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  1. Synecdoche - Synecdoche is a figure of speech that uses a part of something to represent the whole thing. Ozymandias condenses the image and conveys the pharaoh's strength and ambition by using the "hand" and "heart" to symbolize the entire person. Imagery - The use of words or figures of speech byRead more

    • Synecdoche – Synecdoche is a figure of speech that uses a part of something to represent the whole thing. Ozymandias condenses the image and conveys the pharaoh’s strength and ambition by using the “hand” and “heart” to symbolize the entire person.
    • Imagery – The use of words or figures of speech by a writer or speaker to evoke a strong mental image or visceral feeling is known as imagery. The poem uses terms like “vast,” “trunkless,” “sunk,” and “boundless” to vividly describe the barren desert and the broken statue. They give off an air of deterioration and emptiness.
    • Alliteration – The term “alliteration” refers to the practice of starting words in a phrase with the same letter or sound. It occurs in “an antique,” “stone/ Stand,” “sunk a shattered,” “cold command,” etc.
    • Enjambment – Lines frequently overlap one another, reflecting the unrelenting march of time and generating a sense of forward momentum.
    • Irony – Irony is a rhetorical device that refers to the difference between expectations and reality. The arrogant tone of the inscription highlights the transience of human accomplishments by standing in sharp contrast to the reality of the destroyed statue.

    Ozymandias Summary

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  1. In “On Finding a Small Fly Crushed in a Book," Turner mostly discusses the subject of death's inevitable conclusion. Most of the poem is devoted to his admiration of the fly, its tragic demise, and what remains. He then discusses death as a part of everyone's existence. The novel is extended and utiRead more

    In “On Finding a Small Fly Crushed in a Book,” Turner mostly discusses the subject of death’s inevitable conclusion. Most of the poem is devoted to his admiration of the fly, its tragic demise, and what remains. He then discusses death as a part of everyone’s existence. The novel is extended and utilized as a metaphor for death, showing how it can strike at any time and claim a person’s life. Like it did on the fly, it can close anytime. By the poem’s conclusion, it is also evident that the speaker doesn’t think a human’s death could ever be as exquisite as a fly’s. Its wings’ shimmering evidence is that.

    On Finding a Small Fly Crushed in a Book Summary

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  1. In Charles Tennyson Turner's poem "On Finding a Small Fly Crushed in a Book," the sudden death of a tiny fly prompts reflection on the important subjects of mortality, legacy, and the transient nature of life. He discovers the fly crushed between the book's pages, its life abruptly taken by an inexpRead more

    In Charles Tennyson Turner’s poem “On Finding a Small Fly Crushed in a Book,” the sudden death of a tiny fly prompts reflection on the important subjects of mortality, legacy, and the transient nature of life. He discovers the fly crushed between the book’s pages, its life abruptly taken by an inexperienced hand. This picture turns into a moving metaphor for how unexpectedly and suddenly death may come to any living thing, including people.

    On Finding a Small Fly Crushed in a Book Summary

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  1. Metaphor: The central and most powerful device is the extended metaphor comparing the crushed fly to human existence. The book represents death, its closing pages symbolizing the finality of life. This comparison makes the poem's message clear and relatable, using a seemingly insignificant creatureRead more

    • Metaphor: The central and most powerful device is the extended metaphor comparing the crushed fly to human existence. The book represents death, its closing pages symbolizing the finality of life. This comparison makes the poem’s message clear and relatable, using a seemingly insignificant creature to ponder a universal human experience.

    • Apostrophe: Turner directly addresses the dead fly in lines like “thou” and “thine,” creating a sense of intimacy and immediacy. This personalizes the event and draws the reader deeper into the speaker’s contemplation.

    • Alliteration: Repeated consonant sounds at the beginning of words (e.g., “survive,” “hand,” “harm”) add a musicality and emphasize certain keywords, drawing attention to their significance.

    • Imagery: The poem creates vivid images of the fly’s crushed wings and the closed book, making the scene real and impactful for the reader.

    • Personification: Attributing human qualities to the book, like it “seizes” the fly, makes the object more menacing and reinforces the connection with death.

    On Finding a Small Fly Crushed in a Book Summary

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  1. Hardy examines themes of time, memory, and life itself in "He Never Expected Much." The poem centers on life as a vast and all-encompassing concept. The speaker in the book, who might very well be Hardy himself, speaks to the "World." He brings up a conversation he had when he was younger, both forRead more

    Hardy examines themes of time, memory, and life itself in “He Never Expected Much.” The poem centers on life as a vast and all-encompassing concept. The speaker in the book, who might very well be Hardy himself, speaks to the “World.” He brings up a conversation he had when he was younger, both for it and the readers. It was then, as it is now, obvious to him that life is unfair. Hardy went through numerous difficult times in his life, chief among them being the untimely death of his wife Emma.

    As Hardy reflects on his life and remembers how he has lived with this understanding in mind, he also discusses themes of time and memory. Since he realized early on that life wouldn’t be fair, his life has been better—or at least stronger. He was not overly unhappy with how his life turned out because he “never expected much.”

    He Never Expected Much Summary

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  1. Thomas Hardy's "He Never Expected Much" centers on accepting life's limitations and randomness, which leads to a muted sense of both joy and misery. The poem examines the trade-off between preventing oneself from potentially experiencing the entire range of emotions in life and having modest expectaRead more

    Thomas Hardy’s “He Never Expected Much” centers on accepting life’s limitations and randomness, which leads to a muted sense of both joy and misery. The poem examines the trade-off between preventing oneself from potentially experiencing the entire range of emotions in life and having modest expectations for safety.

    He Never Expected Much Summary

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  1. Irony- A figure of speech known as irony entails a contradiction in the words and expressions used. Since the poem discloses that the man never expected much and the reader discovers the unfulfilled features of his existence, the title itself alludes to irony. Metaphor- A metaphor is a figure of speRead more

    • Irony- A figure of speech known as irony entails a contradiction in the words and expressions used. Since the poem discloses that the man never expected much and the reader discovers the unfulfilled features of his existence, the title itself alludes to irony.
    • Metaphor- A metaphor is a figure of speech in which two opposite objects are nonliterally compared. To depict the man’s life and goals, Hardy uses analogies. For instance, the third stanza’s image of the “small wheels” represents the man’s life as being ordinary and normal.
    • Enjambment- Enjambment is used in poetry to create a continuous and fluid rhythm by having lines flow into one another without a break. This enhances the poem’s overall flow and can represent the man’s boring life, which remains unbroken.
    • Alliteration- The term “alliteration” refers to the practice of starting words in a phrase with the same letter or sound. The poem gains a melodic quality from the repeated sounds at the beginning of words (e.g., “Well, World,” “with…with”), which also discreetly highlight specific concepts.
    • Apostrophe- An apostrophe is a figure of speech used when a speaker addresses an object or person who is not there or is unable to reply. The speaker addresses the “World” directly in the poem’s opening lines, even though it is unable to reply. This fosters a feeling of closeness and reflective introspection as the speaker muses over their experiences.

    He Never Expected Much Summary

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  1. The central theme of the poem revolves around empathy and compassion. Blake questions whether it is possible to witness the sorrow of others without feeling a sense of shared sorrow.  Relating to this, the poem also proves how sorrow is a universal experience, affecting humans and other natural creaRead more

    The central theme of the poem revolves around empathy and compassion. Blake questions whether it is possible to witness the sorrow of others without feeling a sense of shared sorrow.  Relating to this, the poem also proves how sorrow is a universal experience, affecting humans and other natural creatures alike. The imagery of a falling tear and the weeping child symbolize the various forms of suffering that people, from infants to parents, may endure. The poem also suggests the notion of divine compassion. Blake presents the idea that a benevolent divine being would not remain indifferent to the sorrows of small creatures and infants. And thus, the divine has the strength to alleviate and ultimately eradicate human suffering.

    On Another’s Sorrow Summary

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