The two poems by Peters Skrzynecki, “Feliks Skrzynecki” and “10 Mary Street” paint a picture of a migrant family where the father and son have different perceptions of their belonging as a result of their different cultural experiences. In addition, their feelings about belonging change over time. This changing sense of belonging is conveyed effectively through a variety of poetic devices such as: imagery, metaphors, similes and hyperboles.…
Even after we are gone the memories never seem to fade away, they reside in our family and the things that surround them. In Wanieks’ poem “The Century Quilt” a family uses a century quilt to keep their memories together as generations pass; utilizing tone, imagery and dedication to convey a complex meaning of the speakers attributes to the century quilt. In the poem “The Century Quilt’ the speaker develops a complex meaning through imagery when describing the colors, fabric and memories that have gone with the family for years. The speaker talks about a particular quilt that she remembered as a child.…
A harmonious and peaceful atmosphere is created through the accumulation of positive images: My father’s sits out in the evening/ with his dog, smoking, / watching the stars and the street lights come on’’. Feliks’s self-sufficiency and contentment contrast to Peter’s discontent: ‘’ Happy as I have never been.’’ This is ironic, considering that Feliks’s life has been more difficult. Feliks’s capacity to enjoy a sense of belonging has come through his experience of suffering. His mind has been broadened to understanding what really matters in life.…
He appeals to the shared experiences of the veteran audience by recalling, “We stared with a kind of reverence at the horizon, as thunderheads and dancing rains moved with us. We held our little plastic cars against the glass and pretended that they, too, were racing toward some unknown destination. We considered the past and dreamed of the future, and watched it all go by in the blink of an eye.” (67-74) Louv joins in this time of reverie in order to mourn for one last time a romanticized age - an age when man and nature were locked in inseparable unity - that had long since died, drowned in an unforgiving sea of luxury cars and backseat television monitors. This recollection of memories gone past conveys a wistful and mournful tone that signals to the audience that the short halcyon days of man, side by side with nature, have retreated to the annals of history forever. Louv’s nostalgic recollections of the past mourn the passing of an age where people did not wish to sever the ties between them and nature.…
In the prose, The Red Wheelbarrow, a rain slicked red wagon with a broken wheel, desolate and decrepit, stands sombrely in the tawny-patterned mud. It is a rather simplistic image that evokes the sense of a worn down agricultural household;slowly, diminishing along as the red wheelbarrow rusts in the rain. But, how could the speaker present such a mundane idea so brilliantly, so intensely, so eloquently? Simply. He performs it simply. Through a sadden tone, William Carlos Williams illustrates the image of a broken down agricultural-based household by monosyllabic color-based diction and short meter structures.…
The imagery in this poem is relating to the human body, like broken ribs and punctured lungs; and the mechanics of familiar objects. Also the poet is trying to point out that war created an unhappy life.…
With an uprise of violence in the media today, it is important to evaluate how exposure to such media may affect its viewers, especially children. Conclusive studies have been ran that indicates there may be a connection between aggressive behavior in these adulesents and violent materials such as movies, television shows, and different forms of art. These materials have been suggested to have short-term and long-lastings effects.…
For too long, people have neglected to remember where their culture stems from. The culture that lies in our past is connected to our present and ultimately, our future. Despite the possibilities that learning about our past can offer, there is no limit to how much despair can be found during the search. However, it is because of those faults that allow us to move forward in life. This point of view is the main focus in the poem “Ilu, the Talking Drum,” a tale revolving around the remembrance of the author’s culture. In any case, we may not be able to look back, but we can certainly move forward.…
The key theme of this poem is the harsh winter morning. This theme is explored with the techniques Skrzynecki has used to paint an image of this early morning in your head. Two of these themes are personification and the rhyme structure of ABCB.…
When the poem starts, the narrator urges the drums and bugles to play their music loudly and powerful, so it bursts through doors and windows into schools and churches. He even urges the instruments to disturb newlyweds and farmers. Then, as if on repeat, he once again urges the drums and bugles to play, except he describes their sound hoping it will reach across the city. He wants it to keep people up at night and keep them from working during the day. If people chose to ignore it and carry on with their business, the instruments must play even louder and wilder. Then once again, he tells the instruments to play even more powerfully, except this time they should not stop playing for any conversation or explanation. He urges the drums and bugles to not pay attention to anyone no matter what they are doing and tells the music to recruit men into the military, regardless what their mothers and children say. Finally, he urges the instruments to play so loud and powerful that it shakes the support beams that lie under the dead.…
Neglecting the commitment of one’s cultural identity forfeits one’s ability to accept themselves and thus belong in themselves. The protagonist in ‘Ancestors’ experiences confusion as he has no capability to communicate with his ancestors. He fails to establish a connection to his heritage, limiting his ability to understand them. The interrogating tone of the poem, symbolised through the persona’s questions ranging from “who” to “what” to “why” to “how”, proves this lack of identity as five out of the seven stanza’s end in a question hence accentuating his displacement. Expressed through the use of the word “you” the character’s disassociation with his self is explored as he refers to himself as a separate being, “why do you wake as…”, revealing his failure to identify with his self and hence increases his sense of confusion and loneliness. The alliteration of the men “standing shoulder to shoulder” further emphasies the persona’s isolation in comparison to the unity of the ghostly figures. Skrzynecki uses the blood allusion in “The wind tastes of blood” to show that connecting to our ancestors is in our blood. However, the persona’s sense of alienation from the “faceless men” provides visual imagery of the ancestors physically making the barrier to belonging. The failure to connect brings about frustration as he becomes haunted trying to comprehend what his dreams mean.…
“Grandchildren love and respect their grandparents” is the universal theme articulated in numerous art forms, including the folk tale “The Old Grandfather and His Little Grandson” and the poem “Abuelito Who.” Universal themes, making an appearance in various sorts of literature, are the messages and morals of life that have been handed down from generation to generation, because they are messages that can be understood by every person throughout all of history. Some universal themes can be strenuous to perceive, however in these works, that is not the case. Whilst, the poem by Sandra Cisneros and the Russian folk tale retold by Leo Tolstoy share the same message and a few other similarities, they also have a moderate amount differences. The…
The title “Homecoming” is used effectively to contrast the traditional universal implications of the word with the shocking reality of dead soldiers flown home from Vietnam to grieving families. The word “homecoming” usually implies a celebration or Heroic reception for a great achievement, with a return to roots and family. It would further invoke a sense of anticipation for the return of a loved one whom has a real identity and a place in the hearts of those awaiting his arrival. However, the title operates ironically because the “homecoming” described in the poem is related to death, mourning and loss and the arrival of a nameless body is quite different from the heartfelt joy extended to a loved one. By establishing Irony through the globally understood ritual of homecoming celebration, Dawe generates universal appeal. Through the use of Repetition, Dawe establishes the inhuman, machine-like processing of human bodies, a ghastly reality common to all conflicts that use innocent soldiers as cannon fodder. These soldiers will never have an opportunity to voice their protests…
Dreams are the paints of a great artist, and the world is their canvas. Artists are able to produce beautiful art pieces using their ideas and imaginations. Through art, we are able to communicate stories of tragedy, peace, hardship, and ease. In many ways, visual art and written stories can be compared to one another. Like a frame to a picture, the techniques in a short story help keep the story together. As for the elements they can be seen as the painting itself, providing both story and beauty. Both techniques and elements play crucial roles together. In both short stories “The Blues Merchant” and “Rich For One Day”, the influence of the ironic technique towards characterization and theme can be noticeably seen.…
This work includes poems of homespun wit and sophisticated irony; of family, politics, and existential unease; of love, betrayal, and heartache; of racial…