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  1. Daanish Malik
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    Daanish Malik

    Symbolism: “mummy-cloth” The symbol of human experience is reflected through the bare threads of the cloth wrapped around the fragility of human existence. Use of symbolism gives rise to a clearer understanding of the expression as wanting to be said by the speaker. Rhetoric: “chiasmus” It is used oRead more

    1. Symbolism: “mummy-cloth” The symbol of human experience is reflected through the bare threads of the cloth wrapped around the fragility of human existence. Use of symbolism gives rise to a clearer understanding of the expression as wanting to be said by the speaker.
    2. Rhetoric: “chiasmus” It is used on purpose to reveal the conflicting point of views clashing on death, the one materialistic and the other is spiritual.
    3. Allegory: “flames begotten of flame” An allegory stands for an extended metaphor. Here the allegory of the flame points out to the reference of the Judgement Day in the Bible where it is said that those who have sinned will be cast into the fire.

    Byzantium Summary

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    Daanish Malik

    The whole poem serves as a contemplation of death. It doesn't focus on the ideals of death but on the fact that human lives are rendered useless and baseless once they have dropped dead. Human lives are not rendered as important as their creations are. Their creations are the ones that should be praRead more

    The whole poem serves as a contemplation of death. It doesn’t focus on the ideals of death but on the fact that human lives are rendered useless and baseless once they have dropped dead. Human lives are not rendered as important as their creations are. Their creations are the ones that should be praised often as they are not filled with vices as their creators are. The poet wants to convey the message that art lives through and it is only through that they attain immortality. Though the idea is paradoxical as without the very makers art won’t persist, it is the art that outlives the makers in the end. The speaker imagines a journey through the streets of Byzantium and exclaims the wonders of the city. 

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    Daanish Malik

    Immortality and love are themes that Edmund Spenser explores. The majority of the poem is devoted to his attempts to immortalize his true love. No matter how hard he tries, he never seems to succeed in what he strives for. Spenser illustrates the inevitable nature of death by using the imagery of thRead more

    Immortality and love are themes that Edmund Spenser explores. The majority of the poem is devoted to his attempts to immortalize his true love. No matter how hard he tries, he never seems to succeed in what he strives for. Spenser illustrates the inevitable nature of death by using the imagery of the sand and waves. In addition, while he keeps writing in between the waves, he confronts death and tries to outlive it. This demonstrates the power of his love in the face of overwhelming difficulties.

    Amoretti Summary

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    Daanish Malik

    Alliteration: The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words in close proximity. For example, in the lines "But came the waves and washed it away" and "My verse your virtues rare shall eternize." Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds within words. For example, in the lines "A mortaRead more

    1. Alliteration: The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words in close proximity. For example, in the lines “But came the waves and washed it away” and “My verse your virtues rare shall eternize.”
    2. Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds within words. For example, in the lines “A mortal thing so to immortalize” and “Where whenas death shall all the world subdue.”
    3. Personification: Giving human qualities or attributes to non-human entities. For example, the waves are personified as actively washing away the written name, and death is personified as subduing the world.
    4. Metaphor: A comparison between two unrelated things to create a vivid image or evoke a certain emotion. For example, the line “let baser things devise / To die in dust, but you shall live by fame” compares the beloved’s immortality through fame to the mortality of other things that perish in dust.

    Amoretti Summary

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    Daanish Malik

    The poem's central idea is the ability of love to rise above human transience and reach immortality. The speaker declares his determination to immortalize his lover through his poems, expressing his intense love and devotion to her. By claiming that their love and her qualities will be kept eternallRead more

    The poem’s central idea is the ability of love to rise above human transience and reach immortality. The speaker declares his determination to immortalize his lover through his poems, expressing his intense love and devotion to her. By claiming that their love and her qualities will be kept eternally through his poem, he rejects the notion of mortality and decay. The poem focuses on the idea that real love may outlive time and mortality as it tackles the themes of love, beauty, and the search for immortality. It depicts love as an entity that has the power to elevate and immortalize both the lover and the poet.

    Amoretti Summary

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  1. Daanish Malik
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    Daanish Malik

    An ode is usually written as a song of praise but Kamal diverts the topic from celebration to the macabre reality of dying. An ode follows the abab rhyme structure but in this poem Kamal has opted not to follow one, thereby following a blank verse.   An ode to death summary

    An ode is usually written as a song of praise but Kamal diverts the topic from celebration to the macabre reality of dying. An ode follows the abab rhyme structure but in this poem Kamal has opted not to follow one, thereby following a blank verse.

     

    An ode to death summary

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    Daanish Malik

    The central theme of the poem revolves around the inevitable concept of death and dying. Death is a part of life and there is no substitute for that. The poet however adds that death is not as mystic as it seems. It can be understood through life itself. One shouldn’t avoid death, rather should tryRead more

    The central theme of the poem revolves around the inevitable concept of death and dying. Death is a part of life and there is no substitute for that. The poet however adds that death is not as mystic as it seems. It can be understood through life itself. One shouldn’t avoid death, rather should try to understand it and accept it to attain the pinnacle of life. Kamal also points out that it’s not just humans who are subjected to death but all things in this world endure a temporary life span. The temporality of life is handed down to each and every materialistic thing as well. They might not have the same idea of death but they all have a limited shelf span. Kamal warns his readers through this idea that everything will be destroyed. Nothing lasts forever except for death. Death is the ultimate end to all things, irrespective of their timeline. Kamal makes use of several images and symbols to place death as a permanent thing and that one shouldn’t pry away from it. 

    An ode to death Summary

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    Daanish Malik

    Metaphor: “And in every particle of carbon dust/There lives a diamond dream,” “how many galaxies yet to be explored,” “The pine tree blasted by last year’s thunderbolt…look so terribly alike.” A figure of speech to describe an object or an action by making a comparison of ideas. These lines help comRead more

    1. Metaphor: “And in every particle of carbon dust/There lives a diamond dream,” “how many galaxies yet to be explored,” “The pine tree blasted by last year’s thunderbolt…look so terribly alike.” A figure of speech to describe an object or an action by making a comparison of ideas. These lines help compare the ideas of trivial aspects in life with the larger than life picture that is death. The poet wants to say no matter whether all dreams result in success or not, just like all carbon molecules don’t constitute in the making of a diamond, similarly death doesn’t look into a person’s achievement before claiming them. No matter how big or small a life is like that of a pine tree or a matchstick, everyone and everything will meet the same end.
    2. Imagery: “I have sat by your bedside…dissolve in the grave.” A figure of speech using various images, actions, ideas to appeal to the physical senses.  This entire part depicts the final thoughts or laments of a dying person. The poet has glanced deep into a dying person’s soul to reflect the pessimism one has and how helpless and hopeless they feel at approaching death.
    3. Alliteration: “But let bygones be bygones” Repetition of the first consonant in following words to provide a sense of the same sound. The letter ‘b’ has been repeated in this line for almost all of the words which looks like an alliteration.

    An ode to death Summary

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    Daanish Malik

    The main idea revolves around the fragility of life. Death and dying is indeed bleak and morose and macabre but that shouldn’t scare one away. Life is incomplete without death. It doesn’t matter which one of them is out to deceive as at the end everyone will get to taste death. The poet highlights tRead more

    The main idea revolves around the fragility of life. Death and dying is indeed bleak and morose and macabre but that shouldn’t scare one away. Life is incomplete without death. It doesn’t matter which one of them is out to deceive as at the end everyone will get to taste death. The poet highlights the temporality of materialistic life including the human body. With time everything decays and goes back to dust, indicating one goes back to one where it came from. The circle of life takes a complete turn. Life after death is unknown to everyone but so is life. No one knows what will happen tomorrow and whether one will be alive or not. But that doesn’t stop one from dreaming or setting out to achieve their goals. Similarly one shouldn’t worry about death but shoulder on with their lives. 

    An Ode to Death Summary

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