3.05 Fireside Poets
3.05 Fireside Poets 1. What metaphors does Holmes use to describe the ship in stanzas one and two of "Old Ironsides"?In the first stanza he says, "The meteor of the ocean air," which is likening the ships flag as a meteor. In stanza two he refers to the ship as an eagle of the sea to describe how magnificent the ship is on the water. 2. In 1830, the 44-gun American warship Constitution, the inspiration for "Old Ironsides," was scheduled to be scrapped - that is, stripped of everything valuable or reasonable. What proposal is put forth by Holmes, in the last stanza of his poem?In the last stanza of the poem he proposes that, since the ship was such a great warship, that it should be destroyed in combat and sink to the bottom of the ocean. 3. What do you think Holmes wants the ship to symbolize? I think he wants the ship to symbolize American pride and the ability to endure the hardships of the world. 4. The term, "Harpies," in line 15 of "Old Ironsides" is an allusion to predatory flying creatures in Greek mythology, which have bodies of vultures and heads of women. The name meant "snatchers" or "robbers." Why do you think that Holmes uses this allusion in his poem? I think he uses this allusion because he is referring to the people who want to dismantle the ship for spare parts. This shows that he does not look highly of them and calls them robbers for taking parts from such a beautiful vessel. 5. In Longfellow's "The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls," how does the title foreshadow the fact the traveler will not return?The title of the poem foreshadows the traveler's inevitable death at the end of their life. Just as the tide comes and goes, so do we. 6. Do you think Longfellow's poem is about one specific traveler, or could it apply to all in general? Explain your answer.I feel that the poem applies to all in general because the traveler is referencing all human beings traveling their own life. The tide references the coming and going of such life.