When analyzing the poem “Titanic,” David Slavitt’s ironic and bittersweet tone led to the conclusion that; death is a truth we are uncomfortable with, the fact of death is softened by the idea of fame because in fame we never die, this is a truth all humans want but only few get. For example, Slavitt uses phrases such as, “[n]ot so bad, after all” and “there will be books and movies to remind our grandchildren who we were and how we died...” among many others exemplifying the ironic and bittersweet attitude the poem implies. Most perceive the tragedy of the titanic with a negative connotation but the author argues otherwise. The quote, “we all go down, mostly alone [b]ut with crowds of people, friends, servants...” is an example of irony in this poem because it implies that when we die our passings are not commemorated or are filled with joy and happiness as those from this great tragedy. In other words the event of the titanic, as paradoxical as it sounds, is a better way to die than most people do. …show more content…
This ties in with the theme of the poem because humans long for being remembered after passing and the people who boarded the Titanic got exactly that. Other quotes also show that even though there may have been short pain and fear in their passing they would not be alone. This would not seem like a situation anyone would want to be in but if thought about deeply, a great way to pass. As a result, the attitude and tone throughout the poem help find the
For example, the poem says '"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted someone in the stands; and it's likely they'd have killed him had Casey not raised his hand. " When the author said this he was using humor, the people in the crowd were just mad and they would not have actually killed the umpire. An example of irony would be when everyone calls Casey the "Mighty Casey," because
The irony is clear to the reader here because she thinks that the family is going on a nice vacation, but “the grandmother’s fate does not arrive from the outside but rather emerges from within,” (Gresham). The Grandmother’s fate gets mixed up with “the ruins of her past and her faulty memory” (Gresham) because she wants to have the perfect family life, but the reader can see the irony within her family. One other example that O’Connor evokes for the reader to see the irony is whenever June says after the wreck, “but nobody’s killed” (O’Connor). The irony here is straightforward because it is understandable to the reader that they all do die at the
Rosenblatt wrote the article to convey that selflessness can be perhaps the best act of charity and power a person can give, and that it can really show a person’s true character. The man must’ve known that if he stayed in the water that he would perish, but he put the needs and lives of the other passengers before his, a true act of courage and kindness that the survivors surely remember each day they continue to live. The passenger showed the he had power over nature, even though in the end, he himself succumbed to nature. He showed that even the greatest acts of compassion can be given in the face of death. The overall theme of Roger Rosenblatt’s article, the overall inherent message, is that selflessness is perhaps the most valuable gift to be given, even when the cost itself may be
In the essay “I’m Jumping Off the Bridge,” Kevin Sampsell argues that life has more meaning to it than what is recognizable in order to convince the audience that no matter what feelings one has inside, assuming that there is no one and nothing to live for is not the truth. Sampsell deals with his struggles of depression and harmful thoughts after he meets a man at his job that expresses his feelings and desires to commit suicide by jumping off of a bridge. In this essay, Sampsell uses morose word choices to effectively show insight, heartbreak, and the responsibilities that involve one’s life after death. He is eloquent in his description of pain and desolation and has a rhetorical appeal, oriented around pathos, in his relatability. The reader
Many of this is reflected in the story The Ransom of Red Chief. We never really saw any verbal irony in this passage. We did however, see situational irony. An example of situational irony we observed in this story is how we expected Red Chief’s father to react to the kidnapping. We think he would be like any parent and be absolutely terrified that his child is gone.
There are many effects that disasters have on people who lived through them. One effect that the titanic sinking had on Jack Thayer is that he thought he was going to die. In the text it states “ Floating in the silent blackness, numb with cold and fear, Jack waited for death.”
This is not a story one would normally call ironic but towards the end more and more irony come to light. When Juliets is in her drugged state and appears to be dead (but a simple examination would have proved otherwise) Romeo kills himself. Juliet eventually wakes up and finds her dead husband beside her and commits suicide out of sorrow. So they both got what they wanted in the end, an eternity together but not in the way they had hoped. Also the readers of the play know that Juliet isn't really dead when Romeo discovers her so when he stabs himself it affects the audience much
This along with Freeman’s use of emotional phrases makes the audience feel guilty, angry, and sympathetic toward dying oceanic creatures. For example, within the sixth paragraph there is a sentence that states, “look to the tragic tale of Pacific bluefin tuna, that’s been whittled down to a woeful 2.6 percent of its historic population” (Freemen). The words “tragic”, “whittled”, and “woeful” are all words that appeal to the emotion of sadness. These strong words make people feel concerned, compelling them to take action toward saving marine life.
Anne Fadiman’s “Under Water” strikingly relates a particularly morbid, yet surreal experience: the death of a teen, Gary, in a freak canoeing accident. From writing about this particular incident, Fadiman reflects her own development and maturation as a person, from an “impatient” person to one who is “no longer in a hurry.” However, in a more general sense, the essay also deals with how people react to death. In the seventh paragraph of “Under Water,” Fadiman’s use of personification and the use of a metaphor describing the body of Gary highlights how individuals insistently attempt to detach themselves from death, refusing to accept the truth of the situation, ultimately damaging themselves in the process.
A great example of verbal irony is when General Zaroff states that the island is “a most-restful spot”(60). Although the General tells the truth about it being a restful place, what he really meant was that sailors will rest there forever. Another presence of irony is in the beginning of the story. Rainsford was the hunter and did not care for the feelings of the animals he hunted. He ended up being the “hunted” and finally understood how they felt.
The major contribution to irony in the text was Prince Prospero’s acts: “...he summoned to his presence a thousand hale and light-hearted friends from among the knights and dames of his court, and with these retired to the deep seclusion of one of his castellated abbeys”(57). While the rest of his kingdom dies he locks himself and the rest of his friends in his castle. That shows terrible leadership and faith towards his kingdom, which only adds more irony to his name Prospero. His acts intentions were to avoid the Red Death and live longer. However, death is inevitable.
Titanic Crossing Genre: Historic Fiction Barbara Williams Copyright: 1995 Pages: 163 Grade: 4-5 Summary: Barbara Williams, novel the Titanic Crossing depicts the story of main character, Albert and his family as they aboard the Titanic in April of 1912 in hopes of returning back to America. Although Alberts family, are not excited about the new adventure, Albert is excited about going back home and the opportunity to explore the enormous ship, the Titanic. The night of the sinking of the Titanic, Albert locates his sister Ginny onto one of the lifeboats that are for women and children. When loading on the lifeboat, Albert is shocked to be informed by the crewmen that his age of thirteen qualifies him as a man, and he is forced to separate
Keats doesn’t waste a moment when it comes to introducing his fear to the reader. His first line opens with a deliberate contemplation of death. It immediately throws the reader into a place of vulnerability by playing on their fears. This opens the reader to the poem on a personal level, allowing them to connect to Keats’ views on dying.
Era Of 1901- 1925 America is the land of the free and home of the brave. Americans have experienced highs and lows. A certain era has experienced more than it’s full share of both celebrations and tragedies. The era of 1901-1925 was significant to America. It was significant to America because of the development of the National Football League (NFL) , the Titanic tragedy, and the invention of the first television set.
While most of the poem is spent trying to ensure that she will be remembered after she dies, the speaker realizes that keeping her memory alive must not occur at the price of another’s happiness. She does not want her beloved to be sad that she is gone, but wants him instead to understand that the afterlife and a physical existence are two separate realms, and, moreover, to rejoice in the memories of the good times they have spent together. Remember’ gives the griever permeation to move on. This may be because “Remember”, was written by the person that would soon die, unlike “Funeral Blues” which is entirely negative towards death not only forbidding themselves from moving on but also forbidding the world from moving on after the tragic passing of the loved one. This may be one of the many different attitudes the two poems have towards