ipl-logo

Metaphors And Tone In Paul Laurence Dunbar's Poem 'Life'

354 Words2 Pages

Metaphors and Tone
Why is life filled with so much strife? Many writers and poets have asked that same question writing about this topic in an attempt to understand or answer this question. Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem ‘Life” illustrates this. Various poems are written about the struggles of life and the human condition poems such as Hawthorn’s ‘Oh if I could raise the darkened veil’. Paul Laurence Dunbar procures that life has many struggles and he uses metaphor and tone to portray this in his poetry.
The poem ‘Life’ Paul Laurence Dunbar uses metaphor in his poem to show the many struggles of life. “A minute to smile and an hour to weep in.” For example, this quote written by Paul Dunbar shows how the happiness in life only lasts for a moment

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Sympathy By Susan B Anthony

    797 Words  | 4 Pages

    In “Sympathy,” Dunbar imbues metaphors into his poem, depicting an image of what African Americans longed and fought for which is liberty and equality. According to lines 2 & 3, “When the sun is bright on the upland slopes; When the river stirs soft through the springing grass.” The “sun”, “wind”, and “grass” shows what they are missing. “The caged bird” represents the African- Americans at that time because both of them are longing for freedom and equality. As stated in line 11, “When he fain would be on the bough a-swing;” “The caged bird” or the African Americans yearn to be among the other birds or other people and have the same rights.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Skittles For Trayvon: A Diminishing Verse

    840 Words  | 4 Pages

    This poem can be related to a myth story. This poem has a moral meaning. This poem also uses metaphors to describe its moral. This poem relates to the story of Trayvon Martins death.

    Read More

  • Human Suffering In The Manhunt By Simon Armitage And War Photographer

    1346 Words  | 6 Pages

    Similar is done in “the manhunt” with its structure in rhyming doublets and the pain and war that is presented continuously in the poem through images of gunfires and war in “first phase” and “blown hinge”. This contrast presented in both poems makes the reader feel as if the poem doesn’t really fit in and if the effects of war or war itself is being forced into something that it isn’t that the suffering and pain is so great that it can’t be fit into “ordered rows” or maybe it lets the reader understand that “suffering” isn’t really understood and therefore forced into something it isn’t. The effects of this are then both present with ‘suffering” being held together so tight that it is about to explode. In the Manhunt this is presented through “every nerve in his

    Read More

  • Intimate Intercessions In The Poetry Of Paul Laurence Dunbar

    435 Words  | 2 Pages

    Born on June 27, 1872, Paul Laurence Dunbar is one of the few greatest African American poets of his time. Paul Laurence Dunbar is responsible for a great deal of poetry, including “Sympathy” as an exclamation for independence. Surprisingly, Dunbar was one of the first poets to write in both English and African American dialect which appealed to both. Like most of Dunbar’s works, Sympathy, according to English professor, Joanne Gabbin in his analysis, “Intimate Intercessions in the Poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar” states: “…the inevitable theme of African American literature since black poets tried to sing in a strange land” (228). The form of Dunbar’s poem is consistent, echoing the same plea of sympathy he has towards the captive bird, who greatly

    Read More

  • Mckay Figurative Language

    282 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the poem, "If We Must Die," McKay uses figurative language to convey the message of racial equality to his audience. Using figurative language, the readers are able to have a deeper understanding of what the African Americans are going through. For instance, in the poem it states, “If we must die, let it not be like hogs.” (1). In this sentence, the author compares the way hogs die to the African Americans dying.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Poetry Makes Nothing Happen By Julia Alvarez

    251 Words  | 2 Pages

    Julia Alvarez, in her poem “’Poetry Makes Nothing Happen’?”, writes that poems do play a role in people’s lives. She supports her idea by using relateable examples of how poems might change someone’s life. Her first example is simple, poetry can entertain someone on long drives. This does not only aply to long dirves however, Alvarez uses this to show that poetry does not have to have a big influence on someone’s life, instead it can affect a person in the smallest of ways, such as entertainment. The second example describes poetry comforting someone after the loss of a loved one.

    Read More

  • Human Condition In Gwen Harwood's Poems Father And Child

    527 Words  | 3 Pages

    The narrator’s changing understanding of the inevitability of death across the two sections of the poem illustrates the dynamic and contrasting nature of the human

    Read More

  • Sympathy By Paul Laurence Dunbar

    791 Words  | 4 Pages

    Slavery was, and still is one of humanity’s largest issues to date. Oppression is far from overcome, and discrimination because of one’s race is something that most believe will never truly disappear. The poem “Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar is a piece of work that highlights the tactics which were used against slaves at the time, yet in a subtle manner. The poem itself is a conceit; one long, extended metaphor, comparing slaves with a caged bird that is unable to fly and be free. The poem utilizes many different literary devices and types of figurative language, such as symbolism, simile, alliteration, imagery, and other sound devices to convey to the readers the true horrors of slavery and what it did to the African Americans.

    Read More

  • Claude Mckay's Bittersweet Relationship With America

    889 Words  | 4 Pages

    For example in line 1, where McKay writes. “...bread of bitterness,” which compares bread to the idea of bitterness ultimately projecting a feeling of sourness in one's mouth to the audience. McKay uses this to illustrate the hardships he has faced in America. Another example of a metaphor in the poem is in line 3, where it writes “Stealing my breath of life.” This statement about America stealing McKay’s breath of life is a comparison between America and McKay’s culture, as culture is an inseparable part of one’s life and represents an individual’s breath of life.

    Read More

  • Baseball By Linda Pastan Summary

    1489 Words  | 6 Pages

    Life is a journey. It has its ups and downs, but anyone can survive the challenges if he or she just believes. Many people can relate to life, but some people do not see it as Linda Pastan does as she shows it through her poems “Marks” and Baseball.” These poems were written in two totally different time periods of her life. Pastan portrays the use of extended metaphors in each poem, which creates a sense of……….

    Read More

  • Allusion In 'Theme For English B' By Langston Hughes

    752 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Dunbar’s poem “Sympathy” there is end rhyme present but no real rhyme scheme. Those are some of the rhythmic elements Dunbar uses in his writing. Dunbar writes his poems on very serious matters, such as life and dreams and identity. In his poem “We Wear the Mask” Dunbar writes about people wearing masks but the true meaning of the poem is how people will try to hide their identity to look like a better more perfect person. In his poem “Life” dunbar writes about how life is not always good and at t8imes life seems to be really bad.

    Read More

  • Langston Hughes My Soul Has Grown Deep Like These Rivers

    188 Words  | 1 Pages

    In this poem Langston Hughes is talking an African American who has known so many rivers and has worked in and out of these rivers that his heart has grown deep. The author also tries to amplify the duration and geographical location of all of this African American 's work throughout the waters. Second and last sentences ”My soul has grown deep like these rivers”-simile This represent the knowledge the African American main character has developed over his years working with in and out of the waters.

    Read More

  • Figurative Language In The Poem Life By Paul Lawrence Dunbar

    459 Words  | 2 Pages

    In line 3 of the poem its states " a pint of joy and a peck of trouble". This is an example of figurative language that is used to explain that life has its happy moments, but it also comes with the trouble and hardships as well. This line supports my claim of Dunbar using figurative language to convey the meaning of life because this phrase means that life does indeed have its up and downs and with life comes allot of good, but also allot of problems. By stating this he is giving us an outlook on what we have to expect while alive and into this society. Although it seems like life goes as its planned, there is always the good that can result from all the troubles you have already overcome.

    Read More

  • Metaphors In Dreams By Langston Hughes

    507 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Langston Hughes  poem “Dreams” he is discussing the effect of holding fast to dreams and what it does for the purpose of a life. In this free verse poem, Hughes is serious and solemn about holding on to dreams.   In “Dreams” Langston Hughes comes off as being serious when he uses metaphors to inform the reader of the effects of forgetting dreams, and to relate them to different scenarios.     Hughes starts off the two stanza free verse poem by saying, “Hold fast to dreams.”

    Read More

  • Blessing Imtiaz Dharker Analysis

    1163 Words  | 5 Pages

    By using metaphors the poet is able to give a deeper meaning to the poem and convey messages and thoughts even if they are not directly stated. One metaphor in “Blessing” that promotes the theme of suffering is the first line of the fourth stanza, “and naked children screaming in the liquid sun…”. The word naked can be interpreted two ways, literally or metaphorically. If taken literally, it plays into the idea of them being poor and not being able to afford clothes. If taken metaphorically it adds a deeper meaning and continues the theme of suffering.

    Read More

More about Metaphors And Tone In Paul Laurence Dunbar's Poem 'Life'

Open Document