Wrapping It Up, Research Paper Example

Edgar Allan Poe was a master at using imagery to advance his themes in both stories and poems. Edgar Allan Poe was noted for his gothic horror style of writing. Nevertheless, he also used his writing to express political sentiments, particularly that regarding racism, slavery and social distinctions in the Southern USA.  This was compared to the situation in Europe with Poe supporting the concept of slavery. [I stand amid the roar, Of a surf-tormented shore, And I hold within my hand,  Grains of the golden sand- How few! yet how they creep, Through my fingers to the deep, While I weep- while I weep! O God! Can I not grasp them with a tighter clasp? O God! Can I not save one from the pitiless wave? Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream? ]  (Poem Hunter.com, 2011).  Poe uses the description against the analogy of his own life and in observing this how he let all the important things slip between his fingers. He could not hold onto even one of them so eluding that life is but a dream.

John Hollander has a style of writing similar to Joyce; he tends to ignore pronunciation and let the text freely flow into one another.  This can be hard to analyse but the imagery is clear in the descriptive part of his work [What A pale signal will appear~When Soon before its shadow fades ~ Where Here in this pool of opened eye ~In us No Upon us As at the very edges ].  (Scays.J., 2005) In the Weary Blues by Langston Hughes  [To the tune o’ those Weary Blues. ~ With his ebony hands on each ivory key ~ He made that poor piano moan with melody. ~  O Blues! ]  The writing tells of a blues musician in Harlem and provides a descriptive image of the state of mind of the musician.  A wonderful evocative and descriptive piece of writing.  In Bonnie Barbara Allen the story told of love and tragedy [Oh, in the merry month of May,~ When all things were a-blooming,~ Sweet William came from the Western states ~ And courted Barbara Allan]

The blending of young love in springtime when the flowers are out. William even compared to a flower ‘ sweet william’.  In We are many by Macos Somos  [When everything seems to be set ~ to show me off as a man of intelligence,~ the fool I keep concealed on my person ~takes over my talk and occupies my mouth.]  As he tries to appear intelligent he cannot hide his real persona of a fool whenever he speaks.  Many of us can relate to the statement that is so evocatively prescribed. (Poemhunter.com, 2011)

Works Cited

Poem Hunter.com. (2011). Dream within a Dream. Retrieved 6 25, 2011, from Poem Hunter.com: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-dream-within-a-dream/

Poemhunter.com. (2011). Pablo Neruda. Retrieved 6 25, 2011, from Poemhunter.com: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/we-are-many/

Scays.J. (2005, 2 27). John Hollander’s “Swan and Shadow” . Retrieved 6 25, 2011, from JScays: http://jscays.blogspot.com/2005/02/john-hollanders-swan-and-shadow.html