THEMATIC COMPARISON
Alfred Tennyson
"Alfred Tennyson was another poet who made use of imagery. See if you can get a clear picture of the summer night he describes in this poem Summer Night:" Now sleeps the crimson petal, now the white; Nor waves the cypress in the palace walk; Nor winks the gold fin in the porphyry font: The firefly wakens: waken thou with me. Now droops the milk-white peacock like a ghost, And like a ghost she glimmers on to me. Now lies the Earth all Danaë to the stars, And all thy heart lies open unto me. Now slides the silent meteor on, and leaves A shining furrow, as thy thoughts in me. Now folds the lily all her sweetness up, And slips into the bosom of the lake So fold thyself, my dearest, thou, and slip Into my bosom and be lost in me. |
William Wordsworth
"Next is an excerpt from I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud by William Wordsworth. The first and last stanzas that show a progression of the poet’s emotions. " I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils. |
What role does imagery play in poetry?
In both of the poems, so much imagery is used to describe nature. At the first poem, poet describes a summer night. At the second poem, poet describes a cloud. At the first poem, poet draws a picture in our minds. It shows us each detail of a summer night. " Now sleeps the crimson petal, now the white;" We feel like we are at the summer night. At the second poem, poet shows us a cloud. It uses imagery to show us where clouds go, and what clouds do."I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills," Second poem is also draws a picture in our minds but not as powerful as the first one. The imagery that is used in the second poem shows us the motions. We can see clouds at lakes, beneath trees and we can see them moving. We can see daffodils moving because of the breeze and clouds. As a conclusion, imagery can draw a picture in our mind, it can show us the motions and what is going on. Also, it can make us feel the atmosphere. Because of the imagery at the both poems, we feel relaxed and we feel the nature around us.
In both of the poems, so much imagery is used to describe nature. At the first poem, poet describes a summer night. At the second poem, poet describes a cloud. At the first poem, poet draws a picture in our minds. It shows us each detail of a summer night. " Now sleeps the crimson petal, now the white;" We feel like we are at the summer night. At the second poem, poet shows us a cloud. It uses imagery to show us where clouds go, and what clouds do."I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills," Second poem is also draws a picture in our minds but not as powerful as the first one. The imagery that is used in the second poem shows us the motions. We can see clouds at lakes, beneath trees and we can see them moving. We can see daffodils moving because of the breeze and clouds. As a conclusion, imagery can draw a picture in our mind, it can show us the motions and what is going on. Also, it can make us feel the atmosphere. Because of the imagery at the both poems, we feel relaxed and we feel the nature around us.