Many of his poems criticise groups and individuals for their actions and attitudes within society, but we tried to find some poems to compare which were a little more hopeful and less dismal. Although these poems are not meaningless, they are a little more lighthearted than many poems, as they do not talk about war, conflict, death, or the doomed earth. ... This idea is also evident, to an even greater degree, in the poem "The High Mark". Dawe unashamedly and indiscreetly portrays the football player as a god in this poem. ... Both of the final lines in the poems under discussion follow t...

• Word Count: 1400
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

In some of these poems she entertains the possibility that it was the women beside these well-known men who were the inspiration to their greatness, like in the poem Anne Hathaway (Shakespeare's wife). ... This poem illustrates how one's choices and actions can impact upon another. ... Duffy cleverly uses this language feature to evoke the reader's sadness which we feel for the couple in the poem. ... It is almost not possible for the reader to feel sympathy for Medusa at this point of the poem. ... The ending of Medusa has a completely different tone to the rest of the poem....

• Word Count: 1489
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The critical readings and commentaries on "Paradise Lost" seem to be overwhelmed by the epic poem itself. ... This opinion suffices only to criticize the critics though and does not concern in turn the actual poem. ... Unlike other epic poems, "Paradise Lost" usurps every aspect of authoritative discourse. ... Milton did seem to hold a mirror up to the volatile society around him when constructing this poem. ... This ultimately leads to the theme of the poem, obedience. ...

• Word Count: 1188
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The poem uses simple, objective syntax and an omniscient tone to capture the rigidity of the disharmonious vision. The second stanza of the poem reveals the coming of a destructive beast. ... The poem begins violently in action by 'a sudden blow', creating an effect of interruption despite no preceding scenes. ... Zeus' climax impregnates Leda and this is parallel to the structure of the poem, which is also at its climax. At this point, the poem's tone shifts from the physical realm to an apocalyptic vision caused by the seed of Zeus. ...

• Word Count: 1013
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

As in the epic poem, the gods and goddesses interfere on behalf of Achilles in many scenes of the epic to either assist him or destroy him and his army. ... The next contrast that can be made between the epic poem and Herodotus' work is how god-like the Greek leaders are portrayed by each author. ... The way Homer describes Achilles in his epic poems is to be a proud warrior who considers himself to be undefeatable and even confronts gods. ... It is important to understand that The Iliad was an epic poem in its originality, and written as one as its genre. Whereas, The Histories was not a...

• Word Count: 1462
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

In the very first pages of the poem, Zeus "remember[s] handsome Aegisthus, the man Agamemnon's son, renowned Orestes, killed" (1:34-35). ... One of the messages subtly interwoven into the epic poem is the idea of metis as opposed to bie-brains as opposed to brawn. ... The poem offers a rare glimpse into an ancient time, through which we are privileged enough to learn about a society where mental dexterity was preferred to muscle and brilliance was prized over blood....

• Word Count: 792
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

It's true that Aeneas' wanderings in the beginning of the poem are reminiscent of the same perils that Odysseus faced on his journey home to Ithaca, such as Aeneas' encounter with the Harpies (3:245) and the Cyclopes (3:760). ... However, as Anchises describes "the glory that awaits the Trojan race," (6:896) it becomes clear that this poem is anything but a piracy of Homer's epic. ...

• Word Count: 707
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The epic poem is an Apollinian device; it owes its structure and form imposing distinctions to its roots in Apollinian clarity. ... The lyrical poem is Dionysian in its revels that grew out of the excitement of music. ...

• Word Count: 1180
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Question Does the Aeneid provide a damning indictment of war? Response In a typically 'Homeric fashion', Virgil depicts war in all its splendour and all its folly in equal measure. The Latin wars that Virgil describes bring fearsome heroes together in search of glory and the upholding of f...

• Word Count: 2231
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The earliest Gilgamesh stories seem to come from Sumerian texts which most likely reflect the crystallization of earlier epic traditions, and was probably one of the most well-known and influential poems available (West 65). ...

• Word Count: 4256
• Approx Pages: 17
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate