"Porphyria's Lover"

In the poem "Porphyria's Lover" by Robert Browning, the way that I took the theme was that his love is dying of a tragic death, and in order to save her from the pain, he strangles her to death to give her a quick death. This idea presents itself in many poems throughout poetic history, the idea that in order to spare someone from pain, death is a form of salvation or a way to move on to a beter life. In the poem, the theme depicts the idea that a storm is coming in and it makes one wonder af first whether Porphyria is a storm that is in the sky, but then it states that Porphyria has arrived back and then it goes on to desrcibe that she is weak. With the theme set up at this point to let us know that she is week, it allows the opportunity to make the introduction of a possiblity for someone to come along and "save" the "danzel in distress", so to say. The idea that he is forced to wrap her own blonde hair around her kneck to bring her to her fate of death is odd because the poem brings up her hair prior to this event which causes the reader to beleive that he had been planning the killing of her. At this time, the theme is set up because it shows that he follows through to "save" her from her pain.

Porphyria's Lover - Irony

The tone of this piece is very straightforward and story-like. It almost seems like it's a story out of a love novel. From the beginning it seems like the poem is going to one of great love, the way it starts out by describing a woman coming in from the rain and describing the way she loved him and worshiped him. All of a sudden the reader is surprised to read that he strangles her with her hair. It is ironic that a story that starts out explaining love ends in murder.

My Last Duchess: All for Pride

The speaker in this poem seams to be unscathed about the death of his wife. She seamed like nothing to him, replaceable. Gazing at the picture of his potential arranged bride, he gets angry with the man that has brought it to him. The jealous nature of the man sparks a question. Why? Why is he angry that the painter and messenger see it before him. Is he that uncaring and vain that he wants a fair women to be his and only his? Both in marriage and in spectacle?
“Strangers like you that pictured countenance, / The depth and passion of its earnest glance, / But to myself the turned”(Browning l. 7-9) He loathes the fact that he is not the first to set eyes on her, also vanity seams to be ever prevelant the more he looks at the painting, looking at him. He does not care that he lost a wife, but he must have a high social status to have an arranged marriage with a Count’s daughter. Having a wife was a matter of pride for him.
As he talks to the emissary, the listener sees the depth of the speaker’s malevolence. “Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands; / then all smiles stopped together. There she stands / As if alive. Will’t please you rise?”(l. 45-47) He apparently killed the woman because he was displeased. They was he spoke of the duchess was as if he thought she was a trinket for him to wear. This all goes back to the vanity, pride, but with all this said he seams astute in his observations and knows exactly what he wants.

Barbie Doll Reversal

The feminist’s views of Barbie Doll are a sharp observation of what over expectation can do to a child’s life. The role however can be flipped easily. The title would have to be named after Jackson Katz’s book Tough Guise. There is a façade that young men put on because of outside influence. Whether or not it comes from family, peers, or society it has been imposed on men for decades. Real men never cry, show weakness, and must be strong. This is what the world has stapled to the body of man.
“[A]nd presented dolls that did pee-pee / and miniature GE stoves and irons / and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy.”(Piercy l. 2-4) The imagery of the man version would be equal and opposite. The boys would get big toy guns and big toy trucks and big toy war machines. Everything would be big, bigger, and biggest. That is what being a man is about in the world: violence, killing, ruthless competition. The diction, however, would be wildly different. The words word be short, because we are all dumb, ruthless, knuckle-dragging cavemen. The vocabulary would have rougher sounds: war, kill, death, hurt, and beat. All of these short, to the point, and easily yelled from the top of a mountain. But how would it end?
In contrast, Barbie Doll ended quite differently than the man version. “So she cut off her nose and her legs / and offered them up.”(l. 17-18) In the male adaptation, the speaker would go on a rampage through a jungle killing every other soldier that made fun of the size of his penis.
While this is a satirist description, bordering on sarcasm. This is a truth, sadly, that happens daily. Men are getting the same, but opposite, forced down there throats. “Boys will be boys, and girls will be girls.”

Barbie Doll from a mans perspective

In today's society, boys and girls are treated in much the same way. Although there are obvious differences, boys are supposed to like hunting and sports and play with cars, and girls are supposed to like dolls and clothes and makeup. Lines are getting more crossed and boys and girls interact on much of the same level these days. Boys have the same problems as girls have but they are not supposed to talk about them and ask others for advice. Girls look to others for advice and are more extroverted and boys are introverted in these aspects. It is rare for a boy to as his guys friends for advice on daily activities and things, girls seem to have no problem asking for advice. Men have issues with weight and appearance but it isn't widely accepted in our society to go about it the same way a girl would.

Theme of Porphyria's Lover

The theme of "Porphyria's Lover" by Robert Browning is one that I was able to pick out. The main character has the girl of his dreams come to him and be close to him. He even says she is "Murmuring how she loved me"(Browning l.21) and he assumes that her one wish is to be with him forever. Unfortunately he doesn't realize that she would willingly be with him forever and takes it into his own hands to make sure that she is by killing her and keeping her dead body close to him but he believes that he is merely granting "Her darling one wish would be heard."(Browing l.57) The man in this poem is clearly delusional but the theme to me is that he believes she will not willingly stay there and her one wish is to somehow still be with him forever.

"Barbie Doll"

In the poem “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy, the idea that the roles could be switched from a female onto a male is not a farfetched thought. In society; especially today; people of all genders are facing scrutiny and discrimination for personal attributes such as facial structure, weight, or even sexual orientation. It is not uncommon for peer pressure to negatively affect the outcome of a person’s character because in today’s society, people care more and more about what others think. Also, parental expectation plays a major factor into the creation of what is expected because it is normal to want to have your parents be proud of your achievements. If one cannot live up to what is expected of them by their parents, you may feel a change is necessary because in many situations, parents are viewed as the highest authority in ones lives, besides religion. If the roles were to switch, I think the outcome could still be the same because whether it be a man or woman, if one feels that everything about themselves is wrong, and they are not given a proper way to change themselves, they may jump to conclusions and suicide may be the outcome. If the roles were to switch, I think a more useful title would be “G.I. Joe” because this is an unrealistic character that men are expected to be. Diction could be changed from a female perspective to males which would engage the male reader into a realization of what peer pressure can cause. The idea on whether it be a male or female really doesn’t play a factor because in the end, everyone wants to be accepted by their peers and family.

My Last Duchess

In my last duchess, you can tell that the speaker is a man of great wealth, arrogance and jealousy. He is arrogant as he is trying to show off the painting of his late wife and although you don't know exactly who his guest is, you can tell that he is trying his best to impress him with the beauty of the duchess. His tone throughout gives off the impression that he thinks he is better than anyone else. His appearance seems very important and the way the duchess looked was important also. The duke also gives off the impress of great jealousy when it comes to the duchess and her admirers. In the end, the duke mentions that he kills the duchess as if it is no big deal. He didn't think she appreciated the gift of a nine-hundred year old name.

Barbie Doll

In “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy, it tells of the struggles of one girl that they pressures get to and she takes drastic measures to get the results she desires. She wants nothing more than for everyone to just say she is beautiful instead of pointing out her flaws. This can translate to males but it is in a slightly different way. For the most part, boys do not have as much pressure to look perfect as they are to act in a certain way or to excel in some kind of athletic sport. Where girls normally get caught up in looks, boys are normally more judgmental when it comes to athletic ability. In the poem she describes the main character by saying “Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs.”(Piercy l.11) This would be very different if it were pertaining to a boy. They may say something like he cannot make this shot or this throw. Boys have a hard time as well but the pressures are different. They may not go to as far as an extreme in most cases but they will go out of their way to get the attention they seek.

Ozymandias

“Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley was an interesting poem that gave examples of how nothing lasts forever. He uses a statue in the middle of the desert as his prime example. Over the years the statue has fallen and only the legs are left standing. The head lay half buried in the sand after many years of laying on the ground. The pedestal is still standing as part of the legs of the statue. The pedestal has the words “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”(Bysshe l.10-11) making it seem that the statue is one of someone who was either very powerful or thought he was. He thought his power would translate into his statue and it would last forever but as the theme of the poem goes the statue must eventually break down. The use of three different speakers gives this poem very good depth. He makes good use of the three speakers he uses as the main speaker, the person he says he meets that speaks about the statue, and the way he presents the text on the statue’s pedestal makes it its own speaker. In the end it seems to me that he thinks that sand will last much longer than much the statue will but in no way says it will last forever, just that it will last much longer.

Symbolism in “Ode on a Grecian Urn”

The symbolism in this poem starts with the title. An urn is used to store the ashes of a loved one whom was cremated. Setting aside theism, nothing does last forever. An urn itself may last a long time, but it will eventually fade. Ironically the urn houses something that has already surpassed its expiration date, a body. The urn seams to symbolize eternity. The figures on it have passed on but there visage lives on.

“Ah, happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed
Your leaves, nor ever bid the spring adieu;
And, happy melodist, unwearied,
For ever piping songs for ever new;”(Keats, l. 21-24)

Here the flora that is discussed is inferred as being deciduous, it will lose leaves come fall. The seasonal changes are of birth to death. On the urn however, the branches will never lose their leaves, they are immortal. Everything that is on the urn isn’t mortal anymore and will live on. The urn, however, will eventually disappear with time. It is ironic, but there is symbolism behind the text. While there are objects and being depicted on the urn as immortal, the urn’s time is finite. Does this mean that while everything is finite, something that outlasts is the thought, or truth, behind the urn.
The truth is the urn was thought of, carefully sculpted and plan. It will eventually be gone, but the fact that someone created it will never cease. “ `Beauty is truth, truth beauty,”—that is all / Ye known on earth, and all ye need to know.”(l. 49-50)
The only thing that seams to out last everything is truth, it is the one thing one the planet that will not die.

"Ozymandias"

In the poem “Ozymandias”, the idea that nothing lasts forever is portrayed through the realization of what is left of the kingdom in which the king once reigned. It becomes apparent that the statue of the king outlasted the actual reign of power that this mighty ruler had and all that is left to show is a bleak and dissolving statue that stands alone amongst the middle of an empty desert. The told description of the statue lets the reader know that the statue has been there for some time with the knowledge that it has “trunkless legs” and has “shattered visage lies”. This allows the reader to gain insight into the fact that the “king of kings” was a harsh leader because it was stated that there was “a sneer of cold command”. Along with this, other characteristics in the description that engage the reader in this idea are the words written on the statue “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my words, ye Mighty, and despair.” Also, through the speakers view point, this has happened some time ago which also lets the reader know that “ye Mighty” is not mighty anymore, and that nothing; including temporary power; lasts forever. It goes to show that; in certain situations; power can be outstood by mere concrete because although his power has ceased, the statue that represents his power is still standing, in the form of a statue.

Diction/Tone choices: "Porphyria's Lover", "To his Coy Mistress" & "Ode on a Grecian Urn"

Diction is all about the words that you choose; the level of language that an author commits to. Diction can make a poem easily misunderstood or undoubtedly understandable. In Robert Browning's poem "Porphyria's Lover," his choice of words creates an emotional affect on the reader. "Three times her little throat around, / And strangled her. No pain felt she; / I am quite sure she felt no pain" (Browning l. 40-42) is an example of how his words strike the reader. The speaker seems to be emotionless yet calm. The manner of his tone creates an eerie effect that spills from the page.
In Andrew Marvell's "To his Coy Mistress," his choice of diction creates a convincing tone from the speaker to the woman in which the poem was intended. The speaker is essentially laying down the foundation of his case; trying to persuade the woman to subdue to his advances. Marvell uses hyperbole's often, "My vegetable love should grow / Vaster than empires, and more slow" (Browning l. 11-12). This quote describes the speakers love bigger than an entire empire and the tone of exaggeration comes to the surface. The tone of his poem is far from serious and somewhat playful.
Perhaps the most difficult to comprehend is John Keats' poem "Ode on a Grecian Urn." The diction he uses is often hard to follow and choice of words. In the poem he talks about the beauty of an urn and its representations in life. The tone of this poem is upbeat and happy as expressed in this line of the poem: "Ah, happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed / Your leaves, nor ever id the spring adieau; /And, happy, melodist, unwearied / For ever piping songs for ever new" (Keats l. 20-24). The attitude of the author makes the poem have a rhythm almost like a song has a tune.
Diction and tone go hand in hand in many poems. The language is in a direct relation to the attitude and the message the author wants to bring to his readers.

"Barbie Doll"

Marge Piercy's poem "Barbie Doll," explores the theme of perfection and always wanting more than what you have. The poem starts out soft and then takes a turn, " Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said: / You have a great big nose and fat legs" (Piercy l. 5-6). This line reflects the harsh reality of a female developing into a woman. However, this harsh reality of striving for perfection doesn't just happen to females. Males also face a inward struggle; a conflict between beauty of the inside versus beauty on the outside.
This poem, reformed into language for a male audience, could be titled "Male Model." Ironically, that title could mean more than just one thing. The word 'model' can be thought of literally as what one should strive for, or the example one should follow. Also, it can be thought of as what one does for a career; setting a standard of what masculine beauty should be. The denotation of this word changes the effect it could have on the reader, depending on if they took it literally or not. When this poem is written in the intent for a male viewer the beginning lines of "and presented dolls that did pee pee / and miniature GE stoves and irons / and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy" (Piercy l. 2-4) that were intended for a female could be changed to a topic about cars, hardware and dinosaurs. Instead of looking a big nose and fat legs, the poem directed at males may talk about height and size of muscles. Regardless of being male or female, human beings are far from kind. Perhaps that's why perfection is so important and plastic surgery so abundant.
What ever happened to 'it's whats on the inside that counts?'

"Ozymandias"

In Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem "Ozymandias," the theme that "nothing lasts" reoccurs throughout the entire work. I first line of the poem "I met a traveler from an antique land" (Shelley l. 1) mentions that land as old and fragile. This is a direct reference to the theme that nothing lasts; nothing will be as it once was. The imagery in the poem is vivid to the point of creating a picture in the mind. When the statue is first mentioned the language and choice of words work together like the man pieces of a puzzle that are becoming one. "Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown, /And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command" (Shelley l. 4-5) is an example of this. Each word connects the one next to it, creating the bigger picture. The imagery of a statue that once stood so tall, so perfect and now to see it worn; crumbling at the mercy of the desert all ties back to the theme that nothing lasts. The different speakers in this poem all put forth some evidence that nothing lasts forever. The tone of the poem changes somewhat in line 10 of Shelley's poem: "My name is Ozymandias, kind of kings." This offers a commanding tone in a poem that seems to talk of things that used to be. There is one thing that lasts in the ending of the poem. "Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare / The lone and level sands stretch far away" (Shelley l. 13-14) offers that the desert and its vastness will go on forever. This is the one thing in the poem that will never change.

Adolescence

"Barbie doll" by Marge Piercy, is a poem about a young girl struggling with adolescence and appearance until she's had enough. This poem is focused towards a feminist view but can also strongly be related to young men growing up in their teen years. If this poem was renamed it could very well be called "Adolescence". Teen boys suffer through similar areas of peer pressure, social norms, and parental expectations. Young men have difficulty fitting in with others at school, boys are called weak if they look too skinny, and people can pick on them if they are having a bad acne day. Even though this poem is focused to be feminist, it can also swing towards a masculine way if it were termed differently.

"Ozymandias"

The theme in "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelly, has one that seems "nothing lasts". Some imagery from this poem particularly caught my eye when the speaker said, "a shattered visage lies, whose frown, / And wrinkled lip" (Shelly l. 4-5). I pictured an old statue weathered from the elements and time; almost like the same condition of Egypt's Sphinx. The writings show that no matter how powerful and strong something is, or once was, "nothing lasts" not even "Ozymandias, king of kings".