LitAide

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night is one of the most famous poems of Dylan Thomas, who wrote this poem for his father who was suffering from a deadly disease.  The narrator urges his apparent dying father to resist the ensuing death. The metaphorical line "Do not go gentle into that good night" acts as a refrain throughout the poem guiding his father to keep up his fighting spirit. It is a known fact that no one can escape death. But mankind has been gifted with infinite courage and perseverance. The virility and strong will of man have pushed him to survive in worst case scenarios. Thomas exhorts him to give a tough fight to death. His old age should burst with vigour at its end and it will push through the final closing of eyes with as much effort as possible. Wise and sagacious people are aware of the inevitability of death and it is conspicuous that all are destined to die. They know the limits of their knowledge and no matter how great or persuasive they may sound...

The speaker wonders whether a life offering every comfort and luxury is worthwhile (perfect) if one doesn't have enough time to stand relaxed and appreciate a wonderful sight.  If one doesn't have the time to stand below a branch of a tree and stare at the grazing sheep and cows in the open pasture, then it is a pitiful life, no matter how wealthy one is. How dull a life could be when he can't even explore a forest/woods that he passes by often and doesn't have the time to solve the mystery of seeking the place where squirrels hid their nuts in grass. A man's hurried life in which he can't even look at a beautiful girl and appreciate her physical elegance and her dance, then that man is missing the little joys of life. His hasty manner will prevent him from waiting to enjoy the girl's fully formed smile that begins with her eyes and reaches her mouth forming a mesmerizing portrait. These little joys account for the true happiness one can attain because bigge...

 The Minority Poem is a poem written by Nissim Ezekiel, the foremost Indian poet who wrote in English after independence. CONTEXT In order to understand this poem, you must learn the background of the poet, i.e. Nissim Ezekiel. He belonged to a Jewish community known as the Bene Israel, who migrated to India from Israel centuries ago. He was born, lived and died in the city of Bombay and spent considerable time in the city. He suffered from identity crisis being a member of a minority community in India, but at heart, he was an Indian.  In India, Hinduism is the majority religion and people following Judaism accounts for a minuscule population, even much lesser than other "minority" religion such as Islam and Christianity. Ezekiel though accepted his identity to be Indian, he used to feel alien here. He used to observe Hindu people and their practices, which sometimes seemed peculiar to him. SUMMARY In his symbolic "room", the narrator is entertaining guests i.e. pe...

According to the narrator, nuns, who dedicated their lives to God, don't complain about their small rooms in the convent. Neither do hermits ask for more than an ordinary cell to stay. It is more than what they ask for.  A student, who is a devotee of his studies, who is busy in his books in his limited confinement, shuts himself away from distractions in his "citadel" i.e. a solitary place to study and think deeply about it and to arrive at new findings. Whether one looks at maids who spin wheel or the weaver who works on his loom, they work without making a fuss and remain happy in it.  Even minute creatures such as bees also take flight as high as the "highest peak of Furness-fells", and then murmur (means working tirelessly) inside the bell-shaped flowers of fox-glove. A bee going inside fox-glove He adds that it is us that put ourselves into our own mind-generated prison of a sort. We desire excessive liberty, which is not good for us, in reality. We need r...

The Thorn  The narrator mentions an old-looking thorn but he says that it is not very old, its height is same as that of a two-year-old child. It has no leaves, nothing noteworthy, it is meagre "a mass of knotted joints, A wretched thing forlorn." According to the narrator, the thorn is under attack by mosses and lichens, that intend to "bury this poor Thorn forever." This thorn is situated on a high ridge where sharp "scythe" (blade-like tool) like winds blow and drag clouds from one valley to another. The thorn lies on the five yards left from the mountain path on it. Three yards left, the narrator, points to a "little muddy pond" which never dries despite lying below  "thirsty suns and parching air." Near the thorn, lies a small mound of a foot's height. It is covered by moss and looks beautiful. It seems a fair lady crafted it with her hands. Also, he praises the cup lichens (a cup-shaped fungus) whose vermillion colour looks ex...

The narrator, a woman, talks about men. She reveals that it is easy to receive men's love, a woman just has to be candid about her sexual needs. A man is driven by carnal desire, so she will certainly get his attention.  She is aware of the man's need to show his masculinity, so she advises women to stand with her man before the mirror. He will admire his own stronger physical figure as compared to the woman who looks "softer, younger, lovelier". Here the poetess knows that men play into the female's recognition of his masculinity. Further, she says that the woman should openly show her admiration of the male body. Also, she instructs women to pay attention to his body parts as he walks with shyness on the bathroom floor. She can see his red eyes while under the shower and how he drops his towel and urinates in a "jerky way". She appreciates his male features which separates him from her. She admits her sexuality and "gift" her lover all pleasu...

 In the sonnet, the narrator describes his beloved's proclamation of herself as "truth" i.e. she is an embodiment of truth. Our clever narrator further says that he pretends to believe that indeed she is truth although he knows that it is completely false. She might be thinking that he is some inexperienced youth who is unaware of the falseness in the world and in particular, dealings of love.  The beloved is also clever as she also tries to make him believe that he is still young. He knows that he is no longer a youth but an old man who is past his prime age. On both sides, pretensions is made but both knows the truth, but the plain truth is never spoken. Then the narrator asks the rhetorical question, why shouldn't she credit her just nature and he, admit his old age? Then he answers that in love, the "best habit" is of pretension of trust between the partners. Even though the lovers know about their partners shortcomings, they live by them with ease. This...

The Heart Asks Pleasure First This poem by Emily Dickinson marks the Death as a savior to all sorts agonies of life. Dickinson’s style of using dashes recurs in the poem. The heart or the emotional side of the narrator asks first for pleasure. If its need is not catered, it wants to be excused from the infliction of pain. Then the sufferings from the pain try to be suppressed with the help of anodynes and painkillers. The painkillers fail to do its job of relieving. It is felt by the narrator to fall asleep to pass the egregious state. Sleep too is unable to soothe her. Now, her final request to the “Inquisitor” i.e. God to confer the “privilege to die” peacefully as the last resort. I Never   Saw A Moor The poet confesses that she has never seen a moor but she is well aware of how heather, a shrub grown on the moor, looks like in real. She is also acquainted with the roar of sea tides without actually experienced the sea in first person. She clarifies that ...

The poem "Success Is Counted Sweetest" penned by Emily Dickinson, a great American poet of the nineteenth century. A recluse by nature, her poems weren't published before her death. She is known for her originality and unconventional style of writing poetry. The narrator shares its insight into success that it is truly understood by those who have toiled brutally and paid its price. Those who find success "sweetest" are the ones who will never succeed in life. Here, nectar is a metaphor for success. In a battlefield, none of the personnel of "purple host" who is victorious in today's battle can tell the true meaning of their victory. Now they have got it, they lost the earlier respect for it because now it's in their reach. Their defeated, dying counterparts can weigh the victory which they lost as their ears hear the triumphs of victorious and how they themselves yearn it with agony.

This poem written by Wordsworth brings a story of an old Huntsman dealing with old age and absence of everything he possessed in his prime days. He was gifted with great physique and speed. But in his later life, he lost not only his youth but fame, friends, animals and resources. The narrator narrates his story and describe his encounter with the old man and aiding him and earning his praise and gratitude Explanation In the town of Cardigan, an old Huntsman lived for thirty-five years. He was a successful Huntsman in his time. His physique too was tall which diminished with time and now he is an old "little man". His countenance is still "red as a ripe of cherry" showing the image of his past awesomeness. He was a productive Huntsman who never had to take agriculture work to support him. His magnificence ruled the vicinity. His horn's halloo (sound) echoed throughout hills and valleys, instructing his hounds in their pursuit of the hunt. Simon was the fi...

The sonnet is penned by Philip Sidney in his sonnet sequence " Astrophel and Stella ". The poem presents the tussle between Astrophel's reasoning and emotion (passion). His heart (emotional side) wants to resign before the ruthless and "vain love". He requests his virtue to take rest and leave him at love's mercy and oppression. He urges virtue to use its sceptre (a royal stick) i.e. correction measure in schools or churches which is well suited for its purpose. Astrophel confesses that he has done a wrong by falling in love with Stella. His couldn't deny its charges because he can't stand against virtue's power. He can convince virtue with the little "reason that is left" in him about his feelings. He believes he can show "true a deity" which resides in his heart and even virtue would also fall in love with Stella. This love sonnet shows the contention of the narrator against love. It's an internal fight inside his mind. ...

The poem narrates the story of a newly-wedded bride in her own words who tells about the incidents of her wedding night and the following day. The wind blew heavily that day and the next day witnessed too the same weathering phenomenon. This blowing of the wind symbolises the passion arisen in the heart of the bride. On her wedding night, she is with her husband and then someone knocks the door to call her husband and he leaves his bride alone in the light of "candlestick". It is raining and she felt stupid upon his husband's act of leaving her alone on their wedding night. After his return, he tells her the reason for his departure i.e. their horses were growing restless and he had to tame them. She sarcastically feels that on her special day, every man and creature should be as happy as her husband. For any girl, the wedding is the most special and anticipated day of her life. She wishes to love her husband and receive the same in return. The next day, the newly-wed...

"Church Going" is written by Philip Larkin, a Movement poet. He was a prominent English literary figure of the second half of the twentieth century. In this poem, the poet wrote about the disillusionment of the church and its calming mysterious atmosphere despite its unworthiness. Stanza 1 The narrator visits a church whenever he finds that no one is inside or nothing important is going on in the church. In other words, he wants to be alone and reflects in the church. Perhaps, people might find him there and he doesn't want them to know it. From the beginning of the poem, it seems that he is an atheist who doesn't believe in Christ, but still, he goes to the abode of the god. He describes the interior of the church and things kept there - "little books", "brownish flowers". "Another church" shows his indifferent attitude towards this holy place. An "unignorable silence" prevails there for a long time. He enters the church ...

Stanza 1 The narrator heard the sound of blowing trumpet in a ballroom. It draws his attention and he visits there to watch the show. All the dancers in the room are under the age of twenty-five. They are dancing in couples on the jubilant beat. Stanza 2 He can feel the nervousness caused by the presence of beautiful girls there. The question of entering the ballroom and attending the dance party or being out there bewilder the narrator. In the party, the presence of female sex attracts and cheers him. He points out that the couples dancing in the room are happy in their pursuit. But, at the same time, he disagrees with this thought. He found it "sheer inaccuracy". Stanza 3 One person who prefers to go to the dance party says that he is present there only for Art, a "rough-tongued bell" fascinates him. The narrator makes a point that he is also an individual and he and other people can hear the sound of that unusual bell. It can't be the sole reason for s...

The poem is written by Larkin after reading about an incident of a rape of a girl. He used a rape victim's statement from a magazine named "London Labour and the London Poor" of the 1840s as an epigraph.  Larkin feels the agony suffered by the victim and consoles her. The narrator consoles the rape victim and supports her in her worst encounter with hell itself. He says that he can feel her agony even this far from her. He can imagine the ordeal which the rapist put her through. It was a sunny day when she was raped and the place where she was raped was near the road which has a lot of hustle and bustle with vehicles moving continuously. The narrator wants to highlight this fact that her chastity was destroyed under broad sunlight, no one came to her rescue. It is not possible for her to forget that day, she is unable to cast out the memories of her worst nightmare. The stark daylight when she was raped forbids the scars to heal. She was so devastated that her mind is ...

The poem "No Road" has two interpretations - one is abstract and another is literal. Both are analysed below. The narrator is addressing a person with whom he shared a good relationship but for past some time their ties received a blow. The road is an allegory of human relationship or ties. The road and vicinity are symbolically making references to the human ties. The narrator says that the road which connects them remains unused since they last used them to meet. The gates that were earlier left open to each other, also bore the brunt of their separation as they are bricked. To avoid absolute contact with each other, they cover their houses with trees. They let the destructive/ageing power of time to work on its course of erasing the roads between them. Silence prevailed in the vicinity for a long time. The space around between them has also witnessed a bit change. Strangers too come and go from the road. In spite of these shortcomings, there is no major effect on the path ...

The poem "Next, Please" written by Philip Larkin has both literal and symbolic meaning which sends a philosophical and realistic message to the readers. It makes a criticism on our unrealistic expectations. The poem uses a recurring rhyme scheme of aabb throughout the poem. According to the poet, in our long pursuit of leading a happy and desirous life, we inculcate some unsound habits in our character. We are always too hopeful about the coming future and we add various fantasizing expectations to it. We long for better prospects in future. It doesn't matter what we say as "something is always approaching us; every day" whether it's acceptable to us or not. The poet finds this common human nature quite absurd and it seems to us that he is a pessimist but we should note that he is a  practical man. The narrator standing on a bluff (a high steep bank), watches a fleet of ships arriving towards the shore. He finds them too slow, wasting precious time. He...

The poet mentions a girl named Lucy about whom he has heard from various sources. She is a mysterious character who resides alone in the woods. When the poet crosses the woods at the end of the day, he sees a mysterious figure there. It is not mentioned who is this Lucy and how can she survive in the forest on her own. She has no friends and no one to give company to her. According to the narrator, she dwells "on a wide moor". He calls this residing "the sweetest thing that ever grew/ Beside a human door", perhaps because of nature's association and we know how much Wordsworth loves nature. It is difficult to discover Lucy in comparison to fawns (young deer) and hares which roam in the green surroundings. We don't know at this point that why her face "will never more be seen". In the next stanza, we get to travel back to the story of this girl. Her father asks her to go to town to accompany her mother. He hurriedly tells her to take the lante...

The poem "To the Cuckoo" is written by William Wordsworth, the famed Romantic poet who is also known as Nature poet. The poem is all about the admiration of Cuckoo bird and how its voice affects positively on the poet. It cheers the mood of the poet and takes him to his childhood memories. It again confirms Wordsworth's known love for nature. It has eight-stanza with a recurring rhyme scheme of abab. Wordsworth addresses the Cuckoo bird and praises its lovely voice which fills him with joy. He calls it a "wandering Voice" because it sings its song wherever it goes. Cuckoo flies from hills to hills mesmerizing the landscape with the song. He can hear the bird's voice while lying on the grass. It occurs to him that the cuckoo is communicating with the valley of sunshine and flowers but it also arises visionary tales in his mind, for hours he sit and visualize. For Wordsworth, the cuckoo is not just an ordinary bird, he finds something mysterious in th...

The poem is written by Nissim Ezekiel, one of the foremost Indian modern writers. The poem talks about the traits of a genuine poet, lover and a birdwatcher. It is inspired from Shakespeare's "The Lunatic, the Lover, and the Poet". Ezekiel points out that similar principles are required by all three of them to succeed in their works. The poem follows a rhyme scheme of abbccdedee. A true birdwatcher is one who is patient enough to stay still for a long time to get the perfect view of a bird. Same is the case with a lover who is trying to woo his beloved. Being hasty will increase the chances of failure. According to Ezekiel, the best poet doesn't write until the creative inspiration doesn't flow into his mind. He waits for long in search of creative ideas. This wait doesn't require only will but a lot of effort and travelling in order to "note the movement of a timid wing" A true lover doesn't fear loving his beloved or confessing his love to ...