Last Hope Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Last Hope - Essay Example The poem also displays the importance of a mother in one’s life and how the loss of such an important figure can lead to a lot of grief and sorrow. Aracelis Girmay writes the poem The Dream  to express her feelings about death and the contradictions that exist within it. It is a poem which shows the irony of living as a human being, some being happy with their lot in life while others remain sad due to their the tragic events, such as death, that happen in their lives. Girmay uses this poem to display the true nature of human life, that nothing is ever permanent and death is ever present to take away the people that we value the most, and leaving behind individuals who are full of grief, sorrow, and mourning. The use of imagery is very extensive in this poem especially when making contrasts between the beauty of life and the abruptness through which it comes to an end. Girmay states that â€Å"below the window, my mother/young, playing with me/at a rock, in some sunlight/falling over us†. This statement can be employed to show what the persona in the poem thought of their mother. That the mother was alive, she was a jovial person who played with her children and was happy with them. However, it seems that death came abruptly since the tone from the poem is one of sadness. The image of night or darkness is used to refer to death as well as the feelings of grief and sorrow that are experienced by the children who are bereaved after the loss of their mother. It can be said that the image of darkness, when contrasted to the beauty of the world before the mother’s death may be Girmay’s way of stating that the world is beautiful just the way it is but it is death which mak es it not to be a pleasant place to live in due to its corrupting influence over it. This image may also be used to show the price which individuals have to pay when they lose their loved ones to death because nothing

Poetry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Poetry - Essay Example Despite his mother’s protestations and desire to spend their insurance cheque on a house which would greatly benefit the family as a whole, Walter is adamant that he invest the money, and does so despite these familial objections. His sister wants to spend money on tuition for medical school as it is her dream to become a doctor, but he even mocks this as she is a woman and he cannot see the merits of spending the money in this way. Walter reflects the view in the 1950s that women should stay at home and only men should be educated, an obstacle his sister must constantly fight against. Though he does dream of his son going to college, this is still a selfish dream as he appears to think that this will reflect favourably on himself. The conflict the family experience due to their different dreams, is a major theme. The character of Walter as the protagonist of the play is also the most interesting in my opinion as he also serves as a form of antagonist. Many of the plays themes and plot developments centre on Walter while it is also as a result of Walters weaknesses and actions which cause the family further adversity and problems. Walters character goes through a significant transformation through the play. At the beginning he is portrayed as weak, selfish, materialistic and belligerent, while by the end of the play his selfishness seems to have waned as he puts the needs of his family ahead of his own. In doing so, he gives the play its structure and reflects the conflict and tensions which were relevant at the time. The character of Walter is introduced to the audience as a man of weakness and selfishness and several of the social and economic obstacles faced by the Younger family are manifested in Walters attitude. Though Walter admits that he wants the best for his family, his version of having the best is utterly materialistic and