English Notes Latest Questions

  1. Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /l/ in “The harpies of the shore shall pluck”. Personification: Personification is to give human characteristics to inanimate objects. For example, “And many an eye has danced to see” as if the eyes aRead more

    1. Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /l/ in “The harpies of the shore shall pluck”.

    2. Personification: Personification is to give human characteristics to inanimate objects. For example, “And many an eye has danced to see” as if the eyes are humans that can dance.

    3. Onomatopoeia: It refers to the word which imitates the natural sounds of things. For example, “roar” in the first stanza of the poem.

    4. Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /a/ in “And many an eye has danced to see”.

    5. Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, “Ay, tear her tattered ensign down” and “Her deck, once red with heroes’ blood.”

    6. Symbolism: Symbolism is the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings different from their literal meanings. “Sky” symbolizes victory, “god of storm” symbolizes the powerful entity, and “tattered ensign” is a symbol of pride.

    7. Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between the objects different in nature. There is only one metaphor used in the second last line of the poem, “And give her to the god of storms.” This is the metaphor for the rough sea.

    8. Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line such as the sound of /sh/ in “The harpies of the shore shall pluck” and the sound of /w/ in “And waves were white below”.

     

     

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  1. Old Ironsides is a ship that has engaged in combat and been spotted soaring through the air. The blood of its heroes once stained its cards, and its adversaries once feared it. The speaker has a strong emotional bond with the ship and would prefer to see it sink beneath the waters, turning over itsRead more

    Old Ironsides is a ship that has engaged in combat and been spotted soaring through the air. The blood of its heroes once stained its cards, and its adversaries once feared it. The speaker has a strong emotional bond with the ship and would prefer to see it sink beneath the waters, turning over its sacred flag to the sea gods as opposed to allowing it to flutter on land.

    Old Ironsides Summary

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  1. The key themes woven throughout this poem include glory, triumph, and pride. This poetry also touches on the grandeur of the ship, the valor of combat, and patriotism. The poet describes a ship and her decommissioning rites while metaphorically praising its triumphs and indicating if it formerly serRead more

    The key themes woven throughout this poem include glory, triumph, and pride. This poetry also touches on the grandeur of the ship, the valor of combat, and patriotism. The poet describes a ship and her decommissioning rites while metaphorically praising its triumphs and indicating if it formerly served as a war goddess. The poet refers to the heroism of the conflict that the ship observed on its deck as “the blood of the heroes” in his portrayal of the magnificence of the ship. He also includes its speed and guns, which at its prime turned it into a meteor. This demonstrates the poet’s patriotism in transforming an inanimate object into a living tale.

    Old Ironsides Summary

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