Blog Post #14: Paired Poems Group Presentation

The following two poems are about Helen of Troy. Renowned in the ancient world for her beauty, Helen was the wife of Menelaus, a Greek King. She was carried off to Troy by the Trojan prince Paris, and her abduction was the immediate cause of the Trojan War. Read the two poems carefully. Considering such elements as speaker, diction, imagery, form, and tone, write a well-organized essay in which you contrast the speakers’ views of Helen. 

Initial Essay

In the poems “Helen” by H.D. and “To Helen” by Edgar Allen Poe, the two poets present contrasting views of Helen of Troy. While the first author impartially illustrates an unpopular, bleak Helen, the second paints an infatuated lover’s perception of the subject. The authors use contrasting speakers, rhetorical devices, and shifts in tone to give evidence to their description of Helen of Troy.

The first poem’s speaker is clearly detached. They describe Helen in third person, addressing no audience in particular, and sticking simply to a calm explanation of Greece’s loathing perception of Helen. They do not appear to attempt to invoke a particular emotion in their audience. The second poem, conversely, is directly addressed to Helen. The speaker consistently praises Helen, expressing their deep infatuation for her. Through the different attempts by speakers, the poets present contrasting images of Helen, the first being a hated woman and the second being a deeply loved one.

The differences in the poets’ approaches are also apparent in their choice of rhetorical devices. The first poem uses blazon ironically. Blazon, typically used to list a woman’s body parts in praise, is used differently in this poem. The detached speaker describes Helen’s “white face”, “cool feet”, and “slenderest knees”, acknowledging her beauty but focusing on Greece’s hatred for her. In the second poem, the speaker uses metaphors to address his love for Helen, comparing her to “those Nicean barks of yore”, to explain that she represents safety and comfort to him, a “weary, way-worn wanderer”. He uses a metaphor, again, in the second stanza, saying that she “brought [him] home”, giving him direction and belonging. In the first poem, the blazon is while explaining all that Helen has destroyed, whereas in the second, she appears to be a haven.

Each perspective, however, gains depth in the final stanzas of each poem through the shift in tone. The first poem includes an inconsistent rhyme scheme, relying heavily on assonance and slant rhymes and remaining free verse. Still, in the final stanza, after explaining Greece’s hate of Helen, the speaker describes her as “God’s daughter, born of love”, which is opposite to the previous descriptions of her. This suggests that Greece may not be as adamantly against Helen as originally described. This theme is also apparent in the second poem; although the rhyme scheme is far more consistent, this one wavers more as each stanza progresses. The dissolution of the rhyme scheme, emphasized more in each stanza, also parallels the shift in metaphors. Originally, the speaker describes Helen as a comfort and haven, comparing her to the Naiads, beautiful and mystical water creatures. However, in the final stanza, she is compared to Psyche, a beautiful woman but also only a mortal. This shift in comparison of Helen from mystical creatures to a mortal who visited the underworld suggests doubt in the speaker and a subtle fading of their infatuation of her.

Active Reading

C&C Chart

Tone Shifts Chart

Blog Post #13: Paired Poem FRQ Revision

Revision

In "The Chimney Sweeper," William Blake illustrates the disillusionment of life as a chimney sweep, using two paired poems. Although the first poem depicts a young sweep’s optimistic view of his life, the second displays an experienced, bitter view. Blake uses shifts in rhyme scheme, allusions to religion, and contrasting tones to depict the morbid reality of life as a chimney sweep.

In the first poem, the rhyme scheme is aabb. This rhyme scheme is very typical and parallels a nursery rhyme, adding to the hopeful and optimistic tone. However, this rhyme scheme shifts slightly in the final stanza to a slant rhyme. This shift draws attention to the final line, “so if all do their duty, they need not fear harm” (24). This emphasizes the irony in the 1789 poem; the character is hopeful and optimistic, but in reality, their lives are destined for grief. This rhyme scheme is repeated in the second poem, but not entirely. In the second stanza of the 1794 poem, the rhyme scheme shifts to abab. This shift in rhyme scheme creates a distinction between the two poems, allowing the readers to separate them. However, when the rhyme scheme shifts, so does the author's perspective towards chimney sweeping. This shift in rhyme scheme suggests organized innocence and rebellion. The lines with abab rhyme scheme present a disillusioned view of being a chimney sweep; before, the reader "need not fear harm" (24), but in the abab rhyme scheme, the reader believes "they have done me...injury" (10). No longer conforming to the usual aabb rhyme scheme, the sweep is not only rebelling against their predetermined destiny of a difficult life as a sweep, but also using the tenth line to identify those who did wrong to them -- their parents and those in authority.This poem’s disillusioned bitterness towards chimney sweeping is further emphasized through the use of allusions to religion in the poem.

Blake depicts the main character's disillusionment with chimney sweeps through the role of religion in each poem. In the first poem, the character's innocence is revealed through the death of the other chimney sweeps. Blake introduces an Angel who opens the coffins of the dead children and sets "them all free" (14). The Angel also tells a child, Tom, that if he is an obedient chimney sweep, "he'd have God for his father" (20). In both of these lines, it is obvious that the innocent chimney sweeps view their jobs as means to achieving salvation, or being rewarded by God.  This suggests a trust toward the higher authority in their lives. Their belief towards the role of religion is drastically different in the second poem. Written five years later, the second poem illustrates an angry, more hateful child. The main character refers to God and religion as making "up a heaven of our misery" (12). This perspective is drastically different because it suggests a negative connotation towards their faith. In the first poem, God and Heaven are the reward, whereas in the second poem, God and Heaven are instead looked at with misery and anger.

The child's disillusionment in the second poem is emphasized with Blake's choice of words. In the first poem, words have a positive, innocent connotation; the children, although dead, are "free" and his friend, Tom, is "happy & warm" (23). Although the characters are in a terrible situation, they do not realize it, instead believing that "they need not fear harm" (24). Blake's choice of these words suggests that the characters are very innocent, because they do not understand their predicament. In the second poem, however, the words have a darker connotation. The children are taught to cry "in notes of woe" and are clothed in "clothes of death (7-8). They point out that although on the outside they mirror themselves in the first poem--appearing "happy" and dancing and singing--on the inside, they are filled with misery and vengeance. The children say that their parents "think they have done me no injury" (10). This reveals the complexity in the disillusionment of the children; although they appear unaffected and happy on the outside, they have become filled with dark misery on the inside. Blake's writing of these two poems depicts the change in the chimney sweeps as they grow up.

Although both poems are centered upon the subject of chimney sweeping, they present two drastically different outlooks. The first poem is naive, illustrating an innocent perspective towards the death and difficulty of chimney sweeping through consistent rhyme scheme, allusions to religion, and diction with positive connotation. In the second poem, on the other hand, the shift in rhyme scheme and negative connotation of religion and the words used reflect a darker perspective towards chimney sweep, revealing the reality of the childrens' lives as chimney sweeps. Blake's poems are binary contrasts, the first representing innocence and trust towards God, and the second representing a disillusioned perspective that is more hateful, and negative. Still, the final lines of the second poem reflect a different view. Although the first is mostly innocent and the second is mostly experienced, the end of the second poem suggests organized innocence. The second poem retells the difficulties in being a chimney sweep. However, the final stanza, "they think they have done me no injury" suggests that the children are not only coming to terms with the reality of their life, but identifying those who are responsible for their situation. By acknowledging that their parents placed them in the situation, they begin to look at not only chimney sweeping, but their parents, with disdain. This suggests that the children feel more than simply innocence or disillusionment; their organized innocence suggests that they are prepared to rebel against their predicament.

Blog Post #12: Paired Poem FRQ

The poems below, published in 1789 and 1794, were written by William Blake in response to the condition of chimney sweeps. Usually small children, sweeps were forced inside chimneys to clean their interiors. Read the two poems carefully. Then, in a well-written essay, compare and contrast the two poems, taking into consideration the poetic techniques Blake uses in each.

Response

In "The Chimney Sweeper," William Blake illustrates the life of a chimney sweep in paired poems. Although the first poem depicts a trustful, innocent chimney sweep's view of his life, the second displays a learned and disillusioned view. Blake uses a shift in rhyme scheme, allusions to religion, and descriptive diction to depict the morbid reality of life as a chimney sweep and suggest the children's rejection of their assigned fate.

In the first poem, the rhyme scheme is aabb. This rhyme scheme is repeated in the second poem, but not entirely. In the second third of the second poem, the rhyme scheme shifts to abab. This shift in rhyme scheme creates a distinction between the two poems, allowing the readers to separate them. The first poem describes an innocent view of the chimney sweep, and so does the first stanza of the second poem. However, when the rhyme scheme shifts, so does the author's perspective towards chimney sweeping. The lines with abab rhyme scheme present a disillusioned view of being a chimney sweep; before, the reader "need not fear harm" (24), but in the abab rhyme scheme, the reader believes "they have done me...injury" (10). This second, experienced outlook on the chimney sweeps is further emphasized through the use of allusions to religion in the poem.


Blake depicts the main character's disillusionment with chimney sweeps through the role of religion in each poem. In the first poem, the character's innocence is revealed through the death of the other chimney sweeps. Blake introduces an Angel who opens the coffins of the dead children and sets "them all free" (14). The Angel also tells a child, Tom, that if he is an obedient chimney sweep, "he'd have God for his father" (20). In both of these lines, it is obvious that the innocent chimney sweeps view their jobs as means to achieving salvation, or being rewarded by God.  This suggests a trust toward the higher authority in their lives. Their belief towards the role of religion is drastically different in the second poem. Written five years later, the second poem illustrates an angry, more hateful child. The main character refers to God and religion as making "up a heaven of our misery" (12). This perspective is drastically different because it suggests a negative connotation towards their faith. In the first poem, God and Heaven are the reward, whereas in the second poem, God and Heaven are instead looked at with misery and anger.

The child's disillusionment in the second poem is emphasized with Blake's choice of words. In the first poem, words have a positive, innocent connotation; the children, although dead, are "free" and his friend, Tom, is "happy & warm" (23). Although the characters are in a terrible situation, they do not realize it, instead believing that "they need not fear harm" (24). Blake's choice of these words suggests that the characters are very innocent, because they do not understand their predicament. In the second poem, however, the words have a darker connotation. The children are taught to cry "in notes of woe" and are clothed in "clothes of death (7-8). They point out that although on the outside they mirror themselves in the first poem--appearing "happy" and dancing and singing--on the inside, they are filled with misery and vengeance. The children say that their parents "think they have done me no injury" (10). This reveals the complexity in the disillusionment of the children; although they appear unaffected and happy on the outside, they have become filled with dark misery on the inside. Blake's writing of these two poems depicts the change in the chimney sweeps as they grow up.

Although both poems are centered upon the subject of chimney sweeping, they present two drastically different outlooks. The first poem is naive, illustrating an innocent perspective towards the death and difficulty of chimney sweeping through consistent rhyme scheme, allusions to religion, and diction with positive connotation. In the second poem, on the other hand, the shift in rhyme scheme and negative connotation of religion and the words used reflect a darker perspective towards chimney sweep, revealing the reality of the childrens' lives as chimney sweeps. Blake's poems are binary contrasts, the first representing innocence and trust towards God, and the second representing a disillusioned perspective that is more hateful, and negative. Still, the final lines of the second poem reflect a different view. Although the first is mostly innocent and the second is mostly experienced, the end of the second poem suggests organized innocence. The second poem retells the difficulties in being a chimney sweep. However, the final stanza, "they think they have done me no injury" suggests that the children are not only coming to terms with the reality of their life, but identifying those who are responsible for their situation. By acknowledging that their parents placed them in the situation, they begin to look at not only chimney sweeping, but their parents, with disdain. This suggests that the children feel more than simply innocence or disillusionment; their organized innocence suggests that they are prepared to rebel against their predicament.

Reflection

We were given two paired essays written by William Blake about chimney sweeps and forty minutes to analyze them and write a response to the prompt. I was able to annotate the essay somewhat, but I still had little ideas surrounding how to write my paper, so I discussed its diction, rhyme scheme, and allusions to God/religion. Like the 6 essay, I talked about rhyme scheme and the two sweeps' differing relationship with God. I think the analysis of both of these topics were probably deeper than in the benchmark essays, but they still were not entirely clear. Like the 4 essay, I failed to acknowledge the irony/complexity in the final line of the first poem, "So if they all do their duty, they need not fear harm." This essay is similar to the lower scoring essays in that it lacks complexity; on the other hand, it is similar to the higher scoring essays because the analysis goes into great detail. For this reason, I would give my essay a 5. I think that the essay does a good job of identifying the techniques in both poems; it uses element-by-element organization, making it easy to understand. Also, contrasts words like "however" and "although" were utilized in the process to make the contrast between the two pieces easier. However, this analysis lacks complexity on multiple levels; I missed the irony and I failed to compare the poems, focusing strongly on the "contrast" aspect. In retrospect, I should have studied the devices in poetry more, specifically how rhyme schemes contribute to the analysis of the poem. In order to do better next time, I would like to review how text-by-text organization can be used in a compare and contrast essay, so I know how to write both styles of analysis. 

Blog Post #11: Myths Presentation - Daedalus & Icarus

2009, Form B: The following poem, written by Edward Field, makes use of the Greek myth of Daedalus and Icarus. Read the poem carefully. Then write an essay in which you analyze how W.H. Auden employs literary devices in adapting the Icarus myth to a contemporary setting.

Tone Shifts Analysis

Annotations

Blog Post #10: Fairy Tale & Poetry Presentation - Little Red Riding Hood

Guiding Prompt: 2009, Form B: The following poem, written by Jane Yolen, makes use of "Little Red Riding Hood." Read the poem carefully. Then write an essay in which you analyze how Yolen employs literary devices in adapting the fairy tale to a contemporary setting. 

Tone Shifts Analysis

Annotations

Blog Post #9: Poetry Form Presentations - "Lord Randall" & Ballad Form

Tone Shifts Chart

"Lord Randall" Poem Annotations

Storyboards

Reflection

Our group analyzed a ballad format in the poem, “Lord Randall.” Initially, we did not have any background knowledge surrounding “Lord Randall” or ballads in general. After little research, we began to understand its prevalence in literature. However, we still were confused as to the significance of “Lord Randall”. There were so many repeated lines that, it seemed, the poem was not saying anything at all. Finally, we learned that the phrase “make my bed” could also refer to death. This realization gave the poem new meaning. We were able to find the complexity, distinguish the tone shifts, and explore how betrayal and the son’s relationship with his mother played a role in the poem.

After this, it was pretty easy to continue, though we did struggle to pace ourselves and found that we had to complete a great deal of the assignment over the weekend. Nonetheless, our group was extremely flexible. We were able to balance responsibilities with each other and work with everyone’s schedules. In order to create the music video, we used a music video by Lorde as a style model. However, after filming the video, we realized that a country song, such as “What Hurts The Most” by Rascal Flatts, would be a far better fit. Lorde’s video reminded us to take into account the lighting while editing the video. However, we mirrored everything else off of Rascal Flatts. That video showed us how fading, repetition, and flashbacks--all of which were prevalent in our poem--could enhance the tone shifts in our music video.

In editing and crafting our music video, we were able to develop a much deeper understanding of a ballad and the tone shifts in “Lord Randall”. After watching the poetry presentations, I feel that I have a basic background in most forms of poetry. In a future project, I think our group could work more effectively by creating and adhering to a schedule. This would allow us to spend the necessary amount of time on each component of the project, instead of falling behind as we did this time. Also, it would benefit us to be more organized as a group by taking the time to ensure that all of us are on the same page.