.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • 'Here, Bullet' by Brian Turner

    A 4 page paper which examines the collection of poems in Brian Turner’s “Here, Bullet” and analyzes one particular poem, “Here, Bullet.” Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • A Reading of Emily Dickinson's Short Poem #1755

    5 pages. This paper examines one of Emily Dickinson's short poems, #1755. Emily Dickinson was a prolific poet and the amount of work as well as the quality still tends to amaze readers. The simplest lines can speak volumes as we can see when we examine poem #1755. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • Placing a Historical Value on 'The Iliad' by Homer

    A 7 page paper which analyzes the epic poem from a historical context, considering if the events depicted are real, if the information can be verified, and examines the author’s intentions for writing the poem. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

  • Comparison of Callimachean and Catullus Poetry

    This 5 page paper focuses on Catullus poetry and evaluates some poems to see if they have any relationship with Callimachean poems. The paper looks at both similarities and differences. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • 'Michael Robartes and the Dancer' by Irish Poet William Butler Yeats

    A 5 page research paper/essay that offers explication of Yeats' poem "Michael Robartes and the Dancer." The writer argues that in this poem Yeats voices his nineteenth century rationalization against women having a wider role in public life, even going so far to oppose women in higher education. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Beauty and Friendship in 3 of Sappho's Poems

    A 5 page research paper/essay that offer analysis of three of Sappho's poems. The writer argues that while her verse is notorious for its connection with Lesbianism, there is much more to Sappho's poetry than mere eroticism. An examination of her poems reveals a deep and passionate connection with nature and appreciation for beauty, which are sentiments that reach across time and space and speak to the modern reader, establishing a feeling of connection and friendship. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • Analyzing Three Poems About War

    This 3 page paper evaluates three poems about the ravages of war by three different authors. The poems are compared and contrasted. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • 'Ballad of Birmingham' by Dudley Randall

    This 3 page paper analyzes this poem for form, tone, symbolism, alliteration and more. Examples given from text of Dudley Randalls poem: The Ballad of Birmingham. Bibliograpy lists 1 source.

  • Alice Cary's 'The West Country' Poem

    A 5 page analysis of this early nineteenth century poem. This paper points out the simile and metaphor which is presented in regard to nature and how they correspond to the many societal changes which took place during the Industrial Revolution. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Bilingual/Bilingüe - A Poem about Belonging

    This 3 page paper discusses the poem Bilingual/Bilingüe by Rhina Espaillat. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Death in 2 Poems by Seamus Heaney

    A 6 page essay that compares two poems by Seamus Heaney, "Mid-term Break" and "Punishment." The writer argues that although these poems are different in context, both poems feature a narrative voice that is detached and distant from the tragic death that each poem relates. By taking this detached perspective, the poet allows the details of the scene to speak for themselves, and this tactic conveys abject horror much better than if the poet related more overtly what he was feeling in each instance. No additional sources cited.

  • Out, Out by Robert Frost

    A 5 page analysis of Robert Frost’s poem Out, Out. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Grace Nichol's Collection The Fat Black Woman's Poems

    This 5 page paper discusses Grace Nichol's poems from the collection titled: The Fat Black Woman's Poems. Particular attention is paid to the use of various imagery in several poems from this collection as well as the overall theme of the poems.Examples given from text and cited. Also includes a short quote from the poet herself.

  • Emily Dickinson and the Poems of Fascicle Twenty-Eight

    A 14 page research paper that examines the poems in fascicle 28, a division that refers to packets of poems that Dickinson grouped together herself. The writer offers a brief explication of each poem, emphasizing thematic content and how the individual poems fit with the overall pattern. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • 'Eyes That Last I Saw in Tears' by T.S. Eliot

    A 6 page research paper/analysis of Eliot's poem "Eyes that Last I Saw in Tears." The writer argues that this poem conveys a haunting sense of regret, sorrow and, also, lingering guilt. The poem does not inform the reader as to why the memory of a look, the image of crying eyes, haunts the poet, yet an examination of this work clearly shows that this is what is taking place. Considering this fact, it seems logical to look at possible circumstances in Eliot's life that could have provided the impetus for this poem. By looking at both the poem and at certain known facts about Eliot's life, it is possible to find further illumination on the meaning of the poem from understanding the basis for Eliot's failed marriage. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Robert Lowell/Skunk Hour

    A 7 page explication of Robert Lowell's poem "Skunk Hour," which was written in 1959 and describes Lowell's impressions of a Maine sea town (Lowell 131). At the beginning of the poem, that is, the first four stanzas, Lowell describes a sterile, decaying setting, which he tries to lighten with a "tone of tolerance, humor and randomness at the sad prospect" (Lowell 131). However, even in this section of the poem, Lowell's perspective drifts as it "sinks out of sight into the causal, chancy arrangements of nature and decay" (Lowell 131). Then, in the later half of the poem, i.e., the last four stanzas, Lowell's tone dramatically changes as he describes the "dark night" of his soul, which is not "gracious, but secular, puritan and agnostical. An Existentialist night" (Lowell 132). A close reading of this poem demonstrates the accuracy of Lowell's personal assessment of his poem's meaning. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Four Poems on Grief

    This 8 page essay explicates 4 poems that deal with grief. These poems are: "Stairway to Heaven" by Joaquin G. Rubio; "Don't Forget About Me!" by Jenny Gordon; "My Mother Just Died" by Attila Jozsef; and "A Picture of You" by Deborah Robinson. Bibliographical information is incomplete and only the poems are cited.

  • God in a Technical Age, Arnold and Hopkins

    A 4 page essay that contrasts and compares Matthew Arnold's "Dover Beach" and Gerard Manley Hopkins' "God's Grandeur." The writer argues that both poems address the concerns of the Victorian era over a lack of societal religious faith, but that Arnold's poem is the most pessimistic. Only the poems are cited.

  • 'Out Far Nor in Deep' by Robert Frost

    A 5 page research paper that analyzes this Frost poem. The writer first discusses the form of the poem and then takes the poem stanza by stanza to discuss the meaning of its images and metaphors, drawing on scholarly and personal interpretation. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

  • Romantic Essence of 'Tintern Abbey' by William Wordsworth

    William Wordsworth thought that the essence of the Romantic poem was meant to stem from the heart or passions of the poet while the structure, theme and language are grounded in reality. This 9 page paper argues that line within the poem, The Task by William Cowper states: God made the country and man made the town, reflects the romantic tradition of poetry as defined by Wordsworth and reflected in the poem, Tintern Abbey. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

  • 'Because I could not stop for Death' by Emily Dickinson

    A 3 page essay that analyzes Emily Dickinson's poem. The writer argues that in this poem, Dickinson presents a rather cordial view of death, which she personifies as a courtly gentleman. Her verse proposes that death entails an adjustment in perspective from the human state of awareness toward one that is universal. In other words, the poem describes a period of adjustment in which the speaker adjusts to a new state of awareness and being. No additional sources cited.

  • Linguistic Analysis of Thomas Hardy's Poem 'Darkling Thrush'

    A 10 page linguistically oriented analysis of Thomas Hardy's poem "The Darkling Thrush." The writer offers an examination of this poem that explores syntax, phonology, morphology, and lexicon/cohesion. Analysis addresses the poem line-by-line, sometimes word-by-word. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Fathers and Sons in Poems by Robert Hayden and Theodore Roethke

    A 5 page paper on Theodore Roethke's poem 'My Papa's Waltz' and Robert Hayden's 'Those Winter Sundays.' The paper shows that while both poems are about a man's memories of his boyhood relationship with his father, the experiences related are very different because of the fathers' ability or inability to communicate with their sons. Bibliography lists two sources (the poems themselves).

  • A Report onthe Poem 'Gretel in Darkness'

    This 5 page report discusses the short (less than 20 lines) poem, 'Gretel in darkness.' As the poem develops, the reader senses both urgency and bitterness from Gretel with a great deal of frustration and bewilderment. Her brother, Hansel, appears to have forgotten what the two of them have gone through but she cannot forget that she killed a person. Ultimately, the poem may serve as an example of the difference response to self-preservation as experienced by women compared to men. No bibliography.

  • Poems That Reveal Joy Harjo's Life and Art

    This 5 page paper considers two poems by writer Joy Harjo which relate her life as a Native American and demonstrate a number of the contemporary problems facing Native American communities. This paper reflects upon the poems as they are a product of Harjo's own life, and focuses on her poems Mourning Song, Northern Lights and The Dawn Appears with Butterflies. No additional sources cited.

  • 'Kubla Khan' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

    A 7 page research paper that analyzes Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem Kubla Khan. The writer discusses the enigmatic quality of this poem and then argues that the clearest interpretation is that the poem is concerned with the process of creating poetry. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • 'Over There, World War II,' and 'I Sing, Too, America' by Langston Hughes

    An 8 page research paper/essay that analyzes two of Hughes poems, "I, too, Sing America" and "Over there, World War II." First, the writer gives a brief biography of the poet, then discusses critical opinion of his work, and then, critically analyzes these two poems. The writer demonstrates how the political content of these poems was aimed at both a black and white audience. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Ten Poems by Emily Dickinson

    A 5 page paper which analyzes the use of diction, rhythm, detail, apostrophe, and imagery in 10 of Emily Dickinson’s poems as retrieved from “The complete poems of Emily Dickinson edited by Thomas h. Johnson. The poems are 216, 223, 239, 248, 249, 435, 712, 754, 976 and 1651. No additional sources cited.

  • Styles of Poets Alfred Lord Tennyson and Robert Browning

    This 5 page paper considers the styles and meanings of Browning's Porphyria's Lover and Tennyson's Tithanus. Even though the meanings vary, the thematic approaches of both poems remain the same. Each poem includes poem include 1) the initial yearning or seeking of permanence - not wanting things to change. 2) Definition of the mythic or the ideal - what is love/life 3) How are decisions and actions and new decisions, from those actions related according to the narrators point of view? Bibliography lists no external sources.

  • Wordsworth’s Nutting

    A 7 page paper which analyzes William Wordsworth’s poem Nutting. No additional sources cited.

  • Gwen Harwood and her Poetry

    A 5 page essay on change that focuses on the poem "Suburban Sonnet" by Gwen Harwood. Using this poem, the writer discusses how motherhood involves change for the protagonist of the poem and to women in general. The positives and negatives of motherhood are discussed, with the conclusion that motherhood can be process that facilitates the growth of self. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • DRUG ADDICTION AND CULTURAL REFERENCES IN HAYDEN’S “SOLEDAD”

    This 5-page paper analyzes Robert Hayden's poem "Soledad." Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • e.e. cummings' poem 'In Just'

    A 3 page paper which anaylzes E.E. Cummings’ poem “In Just.” No additional sources cited.

  • 'The Holdfast' Poem by George Herbert

    A 5 page research paper/essay that examines and analyzes "The Holdfast," a religious poem by seventeenth century poet George Herbert. The writer offers a line by line "translation" of the poem into Modern English, as well as offering a discussion as to the meaning of the poem. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • William Butler Yeats' Poem 'The Second Coming'

    5 pages. This paper explores the poem The Second Coming by William Butler Yeats. This poem is broken down into its independent parts, with a thesis and explanation. The language, tone and context are all taken into consideration in the analysis of this poem. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • Human Condition as Described by Andrew Marvell and William Blake

    A 5 page essay that contrasts and compares two poems, Marvell's To his Coy Mistress and Blake's The Sick Rose. In both poems, the decay of death is contrasted against the beauty and vibrancy of life. Therefore, both poems can be seen has having a similar carpe diem orientation toward the human condition. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Emily Dickinson's Works on Self and Death

    A 5 page analysis of several of Dickinson's poems pertaining the subjects of death and the self. The writer discusses Dickinson's style as well as the meanings conveyed by these poems. Featured are poems 280, 712, 288, 303 and 435. No additional sources cited.

  • Analysis of Robert Frost's Poem 'Out, Out'

    A 5 page analysis of Robert Frost’s poem “Out, Out---.” Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.

  • 'The Ecstasy' by John Donne

    An 8 page paper which analyzes John Donne’s poem “The Ecstasy.” Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Styles of Poets Alfred Lord Tennyson and Robert Browning

    This 5 page paper considers the styles and meanings of Browning's Porphyria's Lover and Tennyson's Tithanus. Even though the meanings vary, the thematic approaches of both poems remain the same. Each poem includes poem include 1) the initial yearning or seeking of permanence - not wanting things to change. 2) Definition of the mythic or the ideal - what is love/life 3) How are decisions and actions and new decisions, from those actions related according to the narrators point of view? Bibliography lists no external sources.

  • 'dandelions' by Deborah Austin

    A 5 page analysis of a poem, 'dandelions,' by Deborah Austin. The writer offers an explanation for the war-imagery that Austin employs to describe the tiny flower, relating it to the poet's feelings on nature. No additional sources cited.

  • Analysis of 2 Poems Written by Women

    This 3 page paper compares and contrasts two poems, written by females in the 1980's. 'The One Girl at the Boys' Party' by Sharon Olds and 'Ethics' by Linda Pastan are featured. No additional sources cited.

  • 'Sick on a Journey' by Basho

    This 5 page paper analyzes the author's last Haiku. Sabi and Wabi are discussed as well as principles of Buddhism that might have affected the poet's view. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Comparative Analysis of Allen Ginsberg's Howl and Walt Whitman's Song of Myself

    A 5 page paper discussing two separate poems by Whitman and Ginsberg. The first poem is Walt Whitman's 'Song of Myself,' and the second poem is Alan Ginsberg's 'Howl.' The poems are discussed in relationship to their depiction of individuality and freedom. Both poets depict their subjects in different ways, while still maintaining similarities. Both see these issues as illustrating the connected nature of humanity, whether spiritually or not. One speaks of hopelessness and the other or beauty and God. Each also speaks of these issues in ways that have been, and always will be, thought of for people will always continue to have hope or the lack of it. No additional sources cited.

  • Advancing Age in the Poetry of W.B. Yeats

    A 5 page essay that summarizes and analyzes 3 poems by Yeats. In three of his best poems, William Butler Yeats addresses the age-old topic of mortality and the bitterness of advancing age. These poems are "Among School Children," "Sailing to Byzantium," and "Byzantium." These three poems thematically share and develop Yeats' thoughts relative to the loss of youth and the decline and decay of the human body contrasted against what is eternal in human experience, which is the medium of art and the striving of the soul toward perfection. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

  • Sexual Imagery/Depression in 3 Poems By Robert Frost

    A 5 page essay that analyzes 3 poems by Frost. Robert Frost is one of America's best-loved poets. His use of evocative and lyrical natural imagery speaks to a broad audience. However, in addition to the folksy wisdom, there is tension in many of Frost's poems that subtly intimates both his battles with lifelong depression, as well as conflicted feelings toward sex. The following examination of 3 of Frost's poems, "Acquainted wit the Night," "The Road Not Taken," and "Birches," demonstrates that below the literal surface meaning of these poems, Frost invites the reader to look deeper into his perception. No additional sources cited.

  • Nature and Poetic Views Contrasted

    A 5 page essay that contrasts and compares four poems, --"A Sick Rose" by William Blake; "Apparently with no surprise" by Emily Dickinson; "Digging" by Seamus Heaney; and "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost. The writer argues that in these poems the reader encounters brilliant imagery that perfectly invokes scenes of nature in the reader's imagination. However, examination of these four poems shows that the poets intend their verse to send very different messages. Blake and Dickinson picture nature as beautiful, but unfeeling. Their poems see nature as evidence of a divine power that can be capricious in its cruelty. Frost and Heaney, on the other hand, picture nature as soothing, positive and more benign. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

  • 'Smile' in the Poetry of Robert Browning and Dorothy Parker

    A 3 page essay on the use of the world "smile" in 2 poems. Robert Browning in "My Last Duchess" and Dorothy Parker in "A Certain Lady" create poems that employ the word "smile." "Smile" in each poem refers to the standard meaning of the word, that is, a facial expression in which the corners of the mouth turn upward, indicating pleasure or amusement; however, this word is employed quite differently within the context of each poem. Browning's Duke Ferrara condemns his "last duchess" because she smiled too freely and too genuinely and did not keep her smiles as something belonging solely to him. Dorothy Parker's "certain lady" convinces her lover that her special smiles are only for him, but admits that they hide a duplicitous heart. No additional sources cited.

  • Comparison of the Poems by Christina Rossetti and John Milton

    A 5 page essay that contrasts and compares works by Milton and Rossetti. John Milton (1608-1674), in his epic poem Paradise Lost, and Christina Rossetti (1830-1894), in her poem The Goblin Market, each present narratives in which women are tempted by sin that is represented allegorically by fruit. In each poem, there are also depictions of acts of love. But while these features indicate that the poems bear similarities, they also have fundamental differences that deal mainly with the poet's depiction of women. Eve is depicted as shallow, easily deceived and not capable of thinking as rationally as Adam. Rossetti's heroine, Lizzie, on the other hand, is clever, self-sacrificing, and saves her sister from sin through her actions. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • 'To His Coy Mistress' by Andrew Marvell and Imagery

    A 5 page essay that discusses Andrew Marvell's seduction poem "To His Coy Mistress." In this poem, Marvell (1621-1678) employs striking use of imagery delineates both the pleasure involved in "ceasing the day" (carpe diem) and the shortness of time, which is the philosophy's rationale. The first half of the poem employs imagery to establish a sense of intimacy between Marvell and his lover. The second half employs time imagery to focus on the point that life is short. Collectively, this argument makes this one of English literature's most persuasive seduction poems. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • 'Dialogue between the Soul and the Body' by Andrew Marvell

    A 3 page essay that explicates Marvell's poem "A Dialogue between the Soul and the Body." In this poem, Marvell addresses the duality of human nature. Examination of Marvell's thought on this topic shows that he considers the perspective of the soul and the body to be contradictory. No additional sources cited.

  • Three Poems by Gary Soto, Nikki Giovanni, and William Blake

    A 4 page essay that contrasts and compares poems by eighteenth century poet William Blake and modern poets Nikki Giovanni and Gary Soto. Examination of a representative poem from Blake, Giovanni and Soto shows that each of these poets, in his or her own individualistic manner, addresses how human beings deal with each other and how this affects the individuals involved. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Poetry of Frank O'Hara

    A 6 page paper which examines and analyzes two of Frank O'Hara's poems: Personal Poem and The Day Lady Died. Bibliography lists 4 additional sources.

  • 4 Poems by Robert Frost

    A 4 page paper which examines 4 poems of Robert Frost. The poems examined are "Mending Wall," "Fire and Ice," "Road Not Taken," and "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening." Bibliography lists 6 sources.

  • Poems: Dickinson, Donne, Marvell, Parker, and Roethke

    A 4 page paper which examines what the narrator is saying in various poems. The poems are John Donne’s The Flea, Emily Dickinson’s After Great Pain, A Formal Feeling Comes, Andrew Marvell’s To his coy mistress, Dorothy Parker’s One Perfect Rose and Theodore Roethke’s My Papa's Waltz. No additional sources cited.

  • Death/Injury in Poetry

    A 3 page paper which examines how death or injury has a very powerful impact on the adults in various poems. The poems examined are Mid-Term Break by Seamus Heaney, Rush Hour by Elaine Terranova, and The Boxes by Shelly Wagner. No additional sources cited.

  • Maya Angelou/Phenomenal Woman

    A 4 page essay that offers an explication and analysis of this poem. Throughout the course of human history, men haven been primarily admired for their accomplishments, but the focus of admiration for women has been on whether or not their appearance fit with what a particular society considered beautiful. In her poem "Phenomenal Woman," Maya Angelou challenges this pervasive cultural feature and asserts that she is extraordinary and immensely attractive, without fitting within any of society's preconceived notions of how female beauty and attractiveness should be defined and conceptualized. No additional sources cited.

  • ‘Requiem’ by Anna Akhmatova

    This 3 page paper discusses the poem “Requiem” by Russian poet Anna Akhmatova, what the poem means and what her purpose is in writing it. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Teaching and Learning in Poetry

    A 6 page paper which examines the theme of teaching and learning in different poems. The poems examined are Langston Hughes’ Theme for English B, Linda Pastan’s Pass/Fail, Paul Zimmer’s Simmer’s Head Thudding Against the Blackboard, Jane Kenyon’s Trouble with Math in a One-Room Country School, and Mark Halliday’s Graded Paper. No additional sources cited.

  • The Art of Indirection

    This 6 page paper compares Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 (“My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun”) to John Donne’s poem “A Valediction Forbidding Mourning,” and argues that they are examples of the poet using indirect methods to make his point. It also argues that neither poem could be considered a traditional romantic effort. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Lord Byron, We'll Go No More A-Roving

    A 5 page research paper/essay that analyzes this poem by George Gordon, Lord Byron. A close examination of this poem and where it fits in Byron's life suggests a negative view of Bryon, both as a poet and as an individual. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Robert Frost Poems

    A 3 page analysis of three of Robert Frost’s poems. The poems examined are Mending Wall, Nothing Gold Can Stay, and The Road Not Taken. No additional sources cited.

  • Nature Poems

    This is a nine page paper that provides an overview of poems about nature. Nine different poems are presented. Bibliography lists 0 sources.

  • Explication of George Herbert's "Virtue"

    A 4 page explication that describes George Herbert's early seventeenth century poem "Vertue" (Virtue). The writer explains how the main point of the poem is the immortality of the virtuous soul. No additional sources cited.

  • The Dead and the Living by Sharon Olds

    A 4 page essay that offers a general overview of Sharon Olds' poetry collection The Dead and the Living. Several poems are briefly explicated and the major themes of each section are addressed. The writer argues that the poems serve to capture a moment in time, a feeling, a memory, preserving not only the way something or someone looked, but also the emotions involved. In this manner, her verse preserves human experience. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Women and Love According to Kahlil Gibran

    A 4 page essay that discusses and analyzes three poems by the famous Arab writer and poet. The poems addressed are "Marriage," "Love," and "Children." No additional source are cited.

  • Omar Salinas, Raymond Carver, and Issues of Fathers and Sons

    This 5 page paper discusses the issues of sons and fathers as depicted in the poetry of spanish poets, Raymond Carver and Omar Salinas. The poems utlized are: My Father is a Simple Man and A Photograph of My Father on His Twenty-Second Year. Excerpts and analysis of each poem included. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Emily Dickinson's Views of Self and Society

    A 5 page essay that examines three of Dickinson's poems that deal with the self, how Dickinson saw herself and her society, "I'm Nobody! Who are You?," "Much Madness is divinest Sense," "The Soul selects her own Society." The writer argues that these poems give the reader insight into the remarkable personality of this nineteenth century poet. No additional sources cited.

  • Christian Allegory and 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

    A 5 page research paper, in which the writer argues that the traditional interpretation of "Mariner," which sees the poem as Christian allegory, comes closest to capturing its meaning. The writer also explores how the poem has been interpreted by various critics. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

  • A Reading of Emily Dickinson's 'After Great Pain…'

    A 5 page essay that offers an explication of Dickinson's poem "After Great Pain a Formal Feeling Comes." The writer argues that, in this poem, Dickinson indicates the various stages of recovery from traumatic pain. Her verse delineates the various stages that an individual goes through after experiencing great pain: the philosophical questions that one asks; the mechanical feeling of detachment; and, also, that the pain eventually ceases, if one survives it. No additional sources cited.

  • 'Coole Park and Ballylee, 1931' by William Butler Yeats

    A 5 page essay that examines Yeats' assertion in this poem that 'We were the last romantics…' (line 41). The writer argues that this is a fair assessment and that examining the context of the poem demonstrates Yeat's version of romanticism, which is embedded in his love of the Irish country. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Comparison of Poems by Keats and Blake

    A 3 page essay that compares "La Belle Dame sans Merci" by John Keats with William Blake's "The Divine Image." The writer first addresses their similarities by showing how both poems reflect the characteristics of Romantic poetry, but then differences are addressed by outlining the themes of each poem. Bibliography lists 3 sources

  • A Reading of Emily Dickinson's Poem #632

    A 5 page essay that critically analyzes Dickinson's poem #632, "The Brain is wider than the Sky." The writer argues that, in this poem, Dickinson equates humanity's capacity to reason with the divine, locating God within humanity's ability to reason and imagine. No other sources cited.

  • Emily Dickinson, Popular Music, and Death Fascination

    A 5 page essay that compares two poems by Emily Dickinson, "I heard a fly buzz when I died" and "Because I could not stop for death," to two popular songs concerning death -- "The Death Song" by Marilyn Manson and "Prey for Death" by Graham Woolley. The writer argues that Dickinson's poems, like the songs profiled, take the approach that death is not to be feared. However, the writer also points out where the tone of these works differ. No additional sources.

  • Nature in R.S. Thomas' Poetry

    This 5 page paper discusses the nature element as theme in two representative poems of R.S. Thomas: Soil and Cynddylan on a Tractor. Specific examples are quoted and cited from the text. In depth analysis also included for both poems. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • The Bean Eater vs. Old Couple, Comparison

    A 5 page paper which compares and contrasts elements within two poems. The poems are “The Bean Eater” by Gwendolyn Brooks and “Old Couple” by Charles Simic. No additional sources cited.

  • 'The Children's Hour' by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

    A 5 page research paper that critically analyzes Longfellow's poem "The Children's Hour." The writer argues that this poem speaks directly to feelings that are basic to all humanity and this is why his verse, although no longer critically acclaimed, is so well loved and read throughout the world. The writer also discusses Longfellow's reputation and how his work is regarded. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Science According to the Poems of Walt Whitman and Edgar Allan Poe

    A 4 page essay that compares and contrasts 2 poems by Poe and Whitman. Poe's "Sonnet--To Science" and Whitman's "When I heard the Learn'd Astronomer," address not only the same subject matter, but also they take an identical stand on the topic. While Poe's poem is the most overt in its message, Whitman also takes the stand that science, specifically astronomy, attempts to drain the beauty and mystery from life and turns the wondrous into the mundane. No additional sources cited.

  • 'On Being Brought from Africa to America' by Phyllis Wheatley

    A 7 page paper which examines Phyllis Wheatley’s poem “On Being Brought from Africa to America.” The paper argues that the poem is one that subtly offers praise to the institution of slavery for having brought Christianity to the savage. Bibliography lists 5 additional sources.

  • The Use of Allegory and Symbolism in the Epic Poem Beowulf

    A 5 page research paper and analysis of the Anglo-Saxon Old English epic poem. The writer explores aspects of the symbolism and allegory used in the poem, such as the symbolism behind the Danish great hall. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Comparative Analysis of Walt Whitman's Song of the Open Road and Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking

    In this 6 page essay, the writer uses two of Whitman's poems 'Out Of The Cradle Endlessly Rocking,' and 'Song Of The Open Road, to show how the poets works were usually similar in theme yet dissimilar in purpose. The first of these is a poem filled with rich images, sounds, and symbolic meanings. The second is a collection of meaningful yet ambiguously patterned sentences decorated with inquiries into life -- yet each remain focused upon the underlying theme of humanity, nature, etc. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Meaning of the Poem 'The Second Coming' by William Butler Yeats II

    A 4 page paper on Yeats' "Second Coming" in which the writer attempts to explain the poem's meaning from beginning to end-- focusing on some of the more difficult phrases. It is concluded that the poem was meant to be largely ambiguous and that to fully understand it, certain sections cannot be taken literally. Bibliography lists 4 supporting sources.

  • Romantic Era Poetry and the Conflict of Man versus Nature

    An insightful, 6 page essay on how the poems of Blake, Wordsworth & Keats represented a renewed hope for civilization. The writer argues that each of these poets spoke of how the world could be cured of its problems if man would only work in harmony with nature. Wordsworth's 'The World is Too Much With Us' and Blake's 'London' are among the poems used in this analysis. No Bibliography.

  • William Wordsworth's Poetry and the Themes of Grieving and Death

    A 5 page paper analyzing two of Wordsworth's poems in Lyrical Ballads: 'We are Seven,' and 'Anecdote for Fathers' in terms of their logical sequence. The paper concludes that 'We Are Seven' logically follows 'Anecdote,' because the second poem builds and expands on the theme of the grieving process introduced in the first. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Walt Whitman vs. Emily Dickinson

    Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman were contemporaries in time and space but worlds apart in experience. This 5 page paper argues that the poems, A Noiseless Patient Spider by Walt Whitman and A Spider Sewed At Night by Emily Dickinson are both nature poems that employ allusion and repetition to compare the spider with the soul of the writer. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

  • Domesticity in 'Washing Sheets in July' by Jane Gentry Vance

    A 5 page explication of this poem by Jane Gentry Vance. The paper argues that while it is completely possible to write a profound and moving poem out of material as humble as washing sheets, the poet shows that a complete immersion in domestic duties leaves little time for writing poetry. No additional sources cited.

  • Symbolism in 'Angels' by Robert Wrigley

    A 5 page look at Robert Wrigley's deeply evocative poem from this 1995 collection. The paper looks at a number of symbols used in the poem and relates them to sexuality. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • 'Dover Beach' by Matthew Arnold

    A 5 page research paper that analyzes the poem 'Dover Beach' by nineteenth century British poet Matthew Arnold. This analysis demonstrates how 'Dover Beach' expresses Arnold's dissatisfaction with industrialized society and relates the poem to Arnold's life. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Time, Conflict, and Pleasure in the Poetry of the 17th Century Poetry

    A 5 page paper examining three poems by John Donne, Robert Herrick, and Andrew Marvell, in terms of the presence or absence of overlapping themes. The paper concludes that while evidence exists that all three writers incorporated into their poems thoughts on pleasure and conflict, the most obvious similarity was an obsession with the passage of time. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Time in The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot

    A 7 page paper discussing the motif of time in T.S. Eliot's most famous and perplexing poem. The paper argues that the poem creates a sense of timelessness, not by ignoring chronology, but by telescoping it all together, thus underscoring humanity's ongoing part in the grand cycle of death and rebirth. Bibliography lists five sources.

  • Comparing Four John Keats' Poems as 'A Thing of Beauty'

    A 6 page paper discussing four of John Keats'best known poems -- The Eve of St Agnes, Endymion, Ode to a Grecian Urn, and Ode to a Nightingale. Bibliography lists several critical sources other than the poems themselves.

  • Comparing the Poetry of Percy Bysshe Shelley, John Keats, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge

    A 5 page research paper on the poems: 'Ode To A Nightingale,' 'To A Skylark,' and 'The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner.' The writer describes the symbolism of the birds in each poem and the reasons for their use. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • 'The Soul Selects Her Own Society' by Emily Dickinson

    A 5 page explication of this poem by Emily Dickinson. The writer details the metaphors of the poem, its form and rhyme scheme, and critical views of its relationship to Dickinson's own life. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

  • Personal Journey Undertaken in 'The Road Not Taken' by Robert Frost

    A 5 page paper giving a personal response to Frost's poem through tying the theme of the poem to an experience in the student's own life. The paper argues that everyone can find a point in his life at which his own life paths diverged, and he took the path 'less traveled by', the path that had no easy social or cultural map to follow. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • 'Alysoun' Medieval Poem Explication

    A 4 page essay/research paper that offers an explication of "Alysoun," a medieval lyric poem. The writer argues that an examination of this poem illustrates the medieval perspective on life, as well as the people's love of life and its pleasures. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Comparison Between John Keats' 'On Seeing the Elgin Marbles' and 'Ozymandias' by Percy Bysshe Shelley

    This 3 page paper compares Keats' poem: On seeing the Elgin Marbles to Shelley's poem: Ozymandias. In addition an actual description of the art works both poets are discussing is included. Notes on the romantic poet included. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • 'Ovid's Banquet of Sence' by George Chapman

    A 3 page essay that examines Chapman's sixteenth century poem "Ovid's Banquet of Sence." The writer discusses how Chapman assumed that his readers would be cognizant of numerous literary references and focuses on how Chapman's poem reflects Platonic ideals expressed by Diotima in Plato's Symposium. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Edward Taylor and Anne Bradstreet Poetic Comparision

    A 3 page paper which compares Anne Bradstreet’s poem “By Night when Others Soundly Slept” with Edward Taylor’s poem “”Huswifery.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Analysis of 'Ode on Melancholy' and 'To Autumn' by John Keats

    A 5 page paper which analyzes Keats’ poem “To Autumn” and also discusses it in relationship to his poem “Ode on Melancholy.” Bibliography lists 1 additional source.

  • Phyllis Wheatley and Edward Taylor

    A 3 page paper which compares Edward Taylor’s poem “Huswifery” with Phillis Wheatley’s poem “On Being Brought from Africa to America.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • 'Here, Bullet' by Brian Turner

    A 4 page paper which examines the collection of poems in Brian Turner’s “Here, Bullet” and analyzes one particular poem, “Here, Bullet.” Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • A Reading of Emily Dickinson's Short Poem #1755

    5 pages. This paper examines one of Emily Dickinson's short poems, #1755. Emily Dickinson was a prolific poet and the amount of work as well as the quality still tends to amaze readers. The simplest lines can speak volumes as we can see when we examine poem #1755. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • Placing a Historical Value on 'The Iliad' by Homer

    A 7 page paper which analyzes the epic poem from a historical context, considering if the events depicted are real, if the information can be verified, and examines the author’s intentions for writing the poem. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

  • Comparison of Callimachean and Catullus Poetry

    This 5 page paper focuses on Catullus poetry and evaluates some poems to see if they have any relationship with Callimachean poems. The paper looks at both similarities and differences. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • 'Michael Robartes and the Dancer' by Irish Poet William Butler Yeats

    A 5 page research paper/essay that offers explication of Yeats' poem "Michael Robartes and the Dancer." The writer argues that in this poem Yeats voices his nineteenth century rationalization against women having a wider role in public life, even going so far to oppose women in higher education. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Beauty and Friendship in 3 of Sappho's Poems

    A 5 page research paper/essay that offer analysis of three of Sappho's poems. The writer argues that while her verse is notorious for its connection with Lesbianism, there is much more to Sappho's poetry than mere eroticism. An examination of her poems reveals a deep and passionate connection with nature and appreciation for beauty, which are sentiments that reach across time and space and speak to the modern reader, establishing a feeling of connection and friendship. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • Analyzing Three Poems About War

    This 3 page paper evaluates three poems about the ravages of war by three different authors. The poems are compared and contrasted. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • 'Ballad of Birmingham' by Dudley Randall

    This 3 page paper analyzes this poem for form, tone, symbolism, alliteration and more. Examples given from text of Dudley Randalls poem: The Ballad of Birmingham. Bibliograpy lists 1 source.

  • Sufi Poet and Mystic Jelaluddin Rumi

    A 5 page research paper that analyzes three works by the thirteenth century Sufi mystic poet, Jelaluddin Rumi (1207-1273). The writer discusses themes come to his poems "Life & Death" and "Remember Me," which they share with Rumi's "Discourse 70." Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Poetic Comparison of John Keats's 'On First Looking into Chapman's Homer' and William Wordsworth's 'Lines Composed upon Westminster Bridge'

    A 5 page paper which compares and contrasts the two Romantic poems. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Emily Dickinson's 'I Years Had Been From Home'

    This 5 page paper analyzes Emily Dickinson's poem: I Years Had Been From Home. Analysis includes line by line description of symbols used and their possible interpretation. Quotes cited from text. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Analysis of the Poem 'Earth's Answer' by William Blake

    A 5 page paper which explains the poem and examines its value. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Phillis Wheatley's Poetry

    This 5 page paper examples the complex and technically notable works of the first black american poet, Phillis Wheatley. Several of her poems are analyzed for form, metaphor, personification and theme. Examples cited from text. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Comparative Analysis of the Poetry of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Alfred Lord Tennyson

    A 5 page paper which compares some of the poetry of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Alfred Lord Tennyson. The poems examined are “Mariana” by Tennyson and Sonnets from the Portuguese 21, 22, 32, and 43. Bibliography lists 3 additional sources.

  • 'Daddy' by Sylvia Plath

    This 5 page paper looks at Sylvia Plath's famous poem. An analysis is presented using a feminist archetypal perspective. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

  • 'Daddy' by Sylvia Plath

    This 8 page paper analyzes Sylvia Plath's poem, Daddy for feminist overtones. Examples are given from the text to support the thesis and cited. In addition, the supporting statements of several other experts are given which support the claim. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Robert Frost, Walt Whitman, and Their Poetry of Death

    A 5 page paper which examines some of the poems of Walt Whitman and Robert Frost as they involve the theme of death. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Human Nature and the Poetry of Walt Whitman

    This 5 page paper examines the life of Walt Whitman and how he perceive human nature and the meaning of life. Excerpts from his poems, "O Captain! My Captain!" and "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry" are examined as supporting evidence. Bilbiography lists 3 sources.

  • Truth in Poetry

    A 5 page paper which examines three different things. The paper discusses the phrase “The truth shall set you free” as it relates to specific literature. The paper then discusses the meaning of William Blake’s comment “Prisons are built with stones of Law, Brothels with bricks of Religion,” and lastly the paper discusses a particular poem whose title and author is unknown. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • 'The Odyssey' by Homer and the Character Cyclops

    A 5 page paper which examines the great significance of this minor character to the epic poem. No additional sources are used.

  • Walt Whitman's 'Song of Myself' and Religion

    This 7 page paper discusses the religious aspect of his poem Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself." Endnotes list 3 sources.

  • Langston Hughes' Dream Deferred

    A 3 page paper which examines the symbolism in Langston Hughes’ poem “A Dream Deferred.” Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Analysis of 2 Poems Written by Women

    This 3 page paper compares and contrasts two poems, written by females in the 1980's. 'The One Girl at the Boys' Party' by Sharon Olds and 'Ethics' by Linda Pastan are featured. No additional sources cited.

  • Gwen Harwood's 'Suburban Sonnet'

    A 5 page paper that examines the language and meaning of Australian lyric poet Gwen Harwood's Suburban Sonnet. Discussed is the poem's use of imagery and metaphor as well as the dual meanings expressed by these literary devices. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • Langston Hughes's 'I Too' and Walt Whitman's 'I Hear America Singing' Poetry Comparison

    This 5 page paper compares and contrasts these Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes poems which contain similar features. Literary devices used are noted throughout the paper. No additional sources cited.

  • Ronald Koertge's 'Gretel'

    This 5 page paper takes a look at this interesting poem about the Hansel and Gretel tale. Thematic elements are emphasized. No bibliography.

  • George Herbert's Poetry and Religious Message

    This 9 page paper analyzes some of this author's poems and provides proof for the thesis that Herbert was trying to prompt people to think as opposed to trying to send a hidden message. The religious nature of his work is highlighted. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Transcendentalist Emily Dickinson

    A 6 page paper analyzing whether the famous nineteenth-century poet can actually be considered a transcendentalist. Looking at evidence presented in several of her poems, the writer argues that Dickinson would like to have been such, but many of her fears and obsessions rose from her Calvinist background. The paper uses five of her poems -- 'These are the days when birds come back', 'I heard a fly buzz when I died', 'Because I could not stop for death,' 'Further in summer than the birds', and 'Tell all the truth but tell it slant' to support its thesis. No critical sources are cited.

  • Afterlife in 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock' by T.S. Eliot

    A 4 page paper arguing that Eliot's poem speaks of metaphysical glimpses into an afterlife. It is spoken in the construct of a night when 'J. Alfred Prufrock' is traveling, though not reveling, on the mundane earth with a companion. During the ramble, Eliot takes an ironic look at what is known and what is before him. Within the poem, he orders his words in a purposeful rambling between providing an answer to the 'overwhelming question,' and seeing grace in the present. He also uses subjugated literary techniques, color elements and time to further stipulate indecision and fear. No additional sources cited.

  • 'Assisi' by Norman MacCaig Analyzed

    This 7 page report discusses one poem by the Scottish poet, Norman MacCaig (1910-1996). MacCaig has been hailed as one of Scotland’s greatest poets. Balance is always a key point in MacCaig’s poetry, whether it is the balance between light and dark, man and nature, or man with other men. His skills of observation were also often directed toward the nature of identity and how one individual perceives him/herself and others. Such is the case with MacCaig’s poem “Assisi” that was published in his collection titled “Surroundings” in 1966. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Dreams and the Poetry of John Keats

    An 8 page essay/analysis of several of poems by John Keats. The writer argues that while Keats did not speak often of "dreaming" in a literal sense, i.e. the activities of the subconscious mind while asleep, "dreaming" as in the activity of the imagination while awake, i.e. the "daydream" -- the ability of the individual to "dream" of goals or the attainment of some heart's desire -- this aspect of "dreaming" played a pivotal role in his worldview. Poems include On looking in to Chapman's Home, Sleep and Poetry, On seeing the Elgin Marbles, The Eve of St. Agnes, La Belle Dame Sans Merci, Ode to Melancholy, Ode to a Grecian Urn, Ode to a Nightingale and To Autumn. No additional sources cited.

  • Wislawa Szymborska's War Poem 'The End and the Beginning'

    A 5 page analysis of Wislawa Szymborska's poem "The End and the Beginning," which expresses the incongruity of war. The writer discusses how the historical focus on war has always been on the destruction, the tearing down of civilization. This poem makes the point that there is always an aftermath, the "end" of the war, which is the "beginning" of the rebuilding. Through her expert use of imagery and word choice, Szymborska first addresses the horrendous cost of war and the back-breaking task of rebuilding; and then shows why this terrible activity of humanity is so cyclical. No additional sources cited.

  • Robert Frost's "Mending Wall" - Analysis

    5 pages in length. Robert Frost's eloquent words and descriptive imagery combine to create a poem that can be interpreted as either finite or far-reaching, inasmuch as his focal point of a wall that separates two otherwise isolated individuals serves as a symbolic presence of the walls people routinely place between one another to maintain distance. Throughout the poem the narrator puzzles over the meaning behind the wall, why it falls into disrepair and the reason it needs to be fixed at all given it does not serve to contain anything but merely keep him at arm's length from his neighbor - unsocial as he is. Bibliography lists 1 source.

 

Most Relevant Research Papers

Click on any of the term papers to read a brief synopsis of the research paper. The essay synopsis includes the number of pages and sources cited in the paper.

 

Copyright © 2000-2024 The Paper Store Enterprises, Inc. & Fast Papers On-line.
All rights reserved. Search for your essay here.

U.S. based premium essay, research and
term papers service since 2000.