English Notes Latest Questions

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    Metaphor: literary device to compare two different things to assemble the common, “the child of scorn.” This first line of the poem is an example of metaphor. Apostrophe: to address someone or something that is not present. In the poem art has been called out as “a vagrant being.” Symbolism: Using dRead more

    Metaphor: literary device to compare two different things to assemble the common, “the child of scorn.” This first line of the poem is an example of metaphor. Apostrophe: to address someone or something that is not present. In the poem art has been called out as “a vagrant being.” Symbolism: Using different symbols and images to present other ideas. For example, ‘khaki suit’ symbolizes the modern culture of the contemporary times. Allegory: It is an extended metaphor. The idea of “Medici” projects the idea of the medieval age that Miniver idealizes.  Anaphora: repetition of words at the start of a line. “Miniver thought, and thought, and thought,/ And thought about it.” Enjambment: A line is suddenly cut off urging the reader to quickly jump to the next line. In this poem it occurs when “He would have sinned incessantly/ Could he have been one.” Assonance: repetition of vowel sounds in one line. The sound of ‘e’ is repeated in “The missed the medieval grace” and also in “Miniver Cheevy, child of scorn.” Personification: to associate human-like qualities in an abstract or non-human object. The poet has used this device to attribute the art with human-like qualities by making it wander.  Allusion: indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, literary or political importance. Miniver gives a peek of that using the past world when he says “He dreamed of Thebes and Camelot,/ And Priam’s neighbors.” Imagery: It heightens a reader’s senses through the description of visual sights. Swords and horses here are described in vibrant images as bright and prancing. Oxymoron: where two opposite terms appear in the same line. Like in the line “grew line.” Synecdoche: this represents a part of the sentence as a whole. “Khaki suit” is a representation of the entire modern culture.  Miniver Cheevy Summary

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    A perfect illustration of someone who is stuck in the past and unable to move on is the character Miniver. This person is so mired in the past that he cannot accept the way his life is right now. His expectations outweigh the world he is actually living in. Miniver hurts himself by living a life ofRead more

    A perfect illustration of someone who is stuck in the past and unable to move on is the character Miniver. This person is so mired in the past that he cannot accept the way his life is right now. His expectations outweigh the world he is actually living in. Miniver hurts himself by living a life of isolation and disengagement. Even though he thinks he is running away, what he ends up with is an unfulfilling existence that he cannot enjoy. Despite being drawn to the great accomplishments of the past, he makes no effort to emulate them in his everyday life. Additionally, he lacks the ability to discern between distinct historical eras. He only cares about extolling the magnificence of bygone eras and asserting that they were superior to contemporary day life. Through this persona, the poem warns the audience that romanticizing the past too much only leads to apathy, which can completely derail one’s life.  Miniver Cheevy Summary

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    The rhyme scheme of the poem is ABAB, alternatively rhyming. It consists of eight quatrains having a regular rhyme scheme. The first three lines of the poem have eight syllables each and the next line follows with five syllables in it. The poem is in iambic tetrameter and the last line of each stanzRead more

    The rhyme scheme of the poem is ABAB, alternatively rhyming. It consists of eight quatrains having a regular rhyme scheme. The first three lines of the poem have eight syllables each and the next line follows with five syllables in it. The poem is in iambic tetrameter and the last line of each stanza is in iambic dimeter and is in fact, hypermetrical.  Miniver Cheevy Summary

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    The main theme of the poem is showcasing the dangers of idealizing the past. It shows how dangerous nostalgia can be once it gets in the way of a person’s ability to enjoy the present life. The character Miniver serves as a prime example of one being obsessed with the past and is unable to move pastRead more

    The main theme of the poem is showcasing the dangers of idealizing the past. It shows how dangerous nostalgia can be once it gets in the way of a person’s ability to enjoy the present life. The character Miniver serves as a prime example of one being obsessed with the past and is unable to move past that glory. This person is so hung up in the past that he is unable to accept his life as it is in the present times. His expectations supersede the reality he is living in. Miniver harms his own self by alienating from the world and leading an unengaged life. Albeit he is doing so as a means of escaping but it actually leads to an unproductive existence, an existence he is unable to enjoy. In spite of being attracted to the glorious deeds of the past, he does nothing to inculcate that in his real life. He is also unable to distinguish between specific historical periods. He is only keen on glorifying the grandeur of the past times and claiming them to be superior to everyday experience in modern times. The poem, through this character, warns the readers that over romanticizing the past leads them to nowhere apart from a sense of apathy which can wholly disrupt their lives.  Miniver Cheevy Summary

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  1. Richard Cory, a short poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson, illustrates the disparity between assumptions and reality and advises the reader against making moral judgements based solely on physical appearances.   Richard Cory Summary

    Richard Cory, a short poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson, illustrates the disparity between assumptions and reality and advises the reader against making moral judgements based solely on physical appearances.

     

    Richard Cory Summary

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  1. The poem focuses on significant issues like wealth and happiness, not passing judgment on people based just on their outward appearance, the contrast between the lives and emotions of the rich and the poor, and the irony of the happiness that exists in each of their lives.   Richard Cory SummarRead more

    The poem focuses on significant issues like wealth and happiness, not passing judgment on people based just on their outward appearance, the contrast between the lives and emotions of the rich and the poor, and the irony of the happiness that exists in each of their lives.

     

    Richard Cory Summary

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  1. Personification: A figure of speech in which the poet describes an abstraction, a thing, or a nonhuman form as if it were a person. For example, “The yellowed diary's notes whisper in vernacular.” Enjambment: It is the continuation of a sentence or clause across a line break. For example, “We wish wRead more

    Personification: A figure of speech in which the poet describes an abstraction, a thing, or a nonhuman form as if it were a person. For example, “The yellowed diary’s notes whisper in vernacular.”

    Enjambment: It is the continuation of a sentence or clause across a line break. For example, “We wish we had not to wake up with our smiles/ in the middle of some social order.

     

    Grandfather Summary

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