Poetry and ocean both require effort and analyzation to understand: both, at the shore, seem to be similar to their other respective kinds; but if "traveled" deeper and deeper, it is realized that they're as different as the polar ends of the world. Similarly, the poems "Everything is going to be alright" by Derek Mahon and "Where the Sidewalk Ends" by Shel Silverstein have similar themes approached through different paths of the road.
Mahon defines life to be hard with obstacles, pain, negativity, crime, etc. but he explains to his readera about the natural beauty of life and how hope and happiness arises from it - "the sun rises in spite of everything/ and the far cities are beautiful and bright." Throughout the entire poem, Mahon uses the sun as hope and how its rays of sunlight will shine bright over the darkness in everyone's life. He admits that life will one day end, "there will be dying, there will be dying, but there is no need to go into that," but he encourages the readers to not think about death while there can still be hope to acquire happiness in life.
When he starts the poem, he asks to his readers about how can they not be happy when the dark clouds move aside and clear the sky for sunshine to shine through - "How should I not be glad to contemplate/the clouds clearing beyond the dormer window..." The clouds could symbolize the obstacles in one's life and he gives hope to the readers by making them realize the importance of the "clouds" clearing the "sky" one day and "sunshine" making the world a brighter place to live. Mahon achieves his theme of hope and standing up to the problems and having faith on life itself by using symbolism, rhetorical question and himself.
Silverstein, in his poem " Where the Sidewalk Ends," also highlights the theme of hope but instead of having faith on life and that the problems will end one day (Mahon), he asks the readers to seek for the positivity in their own life. He symbolizes the street as the normal, painful life and the end of the sidewalk is the place of happiness. He initiates a sense of movment and a requirement of taking action in the readers' hearts to find their own happiness. He admits there is pain, crime, negativity in everyone's lives but he also admits that there is a place (might be only emotional or mental, not necessarily physical) that we all need to approach to get what we want.
Unlike Mahon, Silverstein urges his readers to take action walk where the sidewalk ends - "Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black..." He also uses symbolism to increase the effect and intensity to his poem. Both the poets gives hope to their readers, assure them of the happiness the future consists and ask them to "hang on" but Silverstein, in particular, tells his readers to walk towards their own happiness if they want it. All in all, these two poems are like oceans: different temperature, different species present, different islands surrounding, but serves similar purpose to the world.
Mahon defines life to be hard with obstacles, pain, negativity, crime, etc. but he explains to his readera about the natural beauty of life and how hope and happiness arises from it - "the sun rises in spite of everything/ and the far cities are beautiful and bright." Throughout the entire poem, Mahon uses the sun as hope and how its rays of sunlight will shine bright over the darkness in everyone's life. He admits that life will one day end, "there will be dying, there will be dying, but there is no need to go into that," but he encourages the readers to not think about death while there can still be hope to acquire happiness in life.
When he starts the poem, he asks to his readers about how can they not be happy when the dark clouds move aside and clear the sky for sunshine to shine through - "How should I not be glad to contemplate/the clouds clearing beyond the dormer window..." The clouds could symbolize the obstacles in one's life and he gives hope to the readers by making them realize the importance of the "clouds" clearing the "sky" one day and "sunshine" making the world a brighter place to live. Mahon achieves his theme of hope and standing up to the problems and having faith on life itself by using symbolism, rhetorical question and himself.
Silverstein, in his poem " Where the Sidewalk Ends," also highlights the theme of hope but instead of having faith on life and that the problems will end one day (Mahon), he asks the readers to seek for the positivity in their own life. He symbolizes the street as the normal, painful life and the end of the sidewalk is the place of happiness. He initiates a sense of movment and a requirement of taking action in the readers' hearts to find their own happiness. He admits there is pain, crime, negativity in everyone's lives but he also admits that there is a place (might be only emotional or mental, not necessarily physical) that we all need to approach to get what we want.
Unlike Mahon, Silverstein urges his readers to take action walk where the sidewalk ends - "Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black..." He also uses symbolism to increase the effect and intensity to his poem. Both the poets gives hope to their readers, assure them of the happiness the future consists and ask them to "hang on" but Silverstein, in particular, tells his readers to walk towards their own happiness if they want it. All in all, these two poems are like oceans: different temperature, different species present, different islands surrounding, but serves similar purpose to the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment