Poetry Sounds

Sound is basically the musical characteristic of poetry. Through using methods of writing such as rhyme, enjambment, and caesurae you create sound in poetry. In the poem Out Out by Robert Frost the lines..
"His sister stood beside them in her apron

To tell them "Supper." At the word, the saw,        14

As if to prove saws knew what supper meant,

Leaped out at the boy's hand."

The period after the word "Supper" in Line 14 creates caesura, therefore adding a layor of melody onto the poem. In addition to creation of melody, the melody in itself and the rapidness of the words between the caesura add to the suspense of the poem before the climactic moment that the boys hand gets cut off.

Symbol / Theme

Symbols are what point the way to the meaning of a piece of work. Theme is basically the meaning of a piece of work. Therefore, you can say that symbols in a piece of work are basically representatives of the theme. In a drama such as Hamlet, the symbol of the ghost reflects the theme of appearance versus reality that penetrates through the play. In a novel like Pride and Prejudice, the symbols of dress and clothing demonstrate the theme of dominating social statuses and the class separation in society.

Setting

Although setting by definition is simplified to be just the description of surroundings, setting is actually one of the most important aspects in both drama and fiction because ultimately it is what sets the mood. In a play such as Hamlet, the setting would be dark, gloomy, stoney, and cold which not only adds to the story but actually completely sets up the dark-natured mood of the play. In contrast, a novel like Pride And Prejudice is set on a countryside with fields, mansions, and gardens that all work together to encompass the lighthearted nature of the story.

Character

The way characters operate in fiction and drama are relatively the same. There is usually always a protagonist and an antagonist and then the plot revolves around the two. In Hamlet, Hamlet would be the protagonist and king Claudius would be the antagonist and the entire drama works around those two characters. Similarly in Pride And Prejudice, Elizabeth would be the protagonist and Darcy would be the antagonist and the novel is built around their conflicts and interactions.

Plot

Essentially, plot is what happens in a narrative. However, where the specific plot points (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement) are placed is what defines the narrative. From our readings I have observed that in fiction (such as Pride And Prejudice) the plot points happen in a relatively symmetrical form, with the climax towards the middle. In Pride And Prejudice, the climax occurs when Elizabeth receives the letter from Darcy which leads her to state that she has finally discovered who she truly is, and then the rest of the novel deals with her struggle due to that realization. On the other hand, I have noticed that drama's (such as Hamlet) have very uneven placement of plot points which add to the drama itself. In Hamlet, the climax occurs when Hamlet finally kills king Claudius but that does not happen until the very end of the play. Thus, the entire play was the rising action that was filled with suspense, anticipation and hesitation towards Hamlet's goal, but when the climax finally came at the end it made it so the play ended with achievement. 

Essay Comments

I am happy with the way my essay came out and I am proud that I was able to successfully communicate my main point and provide clear and strong analysis to support it. But the biggest area that I need to work on and improve is definitely when it comes to revision. After finishing an essay I don't spend enough time looking over it and checking for the small grammatical and syntactic mistakes and sometimes, even when I do re-read over an essay multiple times, I don't even notice the mistakes and small errors. That's why I think the best feedback I got was the suggestion that I should have someone else read over my essay before I turn it in. This would really help me because someone else who is reading my essay would be more likely to catch the mistakes that I missed.

Introduction : The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock + As I Walked Out One Evening

Both "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" and "As I Walked Out One Evening" revolve around the essence of time and it's effect on the human condition especially revolving around love. However, one is written from the position of the lover, and the other from the position of an observer of love. Both poems question times affect on feelings and emotions. And also how the movement and passing of time can affect the endurance of emotions and how it can create changes whether one may chose to believe it or not. "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" and "As I Walked Out One Evening" are two poems vested in time but received from two completely different standpoints.

As I Walked Out One Evening + The Second Coming

"As I walked Out One Evening" is a beautifully written poem that talks about not only the fact that time does not last forever, but the truth that neither does love. Time is essentially eternal and love is believed to be eternal but in reality both are temporal. Time will eventually conquer us all because with time we change and so does our life and our love. Thus, time can be viewed as a destructive force to young lovers who believe that themselves and their love will last forever. This poem describes how love starts out exciting and overwhelming but is spoiled by the realities of life and the passage of time.
"The Second Coming" is a poem that can be interpreted many different ways but I view it as a collection of symbols of change. Such as the "gyre" which represents order and growth but also chaos and decay and the word "stony" which could represent something that endures or lasts a long time but now must be changed due to the second coming the poem speaks of. Also, the title of the poem is an allusion to the reappearance of Christ as stated in the Book Of Revelation.

Ozymandias + Ponder These Busted Statues

Both of these poems revolve around the essence of time. The main message both authors are trying to get across is that time is not ever-lasting and we must live in the moment because life is like a coin, you only get to spend it once. Time can move both fast and slow, depending on the position of the observer, but regardless, time is always moving along. 

Performance Choices

My group and I chose to act out the scene where Polonius confronts the king and queen about why he thinks Hamlet has gone mad. I chose to act the part of the king and some of the performance notes I made in my text were that although Polonius is Claudius's friend and he is not mean to him, Claudius's sense of arrogance doesn't fade just because he is being understanding when listening to his friend. I also chose to speak with the manliest voice I could during my groups performance to add to my character.