#8 Tone and Mood

The tone or mood of a novel, poem or play can be determined by many elements including diction, figurative language, syntax, imagery and even allusion. The author can stylistically chose between many ways to create a specific tone and mood. In poems such as To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell, several different styles are used to establish a tone. In the first stanza the tone is prominently illustrated by figurative language and imagery that expresses the extent of the narrator’s love to his mistress within the context of a perfect world. As the second stanza begins a new tone is established primarily by diction and allusion. The word “But” starts off the second stanza which suggests that the message that is yet to come will be in opposition to what was said before, therefore, signaling a tonal shift. Also present in the first sentence of the second stanza, is a Greek allusion that serves to emphasize a sense of urgency because of time. Progressing into the third stanza, a final tonal shift occurs which once again is created by figurative language. Figurative phrases such as “morning due” and “amorous birds of prey” demonstrate the importance of acting quickly, thus indicating a pressured tone that communicates a slightly frightening message. As in Marvel’s poem as well as many others, many stylistic elements are considered by authors in formulating a tone that serves to interest the reader. 

#7 Diction

When considering the author’s intent in formulating an overall theme, diction must be closely analyzed. For Example, in Housman’s poem “To An Athlete Dying Young” diction helps the poem expound upon the idea that greatness can be frozen within time. When the athlete dies, the narrator depicts the image of the “townsman of a stiller town.” Specifically, the word “stiller” has significance because it directly correlates to the preservation of the athlete’s legacy at his death. Furthermore, references to the laurel have dual meanings. A Laurel is defined as an evergreen shrub or an honor for a specific achievement. In Housman’s poem, the multiple meanings of laurel can be applied at the same time suggesting that the laurel signifies both the victory of the athlete and the everlasting vitality of his honor. The fact that the reference of the laurel recurs several times further attributes to the idea that the athlete, who has died young, has preserved his admiration. Ultimately diction Housman as well as many other poets and authors use diction to communicate the central themes of their work. 

Imagery/Figurative Language

In the poem, Ozymandias, both figurative language and imagery are portrayed to demonstrate the destructive nature of time. Most prominently, imagery of ancient ruins depicted in the poem portray the deterioration caused by time’s ceaseless progression; “Two cast and trunkless legs of stone / stand in the desert. Near them… / Half sunk, a shatter’d visage lies, whose frown  / and wrinkled lip, … Tell that its sculptor well those passions read / Which yet survive, stamp’d on these lifeless things.” The statue’s corporeal remnants are illustrated vividly while the language appears to mimic this fragmented state of the statue. The physical wreckage of the statue and the specific word patterns that interrupt the flow of each line are key elements that Shelley uses to establish a representation of destruction. Furthermore, while the words apparently describe a withered and slightly demolished statue, they truly serve to communicate the capacity for time to destroy the glory of the past.  In fully understanding this poem one must analyze the imagery literally and figuratively to grasp the poem’s final conclusion about time. 

Sounds of Poetry

Poetry is often composed of literary devices that place emphasis on certain words and sound with a particular arrangement as to create a musical effect. A defining element of good poetry is a poems rhythm.

            Edward Hirsch’s poem Fast Break exemplifies this type of rhythmic poetry. The poem, communicating a certain message about the game of basketball, is organized so that each the syllables seem to alternate between stressed and unstressed similar to iambic pentameter. The rise and fall between each word’s syllables develops cadence, the rise and fall of the voice, within the poem when read aloud. The rising and falling rhythm of Fast Break seems to mimic the movement of a basketball being dribbled down the court as if on a fast break. In this case sound devices relate closely to the central idea and overall rhythm of the poem.

Symbol

In a drama like “Hamlet” symbols are not expressed as greatly as they are in a fiction novel like “Pride and Prejudice.” Hamlet uses several small symbols that relate to one of the major themes of the play: Death. Yorick’s skull can be viewed as a symbol in hamlet because it communicates that death’s unrelenting nature; even the jester, the liveliest person in the play is a subject to death. Because of Yorick’s skull, Hamlet comes to face the truth that death is inevitable. While symbols in Hamlet relate to certain themes such as death, symbols in “Pride and Prejudice” relate more closely with setting as well as major themes of the novel. Pemberly is an element of the setting, which establishes an English cultural environment. Additionally, Pemberly can be viewed as a symbol pertaining to the theme of class diversity. This is so because Pemberly is so highly acclaimed for its beauty and upper-class nature while no explicit mention of any other place in the novel can be found. The difference between Pemberly and all of the other estates in the novel reflects the rigid class system established in England during the time period. Ultimately symbol is connected to themes and in certain cases develops elements of the setting.  

Setting

Setting provides the background elements essential to any story.  In Hamlet, the setting is vital to the progression of the play. Increasingly through out the play Hamlet’s behavior becomes more insane. As Hamlet’s behavior becomes less tame, so does the behavior of those around him, thus creating a psychotic scene in Denmark. This element of the setting effectively builds up to the climax of the play in which King Claudius is finally slain. While chaotic elements of the setting reflect the mental states of the characters in Hamlet, Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice makes use of the setting to describe how the cultural environment within the novel functions. Pemberly, the magnificent estate is an important aspect of the setting, which attributes to the cultural environment of 19^th century English high society. Furthermore, the characters in the novel further develop the cultural environment. For example, characters such as Mrs. Bennet act foolishly through gossip, which stereo types certain characters in the novel such as Darcy and Bingly. Proof of the cultural environment exists because Elizabeth realizes that her preconceptions about Darcy are actually false after she truly gets to know him. 

Character Blog #2

In drama developing character is very formulaic and is tied closely to the conflict of the plot. In fiction the way in which characters are presented is less structured and more creative. However, characters in works of fiction operate with less connection with the plot. In Hamlet each character serves a common purpose of attributing to the development of the plot. Alternatively, characters in “Pride and Prejudice” may operate individually and even create sub-conflicts that loosely tie into the novel with lesser importance. Therefore, drama is more likely to have a definite protagonist and antagonist while fiction may involve several main characters involved in a shared conflict without an antagonist. Ultimately, characters in drama and fiction differ because of their relationship to the plot. 

Plot Blog #1

The plot serves a similar purpose in fiction and drama. The purpose that the plot serves is simply establishing events that present character relationships and conflicts that are worked out by resolutions. However, differences concerning plot structure exist between a fictional plot and a dramatic plot. In Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” the climax occurs when Elizabeth realizes that she is attracted to, Mr. Darcy, the person she was originally disgusted by. In Hamlet the climax occurs when Hamlet takes revenge for his fathers murder and finally kills King Claudius. While the climax of “Pride and Prejudice” occurs near the middle of the novel, the climax in “Hamlet” occurs on the second to last page. “Pride and Prejudice” has many pages to explain the resolution and walk the reader through the falling action. Conversely, “Hamlet” has a few lines devoted to the resolution of the play. This abrupt ending in “Hamlet” is a key element concerning plot that characterizes it as a Drama. 

Essay Comments

I believe that my Hamlet essay shows good signs of improvement in my writing. There were very few errors in my essay; however, I could have read through my essay a few more times to improve my essay even more. One thing that would help me improve my writing would be to start drafting my essay earlier. And another would be to connect my body paragraphs through topic and closing sentences. Also in my next essay I will consider using a topic based rather than character based organization for each body paragraph. Finally, including a more specific analysis that connect more closely with the prompt will help me improve my writing.

Creator and Destroyer of Legends

Time is an immutable element of existence. This certainty, concerning the matter of time, has been manifested in many noteworthy poetic works. The two poems “To an Athlete Dying Young” by A.E. Housman and “Ozymandias” by Percy Shelley use time as a means to communicate distinct themes involving the effect that time has on the concept of veneration and honor. Both poems appear to meet a consensus that time, especially the passing of time, has an immense effect on the identification of greatness. Alternatively, the messages of these poems are far different in that while “Ozymandias” focuses solely on the forgotten glory of the past, “To an Athlete Dying Young” focuses on the prestige, which has been frozen in time as the rest of the world progresses. Both poems outline their primary intentions through an indirect assessment of the effect that time has on the magnitude of precedence and virtue. 

Basketball Poems

Edward Hirsh's poem, Fast Break, portrays a quick and highly detailed sequence in a basketball game through the use of vivid imagery exemplifying both powerful actions contrasted by graceful movements. The powerful verbs such as "exlodes" and "racing" used to describe the players convey the fast paced movment of the game. In contrast, expressions such as "kisses the rim" and "laying it gently against the glass" demonstrate the artful quality of the game. The constant transition between these two types of language mimics the beatiful yet highly physical elements of a Fast Break.

Yusef Komunyakaa's "Slam Dunk, & Hook" describes a different type of basketball; one which is less syncronized and beatiful, yet has deep emotional value. Backyard basketball in this poem is described through the author's use of greek allusion and expressions that describe a clash of forces such as "tangled up in a falling" and "we knew we were beatiful and dangerous." While Hirsh's poem illustrates the syncronization of two opposite qualities, Komunyakaa's poem identifies two different qaulities of the game of basketball and leaves them in a contrasting state.

Ozymandias and ponder, darling,these busted statues

Percy Shelly’ Ozymandias, focuses on how time outlives the world and everyone in it. Time is never specifically mentioned in the poem; however, imagery conveys the destructive nature of time. Most prominently, indications of an extensive progression of time are portrayed by the ancient runes in the poem. The words read off of a pedestal “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: - Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!” present the destruction caused by time. The pedestal, a faint token of the past, is all that remains of what can be assumed a once magnificent statue. The pedestal and the words read off of it serve to signify the existence of an extraordinary past, while the fact that the actual statue has been destroyed signifies the ruinous nature of time. Ozymandias expresses a cynical view of time's destructive effect on the ever-fading glimmer of the past. 

Performance Choices from p. 744 lines 111-132

As Hamlet, on page 744, I acted with a sense of dry and sarcastic humor. The first lines in which Hamlet responds to the calls of Horatio and Marcellus, clearly appear sarcastic. After Marcellus calls for Hamlet with a shout of "Hillo, ho, ho, my lord!" Hamlet returns the call with a mocking response of "Hillo, ho, ho, boy! come, bird, come." Reading Hamlet's first lines with a sense of humor effectively displays Hamlet's absurd mind-set. This absurd mind-set can be explained by the fact that Hamlet had recently spoken to the ghost of his father. Considering the setting and situation of the character proves to be an important element as an actor portrays the character's mental state.

p 833 #3

Appearance Vs. Reality

There are various instances in which elements of appearance do not coincide with elements of reality. These instances are defined by specific language that makes comparisons and describes characters or their situation, in contrast with what is actually show through action rather than language. Shakespeare purposefully uses these instances to indicate certain aspects of dishonesty and deception with characters and what they represent. The motif of Appearance vs. Reality exemplifies many conflicts such as order and chaos, concealing and revealing, honesty and deception, all of which portray themes in the play. Ultimately, behind all conflict in the play lies the base of appearance vs. reality, an essential element which must be considered in discovering a meaning for the play as a whole. 

p. 832 #9, p. 833 #7

832 #9

Hamlet’s soliloquy in Act II scene ii remarkably demonstrates his rational yet slightly deranged mental state. Hamlet begins his soliloquy criticizing his fearful disposition that prevents him from preceding any further with taking revenge for his father’s murder. Hamlet expresses that he must take action but he is not strong enough. Hamlet’s thought process leads him to his intelligent plan to test King Claudius’ and prove his guilt. Hamlet’s soliloquy displays his ability to transition from a state of madness to a rational state of mind, in which he is able to act decisively.

p. 833 #7

A conflict between reason and passion are presented in the play through Hamlet’s interaction with himself and others. This interaction between reason and passion seem to work together to produce results, especially in Hamlet’s soliloquies. Hamlet reveals a great sense of reason in his soliloquies while also expressing his emotions passionately. The passionate sense of expression allows Hamlet to realize his ultimate motives, which in effect lead him to reason out a way to achieve what he is after. In another sense, the conflict between reason and passion are developed by Hamlet’s interaction with Ophelia. Hamlet realizes Ophelia’s abnormal behavior, which he suspects to be caused by her father’s command. Although Hamlet may be passionate about Ophelia, he lets the forces of reason take over to avoid a dangerous situation. Reason and passion conflict with each other in multiple ways that directly affect Hamlet’s course of action and own well-being. 

#7 and #14

#7: Hamlet tells his friends that he is likely to put on a deliberatively “antic disposition.” Hamlet uses his “antic disposition” deliberatively to hide his feelings of grief and anger in front of people he does not trust. In front of his trusted friends, such as Horatio, Hamlet acts normally and openly expresses his anger and dissent from those around him, especially Claudius. Hamlet ultimately tells his companions about his “antic disposition” so that, amongst the company of others, he may act hysterically as a method to hide his true emotions. Sharing this with his companions is necessary so that they are not lead to believe that Hamlet has lost his sanity. Through Hamlet’s “antic disposition” his emotions remain concealed and any suspicion others may have of him are confined.  

#14: When Hamlet says, "why, then, 'tis none to you; for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so," he is using his "antic disposition" to partially confuse those around him. Ironically, there is some kind of method to his madness. His statement is used to test Rosencrantz and Guildenstern who he suspects have been sent by the King. Furthermore, Hamlet continues on with his "antic disposion" in the second quotation. He does this to confuse Rosencrantz and Guildenstern just before he reveals that he knows what they are up to. His methodical madness proves to be effective and not just arbitrary outbursts of insignificant expression. 

#4 Laertes and Polonius

Laertes and Polonius object to Hamlet because they feel that he threatens Ophelia’s virtue and cannot be trusted. Laertes and Polonius say that Hamlet might appear to be sincere in expressing his love for Ophelia; However, they point out that his expressions are superficial and that she should be suspicious of his loyalty to her. Laertes speaks to Ophelia of Hamlet’s deceptive nature and commands her to be both alert and critical of Hamlet. Laertes obviously speaks down to Ophelia as an absolute and dominant figure with a commanding superior tone. Laertes’ tone suggests his patriarchal view of society and Ophelia’s obedience to her father supports this view of society. Similarly, Polonius believes that Ophelia’s virtue and status is worthy of a better man than Hamlet and that by being with Hamlet her virtue and status are lowered. Polonius also speaks to Ophelia with the assumption that she will submissively obey his words, further exhibiting the patriarchal society in the play. Laertes and Polonius both object to Hamlet because of a lack of trust and communicate their opinions to Ophelia in a commanding manner. 

Exploiting the Inner Truths

Shakespeare’s play Hamlet emphasizes the vital role that language plays in establishing different types of behavior. Shakespeare explores how characters establish an outward disposition through the language they use in an attempt to hide their true intentions and inner thought. Prominently, Hamlet and King Claudius exemplify the behavior of hiding motivations and fears by acting in an obscure outward manner. While Claudius seems to be generous and always smiling, he truly feels insecure due to his illegitimate acquisition of the throne. For example, King Claudius confronts Hamlet about Hamlet’s ongoing mourning of his father. In appearance, Claudius seems to provide counsel for Hamlet, who suffers over the loss of his father. However, Claudius’ own insecurity and guilt are the hidden reasons why he orders Hamlet to refrain from grieving his father’s murder. And while Hamlet outwardly expresses a sense of hysteria and insanity, his true intentions are to retaliate for his father’s death. Hamlet’s conversations with Horatio, In comparison to his interaction with those he dos not trust best exemplify how his outwardly insane disposition is used to hide his indignation for King Claudius. In Hamlet, different types of language are used to create an appearance of each character’s disposition while concealing malignant truths.

"When the eveing is sperad out against the sky - like a patient etherized upon a table."

T.S. Eliot's landmark peom "The love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" connects old world traditions with the complexities of a modernist society. Eliot often uses complex and even seemingly contradictory ideas in the workings of his poem; however, when closely examined, a coherent message can be identified. The line near the beggining of the first stanza, "When the evening spread out against the sky- like a patient etherized upon a table" exemplifies the character of Eliots writing. The line demonstrates the complexity between nature and modern society. Nature, a prominent element of traditional poetry, is compared with modern civilization represented by the description of the “etherized” patient . Although a juxtaposition exists with nature and modern civilization the line is clearly intended to make a comparison between the two. In connecting nature as a representation of traditional poetry with “a patient ehterized upon a table” a combonation of traditional style poetry and modernist poetry is formed as a common element of Eliot’s style. Furthermore, the purpose of this message may be to communicate that society has lost touch with nature; however, there is inherently a compatablility between the two.  

To His Coy Mistress Mini Essay

            Marvell’s poem, Coy Mistress, explores many poetic devices as essential elements in defining the central theme. Specifically, hyperbole and personification are used in conjunction to portray tonal shifts which are necessary in identifying the poem with the Latin phrase Carpe Diem.

            Hyperbole attributes to the quixotic realm that the first stanza so vividly describes. The first stanza of the poem stands to proclaim the narrators love for the mistress through a description of how he would court her in the absence of time. Hyperbole serves to intensify the romantic value of the narrator’s message and establish an affectionate tone despite the falsity of the circumstance intimated in the first line. The narrator proclaims that he would spend an “age” to adore each part of the mistress  “And the last age should show [her] heart.” This magnificent proclamation culminates the romantic setting depicted in the first stanza and sets up the introduction to the second stanza’s less pleasant concerns. Departing from the dreamland described in the first stanza, stanza two presents a new disposition. The poem’s introduction to reality in stanza two establishes an immediate and firm tone that is harsh and threatening. The narrator effectively and succinctly creates a tonal shift in the first line of the second stanza with a personification of time stating “But at my back I always hear- Time’s winged chariot hurrying near.” The introduction of time presents a mood of urgency which is to be carried out for the rest of the poem. This shift in tone from stanza one to stanza two is most prominently because it plays the largest role in identifying the poem with the theme of Carpe Diem. Furthermore, literary devices prove to be the backbone upon which the theme of Carpe Diem is established.            

To His Coy Mistress

The line that stands out to me the most in the poem is "But at my back I always hear - time's winged chariot hurrying near." The line is not only packed with effective literary devices but also serves a pivotal role in the progression of the poem. This line stands as one of the two main transitional points in the poem, in which the tone shifts and the message from the narrator diverges onto a new path. Specifically, this line signifies the shift to a warning and partially threatening tone where the narrator explains the ultimate consequence of his mistress's coyness. The author obviously put a lot of effort behind this particular line to make it noticiable, as it is among the top three most important lines in the poem. Some techniques Marvell uses are personification and allusion: Time is personified as the driver of Apolo's Chariot. Furthermore, this line the in the poem caught my attention each time I read the poem. This leads me to believe that the Author purposely made this line especially noticable so the people could better under stand his poem.

DW Harding Assignment: Is Collins a Nightmare or a Comic

While Mr. Collins' proposal is initially made out to be a "comic effect", later implications of his proposal based around Elizabeth and Mrs. Bennet arise. Harding discusses how Austen intends for Mr. Collins' proposal to be a "comic effect" and then also addresses in his argument that "[Mr. Collins] is real enough to Mrs. Bennet; and she is real enough to Elizabeth to create a situation of real miser for her when she refuses." I would agree that while Mr. Collins' proposal may be one of Austen's mockeries of society, it is clearly made out to be a danger for Elizabeth. Herein, lies the Collins' role as a Nightmare, specifically, to Elizabeth. Not only does Collins' proposal create problems for Elizabeth but it also evokes a clash between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet who fight over how Elizabeth should deal with Mr. Collins' proposal. Although initially Mr. Collins and his proposal can be classified as a comic effect, his most significant role as a character in the novel is the "Nightmare" he creates for Elizabeth.

Is Collins Funny or a Nightmare?

Mr. Collins, as DW Harding contends, plays the role of a "comic effect" while also giving " elizabeth, a taste of the fantastic nightmare." The comic effect DW Harding describes is centered around Mr. Collins rediculous proposal for marriage in coincidence with Mrs. Bennets reaction to his proposal. The fact that Austen is poking fun at Mrs. Bennet (again) and Mr. Collins for his foolish and exaggerated attempt at proposal, certainly defines the character of Mr. Collins as a "comic effect" in the novel. Furthermore, however, Mr. Collins also serves to create a nightmare for Elizibeth because she must decide between abiding by her common sense or following along with the ideal of society. In this case following along with the ideal of society means to place "economic and social institiutions'... power over the values of personal relationships," consequently accepting Mr. Collins proposal. In any examination of Mr. Collins, two dimentions of his character and the effect his actions have on others must be considered. For viewing Mr. Collins in relationship to Mrs. Bennet suggests the commic role of Mr. Collins while viewing him in realtion to Elizebeth, he is apperently made out to be a "fantastic nightmare." Therefore, Austen's character Mr. Collins demonstrates how characters can serve alternating purposes within the context of a novel.

Essay Comments

After reading over the comments on my essay I have identified both strengths and weaknesses in my writing. One of the strengths that I have indentified was my ability to create clear sentences that communicated my main idea. However, a weakness that I have is keeping this good style of writing consistant through out my paper. At certain points I explain my arguement clearly while at other points my sentenses are very long winded and hard to understand. I plan to improve my consistancy in regards to sentence structure throughout the essay on my next assignment.

Additionally, my conclusion was strong and could possibly be the best part of the essay. Although I had a strong conclusion, my intro seemed to be a bit long and not focused enough on the true topic of my essay. The two most important elements of my introduction, the topic sentence and the thesis were not particularly great and blended in rather than stood out with the rest of the introduction. I will consider revising my introduction once I complete my essay next time in order to create a stronger initial impression on the reader.

Furthermore,I had a problem with finding good specific examples that truely exemplified my arguement.Also some of my information and examples from the novel was inccorrect. Next time I will proof read to prevent this and to improve my arguement. I think that this essay has been a good learning experience and will help me earn a better grade on my next essay.

Key Elements to a Strong Essay

The best essays that I have read share several similar elements: organization, complexity and style. A clear organization of an essay really helps the reader understand what is being said. Also good organization allows the reader to anticipate what is coming in the essay. Additionally, complexity of ideas is necessary to having a strong essay because repeating the same ideas over and over again can get boring and put off the reader rather than drawing them in. Also the style really affects the interest that the reader has in the essay. If the essay is written with the same sentence structure through out then the reader may lose interest in what the essay is trying to say. Conversely, an essay written with varied style and sentence structure then the reader will most likely stay interested in what the essay is communicating.

The essay that I believe to the strongest is D in the A-F section (an Examination of Class and Economy: Austen's Molding of Mr. Hurst). The essay had an entertaining style, a very unique thought provoking central idea and organized so that the reader can anticipate the direction in which the essay is going.

#3 section A-F Essay C

My favorite essay was C from the A-F section. I believe this essay was the best out of the three I read because it had the best style while at the same time communicating interesting thought provoking ideas. The essay had no 'fluff' and got straight to the point. There were many ideas intertwined with eachother working together supporint eachother.

Best Essay from Red Reader #1

My favorite essay out of the three I read last night was the one titled "It's All About The First Impressions: How Austen and Greene Introduce Characters" (B for Beatrice). This essay had an execelent succint introduction that set up the thesis in a straightforward clear manner. The body paragraphs both constrasted and connected with each other very well. The entire essay was very unified in its approach at supporting the thesis. I thought that the essay achieved all that it set out to achieve and used clear communicative language.