Literature

In the poem “Bluebird” Charles Bukowski, a German-born American poet, short story writer and novelist portrays the hardships of a man who has a troubled childhood, and the emotional rollercoaster he has to go through in his everyday life. The poet uses the phrase “men do not cry” to address the social stigma surrounding men. Bluebird BY CHARLES BUKOWSKI there's...

From: Poem Examples

CONTENTS Introduction One of Shakespeare’s shorter tragedies, Macbeth is based on a historical king of Scotland. Although some of the basic facts in the play are true to history, the murder of the king for example, Shakespeare largely wrote the play as an entertaining tragic story rather than a historical document. The play is a tale of ambition, revenge, and...

From: Literature Guides

Themes True Love Many of the character’s actions are motivated by the power of true love. Westley survives the Dread Pirate Roberts and is revived by Miracle Max all thanks to his immense love for Buttercup. Buttercup is prepared to take her own life than forsake her love for Westley, and to escape with him she forsakes her submissive role...

From: Literature Guides

"I know why the caged bird sings" is Maya Angelou’s heart-wrenching poem that reflects on the mindless oppression that the Blacks were subjected back in the olden days. Her portrayal of the injustice using a "free bird" and a "caged bird" leaves us with a bitter taste that reminds us of the long abolished slavery. I Know Why the Caged Bird...

From: Poem Examples

In the poem “Life is Fine”, Langston Hughes, the poet, also a novelist, fiction writer, and playwright, expresses his optimism after his attempts of ending his life which in turn end up making him feel alive. He comments “Since I’m still livin’ here, I guess I’ll live on” meaning he wants to live more. Life is Fine BY LANGSTON HUGHES...

From: Poem Examples

The poem Clair de lune (Moonlight) is from Paul Verlaine’s collection of poems “Fetes Galantes” dating back to 1869. The French poet was associated with the Symbolist Movement; and the poem is a mixture of Romance and Impressionism. Clair De Lune BY PAUL VERLAINE Your soul is as a moonlit landscape fair, Peopled with maskers delicate and dim, That play...

From: Poem Examples

“Let America Be America Again” is a poem dedicated to and inspired by the political subjects written by Langston Hughes in 1935 and published in the Esquire issue in the summer of 1936. The poem is about how America must fulfil the promises it gave earlier to the people inhabiting it as it once did to its Founding Fathers, Puritans,...

From: Poem Examples

Main Characters and Analysis The Pilot He is the protagonist as well as the narrator of the story. He is introduced first as a child with lots of imagination in contrast to the grown-ups who lack imagination and discourage him from drawing. Then he is introduced as a pilot who lives life in isolation because he refuses to follow the...

From: Literature Guides

Themes and Symbols Sin, Redemption, and Damnation Doctor Faustus is a Christian play, as such it deals with themes at the root of Christianity and its views on the world. First, there is the concept of sin, which Christians define as being acts that go against the will of God. By making a pact with the Devil, Faustus commits the ultimate...

From: Literature Guides

Ezra Weston Loomis Pound, the great expatriate American poet and critic, used his iconic Imagism to write the poem ‘A girl’ where he used the mythical characters of Apollo and Daphne to showcase the creative imaginations of a girl from two different perspectives; an older child and an adult, where the girl transforms herself into a tree. A Girl BY...

From: Poem Examples