Crossing The Swamp Summary
“Crossing the Swamp” depicts the speaker’s struggle to stay afloat while crossing a swamp. In the poem, the poet uses imagery, asyndeton, and metaphor to describe the relationship between the speaker and the swamp as a struggle to live. The comparison of life to the swamp reveals that success will come after persistence through scholarships because life will offer chances even after failure.
In the beginning, the speaker introduces the description of the swamp and the current situation that the speaker is in. The speaker establishes the setting with a parallelism “the endless wet thick cosmos, the center of everything,” creating a dreamlike image of the world. The center of the world “cosmos” is an orderly, harmonious system that is endless,
…show more content…
The metaphor, comparing the speaker to “a poor dry stick,” conveys that the speaker is insignificant in the swamp environment. By comparing himself to the stick, the speaker was “given one more chance by the whims,” which suggests that the speaker is fortunate. The metaphor introduces the idea that the swamp represents life, and the speaker, like a stick, struggles to stay alive through the hardships. After all of the struggle for the speaker to stay above the swamp, the speaker will have a chance to “take root, sprout, branch out, bud” after all these years. The asyndeton introduces the excitement to succeed through the lack of conjunction that creates rhythm. By creating an excited mood, the speaker displays the satisfaction of succeeding after struggling for a long time to just survive. Because tree symbolizes life, the stick being able to bud in the swamp suggests that the speaker is able to start life after struggling to live. The success is introduced through the personification “make of its life a breathing palace of leaves.” By describing the palace of leaves as breathing, the personification brings life to the palace, suggesting liveliness that contrasts the initial struggle. The palace indicates wealth and royalty, which demonstrates that the speaker’s constant struggle is worth the success that he receives now. The speaker struggling swamp is like a person struggling in life, working towards an opportunity to become
The Great Santa Barbara Oil Disaster Poem Analysis
888 Words | 4 PagesIn “The Great Santa Barbara Oil Disaster, or: A Diary” by Conyus, he write of his interactions and thoughts that he has while cleaning the horrible and momentous oil spill that occurred in Santa Barbara in 1969. In this, there is a stanza that he writes that appeals to the entirety of the poem, the one that begins on page three with “Day six” and ends with “again & again.” ; this stanza uses tone and imagery which allow for the reader to grasp the fundamental core of this experience and how Conyus is trying to illustrate the effects of such a disaster on a human psyche. Day six of this poem is the day that starts with a dishonest sense of normalcy of an urban environment. Conyus introduces the idea of toads croaking in a setting combining two worlds, “asphalt rain pond”; this paints the picture of nature and man coinciding to try to live together harmoniously in an environment that
Municipal Gum Essay
458 Words | 2 PagesThe Author effectively explores the theme and tone. The poet was able to do this because she used a variety of poetic features including an extended metaphor, enjambment, and apostrophe. The poem features an extended metaphor to portray the theme of the poem. She believes that the gum tree does not belong in a city street, just as how, indigenous Australians do not belong in other locations. Instead, they should be with their families.
Powerful Distinctive Images In Aquifer And Big World
818 Words | 4 PagesThis is seen in “ I listened to the man from 1194 and knew that he was making the time up as he went along”. The protagonist is soon traumatised by the death of Alan Mannering and is psychologically affected by the guilt he feels as if he was the reason of Alan’s death. The swamp was the most prominent place in the entire suburb and was a well attracted place. The swamp symbolises wonder, freedom, adventure and guilt and growing up.
An Analysis Of Mary Oliver's Crossing The Swamp
708 Words | 3 PagesThe speaker does not dwell on the hardships he has just endured, but instead remarks that he feels “painted and glittered.” The diction used towards the end of the work conveys the new attitude of the speaker. He is overcome with his triumph over the swamp, and now indulges in the beauty of new life and rebirth after struggle. Oliver’s strong diction conveys the speaker’s transformation and personal growth over
A White Heron Literary Analysis Essay
756 Words | 4 PagesThis kind of description shows the reader how impressive and majestic this tree is, as it puts a vivid picture in the reader’s mind as something that is not only unrivaled in terms of altitude, but it can also be seen from the sea, which highlights its stature as a wholly independent object. Old as it is, this pine is strong, and does not need any assistance from the ecosystem surrounding it. The importance of this giant tree, along with other details that make the story more interesting, is what dramatizes this young heroine’s adventure.
Examples Of Figurative Language In The White Heron
699 Words | 3 PagesJewett uses different literary techniques and ideas to convey a message of endurance and perseverance through the taxing and overwhelming environment that leads to victory and triumph for Sylvia. The tree is described using vivid imagery, first being an obstacle then becoming a marvel and beautiful after enduring pain and suffering.
Rough Waters Summary
511 Words | 3 PagesSummary of Rough Waters Rough waters is a book written by S.L. Rottman. Rough Waters is a “Heart-Wrenching (from back cover and my opinion)” adventure story. Rough Waters was published in 1997 and takes place in Buena Vista, CO (AP). Rough waters is a book for adolescents ( from back cover). Rough Waters is not a bestseller and S.L. Rottman is the author of Hero.
Imagery In Mark Twain's Life On The Mississippi
659 Words | 3 PagesWithin the excerpt Life on the Mississippi, the author Mark Twain, applies imagery in order to portray how his perspective towards his surrounding environment gradually altered as he began to truly contemplate and identify the Mississippi River. By first scrutinizing his surroundings the author emphasizes the magnificence of the river as this was his initial outlook towards the river. This perspective ultimately diminishes as a result of the speaker comprehending the true connotation of the Mississippi River. Nonetheless, the author questions whether acquiring knowledge can truly benefit an individual or impede one from being open-minded to their surroundings. Twains initial depiction of the Mississippi River is quite positive as conveys
Impracticality Of The American Dream In 'The Great Gatsby'
767 Words | 4 PagesThrough imagery, symbolism, and diction, the two passages collectively offer a pessimistic critique on opportunity in America: although the American dream can certainly reinvent one’s future, the dream cannot alter one’s past,
A Soldier's Fugue Analysis
810 Words | 4 PagesIn a simile, she compares gardening to “boxing… The wins versus the losses” (Hudes 16). Through this comparison, Hudes conveys Ginny’s deep desire for a sense of control and success in her life. This desire is fed by the memory of her father, who was only bearable when he was gardening. Specifically, the assertion of this desire for control is evident as she recalls that her father “was a mean bastard…” but “became a saint if you put a flower in his hand” (Hudes 15). From those experiences of dealing with her father, a psychological analogy between nature and peace was instilled in Ginny’s mind at a young age, and is what she relies on as an adult to handle her emotional trauma.
Comparison Between A Long Walk To Water And Among The Hidden
504 Words | 3 PagesIn this essay I am going to be answering a prompt. The prompt states “How does the choices we make impact or shape our identity?” Sometimes it's your smallest decisions that can change your lives forever. We’re using the book A Long Walk To Water and Among The Hidden. In these books they make different choices that can impact their lives in the future.
Catch The Moon Analysis
1263 Words | 6 PagesThe leaves on the tree represent the happiness Luis could be feeling. Although it would be nearly impossible for him to joyful during the funeral, now he can be full again, just like the tree was bare then, but now filled with leaves. This points to a slightly different theme than before; one regarding releasing one’s past pain and the benefit of moving on.
Mark Twain's Essay, Two Views Of The River
615 Words | 3 PagesThe scene of Mark Twain’s essay, Two Views of the River, takes place on the Mississippi River where Twain navigated the waters. Throughout the essay, Twain describes the river and the different experiences that affect his views of it. In describing his overall attitude, he provides imagery of the river, shifts his perspective, and uses figurative language to appeal to all audiences. Throughout the essay, Twain describes the river in immense detail, appealing to all senses.
An Analysis Of Louise Erdrich's I Was Sleeping Where The Black Oaks Move
796 Words | 4 PagesThe possible metaphor of how a flood devastates a village could be compared to how the new Europeans pushed the Native Americans out of their homelands and sent them farther west. Even though this is a thing of the past, the true meaning of this poem could still be applied today. Everyone’s beliefs, values, and traditions are not all the same, and there will never be only one that everyone would agree to, but everyone’s way of life should be respected. Forcing the Native Americans out and killing them if they resisted prevented the preservation of ideas, which means that invaluable information and new ideas were also lost in the process. In the present day, we know how inhumane that was, but we should know that individuality is a very key aspect of our life and is something that we should
Analysis Of Planting A Sequoia By Dana Gioia
1100 Words | 5 PagesThe agony the writer is feeling about his son 's death, as well as the hint of optimism through planting the tree is powerfully depicted through the devices of diction and imagery throughout the poem. In the first stanza the speaker describes the setting when planting the Sequoia; “Rain blacked the horizon, but cold winds kept it over the Pacific, / And the sky above us stayed the dull gray.” The speaker uses a lexicon of words such as “blackened”, “cold” and “dull gray” which all introduce a harsh and sorrowful tone to the poem. Pathetic fallacy is also used through the imagery of nature;
More about Crossing The Swamp Summary
The Great Santa Barbara Oil Disaster Poem Analysis
888 Words | 4 PagesMunicipal Gum Essay
458 Words | 2 PagesPowerful Distinctive Images In Aquifer And Big World
818 Words | 4 PagesAn Analysis Of Mary Oliver's Crossing The Swamp
708 Words | 3 PagesA White Heron Literary Analysis Essay
756 Words | 4 PagesExamples Of Figurative Language In The White Heron
699 Words | 3 PagesRough Waters Summary
511 Words | 3 PagesImagery In Mark Twain's Life On The Mississippi
659 Words | 3 PagesImpracticality Of The American Dream In 'The Great Gatsby'
767 Words | 4 PagesA Soldier's Fugue Analysis
810 Words | 4 PagesComparison Between A Long Walk To Water And Among The Hidden
504 Words | 3 PagesCatch The Moon Analysis
1263 Words | 6 PagesMark Twain's Essay, Two Views Of The River
615 Words | 3 PagesAn Analysis Of Louise Erdrich's I Was Sleeping Where The Black Oaks Move
796 Words | 4 PagesAnalysis Of Planting A Sequoia By Dana Gioia
1100 Words | 5 Pages