need help on "a song of opposites"

[supajohn]

i want to know..

what type of poem is it
point of view
what is it paraphrasing
main idea or main event
and any literay devices that use in the poem


thanks for helping me:)

[dks]

Hello, supajohn.

This is a great one!! It is a lyrical poem (it does have a rhyme scheme, but no definitve structure or type). It is in first person--the poet is speaking. He is referring to life's ever present aspects of "light and shade" existing together and enveloping the poet's senses.

This theme is inherent in almost all of Keats's works--it is almost so characteristically him that it pervaded his chief works (the odes--most specifically "Nightingale" and "To Autumn"--where he amalgamates those ideas of light and shade into beauty and death.) This thematic element also pervaded his letters--see his famed letter about his philosophy on the "Vale of Soul Making." Here he talks about the heart needing to "suffer in a thousand diverse ways" in order for a person to form a 'whole' identity.

I hope I helped an inkling, at least.

[supajohn]

big thank to you it helps
now i want to know about "to autumn"
i'm doing a analysis that we have to define whether there's imagery, figurative speech, sound effects, and rhythm of the poem.
also what tone he uses to express the poem

by the way, can you give me some examples of John Keat's poems that are easier for me to analyze? because i'm not accustomed of doing poetry and i'm really stressed out

[supajohn]

just want to ask one more question
what's the use of apostrophe in the poems?
i found some in "to autumn"
like moss’d; o’er-brimm’d; half-reap’d
but i don't know why john keats used it


thanks to anyone who explains it to me

[greymouse]

supajohn,

To Autumn is one of the most esteemed poems in the language. I envy your opportunity to study it in a classroom setting! I can't explain the entire poem as well as some here, but here are a few things to look out for:

Boring detail: The apostrophe is often used to keep the pentameter intact. "o'er" is one syllable whereas "over" would destroy the meter. As for "moss'd" and "clamm'd" and "brimm'd" it doesn't seem necessary. Maybe (I'm out on a limb) he's distinguishing from "mossed" using two syllables, which he occasionally does, but then he uses an accent over the e. Look into this when you get a chance, especially if you don't understand meter yet.

In this poem, notice he doesn't use traditional fall imagery! Ask a class of 20 students to write an ode "to autumn" and they will return something with colored leaves, cold winds, etc. Keats is not being cliche, he's being inventive.

Notice how many times he vacillates between nearsighted imagery and farsighted imagery. Small things like slow oozing and gnats are described, but also distant things like the rosy sky and swallows. This helps create a complete picture, micro and macro.

Finally, just notice how dense his imagery is, and find words that evoke each of the senses. This wasn't really too common before the 19th century to be so relentlessly concrete. This is a very thick poem for being so short! There's much more to say, but maybe this can give you a start. Finally, many have attached philosophical significance to this Ode, and probably rightly so. Keep reading it!

[dks]

Also, too, supajohn, the apostrophe is a poetic element whereby the poet addresses something inanimate. For example, he addresses autumn in the poem "To Autumn." Autumn is not a person or an animal--but it is personified by the apostrophe--or the poet's addressing the poem to it.

It's a literary device, if you will, or a figure of speech wherein the speaker speaks directly to something nonhuman.

[Saturn]

I'm constantly amazed and delighted by all your knowledge and helpfulness people

Keep up the good work.

I love you guys, really.

[supajohn]

thanks for the help on "to autumn"
i've changed the song of opposites to "when i have fears that i may cease to be"
i'm confused about "huge cloudy symbols of a high romance"
what does this line mean?

[dks]

thanks for the help on "to autumn"
i've changed the song of opposites to "when i have fears that i may cease to be"
i'm confused about "huge cloudy symbols of a high romance"
what does this line mean?

Ahhh, that magical sonnet is my speciality. I love it and it speaks very loudly to me--I've studied it much and poured over it time and time again.

Now, "huge cloudy symbols of a high romance" is a direct reference to the poet's seeming love life. The symbols of love are there-but they're not clear--they're cloudy--and it is always a fireworks display of a "high romance" for him--a grandiose feeling, but a miniscule reciprocation, and so, therefore, a deep diappointment for the poet. He is wishing, in this sonnet, to experience love before he passes--or "ceases to be." He wants for two things profoundly: to write great verse and be heard, and to experience love--all before he dies--which he hints may happen while he is still young. Many critics point out that this sonnet may be the uncanny prediction of his own untimely death. It is interesting to speculate on, since this sonnet was written when he was only 22 years old-- amazing, really, isn't it??

[greymouse]

I'm constantly amazed and delighted by all your knowledge and helpfulness people

dks pretty much rocks the house as far as helping see things from a new angle, doesn't she? I love reading everybody's posts here and just ... learning, learning, learning.

[dks]

I don't as anyone has ever paid me such a compliment.

Thank you, greymouse, you're too kind, there.

I am the one amazed by all of you--I talk about you guys and this forum all the time!