Close Reading Poetry Essays

William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 50: How heavy do I journey on the way” vs. Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake

            Throughout William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 50: How heavy do I journey on the way”, he employs diction that has negative connotations, enjambment, and synesthesia all to emphasis the grief and hardship that accompanies isolation. Shakespeare’s negative diction portrays a sense of overwhelming exhaustion and weariness while the enjambment of different words emphasizes the man’s struggle and the synesthesia works to depict the reaching effect that grief can have.

            The weariness brought on the journeyman is made clear through the tired diction in the sonnet. The words “heavy” and “groan” are used multiple times in these fourteen lines which show that the journeyman has some sort of burden he must bear, some weariness or misery he cannot overcome (“Sonnet 50”). When it is said that “what I seek, me weary travel’s end”, it becomes clear that the source of his misery is in fact the isolation caused by his journey (“Sonnet 50”). But the most importance appearance of negative diction in this sonnet occurs in the couplet at the end. When Shakespeare writes, “my grief lies onward”, he erases any doubt that the traveler might end his isolation (“Sonnet 50”). He confirms that only grief awaits him.

            This grief is, in part, due to the physical struggles along the journey itself—which are made harder still by the emotional weariness from isolation. Shakespeare demonstrates these struggles through his use of enjammed lines. While the enjambment helps to quicken the pace of the second and third quatrains, the lethargic and weary diction creates an ironic effect and emphasizes the struggle of the traveler. Although he may try, he “cannot provoke” haste (“Sonnet 50”).  When he “thrusts into [the animal’s] hide” which would normally encourage speed, he is answered with a heavy groan instead (“Sonnet 50”). All efforts to escape his isolation are failing and his misery just increases.

            One line truly embodies this grief and represents the reaching effects of the grief of isolation. In order to create such a strong effect, Shakespeare used synesthesia. By employing such a device, the implication is that the effects of grief spread across all the senses and completely overwhelm a person. As here the traveler tries to end his isolation by moving forward on his beast, but “heavily he answers with a groan” and it is the weight of this desperate sound which is the most convincing line of the burden of his grief (“Sonnet 50”). It truly represents the hardship of isolation.

            It is that same message which Shakespeare so cleverly develops in just fourteen lines that Margaret Atwood’s novel embodies. In William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 50”, the language works to create a tale of overwhelming exhaustion and isolation from others. This is similar to the isolation and the weariness that can be found in Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake. In “Sonnet 50”, all of the diction has a negative connotation which depicts exhaustion and hardship as the themes of the sonnet. As the words “wretch” and “woe” appear in lines 5 and 7 of this poem, similar diction also continuously appears in Oryx and Crake (“Sonnet 50”). In the novel, the main character, Snowman, uses phrases such as “everything is so empty” and that things are only “fragments of the past” to express the sadness in his life (Atwood 11). By using comparable diction, both poems are able to convey a sense of longing and emptiness in the journey that each is going on. The journey itself is another shared aspect between the two texts as Snowman ventures out to the remnants of the cities—alone—as this traveler also journeys unaccompanied. Shakespeare’s traveler seeks his “weary travel’s end” without anyone to seek comfort in, just as Snowman hopes to find new resources for survival with “nobody to hear him” (“Sonnet 50”, Atwood 11).

 

John Clare’s “What is Life?” vs. Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale

            Throughout John Clare’s “What is Life?”, he employs rhetorical questions and strong metaphors to convey his themes about the pointlessness of life and the absence of hope. Clare uses rhetorical questions to introduce new aspects of his subject as well as emphasize each discussion point. He incorporates metaphors to paint a picture of life’s hypocrisy and the fading nature of hope.

            In using rhetorical questions, Clare is able to emphasize his purpose of questioning the purpose of life. In fact, the first rhetorical question that is asked is “what is Life?”, which serves as an introduction to the questioning nature of this poem and gets his point across that the purpose of life is in question (“What is Life?”). Another appearance of a rhetorical question is “what is Hope?” where the subject matter changes, yet the same sort of discussion is had; is there true hope (“What is Life?”)? Or is it just a fleeting emotion? Though Clare maintains that it is merely “cobweb, hiding disappointment’s thorn”, without the rhetorical question, the metaphor would not be as effective (“What is Life?”).  The use of the rhetorical questions throughout the poem serves to strengthen the metaphors, and therefore, emphasize the discussion of the purpose of life and the role of hope.

            The metaphors in Clare’s poem paint a picture of the negativity and insignificance of life in order to emphasize the lack of purpose and the absence of hope which accompany those ideas. When Clare says, “A mist retreating from the morning sun” while talking about what life is, the metaphor implies that the purpose of life disappears over time (“What is Life?”). This speaks directly to the purpose of Clare’s poem of calling life’s purpose into question. Clare calls happiness “a bubble on the stream” and if happiness should be so rare, what is the point of life (“What is Life?”)? This metaphor sets up the latter question perfectly and furthers Clare’s purpose in writing this poem. As Hope is referred to as “The puffing gale of morn” which “dies” shortly after, the author implies that hope is fleeting and can actually be harmful (“What is Life?”). Overall, the metaphors work to imply a negative view on the purpose of life, and coupled with the elements of hypocrisy and vanity, demonstrate emptiness in life. A lack of purpose.

In both texts, the meaning of life is discussed in detail. In The Handmaid’s Tale, the main character, who has lost her given name for one assigned to her in her new life, had to rediscover herself throughout the journey. While her status in society demands that she be kept only for child-bearing purposes in the new world order, she begins to question her true purpose in life. She ends up going from a life of numbness to one which, though against the orders of authority, bring greater purpose and meaning to her life. She eventually realizes the vanity of the society she is part of and the hypocrisy of all those around her (Atwood). This same idea can be found in “What is Life” as the title itself brings into question life and its purpose. The poem also implies the hypocrisy of many aspects of life as it claims that “when stripped of its disguise”, life is not as good as it is thought to be (“What is Life?”). The poem also discusses the vanity of those around as there is “proof sufficient of its vanity” in the “foolish eyes” of the people (“What is Life?”). There are very few escapes from this hypocrisy and vanity. While purpose is discovered in The Handmaid’s Tale giving the main character her escape from the corrupt authority, none is found in the poem by John Clare and death is found to be the only escape.

            Another similar aspect is the discussion of hope within the both John Clare’s “What is Life?” and Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. While the poem asks: “what is Hope?”, the novel explores the necessity of hope. In the book, the main character remains numb in her life until she discovers hope and hope becomes her salvation. It turns from a small gale of the morning and turns into a grasp on the future. In the poem however, the Hope goes from a “gale of morn” to something which dies before it has had the chance to do good (“What is Life?”). Though this contrast exists between the two, the fact that the discussion of hope is contained in both texts is a strong thematic connection, especially when discussed at the same time as the purpose of life and vanity.

Sonnet 50 Multiple Choice Questions

Questions from the Poetry Passage: “Sonnet 50” by William Shakespeare

1.      The abundance of negative diction throughout Shakespeare’s sonnet—such as “heavy” and “weary” (lines 1-2) has the primary effect of:

a.       Explaining that the traveler has a heavy load

b.      Showing that the speaker does not like travel

c.       Creating an ironic effect when compared to the ease of the speaker’s task

d.      Demonstrating the overwhelming exhaustion the speaker feels due to his isolation

e.       Clarifying the speaker’s opinion of the beast he is riding and explaining his discomfort due to the animal’s plodding

2.      The enjammed lines in Quatrains 2 and 3 create what effect?

a.       An ironic effect; as the increased speed the enjammed lines create contrasts with the inability of the speaker to make any real progress on his journey

b.      An ironic effect; as the pleasantness of the rhyming contrasts with the unhappy word choice and depressing subject matter

c.       A juxtaposition with the end-stopped lines which illustrates that he speaker has made progress on his journey

d.      A juxtaposition with the end-stopped lines to emphasize the speaker’s shift from a lack of emotion to an emotional outpouring

e.       The enjammed lines have no real effect, they are added merely because the thought could not be fit on a single line.

3.      Line 11 contains which of the following literary devices?

a.       Imagery

b.      Personification

c.       Metaphor

d.      Alliteration

e.       Synesthesia

4.      Which device in the rhyming couplet has the most profound effect on the meaning of the text?

a.       Personification of grief and joy

b.      Juxtaposition of grief and joy

c.       Juxtaposition of onward and behind

d.      Personification of groan

e.       There is not a device used to make the couplet more effective

5.      What is the main subject of the poem?

a.       The grief that follows death

b.      The incompetence of beasts

c.       The misery of isolation

d.      The never-ending nature of journeys

e.       The burden of responsibility

Sonnet 50 Multiple Choice Explanations

Questions from the Poetry Passage: “Sonnet 50” by William Shakespeare

1.      The abundance of negative diction throughout Shakespeare’s sonnet—such as “heavy” and “weary” (lines 1-2) has the primary effect of:

a.       Explaining that the traveler has a heavy load is not the correct answer as these adjectives do not apply to objects that the speaker is actually carrying, but rather to the speaker’s feelings about his travels.

b.      Showing that the speaker does not like travel is not the correct answer because although the struggles of the speaker’s travels are made clear, these words refer more to the speaker’s emotional journey than his physical one.

c.       Creating an ironic effect when compared to the ease of the speaker’s task is not the correct answer as there is no evidence that the task is easy. All the diction implies hardship and burdens.

d.      Demonstrating the overwhelming exhaustion the speaker feels due to his isolation is the correct answer as each of these words creates a feeling of exhaustion and coincide with the statement that the speaker is miles away from their friend, his only companion being the beast he rides on.

e.       Clarifying the speaker’s opinion of the beast he is riding and explaining his discomfort due to the animal’s plodding is not the correct answer as the negative diction is applied toward aspects of the journey other than just the beast.

2.      The enjammed lines in Quatrains 2 and 3 create what effect?

a.       An ironic effect; as the increased speed the enjammed lines create contrasts with the inability of the speaker to make any real progress on his journey is the correct answer as enjammed lines generally increase the pace of the poem and the speaker is making minimal progress, as seen by the slow and burdensome diction.

b.      An ironic effect; as the pleasantness of the rhyming contrasts with the unhappy word choice and depressing subject matter is not the correct answer as the rhyme scheme is present throughout the poem and is not specific to enjammed lines only.

c.       A juxtaposition with the end-stopped lines which illustrates that he speaker has made progress on his journey is not the correct answer as no real progress is seen on the speaker’s journey, instead, nothing can provoke speed in the beast that is carrying the speaker

d.      A juxtaposition with the end-stopped lines to emphasize the speaker’s shift from a lack of emotion to an emotional outpouring is not the correct answer as no tone shift occurs on the part of the speaker and there is no change in the emotion shown by the speaker.

e.       The enjammed lines have no real effect; they are added merely because the thought could not be fit on a single line is not the correct answer as the enjammed lines do increase the pace in this poem.

3.      Line 11 contains which of the following literary devices?

a.       Imagery is not the correct answer as no description is present in this line.

b.      Personification is not the correct answer as no human characteristics are given to the beast in this line.

c.       Metaphor is not the correct answer as no comparison is made in this line.

d.      Alliteration is not the correct answer as several words starting with the same sound are not present in this line.

e.       Synesthesia is the correct answer because there is a mixing of sound and touch with the audible groan and the sense of heaviness.

4.      Which device in the rhyming couplet has the most profound effect on the meaning of the text?

a.       Personification of grief and joy is not the correct answer as neither emotion is personified in the couplet.

b.      Juxtaposition of grief and joy is the correct answer because the juxtaposition emphasizes their separation and their inability to be reconciled.

c.       Juxtaposition of onward and behind is not the correct answer as the most profound effect is the juxtaposition of the emotions rather than onward and behind.

d.      Personification of groan is not the correct answer as the groan is given no human characteristics in the couplet.

e.       There is not a device used to make the couplet more effective is not the correct answer as juxtaposition is used.

5.      What is the main subject of the poem?

a.       The grief that follows death is not the correct answer as death is not discussed in the poem even though grief is a primary concept.

b.      The incompetence of beasts is not the correct answer as although the ineffectiveness adds to the burdens of the speaker’s journey, the beast is not the most discussed topic in the poem.

c.       The misery of isolation is the correct answer as the negative diction portrays misery throughout the poem and the concept of isolation is made clear as the speaker is miles from his friend.

d.      The never-ending nature of journeys is not the correct answer as while the speaker’s journey is a prominent subject in the poem, the focus is more on the isolation of a journey than the continuous nature of one.

e.       The burden of responsibility is not the correct answer because while the concepts of burdens and hardships are present, there is no discussion of responsibility in the poem.

Oryx and Crake Multiple Choice Questions

Questions from the Oryx and Crake Passage (Pages 87-88) by Margaret Atwood

1.      The primary effect that the repetition of the word “alone” creates in the following lines: “Now I’m alone…all, all alone. Alone on a wide, wide sea” (lines 1-2) is:

a.       To portray a tone of nostalgia

b.      To demonstrate the speaker’s limited vocabulary

c.       To set up the metaphor of the “wide, wide sea”

d.      To emphasize the isolation of the speaker

e.       To create a mood of relief

2.      What is the implication of the statement: “He feels the need to hear a human voice—a fully human voice” (lines 5-6)?

a.       The speaker cannot hear; he is deaf

b.      The surrounding noise is so loud that no human voices can be heard

c.       The speaker is somehow cut off from any other humans

d.      That those without the ability to express themselves are not fully human

e.       The speaker is not worthy to speak to other humans

3.      The italicized dialogue in lines (40-41) “Oh, nice abs!... Honey, just lie back” is acts as which of the following literary devices?

a.       Metaphor

b.      Synesthesia

c.       Simile

d.      Personification

e.       Flashback

4.      The imagery in lines 46-54 serves primarily to:

a.       Describe what the speaker sees on the ocean

b.      Show that something which seems harmless may prove to be quite dangerous

c.       Explain the legends of mermaids

d.      Demonstrate the vividness of the speaker’s illusions because of too much exposure to sunlight

e.       Show the importance of this memory as the speaker can recall every detail so clearly

5.      The quote “The sea is hot metal” (line 62) is an example of:

a.       Alliteration

b.      Apostrophe

c.       Flashback

d.      Internal thought

e.       Metaphor

Oryx and Crake Multiple Choice Explanations

Questions from the Oryx and Crake Passage (Pages 87-88) by Margaret Atwood

1.      The primary effect that the repetition of the word “alone” creates in the following lines: “Now I’m alone…all, all alone. Alone on a wide, wide sea” (lines 1-2) is:

a.       To portray a tone of nostalgia is not the correct answer as although the narrator is nostalgic in other parts of the passage, a tone of isolation would be more appropriate in this instance.

b.      To demonstrate the speaker’s limited vocabulary is not the correct answer as repetition is primarily used for emphasis. Also, the extent of the speaker’s vocabulary is demonstrated throughout the rest of the passage.

c.       To set up the metaphor of the “wide, wide sea” is not correct as the wide sea is not a metaphor and is unrelated to the repetition of the word “alone”.

d.      To emphasize the isolation of the speaker is the correct answer as repetition is primarily used for emphasis and the tone created by the word “alone” is one of isolation.

e.       To create a mood of relief is not the correct answer because, again, the tone of the passage is one of isolation, not relief

2.      What is the implication of the statement: “He feels the need to hear a human voice—a fully human voice” (lines 5-6)?

a.       The speaker cannot hear; he is deaf is not the correct answer because later in the passage, there is evidence that the speaker is, in fact, able to hear.

b.      The surrounding noise is so loud that no human voices can be heard is not the correct answer because there is no evidence to suggest that any competing noises can be heard. In fact, the repetition of the word “alone” makes it clear that the speaker would not be hearing any alternative noise.

c.       The speaker is somehow cut off from any other humans is the correct answer based on the context of the passage as well as the inclusion of the “fully human” implies that the only contact the speaker has is with people who are not “fully human” and that he has not heard a real human voice for some time.

d.      That those without the ability to express themselves are not fully human is not the correct answer as there is no mention of an ability for expression.

e.       The speaker is not worthy to speak to other humans is not the correct answer because there is no mention of worth in the passage and based on the isolation of the speaker, there would not have been anyone for him to be unworthy of.

3.      The italicized dialogue in lines (40-41) “Oh, nice abs!... Honey, just lie back” acts as which of the following literary devices?

a.       Metaphor is not correct as no comparison is made.

b.      Synesthesia is not correct as no reference to different senses is made.

c.       Simile is not correct as no comparison is made.

d.      Personification is not correct as no object is given human characteristics.

e.       Flashback is correct as the text in italics alludes to another time in the speaker’s life and is clearly not part of the speaker’s present life.

4.      The imagery in lines 46-54 serves primarily to:

a.       Describe what the speaker sees on the ocean is not correct as the allusion immediately prior to this imagery is to the delusions of saints, therefore implying that the imagery applies to the speaker’s own delusions.

b.      Show that something which seems harmless may prove to be quite dangerous is the correct answer as the imagery begins with the use of diction with positive connotations in the exterior descriptions of the mermaids and then changes to more negative diction when speaking of their behaviors.

c.       Explain the legend of mermaids is not the correct answer because no mention of mermaid myths is present.

d.      Demonstrate the vividness of the speaker’s illusions because of too much exposure to sunlight is not the correct answer because although this passage does show the speaker’s delusions, there is no mention of the sun or its effects.

e.       Show the importance of this memory as the speaker can recall every detail so clearly is not the correct answer as the memories are indicated by italics in this passage and the speaker says “pretty soon I’ll being seeing…”

5.      The quote “The sea is hot metal” (line 62) is an example of:

a.       Alliteration is not the correct answer as several words do not start with the same sounds.

b.      Apostrophe is not the correct answer as no unseen person or object is addressed. Instead a description is given.

c.       Flashback is not the correct answer because the speaker’s memories are seen in italics and this statement is in present tense.

d.      Internal thought is not the correct answer as there is no emotion or opinion present in this statement, there is merely an observation of the speaker’s surroundings.

e.       Metaphor is the correct answer as this statement is a comparison between the sea and hot metal without the use of the words like or as.