dreams by Langston hughes

Langston Hughes 

DREAMS

 James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1902 – May 22, 1967) was an 

American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin Missouri 

he wrote much about political conditions and American-African conditions 

during that time period, he was very much politically active and 

usually represented it in his poetries  

Dreams

Hold fast to dreams

For if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird

That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams

For when dreams go

Life is a barren field

Frozen with snow.

Explanation -

Here Hughes write about necessity of dreaming about future here he shows

  his optimistic side and also suggest that without dreaming about good 

things in future one cannot achieve it.

Hope by Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886)

 was an american poetess her poetry is deeply influenced by poets such as William Wordsworth 

and Ralph Waldo Emerson her poetry like Wordsworth show keen 

understanding and respect towards nature. she also was quite learned in 

psalms and religious hymns and used them quite

extraordinarily in her poems. 

"Hope" is the thing with feathers

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune without the words,

And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;

And sore must be the storm

That could abash the little bird

That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,

And on the strangest sea;

Yet, never, in extremity,

It asked a crumb of me.

              Explanation

              here in this poem emily has tried to compare hope with 

              a bird according to emily  hope is essential part of ones soul 

              which usually helps him to over come difficult times

               and inspite of all odds motivates one for better.

John Milton - When assault was intended to the city

When assault

was intended to the city

Captain or colonel, or knight in arms,

Whose chance on these defenceless dores may sease,

If ever deed of honour did thee please,

Guard them, and him within protect from harms,

He can requite thee, for he knows the charms

That call fame on such gentle acts as these,

And he can spred thy name o’re lands and seas,

What ever clime the suns bright circle warms.

Lift not thy spear against the muses bowre,

The great emathian  conqueror bid spare

The house of pindarus, when temple and towre

Went to ground : and the repeated air

Of sad electra’s  poet had the power

To  save th’ Athenian walls from ruine bare.

Critical analysis

This poem was written by Milton during 1642, at that time it was believed that an attack on London by Charles Ist was Imminent

In above lines Milton fearing that his city will be defenseless during assault calls for heroes to protect his city and its inhabitants and he as their reward will immortalize their name in all over the world through his poetries, a while later he remembering the legend of Alexander the great he says that while the sack of Thebes Alexander told his soldiers to leave the home of the poet Pindar untouched due to his respect for poets works here Milton adding a touch of humor states that like Pindar was spared by Alexander he will also be spared by Charles Ist, Milton in next lines adding even more humor states that as the  sad  poet Electra was able to save the city of Athens through his poetry he will also be able to save the city of London.

The poem “when assault was intended to the city” is an outstanding example of Milton grand poetry style which made him famous it was his eighth poem to be published and he was yet maturing his style but even then it shows the massive talent of the prodigy which was seen at the best in Milton’s epic “paradise lost”.

      

All of your comments, suggestions and enquiries are welcomed

Shailesh Chandra Raj

John Donne - sweetest love i do not go

John Donne 

John Donne is today known as the leading poet in the field of meta physical poetry, his poetic style is famous for containing some interpretations of scientific theories and instruments of that period  

                         

sweetest love i do not go

Sweetest love, I do not go,

For weariness of thee,

Nor in hope the world can show

A fitter love for me;

But since that I

Must die at last, 'tis best

To use myself in jest

Thus by feign'd deaths to die.

    John Donne composed this poem when he due to travel was going to be separated from his wife for a short time here he says to his wife that he is not going away from his wife because he has become tired of her as he cannot hope for a better life partner in whole world better than her he further says that in this world everyone must separate at last due to death and hence we must use this separation from each other to prepare for that final separation 

Yesternight the sun went hence,

And yet is here today;

He hath no desire nor sense,

Nor half so short a way:

Then fear not me,

But believe that I shall make

Speedier journeys, since I take

More wings and spurs than he.

     Donne here says to his wife that each day sun travels a long distance and yet return next morning to same place, sun unlike him has no desire or reason to return and his path is also very long, so if he can make such fast journey then he will make even a faster journey then him as he has more desires and feelings for her

O how feeble is man's power,

That if good fortune fall,

Cannot add another hour,

Nor a lost hour recall!

But come bad chance,

And we join to'it our strength,

And we teach it art and length,

Itself o'er us to'advance.

Donne here says that a man’s power is very limited as he cannot add more time during happiness nor can he recall lost time if bad time comes, only  thing we can do is to join our strengths so that we can advance   

When thou sigh'st, thou sigh'st not wind,

But sigh'st my soul away;

When thou weep'st, unkindly kind,

My life's blood doth decay.

It cannot be

That thou lov'st me, as thou say'st,

If in thine my life thou waste,

That art the best of me.

Donne says to his wife that she sould not cry during his departure because when she sighs he feels as if his own soul is sighing away, when she weeps the blood in his veins start to decay, donne here says that  she if she loves him as she says then she should know by wasting her life in torment she is also wasting his as she is part of him 

Let not thy divining heart

Forethink me any ill;

Destiny may take thy part,

And may thy fears fulfil;

But think that we

Are but turn'd aside to sleep;

They who one another keep

Alive, ne'er parted be.

Donne here says that do not let your heart fore think anything bad because sometimes destiny take action just by thinking and ones fears becomes true, you must think this separation as both of us turned aside on bed with our backs toward each other, we are those who keep each other alive and can’t be separated.     

TheTyger by William Blake

William Blake (1757-1827) is one of the best poets of romantic period in English poetry.Although Blake was considered mad by contemporaries for his idiosyncratic views, he is held in high regard by later critics for his expressiveness and creativity, and for the philosophical and mystical undercurrents within his work

William Blake

The

Tyger

Tyger Tyger! burning bright

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies

Burnt the fire of thine eyes?

On what wings dare he aspire?

What the hands dare sieze the fire?

And what shoulder,  & what art.

Could twist the sinews of thy heart?

And when thy heart began to beat,

What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?

In what furnace was thy brain?

What the anvil? What dread grasp

Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,

And watered heaven with their tears,

Did he smile his work to see?

did he who made the lamb make thee ?

Tyger Tyger! burning bright

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

Critical Analysis 

the tyger is unlike any other poem in English language is not a simple poem but rather different.
in the poem  Blake has tried to present the beauty of god work and how he can create both lamb and  tyger , the tyger is a fearsome animal from whose body fear radiates his eyes burns bright, in short Blake wanted to say that there is beauty in every work of god.  

John Milton- On his blindness

John Milton (1608-74) is considered the most religious poet of English literature he is very famous for his style of writing which in his honor came to be known as Milton's "grand style".

John Milton

His epic poem "paradise lost" is still a legend in English literature truthfully saying when i first thought about writing on John Milton the first thing that came in my mind  was "paradise lost " but regretfully i who is still learning about art of poetry's still do not have enough knowledge neither guts to interpret the legend. So today i am going to present you one of his second most read poem "on his blindness".

On his blindness 

When I consider how my light is spent, 

Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide, 

And that one talent which is death to hide, 

Lodg'd with me useless, through my soul more bent 

To serve there with my Maker, and present 

My true account, lest he returning chide,

Doth god exact day- labour, light deny'd,

I fondly ask. But patience to prevent 

That murmur, soon replies, God doth not need

Either man's work or his own gifts, who best 

Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best, His state

 Is kingly. Thousands at his bidding speed

And post o'er land and ocean without rest:

They also serve who only stand and wait.

critical evaluation

This poem was written by john Milton when he lost his ability to see,

 it is an autobiographical account of poets feelings and emotions  on 

his helplessness of lack of vision in the first lines he is frustrated that

he has lost his eyesight where he has still along time to live  which 

now he will spend in dark , Milton is afraid that due to his blindness 

the only talent which he have will also become useless, he wanted to

 serve god through his poetic talents and present in front of him his 

account that how much he has served him but as now he is not able

to serve god he will surely rebuke him.

now Milton question that does god requires account of ones every 

day's labour even trough he has lost his eye sight to which his own 

conscience answers him that god do not require any men's work or 

the gifts that he has given to humankind the one who accepts 

problems of his life without complaining serves him best. he is 

omnipotent at his single command thousands of angels travel at 

binding speed all over land and seas without rest in last lines Milton

 tells that not everyone is given the chance to serve god and the ones

 who wait for order are still serving as it is not their fault that they are

 not yet called by god so all they must do is stand and wait

please write comments and suggestion

so that as i am new so every praise and flame will help

yours 

Shailesh

William Shakespeare sonnet 116

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare is known widely all around the world for his dramas but his poetic skills were on a league of his own he has written about 154 sonnets in total and most of them are based on the feeling of love. The poem which i am presenting here is one of his best sonnets some of you must have read it as sonnet 116 or popularly known as "let me not to the marriage of true minds”

Sonnet - 116

let me not to the marriage of true minds 

admit impediments . love is not love 

which alters when it alteration finds,

or bends with the remover to remove:

o no; it is an ever- fixed mark,

that look tempests, and is never shaken;

it is the star to every wandering bark,

whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.

love's not time's fool, through rosy lips and cheeks 

within his bending sickle's compass come;

love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,

but bears it out even to the edge of doom.

if this be error and upon me proved, 

i never writ, nor no man ever loved.

Summery

Shakespeare in poetry writing is considered a romantic poet who Wrote much about love in this sonnet Shakespeare explains true love, he here says that for the union of two true lover (here union of true lovers can be explained as marriage) problems can occur but true lovers never accepts them as the end of their love Shakespeare here says that a love is not a true kind of love if it changes itself when it gets slight chance to change(which finding dire situations changes his attitude towards his loved one) or pressurized by worldly forces. according to Shakespeare love remains as stable as the fixed position of a pole star which guides every travelling ship, love worth can't be measured as it is invaluable in price but one can still reach  its topmost height easily, according to Shakespeare love is not depended on time as it does not change within time period of hours and weeks but remains intact till the doomsday (end), Shakespeare has such a firm faith on his understanding of true love that he has announced that if his definition of love is found incorrect, then he will take back all of his written works and admit that no man has ever truly loved.

And lastly as i am new in blog writing so i will require all your suggestions and requests for future post so all feedback is welcomed can be both positive and negative.

Waiting for your replies

Shailesh

William Wordsworth - The world is too much with us

My first poem here is written by well known poet William Wordsworth, I am sure you all must have read or heard about him.

 William Wordsworth

  William Wordsworth was a major poet during the    Romantic Movement in English poetry and a force to  be reckoned in English literature in short there is so  much which could be said about Wordsworth that  there will be a new book to publish stating "praises  to Wordsworth" so to not go that much deep about  the poet, I present you one of his poems that I  personally like most, which is "The World is too much  with us".

THE WORLD IS TOO MUCH WITH US

The world is too much with us; late and soon, 

getting and spending, we lay waste our powers:

little we see  in nature that is ours;

we have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!

this sea that bares her bosom to the moon;

the winds that will be howling at all hours,

and are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers ;

for this , for everything, we are out of tune ;

it moves us not.-Great God ! I'd rather be 

a pagan suckled in a creed outworn;

so might i standing on this pleasant lea,

have a glimpses that would make me less forlorn;

have sight Proteus rising from sea;

or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn.

Summary of poem

Wordsworth is popularly known as the poet of nature who has written much about nature & his viewpoint towards nature is quite clear here, Wordsworth complains that our this world is too big for us and we from our beginning have been too busy acquiring wealth and resources that we have wasted our time and god gifted powers of observation on unworthy things and  we now are no longer able to relate ourselves with nature, here Wordsworth says that we have given away our feelings & we now are not able to notice beauty in waves who are trying to reach for moon and able to feel winds that howls all the time or the flowers that during night close their petals, poet  thinks that humanity has lost it touch with nature and become out of tune with its blessings and beauty.

Wordsworth sorrowfully tells us that we have become so unresponsive towards true beauty that it does not moves us now,

He instead of becoming like other human that have forgotten nature now wants to become a pagan (who worships elemental deities) of an outdated cult so that he may enjoy nature in the purest form like they used to do, here poet says that he wanted to see such sights that will make feel happy here he says that he want to see sea god Proteus rising from sea and hear the Triton blow his conch horn

that's all for today 

dasvidaniya

shailesh out