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  1. Poonam Sharma
    Poonam Sharma literarian

    This is a humorous poem about a grumble family. This grumble family always complains about silly matters. They lived in the street of complaining, in the city of ‘ Never-Are-Satisfied, beside the river of Discontent’. They always find wrong in everything and everywhere. They are always known by theRead more

    This is a humorous poem about a grumble family. This grumble family always complains about silly matters. They lived in the street of complaining, in the city of ‘ Never-Are-Satisfied, beside the river of Discontent’. They always find wrong in everything and everywhere. They are always known by the name of Grumble.

    All of their comments are negative and critical and their focus is only on the bad. If they see the sun shining, they will complain that it is too hot. If they see the snow falling, they will complain that it is too cold. Their first instinct s to find something to complain and murmur about People, who stay in their house for a long time, will learn their ways of grumbling and before they realize the truth of their terrible jumble, they are adopted into their family.

    Thus we should learn to walk with a smile and a song. We should never be a complainer but always try our best to be an optimist who sees the good in everything.

    The Grumble Family Poem Summary

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    Poonam Sharma literarian

    Henry Van Dyke is one of the greatest American short story writers and poets, who has excelled in the act of writing delicately soothing and infallibly inspiring poems and the poem ‘Life' is undoubtedly one of his literary gems. This poem describes life taking on life in its truest form, an adventurRead more

    Henry Van Dyke is one of the greatest American short story writers and poets, who has excelled in the act of writing delicately soothing and infallibly inspiring poems and the poem ‘Life’ is undoubtedly one of his literary gems. This poem describes life taking on life in its truest form, an adventure.

    The poet wants to live a joyful and fearless life. He neither wants to hurry nor moves away from his goal. He does not want to mourn the things that he has lost. He does not hold back for fear of the future. He wants to live his life with a whole and happy heart which cheerfully travels with him from the youth to old age.

    Therefore, it does not matter to him whether the path goes up or down the hill, rough or smooth, the journey will be looking ahead. He will continue to seek what he wanted as a boy – new friendship, high adventure, and a crown (fame). His heart will remain courageous and pursue his desires. He hopes that every turn in his life’s journey will be the best.

    This poem as an apogee of soulful embarkment on the quest of self-revival from the morose beats of dullness has a very deep and clairvoyant meaning held within it and this is evident from the very beginning of it.

    Life Poem by Henry Van Dyke Summary & Line by Line Explanation

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  1. Poonam Sharma
    Poonam Sharma literarian

    Alliteration: Alliteration is when two or more words that start with the same sound are used repeatedly in a phrase or a sentence. ... For example, 'tasty tacos' is considered an alliteration, but 'thirty typist' is not, because 'th' and 'ty' don't sound the same. Alliteration is a type of repetitioRead more

    1. Alliteration: Alliteration is when two or more words that start with the same sound are used repeatedly in a phrase or a sentence. … For example, ‘tasty tacos’ is considered an alliteration, but ‘thirty typist’ is not, because ‘th’ and ‘ty’ don’t sound the same. Alliteration is a type of repetition- a repetition of sounds. There are many usages of alliterations in the poem such as ‘ happy heart’. The effect of this is that even though the two words are very positive, the alliteration helps it by adding more effect into it as the two h sounds make the words much more pleasing to the ear and help us grasp a better view of it
    2. There are points that two words with opposite meanings are put next to each other such a Youth and Age. This is done as the two are put together to show a better contrast between the two concepts. 
    3. The rhyming scheme of the poem is “abbaabba cddcee”
    4. The language used here is quite simple. Soothing and soft words are used such as friendship, smooth, sought, and soul. This emphasizes the fact that the journey of life is an enjoyable one and is best to accept what it has to offer rather than go against it.
    5. Anaphora: An anaphora is a rhetorical device in which a word or expression is repeated at the beginning of a number of sentences, clauses, or phrases. A well-known example of this may be found in the speech given by Winston Churchill to the House of Commons on June 4th, 1940: “We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air…”. The poet used anaphora at the beginning of some neighboring lines however the same word not is repeated. 
    6. The form of the poem might be a sonnet with iambic pentameter or an irregular meter.
    7. The poem is written more of a speech than a poem judging by how it is structured and how each line flows into one another. For example:“So let the way wind up the hill or down, O’er rough or smooth, the journey will be joy:”

    Life Poem by Henry Van Dyke Summary & Line by Line Explanation

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  1. Poonam Sharma
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    Poonam Sharma literarian

    The rhyme scheme of the poem Life is “abbaabba cddcee” Life Poem by Henry Van Dyke Summary & Line by Line Explanation

    The rhyme scheme of the poem Life is “abbaabba cddcee”

    Life Poem by Henry Van Dyke Summary & Line by Line Explanation

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  1. Poonam Sharma
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    Poonam Sharma literarian

    Prospero: Main character and the rightful Duke of Milan. Prospero is the main character in The Tempest. He is the Duke of Milan who was overthrown by his brother Antonio fifteen years before the beginning of the play and cast adrift in a boat with his baby daughter, Miranda. During those fifteen yeaRead more

    1. Prospero: Main character and the rightful Duke of Milan. Prospero is the main character in The Tempest. He is the Duke of Milan who was overthrown by his brother Antonio fifteen years before the beginning of the play and cast adrift in a boat with his baby daughter, Miranda. During those fifteen years, he studied and taught himself how to do magic.
    2. Miranda: Daughter of Prospero. Another main characters of The Tempest. She was banished to the Island along with her father at the age of three, and in the subsequent twelve years has lived with her father and their slave, Caliban, as her only company. 
    3. Sycorax: A vicious powerful witch and the mother of Caliban. An unseen character in The Tempest. One of the few native inhabitants of the island who died before the arrival of Prospero is the island.
    4. Ariel: A spirit in service to Prospero. Ariel is bound to serve Prospero as he rescued him from the tree in which he was imprisoned by Sycorax.
    5. Caliban: A servant of Prospero and a savage monster. Half-human, half-monster who is forced into slavery and son of the witch Sycorax.
    6. Antonio: Prospero’s brother, the usurping Duke of Milan. The main villain of the play. He dethroned his brother with the help of King of Naples.
    7. Gonzalo: An honest old councilor. An honest and trusted adviser who helps Prospero when abandoned by the king and his brother.
    8. King Of Naples: An enemy of Prospero. Neither a good guy nor a bad guy.
    9. Ferdinand: The prince of Naples and the son of Alonso. A humble, kind, and naive guy who spends most of his time during The Tempest trying to win the affection of Miranda.

    The Tempest Short Summary in English

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