English Notes Latest Questions

  1. Metaphor: A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not applicable. For example, “frenzy of an old snake. Alliteration: The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. For example, “the speckled rRead more

    1. Metaphor: A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not applicable. For example, “frenzy of an old snake.
    2. Alliteration: The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. For example, “the speckled road, scored with ruts, smelling of mold,”.
    3. Imagery: Elements of a poem that evoke one or more of the five senses to produce a series of mental pictures. Using colorful or metaphorical language, specifically, to express concepts, things, or actions. For example, “speckled road”.
    4. Personification: Personification is a poetic device where animals, plants, or even inanimate objects, are given human qualities resulting in a poem full of imagery and description. For example, “lamplight glowed through the ribs”.
    5. Enjambment: Enjambment, is a poetic term for the continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line of poetry to the next. For example: “twisted on itself and reentered the forest/ where the dasheen leaves thicken and folk stories begin.”

     

    XIV Summary

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  1. In his lyrical poem "XIV," Derek Walcott offers an insight into his formative years. Walcott paints an image of his boyhood home and compares himself to a snake in the poem's opening metaphor. The description gives a sense of how well-off individuals who lived there, including the poet's family, werRead more

    In his lyrical poem “XIV,” Derek Walcott offers an insight into his formative years. Walcott paints an image of his boyhood home and compares himself to a snake in the poem’s opening metaphor. The description gives a sense of how well-off individuals who lived there, including the poet’s family, were financially. Walcott mostly tells how they gathered around the lamplight in the evenings to listen to his mother’s stories. He still gets sentimental and a little down thinking about these memories.

    XIV Summary

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  1. The themes of memory and childhood are explored in Derek Walcott's poem "XIV." It is an attempt to bring the poet's memories of his childhood home and his awareness of how it affected him as an adult into harmony. The poet remembers the vast, dark forest that surrounds his mother's home, yet his motRead more

    The themes of memory and childhood are explored in Derek Walcott’s poem “XIV.” It is an attempt to bring the poet’s memories of his childhood home and his awareness of how it affected him as an adult into harmony. The poet remembers the vast, dark forest that surrounds his mother’s home, yet his mother is seen holding a light at the end of the route. The poem focuses on how our adult lives, worldviews, and experiences are shaped by the experiences and recollections of our youth. Everything that Walcott has ever read and written has been influenced by the words, tales, and life of his mother.

    XIV Summary

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