Literature Essays

When making a comparison between the two poems, ‘Search For My Tongue’ by Sujata Bhatt and ‘Ogun’ by Edward Kamau Brathwaite we can see that both are primarily concerned with notions of culture and identity and in particular how one impacts upon the other. The implication being, that the culture into which we are born […]

In ‘Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan’ the speaker is a girl who has one English parent and one parent from Pakistan. As a result she feels torn between the two very different cultures. She does not feel at home in either England or Pakistan. She shows this by saying “I longed for denim and […]

In ‘Not my Business’ by Niyi Osundare when compared with ‘Nothing’s Changed’ by Tatamkhula Afrika, the shared theme of injustice and segregation come across and are present in both poems. ‘Nothing’s Changed’ is quite specific with its whereabouts and period: South Africa and post-apartheid. The poem, like its poet, is consumed with anger and bitterness […]

Throughout the history of life on Earth, suffering has been an integral part of our existence. Unfortunately, there are instances where people unintentionally inflict pain upon one another. Each individual holds their own set of values, whether it be dignity, pride, wealth and power, or physical beauty and allure. Depending on the person, disregard or […]

“Mid-term Break” is an autobiographical poem by Seamus Heaney about the death of a schoolboy’s four-year old brother and the reactions and atmosphere surrounding it. Heaney uses plain matter of fact language to create mood and atmosphere for the poem. The use of ‘sounds’ is significantly used by Heaney to convey words of condolence. The […]

Robert Browning was born 7 May 1812. He began writing poems and at a very young age and learned many languages, also showing an interest in history. This interest in foreign language and history is to a certain extent reflected in his poetry, as many poems are set abroad, and it can be interpreted that […]

The first one I will be studying is called “Blackberry- picking”. Heaney writes about when he was a child, he picked blackberries as a child in the summer. The joy it gave him is likened to an awakening of sexual excitement, finally the disappointment he felt when the fruit turned sour, after all the hard […]

Firstly, a little insight into ‘the laboratory’ is that it is set in the ancien regime of pre-revolutionary france. It imagines an incident in the life of Marie Madelin Marguenie. She poisoned her father and two brothers and planned on killing her husband, with, you guessed it: poison. The laboratory cleverly uses language and structure […]

Mid-Term Break’ is set in three places, unlike ‘Follower’, which is based in one place. The introduction of ‘Mid-Term Break’ is based in the college sick bay. Heaney is sitting there, waiting for the neighbours to drive him home. This is because he is going to go to his brother, Christopher’s, funeral. Christopher was hit […]

Seamus Heaney’s poems, ‘Digging’ and ‘Follower’ portray to us the strong relationship between the father and son, as Heaney tends to look up to the elders in his family. Both poems create that pastoral atmosphere with the title, ‘Digging’ suggests delving into the past. ‘Follower’ on the other hand gives us an image of the […]

In order to write a critical appreciation of this shocking poem by Seamus Heaney, I will make use of language choices, use of structure and subject matter. This poem is about a boy, that tells his experience when he as picked up from school because of the death of his baby brother. This poem is […]

One of the most moving and the most emotional works by Seamus Heaney is ‘Clearances’. A brilliant sonnet sequence published in ‘The Haw Lantern’ collection (1987) written in memoriam to Heaney’s mother, Margaret Kathleen, who died in 1984. These sonnets are not only infused with the still lively and vivid memoirs but also depict the […]

Seamus Heaney was born in the townland of Tamnairn at Mossbawn, county Derry, Northern Ireland on 13th April 1939. Heany was the eldest of nine children one of whom died in a road accident. Heaney’s father was a farmer therefore, he lived his life on a farm. Most of his experiences came from the farm. […]

I have decided to look at the poems “Mid Term Break” by “Seamus Heaney” and “Out, Out” by “Robert Frost”. Both of the poems are about the tragic death of a young boy. However, they are written in different ways and both have conflicting viewpoints. “Mid Term Break” is an autobiographical, a personal account of […]

Seamus Heaney and Sylvia Plath both approach death and ageing in their poems. Seamus Heaney wrote a poem about blackberry picking. It has a meaning to it. It explains in his words how things age and die. I shall refer another Seamus Heaney poem and two of Sylvia Plath’s poems to “Blackberry Picking. ” Seamus […]

Robert Browning’s fame rests today with his dramatic monologues, such as “My Last Duchess” and “Porphyria’s Lover”. Unlike soliloquies, the point of a dramatic monologue, are not the words that are directly spoken, it is what the speaker subtly gives away. Both “My Last Duchess” and “Porphyria’s Lover” are dramatic monologues, that are therefore centred […]

The poems ‘Half-Caste’ by John Agard and ‘Unrelated Incidents’ by Tom Leonard both explore different prejudices and social attitudes regarding their culture. The poets both use different methods and means to show the reader their thoughts, they use different techniques for different reasons to help convey their message. Both of the poems use mainly non-standard […]

I am going to compare two poems from diverse cultures. The first is called ‘This Is The Six O’clock News’. It is by a Scottish poet called Tom Leonard. A Caribbean poet named John Agard writes the second, called ‘Listen Mr Oxford Don’. The two poems are not written in a ‘Standard English’ way. The […]

The Poems Hawk Roosting and The Windhover are both about birds as their titles already suggest. Even though tey are of the same subject they have many differences and contrasts. One tells us about a bird who thinks allot of himself and is almost some kind of a show off. In the other hand, The […]

I have studied five poems written by Ted Hughes. There are two poems that contrast two opposites and there are two poems that illustrate the power of nature and how it defeats man. The last poem is completely different to the others. It is narrated not by Ted Hughes but it is written as if […]

Thomas Hardy was a profound poet and novelist of his time, being influenced by writers such as William Wordsworth. He was born in 1840 on the Egdon Heath in Dorset. His interest in Latin poets was influenced by his Mother, who provided for his education. He began reading, more intensely, studying French and Latin, as […]

It indeed aims to expose the war-time propaganda of World War One. It almost appears comical when the moroseness of Owen’s exposure is contrasted to the pro-war propaganda of the time. Owen is a monotone and sobering voice to the romanticised perceptions of war at the time. Society was largely ignorant of the realities of […]