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  1. The poem explores the concept of how to tell apart a genuine, faithful friend from someone who only pretends to be our friend. In doing so, the poet provides us with several contrasting themes. For instance, our true friends will stay with us in times of trouble but the fake friends will leave us ifRead more

    The poem explores the concept of how to tell apart a genuine, faithful friend from someone who only pretends to be our friend. In doing so, the poet provides us with several contrasting themes. For instance, our true friends will stay with us in times of trouble but the fake friends will leave us if they find us amidst misfortune. The speaker further says that these fair-weather friends further push us on the path of vice to see our downfall. The speaker highlights attributes such as empathy and solidarity which one can only find in a faithful person, and not in a fake friend.

    Friends and Flatterers Summary

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  1. Each quatrain follows the rhyming scheme of AABB, which means that each verse is made up of two rhyming couplets. The poem is written in iambic tetrameter. Friends and Flatterers Summary

    Each quatrain follows the rhyming scheme of AABB, which means that each verse is made up of two rhyming couplets. The poem is written in iambic tetrameter.

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  1. The poem explores the nature of human relationships, distinguishing between genuine friendship and mere flattery. The poem provides its readers with caution against fair-weather friends who are quick to take our side and flatter us in prosperity but vanish if we are in adversity. Whereas, a real friRead more

    The poem explores the nature of human relationships, distinguishing between genuine friendship and mere flattery. The poem provides its readers with caution against fair-weather friends who are quick to take our side and flatter us in prosperity but vanish if we are in adversity. Whereas, a real friend is someone who is not materialistic and stays with us in times of misfortune. Ultimately, the poem stresses the importance of true friendship, which is characterised by empathy, consideration and support in times of both joy and sorrow.

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  1. Alliteration- Alliteration involves the repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighbouring or closely positioned words. It can be seen in phrases such as “Faithful friends from flattering foe.”, “help thee in thy”, “he be bent”, etc. Simile- A simile is a figure of speech that involves comparingRead more

    • Alliteration– Alliteration involves the repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighbouring or closely positioned words. It can be seen in phrases such as “Faithful friends from flattering foe.”, “help thee in thy”, “he be bent”, etc.
    • Simile- A simile is a figure of speech that involves comparing two different things using the words “like” or “as” to highlight a shared quality or characteristic between them.  It can be seen in the line, “Words are easy, like the wind;” where the speaker tells how words are flattery and are spoken with ease by a fake friend.
    • Metaphor- A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. It can be seen in the line, “But if store of crowns be scant” which is a metaphor for misfortune.
    • Personification- Personification is a literary device in which human qualities are attributed to non-human entities or objects. It can be seen in the line, “But if Fortune once do frown,” where fortune is personified as someone who can frown.
    • Parallelism- Parallelism is the use of similar grammatical structures, phrases, or patterns in a series of words or ideas. It adds balance and rhythm to the writing. It can be seen in the lines, “If thou sorrow, he will weep; / If thou wake, he cannot sleep;”.
    • Allusion- An allusion is a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary, or political significance. The poem alludes to the biblical story of The Prodigal Son.
    • Inversion- Inversion is a poetic and rhetorical technique in which the normal order of words is reversed for emphasis or stylistic purposes. It can be seen in the line, “Bountiful they will him call,”.
    • Anaphora- Anaphora is a rhetorical device in which a word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of successive clauses, sentences, or lines. It can be seen in the lines, “He that is thy friend indeed,/ He will help thee in thy need:”
    • Hyperbole- Hyperbole is a figure of speech characterized by exaggeration or overstatement to emphasize a point. It can be seen in the line, “Pity but he were a king” which is an exaggerated remark by a flatterer.

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  1. The lines largely emphasise the fleeting nature of human existence and experience. Phrases such as "melted into air" and "like the baseless fabric of this vision" convey the idea that the revels and the world itself are temporary and illusory. Prospero refers to grand structures and the associated iRead more

    The lines largely emphasise the fleeting nature of human existence and experience. Phrases such as “melted into air” and “like the baseless fabric of this vision” convey the idea that the revels and the world itself are temporary and illusory. Prospero refers to grand structures and the associated institutions such as the kings and their kingdoms, the clergy and their temples, etc, which are monumental but will come to an end eventually, just like mankind itself.

    Our revels now are ended Summary

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  1. The lines are written in blank verse form, which means that even though the lines are unrhyming, they have a specific meter. Here, the whole dialogue is in iambic pentameter except for the last line, which is in iambic trimeter. Our revels now are ended Summary

    The lines are written in blank verse form, which means that even though the lines are unrhyming, they have a specific meter. Here, the whole dialogue is in iambic pentameter except for the last line, which is in iambic trimeter.

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  1. The central idea that this dialogue explores is the transient nature of all things in this world. Prospero uses vivid imagery to convey the temporary and illusory nature of life itself, comparing it to a theatrical performance that will eventually come to a stop. Thus, these lines show how everythinRead more

    The central idea that this dialogue explores is the transient nature of all things in this world. Prospero uses vivid imagery to convey the temporary and illusory nature of life itself, comparing it to a theatrical performance that will eventually come to a stop. Thus, these lines show how everything is mortal and limited, from happiness to grand creations to human life itself.

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  1. Metaphor-  A metaphor is a figure of speech that involves comparing two unlike things by stating that one thing is another. It can be seen in the line, “...and our little life/ Is rounded with a sleep.” where human death is compared with sleep. Simile- A simile is a figure of speech that compares twRead more

    • Metaphor-  A metaphor is a figure of speech that involves comparing two unlike things by stating that one thing is another. It can be seen in the line, “…and our little life/ Is rounded with a sleep.” where human death is compared with sleep.

    • Simile- A simile is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things using the words “like” or “as. It can be seen in the lines, “And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,/Leave not a rack behind.” where the existence of a rack is compared with a temporary performance.

    • Repetition- Repetition is a literary device in which a word, phrase, line, or motif is repeated for emphasis, emphasis, or rhetorical effect. It occurs in the line, “These our actors,/ As I foretold you, were all spirits and/ Are melted into air, into thin air:”.

    • Metonymy- Metonymy is a figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted with another with which it is closely associated. It occurs in the line “The cloud-capp’d towers, the gorgeous palaces,/ The solemn temples, the great globe itself,” where they all respectively represent kings, noblemen, clergy and mankind.

    • Alliteration- Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words in close proximity. It can be seen in phrases like “cloud-capp’d”, “great globe”, “such stuff”, and “little life”.

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  1. Shakespeare's view on his lady love and the traditional method of extolling a speakers beloved are major themes in this work. It is important to judge a person according to her value in your life. Making absurd analogies in order to elevate a woman actually widens the gulf between two souls. ShakespRead more

    Shakespeare’s view on his lady love and the traditional method of extolling a speakers beloved are major themes in this work. It is important to judge a person according to her value in your life. Making absurd analogies in order to elevate a woman actually widens the gulf between two souls. Shakespeare claims that they are on the same level. On this plane, their love is real. He adores the woman just as she is. Although she doesn’t seem particularly glamorous or shining, the speaker sees their connection as unique. The topics of love and vision vs reality are also addressed in this sonnet.

    Sonnet 130 Summary

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