5A: Responding to Literature
The poem was written in 1919, which is immediately after the First World War. I think that Yeats is, on one hand, enthusiastic about the end of the world and the coming of a new era. On the other hand, I think he is also a bit circumspect about what this new era is likely to bring about: more anarchy? The fact that the world has escaped the tragedy does not mean that it is over the hurdle yet: it can still spiral out of control, just like the hawk in the poem.
The second poem refers to the death of one's father, while the first has an ever presence of nostalgia throughout the writing. In both cases, many of the words used incline to suggest suffering and sadness, such as 'tears', 'crying' and 'grieved'. Some of the metaphors and epithets are used in the same manner.
A the dying light," "go gentle into the night" and "close of the day." I think that these metaphors provide a very lyrical approach to death, not like my own. I am agnostic and believe that death is simply the end, as well as just another phase of life to which we should not pay too much attention to.
I think so: if we look at the painting, the farmer does not look towards the sea, where Icarus is falling, but simply continues to plough straight ahead, as if nothing has happened and as if nothing can deter him from his own activities. This is also emphasized in the poem itself: "But for him it was not an important failure."
The Modern Short Story Lesson 6 Journal Entry # 11 of 13
Journal Exercise 6.6A: What Makes a Good Story?
I think there are several important things. First of all, a good short story needs to have a good plot, probably the most important of all elements. The reason for this is that a good plot will coagulate the rest of the story together and will retain the...
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