English Notes Latest Questions

  1. The theme of the poem is nature. The poet persona talks about the beauty of nature back in his homeland and the lack of it in the northern places. Nature and its description plays a significant role in the poem. The poet in the poem is also idolizing his childhood and how happy he was during the timRead more

    The theme of the poem is nature. The poet persona talks about the beauty of nature back in his homeland and the lack of it in the northern places. Nature and its description plays a significant role in the poem. The poet in the poem is also idolizing his childhood and how happy he was during the time he spent on the island.

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  1. The central idea of the poem is the love of the persona for the ocean and his home on the island. He compares his nature to the other parts of the world but feels that there is really no place like home. He reminisces about the past and hopes to go back to the ocean in the future. South Summary

    The central idea of the poem is the love of the persona for the ocean and his home on the island. He compares his nature to the other parts of the world but feels that there is really no place like home. He reminisces about the past and hopes to go back to the ocean in the future.

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  1. Personification - personification is used when the poet gives nonhuman objects human-like qualities. In the poem, the poet personifies the river and calls it free and wise. The poet also personifies urchins and gives them the human quality to salute. Alliteration - alliteration is used when there isRead more

    • Personification – personification is used when the poet gives nonhuman objects human-like qualities. In the poem, the poet personifies the river and calls it free and wise. The poet also personifies urchins and gives them the human quality to salute.
    • Alliteration – alliteration is used when there is a repetition of a consonant sound or letter. In the poem, the letter /s/ is repeated in the lines “sails slanted seaward” and “sea-shells shift”.
    • Simile– simile is used when the poet makes a direct comparison between two things by using the words “like” and “as”. In the poem, the poet compares the longing felt by the persona to the flow of the river in the lines “We who are born of the ocean can never seek solace in rivers:  their flowing runs on like our longing”.

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