"Woman Work" by Maya Angelou

Thesis: The apparent shift in the rhythm of the poem Woman Work by Maya Angelou highlights her overwhelming desire to escape the long and gruesome duties of a woman for rest.  

Maya Angelou uses a very specific rhyme scheme in the first 14 lines of the poem but begins to change the nature of the music in the poem at line 15, which consequently displays the woman’s conflicting interests between her desires and the truth. The first 14 lines exist simply to show the constraints and duties of being a woman. For example, in lines 7-10, the speaker notes, “I got company to feed / The garden to weed / I’ve got the shirts to press / The tots to dress”. The repetition of the rhyme scheme is analogous to the repetitive demeanor of the tasks, as this brings attention to the fact that these duties are strictly repetitive and tiresome. The repetition of the word “got” throughout the first 14 lines exemplify the recurring theme of the pitiless tasks, and then Angelou continues to incorporate anaphora by saying “gotta” in line 12 in order to further contrast the woman’s duty to work and her desire to rest. The shift in music occurs directly after the first 14 lines when the speaker says, “Shine on me, sunshine / Rain on me, rain / Fall softly, dewdrops / And cool my brow again” (15-18). As opposed to the original short and choppy tasks presented in the beginning half of the poem, the second half differs immensely especially with its speed and tempo. Clearly the rhyme scheme has altered, and this has resulted in a change in pace, which forces the reader to slow down and appreciate the natural devices such as personification in the text. Hopefully, the speaker will induce the audience to view her predicament and realize her tireless efforts so that one day she “can rest again” (22). This immediate and abrupt shift in rhythm starkly contrasts the speaker’s desire for rest and the reality of her duties.

The Stranger #1

A common theme throughout The Stranger is the idea that life is meaningless. In the first couple chapters of the book, this is most prevalent in the relationship between Mersault and Marie. It is understood that Mersault and Marie had a previous relationship, but it did not work out. Since then, there appears to be no motivation for love on Mersault’s part, even though he enjoys Marie’s presence and the time he spends with her. When Mersault invites Marie over for lunch, she asks him if “[he] loved her” (35), to which he replied with, “I told her it didn’t mean anything but that I didn’t think so” (35). Less than a chapter later, she asks him if he would marry her, and using almost the same disinterested expression assures Marie that it would not “make any difference to [him] and that [they] could if she wanted to” (41). In his essay The Myth of Sisyphus, Albert Camus discusses the meaningless nature of life, and uses Mersault’s outlook on life to support that claim. The simple fact that Mersault has no interest in love or marriage means that he does not live his life to find passion or sustenance because he cannot find the point. The belief that life has no redeeming purpose coincides with Camus’ absurdist philosophy, and it appears that Mersault is just a proponent of this theory. Although this appears to be an awful outlook on life, the meaning and direction behind Camus’ argument is truly fulfilling and it will be interesting to see how the timeline of the novel plays out in the following chapters.

Since there's no help - Michael Drayton

Thesis: In this poem by Michael Drayton, there is an immediate tone shift from a much disavowed tone to a more pleading one that offers a glimpse of hope.

In this sonnet styled poem, the persona, who is unidentified, but easily inferred as a married man, expresses interest in ending his marriage with his love. In fact, the very first line of the poem expresses this idea: “Since there’s no help, come let us kiss and part” (1). The tone continues to distance the man from the woman, and the man even goes on to claim that this makes him happier: “And I am glad, yea, glad with all my heart” (3). After these lines, it is difficult to predict a shift in tone, yet it occurs after the eighth lines. Instead of continuously renouncing his marriage, the man goes on to personify love, passion, faith, and innocence in an effort to disclaim the woman’s power over repairing their love. The final lines of the poem go on to say, “now, if thou wouldst, when all have given him over, / from death to life thou mightst him yet recover” (13-14). The poem concludes with the man raising the idea that it is necessary for their love and marriage to expire for them to start anew. This shift in tone displays a sense of hope. Observing simply the tone of this poem is interesting enough. It resembles the workings of love that seem to be diminishing, yet there is also a way to fix it. The ending tone reaffirms the positive meaning behind the first eight lines, where it is inevitable that they “kiss and part” for them to ultimately save and cherish whatever they had between them that is so very special.

The Picture of Dorian Gray #8

The final pages of The Picture of Dorian Gray suggest that Dorian is suffering from his insubordination in following the guidelines of aestheticism. It can be inferred that Oscar Wilde uses Dorian as an example for the audience to distinguish the consequences of not enjoying art for its true meaning and beauty. Throughout the novel, Dorian has been so fixated on the fact that he does not want to age that he allows the portrait Basil paints for him to become corrupt.  It conceals the evil nature of Dorian behind a wall of paint and frames. When Dorian becomes frustrated with the paintings irreversible effects, he stabs the portrait only to be found “lying on the floor…in [an] evening dress, with a knife in his heart” (165). However, it is understood that when Dorian’s caretakers find him in the attic, the portrait resembled “a splendid [picture] of their master…in all the wonder of his exquisite youth and beauty” (165). The roles of the portrait and Dorian have changed. Now that Dorian has committed all of his wrongdoings and realized this, he tries to escape the madness by destroying the portrait he believes to be the source of his corruption. However, with Dorian dead and the portrait in mint condition, it is understood that the portrait was not corrupt, but simply concealing the true identity of the hedonistic fiend that has fallen before it. This role change exemplifies the purpose of the book, where one should only find the beauty in art. Dorian has made little effort to search for beauty he originally sought as a young man, and now that he has become increasingly more corrupt, the consequences have finally caught up to him. Perhaps the death of Dorian is merely a representation of our moral and personal hedonistic feelings, where in fact one should be searching for the beauty in art, not letting the pleasure that accompanies it control our desires.

The Picture of Dorian Gray #7

Dorian’s encounter with Sibyl’s brother James seems to cement his place in the novel as an evil and unremorseful character. When confronted by James outside of the opium den, Dorian is not so much fixated on resolving his sins and actions that James requests of him; instead, he searches for a route to escape the situation he is currently placed in. Even when in the face of realizing his mistakes, Dorian decides not cower to James and the expectations of society, claiming that he “never knew [Sibyl]” (140). Dorian, at this point in the novel, feels no remorse for the death of Sibyl, which happened eighteen years ago, and uses this fact to his advantage to escape having to confess his sins to James. In context of the novel, it can be inferred that James is placed at this moment to resemble the final breakdown of Dorian Gray, even though it does not explicitly occur in these chapters. This passage makes it clear to the audience that Dorian is a completely altered and evil character, if it was not already expressed beforehand. As Dorian’s visit to the opium den is to engage in more sinful activity, he cannot will himself to apologize or recognize the acts of evil he has committed, even when this murderer is in the face of murder. Shortly after Dorian successfully escapes the murderous grasp of James Vane, James is later told of the fact that Dorian seemingly “sold himself to the devil [in return for] a pretty face” (141). Even the public understands Dorian’s guilt and evil, but it is Dorian who does not wish to address these issues. He would rather quickly avoid them at all costs for his own benefit and livelihood. It is this flaw that seems to be the underlying factor behind Dorian’s dwindling character and personality. Perhaps it is also this flaw, though he refuses to accept it, which influences his decision to murder Basil, corrupt other members of society, or even refer to Lord Henry as a dear friend and mentor.