World literature overview and major works

¶ … role and importance of the poets has changed throughout the history of mankind. Back in the period, the Romantics believed that the poet represented the spiritual guide of the people, who helped the reader identify their most internal emotions, intuitions and imaginations.

Today, the role of the poet is less certain than during those days and this is the result of numerous changes obvious within the society. During the Romantic period, reading was a primary activity of the population, but today, other distractions exist and make reading less popular. Television for instance, alongside with the internet, computer games and other such distractions make it less tempting for the public to engage in reading poetry. Nowadays then, reading poetry is an activity carefully selected by a niche of the population, such as those interested in spiritual understanding and evolution, or those interested in poetry and literature.

In such a setting then, a question is being posed regarding the role of the poet in today's society. I believe that this role is the same as a century ago. The poet captures the essence of the world and the society in their own unique manner, and reflects it to be understood by others. Then, the poet also captures the essence of the internal emotions, including all joy, sadness, fear, hope as well as any other feeling in the comprehensive real of emotions.

The poet then plays the role of a fine observer of the world and paints a portrait of it, with the use of masterful words. he/she brings entertainment to the audience, as well as forces them to assess life at a deeper and more meaningful level. All in all, the poet plays the role of adding a new dimension to life.

2. Throughout the past recent decades, the global society has evolved significantly at all social, economic, political or technological levels. The global trend is that of unification and the alignment of values, meaning as such that increased emphasis is placed on the elimination of injustices and discrimination. Nevertheless, despite this stated objective, fact remains that injustices still exist in the world.

One notable example in this sense is represented by the discrimination still obvious against women. In the more developed western nations, this discrimination is less obvious and includes lower wages of the women as opposed to the men, lower representation in leading management and political functions, as well as a still unbalanced responsibility towards raising children and attending to the household chores.

Within the eastern hemisphere however, the discrimination against women is more dramatic and includes the restricted access to education of some young women; their inability to leave the home without the supervision of a male in their family; the inability to work outside the home and so on.

The forms of protest against the discrimination of women would be approached in two specific manners. Within the western hemisphere, emphasis would be placed on the pressuring of the authorities to render illegal any form of gender-based discrimination. Within the workplace for instance, the slogan would be that of "Performance and hard work, not genitalia!" Within the eastern hemisphere however, the protest would be more sensitive and efforts would revolve around cultural change and the acceptation of evolution within the society.

3. William Blake is one of the most important poets to link poetry with religion and spirituality. His deep conundrums refer to the reasons for the evil in the world, as well as the reasons as to why God would allow the innocent to unjustly suffer. Two important poems in this view include "The Tyger" and "The Lamb," which reflect two contrary states of human existence.

In the first, the tiger is a symbol of power and strength, as well as the ability to cause harm to the other beings. In the second poem, the lamb is a symbol of purity, innocence and patience. The two are different, yet complementary and their combination supports the evolution of existence. The lamb learns to survive with the aid of qualities other than physical strength.

In "The Lamb," the voice of the speaker is softer and in amazement of the innocence of the lamb, whereas in "The Tyger," the voice of the speaker is more powerful, suggesting the strength of the tiger. But aside from the actual physical strength of the tiger, his power is also suggested at a cognitive level, as the tiger is represented as a force of enlightenment, through dimensions such as "On what wings dare he aspire?," "And what shoulder, and what art / Could twist the sinews of thy heart?"

In "A Poisons Tree," Blake approaches the issue of human imperfections and flaws, his foes. He commences by showing that problems can be addressed and resolved, but they can also be ignored and treated in a manner in which they grow and cause more harm; they become a poisonous tree. "I was angry with my friend; / I told my wrath, my wrath did end. / I was angry with my foe: / I told it not, my wrath did grow"

In the two poems "The Chimney Sweeper," the tones are different in that the first of the poems is more dramatic; the chimney sweeper is an orphan, living a tragedy and accepting its true dimension. In second chimney sweeper is a child with living parents who make him clean the chimney, and who accepts the situation with a sad smile.

4. "Lines Composed a few Miles Above Tintern Abbey" is constructed in a less traditional manner, with the usage of combined and complex stanzas. Based on the current division, there are 160 verses, divided into three stanzas. The stanzas are present at verses 23, 49 and 112 and they are highlighted by indentations.

The tone of the poem is rather melancholic, with the poet revisiting the abbey alongside his sister, after an absence of five years. During his absence, events had occurred in the life of the poet and he remembers them. He also reveals how he had though about the abbey while he was missing. This tone of the poem is supported by the paragraph organization of the poem, which is not rhythmic, but which fits into the somber tone of the poem.

"Composed upon a Westminster Bridge" reveals the appreciation of William Wordsworth of London, which he personifies at various instances, such as "a sight so touching in its majesty," "A calm so deep," or "And all that mighty heart is lying still." The poem is filled with romantic influences, such as the emphasis placed on the beauty of nature, the presentation of the city in an intuitive manner or the existence of clear stances that integrate more manner into the poem. In a similar setting, the city of Paris could be described in a more practical manner, in which the romance of the city is combined with the dirt of the tourist city.

Last, in "The World Is Too Much with Us," William Wordsworth reveals how the society is moving away from nature and becoming too involved in the industrial progression. His arguments still apply today, when the populations lead to the demise of the natural environment, instead of living in alignment with it.

5. In "She Walks in Beauty," George Gordon (Lord Byron) praises the qualities of the woman, which would flatter the reader. A response to such as poem from the woman to whom it is addressed could revolve around the following lines:

"My beloved,

Thy words bring joy to my soul;

Flattered do I feel upon your calling me "nameless grace" or "so soft, so calm, yet eloquent"

Not once did it crossed my mind that thy loved me so dearly, and I can only dare respond the same

Thy arte my hope, my prayer and my future

Truly yours"

In "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage," the usage of the Spenserian style in the second stanza is revealed in terms of the strictly defined construction of the stanza, as well as the indentation of the last verse. In the poem, the author apostrophes the sea, and the same model could be used to apostrophe the drought, in prose:

"Oh drought, dry weather! Will you come to an end? Our plants are drying up; our wells are running out of water; our animals suffer and our kids as well. Autumn will soon come and the crops are compromised. We will starve unless rain comes soon."

6. People have always focused on maintaining traditions as a means of preserving cultural values and with the purpose of leaving behind proof of their existence. Although this was easier for architects because the structures that they built stayed almost intact through time, writers found it difficult to do the same, as numerous writings were unsuccessful in surviving time's influence. Society rests on writings that pervaded through time and that people generally acknowledged as being important for humanity from a historical point-of-view. One of the most important concepts regarding human nature relates to how progress was achieved as a result of the fact that individuals managed to preserve and transmit ideas.

Most individuals fail to appreciate life to the fullest because they concentrate on being remembered as some of the greatest humans who ever lives. This makes it difficult for them to enjoy the simple pleasures in life, considering that they waste most of their time trying to put across ideas that are appealing to the masses. While many did not manage to produce ideas that survived more than them, others succeeded and actually produced thinking that remained in society for a long period of time consequent to their death.

Creativity is generally regarded as one of the most important concepts in society, considering that it generally induces intense feelings in individuals. It is responsible for progress and for the fact that humanity managed to produce a series of ideas that dominated society's thinking through time. In order for someone to create a concept that will live longer than him or her, the respective person needs to consider ideas that are typically favored by society and needs to focus on creating thoughts that are likely to be in accordance with the interests of future generations. While people cannot become immortal, their ideas can and are likely to do so if they put across concepts that appeal to a wide public. Putting one's thoughts into text is probably one of the most effective methods for the respective person to leave something behind him or her. His or her thinking is probable to outlive him or her and future generations are likely to associate his or her character with the texts that he or she left behind.

7. While Percy Shelley intended to use "Ode to the West Wind" as a tool meant to put across the depth of his feelings, he did not hesitate to employ a series of style in the poem. He intended the text to encompass several concepts that were both traditional and innovative in character. The ode provided Shelley with the opportunity to create a text that was very different from typical poems, considering that it can be confusing and that the writer can adapt it in order to fit his or her exact thinking. This text presents readers with an atypical sonnet, considering the way that it is organized and the fact that each of the cantos in the poem has fourteen lines.

It is very probable that Shelley no longer identified with the English background, as his stay in Italy influenced him significantly. As a consequence, he appears to want to create a connection between England and Italy with the purpose of creating a setting where his personality can fit in. Shelley uses the terza rima concept and the English style of writing sonnets with the purpose of bringing the two cultures together. The poet virtually succeeded in creating an account that survived through time as a result of the concepts that it contained. One can even consider that the text is meant to describe an aspect of globalization, taking into account that it describes thinking present in both countries and that the poet focuses on using the sonnet and the third rhyme as means to make his poem as appealing as possible.

8. John Keats: When I Have Fears

The moments when I feel afraid that my life might end,

Before my writings have gathered most of my creative thoughts,

Before a significant number of books,

Comes to collect ideas generated by my thinking;

The moments when I observe the sky filled with stars,

Stars that represent romanticism,

I cannot help thinking that it is possible for me to be unsuccessful

In watching their tracks on the sky;

When I think of you, a noble individual,

One that I will no longer have the opportunity to see,

One that will not provide me with leisure,

One that does not intend to return my love,

I feel lonely and contemplate about how

Love and Fame are no longer going to be appealing consequent to my death.

2. Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind" puts across a great deal of elements related to imagery, as the poet most probably wants the public to be provided with vivid imagery concerning his thinking. Virtually all of man's physical sensations are addressed in this poem and this induces strong feelings in most individuals who come across it. Shelley uses a series of senses in an attempt to have people associate particular senses with other senses. By being presented with the fact that they can find parallels between one sense and another the masses are probable to experience synesthesia. The poet influences readers in associating visual elements with sounds by putting the words "melodious" and "beechen green" together. Similarly, he relates to how one can associate between visual concepts and feelings, as he uses the word "sunburnt" together with the word "mirth."

As the storyline advances the poet starts to realize that things are not actually as he believed them to be. Moreover, he feels less certain regarding the state that he is in and he sees the nightingale as the only element that can assist him in distinguishing between imagination and reality. The seventh stanza makes it possible for readers to understand that the poet is confused and that he is not certain that he had just experienced an episode involving a nightingale and the inspiration that it induced in him.

3. Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind" and Keats' "Ode to a Nightingale" both put across the impression that the poets were regretful regarding their condition and that they were unhesitant about dreaming. The two odes make it possible for readers to understand that these poets were particularly frustrated regarding their condition and wanted to do everything in their power with the purpose of accomplishing their dreams, even if this virtually meant that they have to dream.

In spite of the fact that Shelley is successful in praising the West Wind, he fails to describe it in its entire greatness and it actually appears that he identifies with this weather phenomenon. In contrast, Keats uses the fragility of human nature with the purpose of emphasizing the nightingale's importance.

9. Beginning: The Ancient Mariner stops the Wedding Guest and begins to tell the story. The action then goes back in time at the moment when the mariner embarked on a ship. The Mariner then proceeds to tell the story and relates to the first major element that affected the well-being of the crew. A powerful storm took the ship off its course and pushed it south to Antarctica causing great uproar among the travelers. Conditions seemed to be changing as an albatross appeared and as it guided the ship out of the mist and out of Antarctica's icy waters. The wedding guests are confused with regard to the old man's sad appearance and ask him what happened. He then proceeds to tell them that he shot the albatross and that even more suffering followed this event as his men believed that every problem that they came across was a direct result of this killing. Many days without water and wind followed and the sailors started to suffer more and more. They blamed the mariner for everything that was happening to them and they even forced him to wear the albatross around his neck as a sign of guilt. Consequent to several days of seeing nothing but water all around them, crewmembers came across a ship owned by Death and by Life-in-Death. These two characters started to play dice and the latter won. The mariner's companions started to die one by one as a result and the mariner was left with no other option than to stand by and watch as mysterious forces caused the ship to move closer and closer to the shore. He ultimately came to realize that it was now his job to provide humanity with the moral teaching of his experiences. Consequent to becoming familiar with the Ancient Mariner's story the wedding guest leaves sadder and wiser.

10. 1. Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem "Kubla Khan" relates to the importance of imagination and actually stresses this concept with the purpose of having readers acknowledge the fact that it essential for them to focus on their imagination as much as possible. One of the key elements demonstrating that the poem is meant to induce inspiring feelings into its readers is the fact that it relates to Orientalism. Romantics thought about this concept and felt inspired by it as a result of its exoticness and because of its vivid colors. It is basically as if the poet experiences unity with the universe through being inspired by it. The dome city represents the concept of imagination, as its appearance would most probably instill intense feelings in anyone.

2. The Ancient Mariner stands as a symbol for all individuals who performed an error at one point during their lives and suffered greatly as a result of this respective mistake. Even with the fact that it is practically impossible for someone to consider the old man responsible for the deaths of his companions, it is nonetheless essential to look at this character as of someone who should be considered guilty for simply staying alive when it was unnatural for him to do so. This individuals suffered intense traumas and feels that the divine was wrong in letting him alive while all of his friends died. One of the only things that the Mariner can be considered guilty for is the fact that he shot an innocent bird.

One can easily find parallels between the Albatross and the traditional Jesus Christ figure. Coleridge himself contributes to creating this impression by showing the sailors expressing confusion in regard to whether it was right or not for the Mariner to kill the bird. It is only when the man learns how to pray and appreciate the beauty of the world that the Albatross releases him from his grip.

The sun and the moon play important roles in the poem, as their presence is associated with various events that the sailors go through. Both of these bodies symbolize God, but they are provided with diverging qualities as the storyline progresses. The moon is generally associated with the positive side of the divine while the sun is associated with the more vengeful side of God.

3. Simile -- "And listens like a three years' child"

Metaphor -- "They coiled and swam; and every track / Was a flash of golden fire."

Personification -- "The sun now rose upon the right: / Out of the sea came he"

Alliteration -- "For the sky and the sea, and the sea and the sky"

Internal Rhyme -- "Nor dim nor red, like God's own head"

Coleridge manages to intensify feelings experienced by readers as they read the poem by using figurative language. These elements succeed in captivating the reader's attention and make it possible for him or her to get closer to the protagonist.

11. Beauty is, unfortunately, one of the most important values today. People are often inclined to judge others on account of their physical appearance and many individuals are ignored because they fail to fit in a pattern that the masses typically employ when trying to categorize a particular person. Many individuals in the contemporary society focus on beauty as an attribute and, ranging from employers to everyday individuals, numerous people allow their thinking to be governed by false values.

Although they instill negative thinking into individuals, concepts like hate and revenge are generally valued and people rarely hesitate about promoting them. Technological advancement is an admirable concept, but many people today fail to see its true function and end up being consumed by their addiction to technology. Parent-child relationships are often destroyed by the fact that children spend too much time on their computers. Love is one of the most important concepts today and everyone needs to feel it in order to truly appreciate its value. Similarly, ambition and the pursuit of knowledge are two key elements that a person needs to address in order to experience positive results during his or her life.

12. 1. Niche - a recess in a wall, as for holding a statue or urn.

Shroud - a cloth used to wrap a body for burial; a winding sheet.

Hitherto - until this time

Emaciate - to become or cause to become abnormally thin

Trifling - of slight worth or importance.

Paroxysm - a sudden outburst of emotion or action

Syndic - One appointed to represent a corporation, university, or other organization in business transactions; a business agent.

Playfellow -- someone that one can play with Amiable - Friendly and agreeable in disposition; good-natured and likable.

Countenance - Appearance, especially the expression of the face

2. Robert Walton's crew came across Victor Frankenstein and his monster in the icy winter land of the north. The man realized that Frankenstein was in a critical condition and assisted him in recovering. Also, he wrote four letters to his sister with the purpose of providing her with information regarding his progress. Chapter 1 starts with Frankenstein depicting his early life and the path that influenced him in expressing interest in sciences.

It is difficult to determine who is the large individual that Walton spots at this point and it is even more difficult to determine what brought Frankenstein there.

It only seems logical that Frankenstein will continue to depict his life's story in the next chapters, considering that he started to do so in the first three.

Readers come across the characters of Frankenstein, his parents, his girlfriend Elizabeth, Walton, and his sister Margaret in this section of the book.

This section of the manuscript emphasizes people's need for innovation and exploration.

3. "I have no friend, Margaret: when I am glowing with the enthusiasm of success, there will be none to participate my joy" (Shelley 18)

"I will be cool, perseverant, and prudent" (Shelley 21)

"I read with ardor these works, so full of genius and discrimination, which modern inquirers have written on these subjects" (Shelley 39)

4. Similar to Victor Frankenstein, Robert Walton was interested in exploring the unknown and was largely determined to assist humanity experience great scientific progress. Although their fields of work are completely different, the two individuals basically have the same goal: that of uncovering secrets that nature has kept ever since the beginning of time. In contrast to Frankenstein, Walton is more naive and one can actually compare his attitude in regard to friendship to the attitude initially expressed by Frankenstein. These people are determined to explore as much as possible but they are not necessarily interested in helping society, as they primarily want to be considered the most important individuals in their domains.

Victor is more experienced than Walton and immediately puts across his background at the time when he realizes that the explorer is inclined to make the same mistakes as he did. Frankenstein hopes that his stories are going to act as a deterrent and that Walton is going to abandon his search as a result of acknowledging the risks that he faces.

The poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" is significant for Walton because it provides him with information regarding the nature of man. Risking everything with the purpose of exploring is not always beneficial and it can actually lead to irreparable damage.

13. 1. This is an ethical dilemma, considering that the passerby intended to assist the patient. However, considering that this respective assistant was most probably aware that he or she is not fully qualified to perform CPR, it is only safe to assume that he or she is partially guilty. Even with this, the motives are more important than the means and the passerby was essentially right in deciding to risk performing CPR on the patient. It is very likely that the patient would have died if the passerby would not have been there to help him and the passerby was thus correct in trying to help the individual suffering regardless of the circumstances. Staying in the hospital for a few weeks is nothing when compared to losing one's life. As a consequence, the patient actually needs to thank the passerby for having intervened.

2. Present-day values promote capitalist principles and it is very difficult for hard-working people to think about helping others as long as they assume that the majority of those who are in need of money are irresponsible and fail to see the importance of struggling to earn a living. Seeing underprivileged individuals on a daily basis desensitizes individuals and makes it difficult for them to be impressed with the poor conditions that some people live in. When considering things from a moral point-of-view, the wealthy couple is directly responsible for the child's death. However, when considering things as seen from the perspective of a successful member of the present-day society, the wealthy couple should not be blamed.

3. Katie fails to understand the power of words and does not think about the repercussions of spreading rumors regarding Jane. Although Katie is directly responsible for Jane's condition, today's world is particularly dangerous for naive individuals and most people who allow themselves to be influence by the rumors that other individuals spread in regard to them are probable to suffer greatly. In order to be a successful member of the contemporary society people virtually need to be insensitive.

4. It is possible for people to return good for ill, but it is very unlikely that individuals are going to do so consequent to undergoing a stressing episode. Practically every being who is subjected to persecution is probable to employ a vindictive attitude. Living in a hostile environment teaches a person that one of the most effective ways of achieving progress would be to be unhesitant about harming other people when having the opportunity to do so.

5. There are a series of circumstances that make revenge seem like a positive concept, but none of them is correct when considering things from a moral point-of-view. Although it is wrong to take revenge, the process is likely to make an individual feel better about him or herself. However, revenge is also probable to make a person realize that his or her problems still exist and that all he or she did was to provoke even more harm.

14. 1. Exultation - the act or condition of rejoicing greatly.

Uncouth - Crude; unrefined.

Orb - a sphere or spherical object.

Pandemonium - a very noisy place

Ramble - to move about aimlessly

Hovel - a small, miserable dwelling.

Coarse - of low, common, or inferior quality

Lichen - a fungus, usually of the class Ascomycetes, that grows symbiotically with algae, resulting in a composite organism that characteristically forms a crustlike or branching growth on rocks or tree trunks.

Kindle - to cause to glow; light up

Exordium - a beginning or introductory part, especially of a speech or treatise

2. Victor Frankenstein is depicted as he becomes more and more consumed with his passion for science and as he gets actively involved in a project involving the creation of life. He proceeds with creating a creature but is outraged at its appearance. The creature runs away and ends up killing Victor's brother as a form of revenge against his creator and against society as a whole.

Why doesn't the monster appreciate the fact that he was given life? Is society responsible for the attitudes that he takes on as he learns more and more about the world?

It is very probable that even more horrifying things are going to happen in the next chapters and that Victor is going to acknowledge the wrongness of his actions.