English Notes Latest Questions

  1. W.H. Auden's 'The Unknown Citizen' is a 32-line poem that follows an unique rhyming scheme: ababaccdeeffdgghhijjikmknnnoo and a closed couplet finishes the poem.   The Unknown Citizen Summary 

    W.H. Auden’s ‘The Unknown Citizen’ is a 32-line poem that follows an unique rhyming scheme: ababaccdeeffdgghhijjikmknnnoo and a closed couplet finishes the poem.

     

    The Unknown Citizen Summary 

    See less
  1. The poem describes in detail how this oppression is carried out through spying because the state knows every detail about its citizens. The poem mocks and subtly criticises the modern world for giving the state too much power by illustrating how the state oppresses those unfortunate enough to live uRead more

    The poem describes in detail how this oppression is carried out through spying because the state knows every detail about its citizens. The poem mocks and subtly criticises the modern world for giving the state too much power by illustrating how the state oppresses those unfortunate enough to live under its authority. 

     

    The Unknown Citizen Summary

    See less
  1. This poem has a myriad of poetic devices, some of which are as follows: Alliteration: One example would be ‘swing and sandpit’. Metaphor: The line ‘Summer is fading’ acts as a metaphor for the marital life of these parents, how it was slowly fading away to become dry like autumn. Enjambment: ThroughRead more

    This poem has a myriad of poetic devices, some of which are as follows:

    • Alliteration: One example would be ‘swing and sandpit’.
    • Metaphor: The line ‘Summer is fading’ acts as a metaphor for the marital life of these parents, how it was slowly fading away to become dry like autumn.
    • Enjambment: Throughout the poem, the lines can be seen to run over to the next, making it enjambment. 

     

    Afternoons Summary

     

    See less
  1. The central idea of this poem is parenthood. What these couples undergo as parents has been highlighted in both the stanzas.   Afternoons Summary

    The central idea of this poem is parenthood. What these couples undergo as parents has been highlighted in both the stanzas.

     

    Afternoons Summary

    See less
  1. This poem is divided into 2 stanzas, wherein the first stanza consists of 16 lines while the second consists of 8. Written in free verse, it does not follow a rhyme scheme.    Afternoons Summary

    This poem is divided into 2 stanzas, wherein the first stanza consists of 16 lines while the second consists of 8. Written in free verse, it does not follow a rhyme scheme. 

     

    Afternoons Summary

    See less
  1. The theme of this poem is midlife crisis. Parenthood, which can be taken a sub theme as well, has taken the romance out of their lives, making them feel daunted by their responsibilities as adults and question how life had turned out to be as such.   Afternoons Summary

    The theme of this poem is midlife crisis. Parenthood, which can be taken a sub theme as well, has taken the romance out of their lives, making them feel daunted by their responsibilities as adults and question how life had turned out to be as such.

     

    Afternoons Summary

    See less
  1. Metaphor: It is a common poetic device where an object in, or the subject of, a poem is described as being the same as another otherwise unrelated object. For example, “my angel infancy” Alliteration: It is the repetition of the same sound at the start of a series of words in succession whose purposRead more

    1. Metaphor: It is a common poetic device where an object in, or the subject of, a poem is described as being the same as another otherwise unrelated object. For example, “my angel infancy”
    2. Alliteration: It is the repetition of the same sound at the start of a series of words in succession whose purpose is to provide an audible pulse that gives a piece of writing a lulling, lyrical, and/or emotive effect. For example, “A several sin to every sense”.

     

    The Retreat Summary

    See less
  1. Henry Vaughan's poem "The Retreat" talks about a speaker's wish to return to a more innocent, happier time in his past. The speaker laments the passing of his boyhood in the opening lines of the poem. He yearns for a period when he was still in his "angel infancy" and had not yet been shaped by theRead more

    Henry Vaughan’s poem “The Retreat” talks about a speaker’s wish to return to a more innocent, happier time in his past. The speaker laments the passing of his boyhood in the opening lines of the poem. He yearns for a period when he was still in his “angel infancy” and had not yet been shaped by the evil forces of the world. It would be a period when he had not yet left his house or become aware of the internal conflict that would consume him. He is concerned right now with his own feelings and his wicked character. In a way that was not even considered when he was younger, he is concerned about his own well-being. The speaker narrates how his life will come to an end and how he will return to the earth’s dust in the poem’s last lines. This will be the man’s penultimate conclusion in his search for his former life.

     

    The Retreat Summary 

    See less
  1. The rhyming scheme the poet has chosen to use is organized and dependable. The entire paragraph follows the pattern aabbccdd... and so forth. So, rhyming couplets are used throughout the entire poem.   The Retreat Summary

    The rhyming scheme the poet has chosen to use is organized and dependable. The entire paragraph follows the pattern aabbccdd… and so forth. So, rhyming couplets are used throughout the entire poem.

     

    The Retreat Summary

    See less
  1. The themes of corruption, innocence lost, and infancy is all present in "The Retreat." The poem's central theme is the happy stage of infancy. The soul is near the creator at this point. As the body ages, it loses its heavenly characteristics and becomes defiled. Vaughan discusses the idea of spiritRead more

    The themes of corruption, innocence lost, and infancy is all present in “The Retreat.” The poem’s central theme is the happy stage of infancy. The soul is near the creator at this point. As the body ages, it loses its heavenly characteristics and becomes defiled. Vaughan discusses the idea of spiritual deterioration in this way. Materialism, carnal appetites, and worldliness are the root causes of this kind of depravity. Last but not least, another significant component of this poetry is the loss of innocence. The speaker understands the significance of divinity as a result of this loss. He shares his worry about going backward in order to regain purity for this reason.

     

    The Retreat Summary 

    See less