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  1. Frances Harper's poem "The Slave Auction" recounts a slave auction scene in which women lose their loved ones, as well as the speaker's awareness after seeing the spectacle. It illustrates what it's like to be surrounded by black women, some of whose husbands and children were being sold there, as wRead more

    Frances Harper’s poem “The Slave Auction” recounts a slave auction scene in which women lose their loved ones, as well as the speaker’s awareness after seeing the spectacle. It illustrates what it’s like to be surrounded by black women, some of whose husbands and children were being sold there, as well as young ladies who were ashamed and upset about what was going on. Although some black women were crying over the loss of their husbands, others were suffering from the sorrow of watching their children being traded for little more than “gold.” Nobody can truly understand someone else’s suffering unless they are experiencing it themselves, says Harper.

     

    The Slave Auction Summary

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    The theme of this poem is the grandeur of God. Through the might and grace of the majestic falcon, the poet beautifully brings out the presence and love of God. The Windhover Summary

    The theme of this poem is the grandeur of God. Through the might and grace of the majestic falcon, the poet beautifully brings out the presence and love of God. The Windhover Summary

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    The interaction between a young boy and the police constable serves as the poem's main idea and highlights the relationships between authority, fear, and vulnerability. The poem successfully conveys the boy's complex feelings and perceptions as he negotiates this interaction, finally leading the reaRead more

    The interaction between a young boy and the police constable serves as the poem’s main idea and highlights the relationships between authority, fear, and vulnerability. The poem successfully conveys the boy’s complex feelings and perceptions as he negotiates this interaction, finally leading the reader to reflect on structures of power and how they affect people’s lives. A Constable Calls Summary

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  1. Paul Laurence Dunbar's poem "Sympathy" is about having a deep knowledge of and empathy for individuals who are oppressed, limited, or marginalized. The poem examines issues of yearning for liberation, the lingering sorrow of imprisonment, and the determined human spirit in the face of difficulty thrRead more

    Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem “Sympathy” is about having a deep knowledge of and empathy for individuals who are oppressed, limited, or marginalized. The poem examines issues of yearning for liberation, the lingering sorrow of imprisonment, and the determined human spirit in the face of difficulty through the metaphor of the caged bird. It emphasizes the desire for independence and the pursuit of a fulfilling life while also noting the psychological and physical damage that may be caused by confinement. The primary idea encourages the reader to consider the value of compassion and the necessity of social justice by focusing on the strength of empathy and the acknowledgment of common human experiences.

    Sympathy Summary

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  1. Alliteration: Alliteration is a literary device in which certain sounds are repeated at the beginning of words in a sentence or phrase. The poetic device can be found in the following lines. It's safer so — How odd the Girl's life looks It creates internal rhyming. Metaphor: Metaphor is a literary dRead more

    • Alliteration:

    Alliteration is a literary device in which certain sounds are repeated at the beginning of words in a sentence or phrase.

    The poetic device can be found in the following lines.

    It’s safer so —

    How odd the Girl’s life looks

    It creates internal rhyming.

    • Metaphor:

    Metaphor is a literary device where two unrelated objects are compared to each other.

    This poetic device can be found in the following lines.

    Behind this soft Eclipse —

    Here, the poet is comparing the shadowing of women in a patriarchal society.

    I’m “wife” — I’ve finished that

    The word “wife” refers to the domination of men.

    I’m Czar — I’m “Woman” now

    The word “woman” refers to the independent lifestyle.

    • Personification:

    Personification is a poetic device where animals, plants or even inanimate objects are given human qualities.

    This poetic device can be seen in the following line.

    I think that Earth feels so

    Here the term “Earth” is personified. It refers to the people living.

    • Repetition:

    Repetition is a literary device where a certain word or phrase is repeated multiple times to emphasise the word or to create a rhythm.

    This poetic device can be found in the following line.

    I’m “wife” — I’ve finished that

    I’m Czar — I’m “Woman” now

    In the first stanza the poet has repeatedly used the word “I’m” to emphasise her situation and individuality.

    • Rhetorical Exclamation:

    Rhetorical exclamation is a literary device. It refers to the expression of emotion or wish.

    The poet has used this device in the following line.

    I’m “Wife”! Stop there!

    I’m “wife” — I’ve finished that Summary

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  1. Poet’s mother ask him not to get afraid of the garden snake because its harmless and only eats insects for its food. Read summary of Garden Snake Play Quiz on Garden Snake Watch Video on Garden Snake

    Poet’s mother ask him not to get afraid of the garden snake because its harmless and only eats insects for its food.

    1. Read summary of Garden Snake
    2. Play Quiz on Garden Snake
    3. Watch Video on Garden Snake
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  1. The battle was fought between France and Bavaria one one side while English and Austria on the other side. Summary of the Poem After Blenheim Stanza Wise  

    The battle was fought between France and Bavaria one one side while English and Austria on the other side.

    Summary of the Poem After Blenheim Stanza Wise

     

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  1. Collins writes in free verse and divides the poem into five sections of various lengths. It is written in a stream-of-consciousness style, where the speaker's ideas appear to flow from one to the next even though they are all related to the theme of turning 10.   On turning ten Summary

    Collins writes in free verse and divides the poem into five sections of various lengths. It is written in a stream-of-consciousness style, where the speaker’s ideas appear to flow from one to the next even though they are all related to the theme of turning 10.

     

    On turning ten Summary

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  1. The speaker's slide towards lunacy can be seen in the phrase, "I felt a funeral in my brain." Both the speaker and the reader find the poem to be disturbing. The reader can feel the speaker's descent into madness and the fear that most of us feel when we think of going crazy. The speaker suffers theRead more

    The speaker’s slide towards lunacy can be seen in the phrase, “I felt a funeral in my brain.” Both the speaker and the reader find the poem to be disturbing. The reader can feel the speaker’s descent into madness and the fear that most of us feel when we think of going crazy. The speaker suffers the loss of self amid the turmoil of the unconscious.

    I felt a funeral in my brain summary

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