Poetry Essay (Midterm)

            In Romantic literature, authors are constantly attempting to captivate the reader’s attention to the dismay of the modern world and beauty of the natural earth. As all authors do, their personal life is either metaphorically or symbolically placed into their work, and one can see an author’s feelings through their diction. A clear example of this is John Keat’s “Bright Star, Would I were Steadfast as thou art,” in which the author clearly observes the star and his surrounding nature. Similar to this poem is William Blake’s “A Poison Tree” because the author uses nature to symbolize his feelings.

            The diction of Keats’ poem is distinct to nature, as he mentions the words “water”, “nature” and “snow” throughout the work. In Romanticism, imagination and creative characters play important themes because the poets believe that there should be free extermination and thought while still respecting nature. The speaker in “Bright Star” wishes that his love can be eternal, such as the star’s guiding light. He imagines the star standing through all seasons, and lasting forever. The reader almost senses a prophet-like behavior from the character, as well as a plead for his love not to disappear. This is prevalent in the authors’ real life because of his failing marriage due to health problems.

            In William Blake’s “A Poison Tree,” the author describes how anger can either be forgotten about or become a horrible situation. He uses Romantic words such as “sun,” “water,” and “garden” to describe the growth of his own feelings. Once again, the character also imagines all of this happening and reflecting creatively on it; typical of a Romantic poem. 

            Both poets fully encompass the diction of nature and imaginative characters that supply each work with Romanticism. Observation and understanding of each character are present along with the constant description of the natural earth.

Character Essay (Midterm)

In society, it is common for those who do not conform to everyday lifestyles to be shunned by the majority of society. In literature, this is seen almost constantly when a character whose stances on morals and values are completely different than those of the population. One of the most interesting cases of this is Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis,” in which the main character, Gregor becomes physically impaired as a result of his environment and surroundings.

                As a traveling salesman and main provider for his family, Gregor has a great deal of stress placed atop him until one day; he has changed into an insect. While it is never clear what in fact his body has molded into, an agreeable argument would be that he has not changed into an insect at all, but instead has become insane from the viewpoint of society and contorts his body in certain ways. Environment plays an extremely important role in the development of one’s personality; in fact it is the deciding factor on how a person will behave. Gregor has lived an average life as a salesman and lives in a normal apartment. However, due to his treatment by his relatives and boss, the character has a mental breakdown.

                Gregor alone would not have molted or changed if it were not for how people treat him to begin with. For instance, after Gregor has molted, his parents rarely visit his room and most of their confrontations result in the character’s injury. His boss runs away when he sees that state Gregor is in, and even his sister loses interest in him. When he dies, everyone is relieved of his life. Growing up in a family such as this must have been extremely difficult for Gregor throughout childhood, and the emotional stress of his income must have been unbearable. For example, if Gregor had loving parents and felt secure with his actions, the “change” most likely would not have occurred. But because of his pressured surroundings, the character snapped and unintentionally strayed from society.    

                It is a personal war within Gregor that cannot be won; when he is an average person, he is not respected, and when he transforms into a product of his environment, he is hated. When boarding members see Gregor, they feel uncomfortable and leave the house, showing that humans are arrogant to nonconformists. Once Gregor dies, the family is happy, showing that the parents or human beings in general do not like what they create if it is against norms, even though it is the environment that they provide which initiates it. 

Evil Essay (Midterm)

                In William Shakespeare’s classic play, “Hamlet,” the Prince is usually seen as a tragic who has the moral right to kill his uncle Claudius, who has overtaken his father’s thrown. However, while Hamlet may be morally correct in that situation, throughout the play, his actions reflect that of a conscienceless brute. Whether it is his treatment to his mother and Ophelia, the death of Polonius, or the revenge of his uncle, Hamlet’s emotions are constantly overshadowing his moral stance on life.

                To begin with, Hamlet constantly mopes around the house, confused about his own life to the degree of contemplating suicide. He is distraught after his mother marries his uncle, and therefore treats her as if she were a harlot. In one of the first acts of the play, Hamlet is sarcastically answering his mother who is only trying to ask him simple questions. However, the reader feels sympathetic because his mother is seen as mindless, but this does not give the character the right to insult her. Ophelia, Polonius’ daughter is madly in love with the Prince, but he never accepts her because he feels as if all women are mirror-images of his mother. After this assumption, their relationship deteriorates and while acting insane to her, Ophelia is driven to insanity and commits suicide.

Hamlet was also immoral when he killed Polonius through a curtain while believing that it was Claudius. After the deadly act, he did not feel remorse for the man or his family. Although this is seen by the reader as an accident, it is certain that he was going to kill a man who was behind that curtain. Hamlet’s idea of revenge is a sin itself; what gives someone the right to take another’s life? He tries to kill his Uncle in every way possible and eventually succeeds.

The character of Hamlet is usually portrayed as a hero because he seeks revenge on his murderous uncle. The reader may also feel sympathy for the character because he is indecisive about life, and many of his close friends turn out to be enemies. However, what the audience misses is that the character is a sinful, arrogant, sarcastic killer who simply wants his uncle out of the throw so he may be put atop it. His emotions of jealousy, anger, and killing are greater than love, understanding, and patience, forcing the character to be immoral.             

AP Exam Essay

In this scene of William Shakespeare’s Richard II, the Queen eavesdrops on a gardener and several servants. By the tone of the gardener, the reader believes that he is knowledgeable of the King’s state, while ironically, the Queen is less aware. This shows the Queen that the diplomacy and respectability of her husband and King are not precisely what she believed it to be; the commoners notice the selfish doings of their leader.

            Although the commoners seem to speaking merely gossip, there is much evidence to support their claims. For instance, the gardener states that the King received a letter that had a dark atmosphere to it. Obviously, the Queen knew what he was speaking of, as she interjected into the conversation, and began to question their words. She also learns that the King should pay as much attention to his people as the gardener does to the land. He is publically seen as an arrogant, selfish man who is currently depressed.

            The figurative language that the commoners and gardener uses compares the weeds of the soil they are mending to the attitude of their leader. For instance, the gardener demands that all the roots which are sucking nutrients out of the flowers must be destroyed. This is a clear metaphor for the king needing to be thrown out of power or killed, so that beauty, innocence and freedom can once again shine forth. The king’s situation is extremely dramatized by the men as they call him a “wasteful king” and stating that he is “depressed…and deposed.” Readers can understand that as commoners and villagers, the King needs to be removed from his power.
            It seems as though the comparison between unstoppable, useless growing weeds reflects on the idea that evil power will always be distributed to those who lack responsibility. The Queen understands this as she hears the gossip of her husband, and the more she hears, the quicker the character jumps to save her husband’s fragile reputation.