The Swan Has No Say

I have scared
the swan
that was in
the lake

and which
you were probably
waiting
to see

forgive me
for scaring it
but you
were scaring me.

The Mighty King of Nothing

Percy Bysshe Shelly, one of the most renounced poets of the Romantic era published a masterpiece in the year 1818 named “Ozymandias”. “Ozymandias” was based on the story of the famous pharaoh Ramesses the Great. Ramesses II was the King of Egypt during the 19th dynasty and lived to be 92 years old. Ramesses II expanded the empire and built cities stretching out from Syria to near the fourth cataract of the Nile. He built monuments throughout the cities in his honor and in honor of the gods. During his reign Ramesses II brought luxury upon Egypt, but not everything was gold and happiness. Slavery was a problem during Ramesses reign as it increased just like the militia. Ramesses was involved in many wars, in which Egypt was sometimes victorious, he even signed a peace treaty with Hittites. But not all that starts well ends well. Ramesses’ strive for more power in Egypt caused it to decline.

In Shelly’s poem “Ozymandias” we encounter a king who once had a great empire just like Ramesses the Great did. The name Ozymandias, when translated, means the king of nothing or the king of air. Just like Ramesses, Ozymandias fought to have a great empire full of riches and most of all he wanted power. Ozymandias wanted to be remembered for his greatness and his triumphed, but there was one war he could not win.

The poem starts by introducing a traveler who is telling his story about a journey into an antique land. The antique land he speaks of was once and empire who’s ruler was Ozymandias. In these antique land lays “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone…And wrinkled up lip, and sneer of cold command.” These are the remains of a once prosperous empire. These are the remains of the power Ozymandias who was a cold and sinister ruler or at least that was how his sculptor made him look. The sculptor was not very fond of Ozymandias, for he mocked his power and his arrogance. The sculptor continued to mock his king, for engraved a statement in Ozymandias’ sculpture: “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: / look oh my works, ye Mighty, and despair!” This statement is ironic because nothing remains of the king of kings Ozymandias. “Nothing besides remains” Ozymandias fought against armies to build his empire but the one thing he was never able to beat was time. Just like Ramesses the Great (Ramesses II) Ozymandias led his empire to failure because riches and power are not the only thing that makes a great empire. Just like the definition stated Ozymandias was stands for the king of nothing.

The life i could have had

Do you ever ask yourself, what if I had done something different in my life? What if I just had the guts to pursue what I wanted? The dreams and goals we think of are often forgotten because we do not pursue them or never actually try to fulfill them all the way. Many times we forget about our dreams not because they seem impossible but because we place obstacle in the road that prevents us from achieving them. A dream is like a life goal you must work hard to achieve it. But a goal or dream cannot be achieved if we do not pursue them or if we do not take initiative and do the right things to get to them.

Dreams or goals put on hold can be better explained in the poem “Harlem,” written by Langston Hughes, where he explains that our dreams are delayed which can cause a negative effect in a person emotionally and physically. The tone of this poem is gloomy as stanza after stanza is a worst consequence for a dream put on hold. Hughes poem is very effective in displaying gruesome events which makes the poem more realistic. The poem is effective in getting its message through. The reader is able to relate to the poem by questioning the effort they have put to make their dreams come true. Making your dreams come true is not a bad thing as long it makes one happy. “Harlem” is a poem that describes what can happen if we let our dreams be compressed within the subconscious. Many times compression can have the opposite effect than what we hoped for.

The poem is composed of similes in every other stanza which creates a cause and effect situation except for the last stanza which is a metaphor. The first simile, “does it dry up like raisins in the sun,” describes a dream ruined. Consequently, if one leaves a raisin out in the sun we cannot eat it anymore. The simile that proceeds, “Or festers like a sore- and then run?” is a much more cruel end than that of the raisin reference. When a sore runs it means the area is infected. This refers back to withholding ones dreams, dreams can fester and run which would lead to an unstable life. Hughes uses a connection of similes that lead up to worst problems until one reaches the last stanza. “Or does it explode” this metaphor symbolizes death or termination of the persons goals in life. If one does not try to pursue their dreams or their life goals then they have no purpose in life. This is the overall consequence of the poem and simile helps lead to this conclusion. The imagery that each simile creates makes Hughes’s poem, “Harlem,” create a better understanding about the poets feeling regarding life dreams.

Thesis from a non related poem

Acquainted with the Night
by: Robert Frost

I have been one acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain -- and back in rain.
I have outwalked the furthest city light.

I have looked down the saddest city lane.
I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.

I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet
When far away an interrupted cry
Came over houses from another street,

But not to call me back or say good-bye;
And further still at an unearthly height,
O luminary clock against the sky

Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.
I have been one acquainted with the night.



In the poem “Acquainted with the Night,” written by Robert Frost, the poet reveals his inner feelings and his sense of loneliness and despair as he walks through the city surrounded by a multitude.

Maintaining Society

Reuse, reduce, recycle is a common phrase used in America to encourage society to help save the planet. This simple phrase makes us think about what would happen if we did not care for our environment. A similar message is portrayed in the poem "The Red Wheelbarrow" written by William Carlos Williams. Instead of referring to taking care of the planet, this poem addresses the need for the "resource cycle". This cycle refers to the input and output system that our society needs to function. People must do labor in order for production to function. "So much depends upon" natural resources and labor to produce food for our homes. Williams portrays this message in his poem through symbolism. Williams is able to paint a picture about what is important and necessary to the survival of our society. He breaks down the sentences to emphasize "barrow", "water, and "chickens", which are metaphors. "Barrow" is the reference to labor that humanity must do. "Water" is a metaphor for the natural resources that we must use to produce. Finally "chickens" is a metaphor for the food produced. Since the poem is broken up to create an image in the reader's mind, we can see the importance of each part. The use of the color "red" and "white", Williams further emphasizes the wheelbarrow and the chicken.

The imagery created is the "resource cycle" depicted often in reference to economics. The cycle begins with natural resources, that are then put into capital using human labor. This process creates goods that provide for the general public. This relates to the poem because, Williams message is one that we must put in labor for production to occur. The image enhances the idea of the poem because it is clear in representing the idea in William's poem. This is represented by the resource cycle. We must put in labor to function as a society, just like we must care for our environment for it to function as well. "So much depends upon" the things that we do for both our society and our planet, which is the imagery painted in this poem.

When death knocks on your door

Death is inevitable. Death can be taken differently depending on each person. But when death knocks on your door there is nothing that will stop it from coming in. To confirm this theory that different people deal with death differently we can consider “Sonnet 73”, written by William Shakespeare, the speaker is upset and disappointed because the person he is addressing is going into an eternal sleep. Death is one of Shakespeare’s most common topics in poetry. “Sonnet 73” is a Shakespearean sonnet written in iambic pentameter with an iamb meter. In this poem time has been compressed by Shakespeare to emphasize the end of something which ultimately is death. For example in the first quatrain Shakespeare references the end of a season in this case fall “that time of year”, “When yellow leaves, or none, do hang”, “Bare ruined choirs where late the sweet birds sang.” From his use of words we can conclude that fall is ending just like in his next quatrain where day turns into night. We know that the day is ending because he uses words like “after sunset”, “black night”, but not only does Shakespeare incorporates the night as the end of the day he also speaks about death. Shakespeare uses a metaphor to convey the reader that death is sleep it is an eternal sleep, “Death second self.” In Shakespeare’s final quatrain he speaks about fire and ashes. The purpose of time compression in these three quatrains is to emphasize the fact that death is something that one cannot evade it just like the fire and ashes that cannot commence another fire because it is done. Shakespeare is writing to someone that is facing death and we can establish this fact because of his word usage in his heroic couplet “This thou perceiv’st.” Shakespeare does not want this person to die, but not because he believes that the person should fight to continue living rather for his own benefit. He believes that the person does not appreciate him since he is dying. Death in this poem is viewed as something that is used against Shakespeare for he sees it as an act against him not something that will eventually happen. “Sonnet 73” is similar to Dylan Thomas’s poem, “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” for they both talk about death but they also differ in the significance of death. In this poem Thomas is frustrated because he can’t do anything to help his father as he approaches death. Thomas describes different type of men in his poem who have fought to leave a trace of greatness before they died. Thomas wishes his father would fight against death. Unlike Shakespeare’s poem Thomas is concerned for his father and not so much about his father leaving him. An example of his frustration he is experiencing would be the title “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” for the title itself is ironic and is a paradox. Such that the “Good Night” refers to death but death is not good. In conclusion both poems “Sonnet 73” and “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” use death as their main topic but death affect Shakespeare and Thomas differently.