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  1. Poonam Sharma
    Poonam Sharma literarian

    In the poem “The Voice of the Rain”, Walt Whitman gives his opinion regarding the poetry he writes for the people. In order to do that, he describes his imaginary talk with the rain. For him, rain is also poetry but of the earth whereas he himself is the poet of people. In the imaginary conversationRead more

    In the poem “The Voice of the Rain”, Walt Whitman gives his opinion regarding the poetry he writes for the people. In order to do that, he describes his imaginary talk with the rain. For him, rain is also poetry but of the earth whereas he himself is the poet of people.

    In the imaginary conversation, the rain tells him how she changes from liquid to gas and back to liquid. Her basic qualities remain the same but the process gives the earth and her inhabitants life. Thus her vaporising into the atmosphere and falling backing is vital for the earth.

    The poet says that like the rain, his poetry is also vital for the humanity. After writing, the poetry goes to different people, makes them happy or angry. They either like it or criticise. However, all these things when return to poet, they make him perfect.

    Read summary of this poem.

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  1. Lucifer
    Best Answer
    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven
    This answer was edited.

    In the poem Laburnum Top, the poet talks about the mutual relationship of a Laburnum Tree and goldfinch which has built a nest in the it. The main theme of the poem is "mutual benefit". The tree which is still in its position comes to life by the chirping and swift movement of bird and its chicks. ORead more

    In the poem Laburnum Top, the poet talks about the mutual relationship of a Laburnum Tree and goldfinch which has built a nest in the it. The main theme of the poem is “mutual benefit”. The tree which is still in its position comes to life by the chirping and swift movement of bird and its chicks. On the other hand, the bird and her young ones get space to live in.

    Read summary of The Laburnum Top
    Play quiz on The Laburnum Top

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  1. Lucifer
    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven
    This answer was edited.

    Following figures of speech have been used in the poem "On His Blindness" by John Milton. Pun: Pun is a literary device which depicts two or more meanings of a single word or phrase. In the poem, there is a play on the word Light. Light here refers to his eyesight as well as his life before gettingRead more

    Following figures of speech have been used in the poem “On His Blindness” by John Milton.

    1. Pun: Pun is a literary device which depicts two or more meanings of a single word or phrase. In the poem, there is a play on the word Light. Light here refers to his eyesight as well as his life before getting blind.
    2. Personification: Patience is here personified as having human characteristics.
    3. Alliteration: A number of times alliteration is used in the poem. e.g.days in this dark, World and Wide, that one talent, my soul more, my Maker, labor, light, patience to prevent, best bear, serve who only stand.
    4. Hyperbole: It is an exaggerated statement. e.g. thousands at his bidding speed.

    Read detailed summary of this poem.

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  1. Lucifer
    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    Meta, in simple words, means something that refers to itself. Thus metafiction is a genre of English Literature which emphasizes the readers to focus on the novel itself. Thus a work of literature which is conscious of its own form, structure and story, it will be known as Metafiction. The term wasRead more

    Meta, in simple words, means something that refers to itself. Thus metafiction is a genre of English Literature which emphasizes the readers to focus on the novel itself. Thus a work of literature which is conscious of its own form, structure and story, it will be known as Metafiction.

    The term was used for the first time by William H. Gass (1970) in his work Fiction and the Figures of Life. However, metafiction existed long before him. Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer is an example of Metafiction in Literature.

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  1. Lucifer
    Best Answer
    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    There are mainly two themes in the poem Night of the Scorpion. Superstition The poem reveals the superstitions that prevail in the Indian Society. A large number of people gather at poet’s house after coming to know that his mother is bitten by a scorpion. However, rather than taking her to hospitalRead more

    There are mainly two themes in the poem Night of the Scorpion.

    • Superstition

    The poem reveals the superstitions that prevail in the Indian Society. A large number of people gather at poet’s house after coming to know that his mother is bitten by a scorpion.

    However, rather than taking her to hospital or curing her, they begin giving their own assumptions. Some of them say that her sins will be forgiven. Some other say that she will not suffer in after rebirth. Some other begin praying for her well-being after her death.

    • Motherhood

    The poem also highlights the motherly love of poet’s mother. She is bitten by the scorpion and spends 24 hours in quite unbearable pain. However after recovering, she does not blame the scorpion and rather says thank God the scorpion picked on me and spared my children.

    Read summary of Night of the Scorpion here.

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  1. Lucifer
    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    Problem play is a genre of drama which takes up important social issues by using arguments among the characters in the play on the stage. These characters express clashing ideas that help the audience and the readers to understand the issue and reach a solution on their own. It must be noted that inRead more

    Problem play is a genre of drama which takes up important social issues by using arguments among the characters in the play on the stage. These characters express clashing ideas that help the audience and the readers to understand the issue and reach a solution on their own.

    It must be noted that in a problem play, the playwright never gives a solution. It is left to the audience to understand the situations and bring out a solution.

    Candida by GB Shaw is a Domestic Play. The playwright takes up an issue which is prevalent in society but not discussed. It is the Woman’s Question.

    The protagonist Candida is the wife of James Morell, a famous clergyman who delivers the sermons of morality to the people. He believes that he is an ideal husband and treats his wife well and she cannot live without him.

    However, ironically Morell himself is dependent on Candida and cannot live without her. It is Candida who takes care of all his needs and even the household things. In the play, Candida is not portrayed as a helpless or a traditional “distressed damsel” but as a new woman.

    She is wiser than her husband. She knows all the weaknesses of her husband still pretends to be dependent on him. Her husband who with the intervention of Eugene Marchbanks, comes to know about his love for her, starts fearing of losing her. Being insecure and helpless, he gives choice to Candida to either live with him to go with Eugene.

    Candida being an understanding woman decides to live with him. Hence though Morell is incapable of being her husband and she secretly loves Eugene, she has to live with her husband. Thus this is not a solution. It is left to the audience to decide what would she have done and what it would have resulted.

    Read the summary of Candida here.

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  1. Lucifer
    Best Answer
    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    The central idea of the poem Dust and Snow written by Robert Frost is that one may have the worst day or time of his life, but a little good thing can make it quite amazing. The crow, the hemlock tree and the dust are some bad signs that normally make the people believe that something wrong is goingRead more

    The central idea of the poem Dust and Snow written by Robert Frost is that one may have the worst day or time of his life, but a little good thing can make it quite amazing. The crow, the hemlock tree and the dust are some bad signs that normally make the people believe that something wrong is going to happen.

    The poet in the poem, I think, is already upset. This is why he comes out of his home to wander in the snow. But a crow shakes and snow falls on him which makes him happy.

    The poem gives us the message that one should hope for the best even in the worst. Like negative and negative makes positive in mathematics, similarly, in real life, we can make enjoy in our worst times.

    Read the detailed summary of the poem here

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  1. Lucifer
    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    The theme of the poem Dust of Snow is that even a small thing can bring drastic change in one’s life. The poet who considers his day as being ruined is wandering in the snow and suddenly, a crow (a bad omen) which is sitting on the hemlock tree (another bad-omen) shakes (might be because of cold), aRead more

    The theme of the poem Dust of Snow is that even a small thing can bring drastic change in one’s life.

    The poet who considers his day as being ruined is wandering in the snow and suddenly, a crow (a bad omen) which is sitting on the hemlock tree (another bad-omen) shakes (might be because of cold), and a dust of snow falls on him which makes him feel better.

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  1. Lucifer
    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    The short poem “Dust of Snow” describes poet’s change of mood (from bad to good) because of air-like snow which falls on the poet when a crow shakes (on a tree). The snow is so light that poet calls it dust. But this dust has the power to make the boring day of the poet better.

    The short poem “Dust of Snow” describes poet’s change of mood (from bad to good) because of air-like snow which falls on the poet when a crow shakes (on a tree). The snow is so light that poet calls it dust. But this dust has the power to make the boring day of the poet better.

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