In Robert Frost’s poem “Out, Out”, personification plays a significant role. The poet deliberately gives the saw human qualities to impress the reader, for example, it “leaped out at the boy’s hand” (Frost 30, line 16). This effect is used to show the strong intention of the saw to hurt the boy and cut his hand. The personification helps to accuse the saw of killing the innocent young man. Later in the poem, Frost removes personification to remind himself and the reader that it is just a machine.
The overall effect of the boy’s death to his relatives is shocking. The following phrase demonstrates their reaction to his demise: “Since they were not the one dead, turned to their affairs” (Frost 30, line 34). Those people seem indifferent and show a lack of sympathy or concern. A sudden ending of the boy’s life has not affected his family since they immediately returned to their daily chores.
“The Tyger” and “The Lamb”
William Blake’s poems “The Lamb” and “The Tyger” have both similarities and differences in what they assert. First of all, both poems show animals that are opposed to each other. The lamb symbolizes kindness, gentleness, calmness, and agreement, while the tiger represents aggression, strength, and power. The poet compares a lamb with a child since they are both innocent, tender, and sweet, giving the reader a sense of its gentleness (Blake 9). Two different images representing light and darkness remind of the nature of God. The theme of creation plays a significant role in the poem. Blake uses powerful imagery to show that God, who created an innocent lamb, also created a tiger. This can be seen in the following line: “Did he who made the Lamb make thee?” (Blake 8, line 20). The poet also compares a tiger with a child that grows older, thus showing that every creature has both sides, good and evil. Those poems, being different and representing two contrasting animals, examine how innocence can be transformed into power with the presence of experience.
“Child By Tiger”
In his short story “The Child by Tiger”, Thomas Wolfe uses the first person. Such narrative plays an important role since it allows the readers to evaluate the main character, Dick Prosser, by themselves. It is written in an unbiased, dispassionate, and a rather calm manner. The author does not give any commentary on the thoughts of the hero. Instead, he allows the readers to see themselves who Dick is, build their impression about this character and his actions.
Unexpectedly, a kind and gentle boy has transformed into a cold-blooded killer in the end. The readers can explain this shocking action by the fact that Dick could not manage oppression and bad attitude. This made him lose self-control and let anger prevail over kindness (Wolfe 7). The terrible transformation helps understand the truth about the duality of human nature. Every person has both good and evil traits and chooses which one will prevail.
Since the story is narrated from the young Spangler’s point of view, the readers can feel how gentle and kind Dick is at the beginning. Spangler makes the readers see this character in perfect light, describing him as an “amazingly tender and watchful” boy (Wolfe 2). He is depicted as a hardworking young man who is good at everything. However, although Spangler adores Dick, he understands that he has a weird and mysterious personality. The biggest and most shocking mystery to both the narrative and the reader is that Dick has murdered nine people.
Works Cited
Blake, William. The Complete Poetry and Prose of William Blake. 1st ed., University of California Press, 2008.
Frost, Robert. Robert Frost’s Poems. Macmillan, 2002.
Wolfe, Thomas. The Complete Short Stories of Thomas Wolfe. Simon and Schuster, 1989.