The Romantic Age
The Romantic Period (1789-1850)As the 1700's ended industrial and political revolution began. Bold new ideas inspired a cultural movement called Romanticism. Romanticism was inspired by the beauty and power of nature and was shaped by evaluating feelings and the imagination. It was a powerful cultural movement that dominated Europeans in culture throughout the early 1800’s . Three big ideas that flowed through this era are The Stirrings of Romanticism, Nature and the imagination, and the quest for truth and beauty.
Video Source: Literature Launchers. "The Triumph of Romanticism." DVD. Glencoe 2012. |
The Victorian Period (1850-1900)During the 64 year reign of queen Victoria, Britain experienced unprecedented change. The Victorian age brought revolutionary ships and social thought and ushered in the industrial revolution. Three Big ideas that helped shape the literature of the victorian age were: the british optimism and the belief in progress , the emergence of realism, and the disillusionment and darker visions of naturalism.
Video Source: Literature Launchers. "The Victorian Age." DVD. Glencoe 2012. |
I. Analyzing
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CAN YOU SPOT THE
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A thing of Beauty (Endymion)A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness; but still will keep A bower quiet for us, and a sleep Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing. Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing A flowery band to bind us to the earth, Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth Of noble natures, of the gloomy days, Of all the unhealthy and o'er-darkened ways Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all, Some shape of beauty moves away the pall From our dark spirits. Such the sun, the moon, Trees old, and young, sprouting a shady boon For simple sheep; and such are daffodils With the green world they live in; and clear rills That for themselves a cooling covert make 'Gainst the hot season; the mid-forest brake, Rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms: And such too is the grandeur of the dooms We have imagined for the mighty dead; All lovely tales that we have heard or read: An endless fountain of immortal drink, Pouring unto us from the heaven's brink. Like a blessing sent from celestial royalty, The sun and moon stand in their loyalty To beauty and we cherish the image In our minds forever with no cracks or finish. |
II. Analyzing a Poemthrough Essay ImitationA Thing of Beauty (Endymion)
A thing of beauty is a joy for ever: Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness; but still will keep A bower quiet for us, and a sleep Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing. Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing A flowery band to bind us to the earth, Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth Of noble natures, of the gloomy days, Of all the unhealthy and o'er-darkened ways Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all, Some shape of beauty moves away the pall From our dark spirits. Such the sun, the moon, Trees old, and young, sprouting a shady boon For simple sheep; and such are daffodils With the green world they live in; and clear rills That for themselves a cooling covert make 'Gainst the hot season; the mid-forest brake, Rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms: And such too is the grandeur of the dooms We have imagined for the mighty dead; All lovely tales that we have heard or read: An endless fountain of immortal drink, Pouring unto us from the heaven's brink. |
An Analysis of John Keats’s “A Thing of Beauty (Endymion)”
Poems in English literature, particularly those from the Romantic Age, contain a variety of heavily-used rhetorical devices in order to convey the meaning intended by the author. In Keats’s “A Thing of Beauty,” for instance, the reader finds a number of devices that aid in conveying the tone and, ultimately, the theme of this poem. Concepts such as nature, beauty, and nature pervade the poem in the poet’s attempt to convey the theme that a thing of beauty is a joy forever. To begin to understand a poem, one must deal with the basics. These involve knowing general information about the speaker, occasion, audience, purpose, and subject. The speaker of “A Thing of Beauty” reveals himself to be Endymion, reminiscing on natures everlasting beauty. The occasion is summer, and the time is early nightfall. The speaker’s audience does not seem to be anyone in particular and his/her purpose involves depicting a scene. The, sun, moon and “old trees” are all examples of natures beauty which acts as the subject of the poem. To paraphrase the events of the poem, one might say that the speaker expresses how objects that we believe to be beautiful are memories that stay in our minds forever and bring us joy. He then goes on to say that nature’s beauty surpasses any discomfort caused by the qualities of one’s inhuman ways and the feelings we get whilst gazing at the beauties are everlasting in our minds. In terms of tone, the poem begins with a calm or peaceful mood or atmosphere and carries that mood throughout the rest of the poem. Some diction that suggests this involves the speaker first using the words “loveliness,” “quiet,” “sleep,” and “sweet dreams,” and also, later in the poem by employing words like “joy,” “ecstatic,” “happy,” “blessed,” and hope, the speaker keeps a positive tone by the end. This suggests that the things of beauty the speaker mentions are prevalent in our minds even through our inhuman ways.The speaker’s attitude also becomes apparent in the poem. The speaker’s tone reveals a blissful attitude with the use of the word “joy,” his/her attitude stays positive with the use of diction like “grandeur” and “beauty.” The three most significant rhetorical devices that the poet uses to convey the theme in the poem involve the use of imagery, allusion, and paradox. The poet uses imagery to help the reader get a sense of the beauties we are surrounded with with words and phrases like “flowery band” and “fair musk-rose blooms.” He also uses paradox as a way of putting two statements that can't be true, specifically with phrases like “pass into nothingness it will never” Finally, the poet uses allusion to give deeper meaning to the poem by pouring an “immortal brink” from “heaven's brink” as a reference to Zeus granting immortality to Endymion . Thus, the devices used by the author give the reader the idea that nature outlasts inhuman ways. Essentially, this poem is about a thing of beauty is a joy forever. To create this meaning, the author uses numerous devices of rhetoric and the effects of tone to create an atmosphere that is calm and peaceful. As a result, we can see how the use of rhetorical devices and tone give meaning to poetry and other forms of literature. |
III. FINAL PROJECT:
The Original Poem
Black Butterfly
Beautiful and Horrendous Quite pretentious If long black wings Bad news it brings Cringe worthy at sight Disaster is a might It carries a curse One can’t reverse Like a red mask Does the same task The angel of death Decides the last breath But maybe it's fate Not the messenger who decides the date -Melissa Duran |
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