Analysis of Literary Devices in Poems

Introduction Literary devices are essential aspects and elements of any poem, and thus, to properly understand their uses, it is important to analyze one of the most well-known works. The given assessment will primarily focus on three pieces of poetry, which are “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost, “Death Be Not...

Images of Oedipus, Socrates, and Hamlet in the Interpretation of Tragic Heroes

King Oedipus is the central character of the same name’s play, a bright and significant person with an unshakable strength of spirit and a thirst for knowledge. The literary prototype of King of Thebes is the central character of Shakespeare’s play ‘Hamlet.’ Prince of Denmark is a multifaceted image, which...

The Meaning Behind the Lines: Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18

Creating a literary piece requires an understanding of various poetic devices. William Shakespeare is one of the world’s most renowned writers, capable of capturing the reader’s attention. Even though it is challenging to grasp the essence of one’s fairness, a person can indeed be more attractive than a day in...

The Theme of Faith in the Novel “Hey Nostradamus!”

Introduction The theme of faith is a rather unpopular central choice for Douglas Coupland’s literary works. The author is popular with practical themes of life, death, and love in his past writings, such as Generation X: Tales of an Accelerated Culture and City of Glass. In the current novel, Hey...

“Jesus’ Son” and “The Lame Shall Enter First” Comparison

Jesus’ Son, a related collection of short stories named after the lyrics of The Velvet Underground’s song, is often described as one of the most important literary works of Johnson’s generation. It was even included in The New York Times’ Top 25 Best Writings 2006 – a list of the...

Holocaust and War in “Hiroshima” by John Hersey

How important is human life when it comes to incidences of ware and the use of weapons of mass destruction? The production of the book Hiroshima by John Hersey was in 1946 and narrated stories of six atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima. During this time, there was a new line...

Discrimination Against Women in Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale”

Description of the issue The issue of discrimination among women continues to influence the experience of females in the modern world. Mainly, society continues to depend on prejudices that concern the role of women in society. Coffey demonstrates that this part of the population suffers from inequality in India because...

Gender, Labour and Financial Agency in “Jane Eyre”

This paper will summarize the fifth article ‘Charlotte Brontë’s Circumvention of Patriarchy: Gender, Labour and Financial Agency in Jane Eyre’, by Owsley Lauren. The main argument is whether Jane Eyre functions as a primarily feminist text in the modern literary and gender discourse (Owsley). She does this by examining the...

An Analysis of ”Robinson Crusoe” and ”Pride and Prejudice”

For the most part, Daniel Deoe’s Robinson Crusoe tells a story of a man who lives on an island where the class of a person does not matter. Nevertheless, the concept of the middle class still plays a significant role in the book and its narrative. Robinson’s father is a...

“Beauty and the Beast”: Similar Fairytales in Europe and Asia

Fairytales are universal human creations that exist not only to amuse children but also to amaze adults and transmit the wisdom of distant generations. Indeed, each fairytale is unique in the matter of its characters and details of the narrative. However, certain themes are common for multiple people around the...

Plot and Topics of “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid

The author presents a series of advice that the mother gives to the daughter in the Antiguan community. The mother notices that her daughter has reached adolescence and realizes she is the only person to guide her daughter to live a non-promiscuous and respectful life. She imparts general knowledge to...

Theme in “Miss Brill” Story by Katherine Mansfield

Introduction Modern societies face numerous challenges which affect the lives of people and, at times, significantly hinder their well-being and mental state. Isolation is among the main pressing issues encountered by individuals nowadays, and some experts state there is even a loneliness epidemic taking place (Klinenberg). The story “Miss Brill”...

”The Odyssey” by Homer: A Greek Poem Analysis

Introduction Although Odyssey is an Ancient Greek poem, it is interesting to read even nowadays, when people got used to twisted plots. There are several basic topics in the poem, several of which are still actual for a modern person. The first topic is free will, which is reflected through...

Shakespeare’s Impact on the English Language

No one can dispute the fact that Shakespeare’s works have had an impact on the English language and should be studied in schools by students. Shakespeare had a great contribution when comes to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the authoritative record of the English language, used mostly by students. In...

“The Most Dangerous Game” Story by Richard Connell

The short story by Richard Connell called “The Most Dangerous Game” quickly grabs a reader’s attention with its action-filled scenes. However, there are more mature topics within the story that highlight a question regarding the exceptional value of life and the error of black-and-white worldviews. This essay will analyze the...

Hamlet’s Relationship With Gertrude

Introduction As a targeted literary work to analyze, the world-famous play The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare will be considered. For the first time, the tragedy was published in 1603, and to this day, this is one of the outstanding works of the genius of classic...

“Desiree’s Baby” by Chopin and “Young Goodman Brown” by Hawthorne

Introduction Desiree Aubigny and Faith Brown are characters in the short stories “Desiree’s Baby” by Kate Chopin and “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The heroines of these stories are young women who faced several trials in their family life. However, it would be wrong to decide that the women...

Nguyen Du’s The Tale of Kieu: Revolution in Transition

Introduction The Tale of Kieu by Nguyen Du involves a famous Vietnamese story of a young girl attempting to correct her past life mistakes through continuing adversity in her life. The Vietnamese girl, by the name Kieu, is peddled into prostitution and unceasingly gets cheated by men in the context...

Edgar Alan Poe’s Stories Analysis

Works by Edgar Alan Poe are the most terrifying literature pieces in romanticism style. Even though the writer is always considered the representative of romanticism, his works can be regarded as the premise for the Southern Gothic formation. The most outstanding features of Gothicism can be found in his works....

Peace and Compromise in “Ender’s Game” by Card

Although “Ender’s Game” is set in the distant future, the themes and ideas that it conveys are quite close to present-day readers. Child mercenaries, which the protagonist is supposed to embody, do exist, representing a major ethical concern and a moral issue for the modern world. Raising the questions of...

Home, Journey, and Identity in Children’s Books

The genre of children’s books might appear to be rather unsophisticated and plain to the uninitiated. However, on closer inspection, the world of children’s literature will reveal that it has no boundaries for imagination and, therefore, can stretch across the themes and subgenres hat no other type of literature can....

Extended Similes: “The Faerie Queene” by Edmund Spenser

The poem The Faerie Queene (1552-1599) by Edmund Spenser follows the adventures of a number of medieval knights and is deliberately written in an archaic style to draw inspiration from myth and history, particularly the legends of Arthur. As mentioned by the author himself, the reading of the work should...

Power and Ambition in Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth”

Introduction “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” one of the first works to be associated with the name of William Shakespeare, doubtlessly is more than a story with a moral. It serves to illustrate the common laws of life, which work on human beings even without their understanding of them. In fact,...

Discussion of “Aeneid” Story by Virgil

Introduction Virgil’s “Aeneid” is the story of the Trojans who had to flee their hometown after the Greeks destroyed it. This story explains both the details of the Trojan war, the Aeneas’s journey to Carthage, their arrival to Sicily, and Aeneid’s destiny as the founder of Rome. This paper will...

An Ideal Hero in the “Beowulf” Old English Poem

A hero is believed to be an individual of great strength, courage, and fortitude, or one of the central protagonists in a literary or cultural work, including a movie or video game. Facing overwhelming adversities, the leader uses creative abilities, valor, or power in order to overcome them. Hero and...

“The Revenge of Babylon”: Historical Fiction Story

Old Nadav smoothed his thickly gray beard with his fingers and turned to his grandson, who was pestering him with questions, putting aside the silver goblet on which he was engraving the pattern. Why are you bothering me, Osher? You prevent me from working. – He grumbled in a voice...

Junot Diaz’s Literary Works: The Theme of Racial Superiority

Junot Diaz is among the most artistic, literary writers of all time. Diaz has won many awards for his creative writing, including the innovative 2008 Pulitzer award for best fiction literary works. Diaz’s literary works mainly focus on racial issues, prejudice, Dominican attitudes and immigrant assumptions on U.S culture. Diaz...

Themes of Humanism in Jackson’s “The Lottery” Story

Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” is a mystic and enthralling story, shocking the audience with its ending. The story begins with a quite positive yet suspicious note. From the first lines, readers feel the tension and guess that something terrible is about to happen. Later they realize that they...

Similarities Between “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Gilman and “The Story of an Hour”

Introduction Traditionally, women were viewed as less equal, which led to them fighting for their rights. Through different amendments touching on equal rights for women, everything seems to be changing whereby women are now holding prestigious positions alongside men. Besides that, they are receiving almost similar treatment like men. Literature...

“The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe Analysis

The Tell-Tale Heart is one of Edgar Allan Poe’s scary stories. The story is told on behalf of an unnamed narrator who killed an older man with whom he lived under the same roof. The narrator insists on his sanity, explaining the crime by saying that the old man had...

Destiny of Republic Novel by Candice Millard

Introduction Sometimes, fate develops in an absolutely unexpected way: a rural orphan boy managed to become the president of the USA but did not get a chance to long this position long enough. James Abram Garfield was an incredibly talented and naturally gifted person who spent his youth in poverty...

Technology in Burning Chrome by William Gibson

Introduction William Gibson’s story Burning Chrome depicts an advanced but soulless society where most technological advances are portrayed as distorted by commercialization and human mechanization rather than improving the quality of life. However, the main characters are depicted as completely dependent on technology. Technology is not only a global achievement...

Theme in “The Epic of Gilgamesh” by Sîn-Lēqi-Unninni

For centuries that the text of The Epic of Gilgamesh has existed, humanity has been able to enjoy its everlasting and always up-to-date lessons about life, death, identity, and the meaning of human existence. Therefore, the analysis of the text allows for identifying several key themes, one of the most...

Ancient Mesopotamian Religion and Its Influence in ”The Epic of Gilgamesh”

Introduction All ethnic groups, especially in ancient times, had their heroes and iconized characters. In ancient Mesopotamia, such a hero was Gilgamesh- a warlike and wise king bent on immortality. The found tablets with the story of his life can be identified as the first memorial of literary skill. It...

Poverty and Capitalism in Trash by Dorothy Allison

Through the book titled Trash, author Dorothy Allison features the struggles of a violent survivor from a poverty-stricken family. Although Dorothy’s story is not a biography, it certainly portrays the life of a working-class lesbian through a reinvented and condensed experience. The girl is depicted as addicted to violence but...

Anne Bradstreet and Phillis Wheatley: The Change of Status Quo in Literature

Anne Bradstreet, born in 1612 in England, was married to Simon Bradstreet and graduated from the University of Cambridge at 16. A couple of years later, after moving to America and having eight children, she became one of the first poets in the American colonies. Phillis Wheatley Peters was a...

Harper Lee and “To Kill a Mockingbird”

There are numerous various books in the world, and some of them are products of pure imagination while others reflect real life. Often authors implement some aspects of their lives into their works, and one such example is Harper Lee and her novel To Kill a Mockingbird. To understand the...

Saving Rufus’s Life in “Kindred” Novel by Butler

Kindred is a fictional novel written by Octavia Butler, which touches upon the topic of the value of human life, referring to the horrifying antebellum South events. The female protagonist Dana suddenly experiences the time-traveling to the past and meets her ancestor Rufus, the antagonist of this story. Dana has...

The True Meaning of “Dulce et Decorum Est”

Dulce et Decorum Est is a poem written by Wilfred Owen in 1917 and then published in 1921 after the author’s death (Muttaleb and Hamadneh 3). Its title is the reference to Horace’s words, who once said, “It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country.” In his poem,...

Espaillat’s “Bilingual-Bilingüe” & Hayden’s “Those Winter Sundays” Poems

Family relations, in particular between parents and children, are often complex and ambiguous. Moreover, the connection established with the mother and with the father also contrasts. Most modern adults were probably closer to mothers who took care of the home well-being, while fathers worked daily for the benefit of the...

Plaatje’s Mhudi on South Africa in the 19th Century

Introduction Sol Plaatje’s Mhudi is an incredible full-length book written in English by a black writer from South Africa. It is a romantic epic with its setting in the early nineteenth century during the South African wars. The main action is centered around an extermination campaign by King Mzilikazi against...

Greek and Roman Tragedy. Euripides and Seneca

Euripides Euripides was a Greek writer who wrote about women and mythological themes like Madea and Helen troy. He was considered to have a great contribution to the Greek creation of new comedies. Life and Career Euripides was born in or about 484. He was well educated, attending the lectures...

“A Canary for One” by Hemingway: Topic Proposal and Bibliography

Topic Proposal: The Illusion of Ideal Family Ties and Blind Prejudice in Hemingway’s Story Ernest Hemingway is an internationally renowned American novelist and short-story writer whose works are particularly striking for the peculiar moral imperatives. Therefore, the topic proposal argues that limited knowledge and interest in native and foreign cultural...

Setting Matters: “Cat in the Rain”, “A Rose for Emily”

A person telling a story is likely to provide some setting to help listeners acknowledge relevant contexts. The setting, being one of the central components of literary works, serves as a background where certain events take place (Khrais, 2017). Some may even think that authors mention the place where their...

The Hunger Games Book One: Inequality Problem Relation

The first part of the trilogy tells about the despotic government, which organizes an annual demonstration game of survival, which is watched from the air by the whole world. The lot to participate in the Games falls to the young Katniss and Pete, who is secretly in love with her....

Family Relations and History in “The Best We Could Do” Novel by Bui

Thi Bui’s “The Best We Could Do” brings out the theme of family relations and family history. The author explains that she started researching and writing the book to understand their family and better connect with her mom and dad and learn to love them. Although a vast gulf separates...

Friendship and Good Life in “Song of Myself” Poem by Walt Whitman

The poem “Song of Myself” is an epic work of literature as the poet dedicates it to celebrating himself. An interesting aspect of the poem is its length and its free verse nature. It is divided into fifty-two sections, with each part introducing a slightly new concept about celebrating oneself...

Analysis of “The Portrait of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde’s book The Portrait of Dorian Gray has constantly been mentioned everywhere in the world. This is understandable because the book presents a hedonistic worldview that was completely new back then. One of the quotes to be analyzed in this essay goes like this, “None of us can stand...

Discussion of Morality in Auschwitz

Morals provide a benchmark for choosing what is right or wrong in any social context. The author of Survival in Auschwitz depicts the failure of morality to instil empathy and a moral compass in his life. He reveals his earlier immoral actions as a civilian before being incarcerated. In the...

The Past in the “Educated” Memoir by Tara Westover

Educated is a memoir by Tara Westover, where she explicitly describes her challenging way toward education. Born in a conservative family isolated from mainstream society in the mountains of Idaho, Tara decides that a university education is the best way for her to start a new life full of opportunities....

The Meaning of Fairy Tales in Adult Life

Children love fairy tales, which is not surprising as books contain worldly wisdom, allowing them to find a way out of many life situations and in an accessible form explaining the structure of this world. Many of the world-famous fairy tales were initially written for adult readers. Only transformed and...

Reflection on William Shakespeare’s Quote

“For There is Nothing Either Good or Bad, Thinking Makes it So.” William Shakespeare’s statement is partially wrong as it contradicts the possibility of either good or bad occurrences happening. There cannot be a dispute that good or bad exists because a human being can experience that they feel happy...

Measure for Measure by Shakespeare. Documentary Critique

Measure for Measure is one of Shakespeare’s most controversial plays, as it raises politically sensitive topics such as justice, morality, and corruption. The collision of power, religion, and sex can be perceived utterly differently over the course of time. Even though many literary critics have tried to find the pitfalls...

Dystopian Novels as Prediction of Human Future

Are dystopian novels a prediction of human being’s future communities or states? To examine this statement, this paper will use two books. These are the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell and Ten with a Flag by Joseph Paul Haines. The dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four uses the character of Winston...

21st Century Ideals of Revolution From Shelley’s “Prometheus Unbound”

Introduction Percy Bysshe Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound combines the literary forms of lyrical drama and poetry to recreate and reanimate a classical mythological story. In the opening episode of the play, Jupiter, Shelley’s symbol of religious and political tyranny, punishes the heroic Prometheus for stealing fire from heaven and giving it...

The History Behind “On Being Brought From Africa to America”

In the Poem “On Being Brought from Africa to America” by Phillis Wheatley, an in-depth interpretation will show that Wheatley contrasts dark vs. light imagery, and her use of language highlights race and religion. Furthermore, the author uses an ambivalent representation of the African race using the perspectives of white...

Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Review

“Harrison Bergeron,” a short story written by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. in 1961, presents the world 120 years later when the government has complete control over freedom of thought and full equality has finally been achieved – at a price, obviously. The story is interesting in many ways, especially in analyzing...

Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise: A Renaissance Anthem”

The spirit of renaissance stirs through many literary works from the last quarter of the 20th century, rejuvenating African American’s will to defy an oppressive system. One such invigorating creation is Maya Angelou’s Still I Rise. This paper analyses how Angelou’s poem criticizes racism and marginalized conditions that have perpetually...

Review of “Young Goodman Brown” Story by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Introduction The story Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a fascinating piece that focuses on guilty conscience and different issues faced by people in the community. The story involves Brown, who leaves his wife, Faith, to meet a man in the dark forest he identifies as the devil. Authors...

Walt Whitman as a Democratic Symbol

Introduction Walt Whitman was a poet that changed it all for the field of poetry across the United States and beyond its borders. He did not identify himself with any other poet while also conveying the idea that an ideal poet should never stay above anyone else. Walt Whitman’s audacity...

Jealousy and Its Examples in Literature

Introduction Jealousy occurs when a person longs for something they do not possess, whether it is a relationship, talent, or a material object. People may choose to control the natural reactions regarding this feeling or exhibit them freely regardless of the consequences. Jealousy could occur toward other humans, dead or...

“Americanizing the White Man” by Felix S. Cohen

In Americanizing the White Man, Felix S. Cohen uses the term “Americanizing” to mean transforming immigrants from Europe into the American people. The author uses this term to raise a question about what kind of traditions and culture America heritages. For example, traditional American food and products such as corn,...

Woody Holton’s “Unruly Americans and the Origins of the Constitution”

Woody Holton’s book Unruly Americans and the Origins of the Constitution discusses the historical events and economic factors that played the central role in the development of the Constitution. Particular attention is given to the economic issues, class conflicts, the role of popular protests, and the decisions of the Founding...

Symbolism in “Dante’s Inferno”

It is difficult to diminish the notable unpredictability of Inferno to a short rundown of significant images. The story includes Dante going from the external levels of Hell into the most profound areas where Lucifer dwells. He encounters the disciplines of various sins and investigates his own feelings and scholarly...

The Tale of The Ox and the Donkey in Modern Society

Writers have used tales to convey a particular message to the audience. Tales are stories where one is creative, and they can either be factual or fictional. For instance, One Thousand and One Nights was compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age and focuses on what people experience in...

Antagonistic Objects in the Short Stories

An antagonist is a character who opposes the main one on the way to achieve goals. The antagonist-protagonist opposition is one of the possible driving forces of the central conflict of literature work. The actions of the antagonist not only create obstacles that the protagonist must overcome but can also...

Features of a Post-Apocalyptic Story in McCarthy’s “The Road”

The parallel realities might be closer than we used to think they are. One possesses an inexplicable ability to travel through time and space, and explore the worlds full of unknown scents, feelings, and senses. Fiction is a powerful and wise guide through each of the existing realities. One of...

Modern Meets Ancient in A. E. Stallings

Death took me by the hand and took me to the underground. Did it not know that I still had life to live and more to explore? It was the second chaotic, unpleasing home it placed me on. Never did death feel a little sorry for me. Dealing with the...

Analysis of “Ozymandias” and “My Last Duchess”

Literary devices are intended to give the text various expressive qualities and originality, reveal the author’s attitude to what is written, and convey some hidden meanings. A detailed description of the sculpture of Ozymandias and word choice, including such imageries as “Two vast and trunkless legs,” “shattered visage,” and “wrinkled...

Monologue of Hamlet by William Shakespeare

‘Tis sweet and commendable in your nature, Hamlet, To give these mourning duties to your father: But, you must know, your father lost a father; That father lost, lost his, and the survivor bound In filial obligation for some term To do obsequious sorrow: but to persever In obstinate condolement...

Comparing the Archetype of Satan in The Chronicles of Narnia and His Dark Materials

Introduction It is impossible to imagine the world without literature and its advancements. It is so because all peoples create some writing pieces, meaning that this field has many universally acknowledged features. Archetypes are one of them, and Carl Jung developed this term to denote a pattern or model that...

Insignificance of the Doloneia in Homer’s “The Iliad”

The Iliad is a classic work of literature, which has withstood the test of time and become one of the essential art pieces in human history. In ancient times, scholars have already started to question whether including Book 10, often referred to as the Doloneia, was the right choice. Modern...

“Philip Seymour Hoffman” by Nick Flynn: Poem Analysis

In “Philip Seymour Hoffman” by Nick Flynn, the narrative sets the former addict in front of a box with Vicodin, which he had put away for an emergency when he decided to stop using drugs. The author describes the thoughts and feelings of a person who struggles with addiction, demonstrating...

The Concept of Fairness in the Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale”

Justice, equality, and fairness are the ideals people from different cultures in different parts of the world have always aspired to achieve. They are the values that not only have inspired people to speak up and fight against oppression, cruelty, discrimination, and abuse but also encouraged innovation and progress, bringing...

Amanda’s Influence on Laura in Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie”

The Glass Menagerie is a well-known Tennessee Williams’ play which partially relates to his bibliography. The audience thought it to be unusual because of the distorted depiction of reality and the widespread use of symbolism. Moreover, there were only four characters: Tom, Amanda, Laura, and Jim. One of the most...

“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” by T. Williams

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a classical Tennessee Williams’ play that examines the themes of an unhappy marriage, social hypocrisy, sexual repression, and masculinity crisis. It follows an unhappily married couple, Brick and Maggie, as they attempt to navigate the rocky phase of their union, Brick’s alcoholism, and...

“Matteo Ricci and the Catholic Mission to China” by Hsia

The book Matteo Ricci and the Catholic Mission to China written by Ronnie Po-Chia Hsia at first seems to be a story about a missionary’s life and achievements. However, as one becomes more acquainted with it, a deeper meaning behind the narrative is revealed. This relates to the uniqueness of...

Life in the Iron Mills by Davis: Realism and Sentimentalism

In Life in the Iron Mills by Davis (1861), the possible function of mixing two modes of fiction is to highlight the moral importance of the story for readers while making it very real to the audience. Being focused on the truthful representations of life, realism supports the author in...

Comparing “The Egg” by Weir and “Other People” by Gaiman

The Overview In Neil Gaiman’s short story Other People, a person finds himself in Hell, and his greatest torture is to relive his life through the eyes of those he hurt. It is a circular narrative in the sense that it ends just like it began: an arrogant person enters...

Loss Is a Disaster: Bishop’s “One Art” and Kay’s “B” Poems

Emotional pain is one of the unique aspects peculiar to human beings. As social creatures with a strong devotion to people who surround them, people cannot avoid feeling sad or frustrated because of various losses. These might include the death of close people, failures, or the inability to attain success....

What You Pawn I Will Redeem: Annotated Bibliography

The What You Pawn I Will Redeem presents the message of cultural identity through the setting, symbolism, and historical context of the story. Skwiot, E., & Clugston, W. (2019). Journey into literature (3rd ed.). Web. First, the essential reference for this literary analysis is the primary source. What You Pawn...

Review of Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”

The short story written by Kate Chopin in 1894 raises essential feminist issues. Despite the short form of the literary work, it successfully and powerfully conveys the deprivations American women of the end of the nineteenth century experienced due to the dominantly patriarchal society in which they lived. Meticulously using...

“Airframe” by Michael Crichton

The plot of the story is focused around Casey Singleton who is a single mom and the quality assurance vice-president of Norton Aircraft, a company that deals with the manufacture of airplanes. Casey is called in to investigate the crash of one of Norton’s wide-body aircraft, the Norton N-22 after...

The Play “The Merchant of Venice” by W. Shakespeare

Introduction The play The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare contains distinct elements of comedy although it depicts issues of grave importance in the society today. For this reason, some scholars consider it a tragedy while others regard it as a tragic-comedy. However, the comic aspects present in the play are...

James Joyce’s “Ulysses”: Literary Analysis

Introduction Ulysses is a novel by James Joyce, which was published in 1922. This work of classic 20th century Irish literature is known as the Bible of Modernism, and it became a unique phenomenon in the history of the English-language novel. The theme of the novel is one day from...

“Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas Review

The theme of death and mortality is discussed from varied angles in “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas. Overall, the poet encourages his audience to fight against death with screaming and kicking just like the new born babies fight for their life when they come...

Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” & “The Yellow Wall-Paper” by Perkins-Gillman

Introduction The short horror stories “A Rose for Emily” and “The Yellow Wall-Paper” have similar and different features, which are manifested through the authors’ use of the elements of gothic literature. “A Rose for Emily” is a short story by William Faulkner that was first published in 1930. The story...

The Hymn to Demeter. Eleusinian Mysteries

The Eleusinian Mysteries played a vital role in ancient Greece. Moreover, during the Hellenic era, these initiations became a major festival that was later exported as a cultural phenomenon to various parts of the Mediterranean and even encouraged a similar celebration in Ancient Rome. The initial idea behind the initiations...

“Hamlet” by William Shakespeare: Character of the Ghost

The importance of each character in a literary work can be either revealed explicitly by the author or implied by the character’s interactions with other individuals or relations to some events. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, there is one character that does exist in the same dimension as all the others. The...

The Sound of the Trees, and the Noise of the People

Robert Frost was a prolific American poet born on March 26, 1874, in San Francisco. Although he holds the absolute record for the number of Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry awarded to a single person, Frost struggled to find any recognition in his early years. In fact, he had to work...

Komunyakaa’s “Facing It” and Owen’s “Dulce Et Decorum Est” Poems

An analysis of a poetic work is a great way to appreciate and understand poetry more deeply. Qualitative literary analysis involves considering the author’s use of such elements of poems like speaker, tone, imagery, metaphors, similes, figurative language.This paper aims to discuss two poems – “Facing It” by Yusef Komunyakaa,...

Current Culture in Le Guin’s “The Ones Who Walk away from Omelas” Story

“The Ones Who Walk away from Omelas” is a fiction by Ursula K. Le Guin. Through the elaborated imagery of reflective narration, the author explores urgent moral issues still relevant to our society. This paper aims to apply Le Guin’s short fiction to the cultural analysis of our modern society....

“Order of Things: An Archaeology of Human Sciences” by Foucault

Argument The central argument that Michel Foucault puts forward in the Order of Things: An Archaeology of Human Sciences is that relevant points of history, knowledge, and humankind come in a specific order. By discussing the order, the author points to a series of assumptions that make up the relevant...

Edgar Allan Poe’s Dark Tale: The Cask of Amontillado Explored

“Cask of Amontillado” is a dark but romantic story that illustrates the horrors of evil. Poe portrays revenge and murder in the tale as expressed by Montresor and Fortunato who are the main characters. Amontillado means sherry in Spanish, referring to fortified wine, while the cask is the barrel. Montresor...

Coming of Age: Choice of Transition and Everlasting Infantilism

Coming of age stories have been prominent in many literary works. Aging and crossing a line between being a child and moving into adulthood is a topic that every single person can relate to. However, growing up is different for everyone and depends on their gender, socioeconomic, and cultural background....

Claudius as the Main Antagonist in Shakespeare’s Hamlet

Despite the fact that Claudius is introduced as the main antagonist in William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, he actually posses a number of strong qualities. In the beginning, the character shares his emotions about the death of the king and demonstrates his intention to support the family and “to bear our...

Symbolism in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick: Or, the White Whale

Introduction Evaluating fiction due to the use of literary analysis tools is a valuable practice in identifying the unique interpretations and thoughts laid down by writers. As a topic for research, symbolism in the novel Moby Dick: Or, the White Whale by Herman Melville will be considered from the perspective...

The Norton Anthology of American Literature

When pondering upon the notion of democracy, the vast majority of people will inevitably think of the United States of America. Since the US declaration of independence in 1776, the state itself became the synonym with the idea of the public will. In fact, researchers who spend years on investigating...

Reflection of Livy’s Ideas in Aeschylus’s Book

Individual ancient literary texts reveal specific stories in detail and serve as useful guidelines to interpret other works. As an example, one can discuss the role of Livy’s The History of Rome as an epic that contains important historical notes. Comparing his individual ideas with those of Aeschylus in Prometheus...

Symbolism in “Death of a Salesman” Play by Arthur Miller

The play “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller is a story of a salesman, Willy, who is trapped by his daydreams. The story revolves around flashbacks of Willy’s dreams and reality, which reveal a lot of symbolism about Willy’s failure to fulfill the American dream. In the “Death of...

“The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Stevenson

The Hazy London and Its Dwellers The small excerpt depicts the scenery of London in the 19th century. The central streets are small, quiet, and clean from dust. Nonetheless, it is just an illusion of a prosperous city. The text suggests that people are unhappy and unsatisfied with the situation...

The Great Gatsby: A Book Review and Summary

Scott Fitzgerald is a famous American writer, and most of his works are devoted to the jazz era. He elaborated this term, which means a happy decade between the end of World War I and the beginning of the Depression. This era involves the rebellion of the young generation against...

What Does It Mean to Be Invisible According to Ralph Ellison?

Introduction In the middle of the 1900s, Ralph Ellison created one of his remarkable novels Invisible Man. Each its passage or phrase has a specific meaning and impact on the reader. Still, the first paragraph of any literature work plays a significant role because it sets the tone for further...

Animal Themes in Mythology: The Fox

Introduction Animals often have a prominent role in the world’s mythologies and folklore. The fox is a common figure in many traditions, representing a cunning trickster or, sometimes, messenger, figure (Ashkenazi 148; Lihui and An 239). This figure is not necessarily negative or malevolent but is often described as dangerous...

Frankenstein: A Child in the Form of the Monster

Introduction Frankenstein is the most famous piece of literature by Mary Shelley. The novel tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist, who decided to make a living creature on his own. He successfully coped with the task, but the obtained result was terrible, which made Frankenstein reject his artificially...

Article Review: “The Philosopher Stoned” by Adam Kirsch

Introduction In his article The Philosopher Stoned, Adam Kirsch describes Walter Benjamin, his way of life, views, ambitions, and the influence of drugs on his mentality. The author explores certain life periods of Benjamin, observes the progression of his character, and also tries to emphasize his book On Hashish. Kirsch...

The Charge of Light Brigade

The Charge of the Light Brigade is a heroic but catastrophic attack that was conducted by the British cavalry under the command of Lord Cardigan. The attack was targeted at the Russian army and occurred during the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War on October 25, 1854. This event...

Nnedi Okorafor’s “Akata Witch”: Magical Education

Sunny’s magical journey is closely related to the Harry Potter books’ plot and its character regarding the heroes and the action. However, the author excellently opens up about African ideas of magic, creating an engaging plot story, and educating on a rich cultural heritage; the following essay will discuss the...

Post-WWI America in “Soldier’s Home” by Ernest Hemingway

The history of literature has seen renowned masters of short stories, and Ernest Hemingway is one of them. “Soldier’s Home” is a classic example of such a story, as it depicts the United States of America in the fallout of the First World War (WWI) through the prism of a...

Changes of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza

Introduction The most profound meanings are texts in which the conflict is expressed implicitly, and occurs inside the character. The story of the knight Don Quixote and his squire Sancho Panza is a brilliant example of how a writer skillfully recreates inner-personal conflicts leading to the radical metamorphosis. Thus, a...

Differences Between Poetry and Prose

Introduction Differences between poetry and prose are highly noticeable even for people who are not knowledgeable in the forms of writing. The most obvious difference between prose and poetry lays in their structures – while poetry may be regarded as properly structured, the prose is more free and natural. Rhythm,...

Emily Dickinson’s and Langston Hughes’ Literary Achievements

Introduction The analysis of the literary works and writing styles of representatives of two different eras is a unique experience that allows comparing individual authors’ approaches and identifying the key factors that influence their creative manners. As an example of comparison, the achievements of two prominent representatives of American literature...

Symbolism in Poe’s “Masque of the Red Death”

The Masque of the Red Death is a horror story by E. A. Poe that talks about Prince Prospero and his masquerade ball during the Red Death plague spreading. The disease symbolizes Tuberculosis, an illness common during the writer’s lifetime (Jones, 2017). In the film, it is possible to see...

“The Four Voyages of Christopher Columbus” by Edwin Williamson

Introduction This paper summarizes the plot of The Four Voyages of Christopher Columbus. It also briefly describes the main character and analyzes the main ideas of the story. The book is written from a historical point of view, so it does not focus on a specific issue. Nevertheless, this essay...

Inspiration by Elizabeth Browning’s Love Poetry

Art Creation There is a significant number of topics that are especially loved by both authors and readers and used in literature rather often. Though all of them were being discussed for many centuries, poets can still find ways of expressing their thought and feelings about such themes in unusual...

The Concept of Sight in “Oedipus the King” by Sophocles

The concept of sight is one of the most complex metaphors used in the Greek tragic play “Oedipus the King” by Sophocles. As a metaphor, sight refers both to the literal meaning of seeing, as well as to the figurative sense of knowing and understanding. The relevance of this concept...

The Book “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” by Mark Twain

The adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is a classic bildungsroman that can be relevant for people of all ages. The main theme of the topic is a moral and social maturation that the main character, Tom, goes through. Being away from society as a child who did not...

The Novel “Skylark” by Dezso Kosztolanyi

“Skylark,” written by an outstanding Hungarian author Dezso Kosztolanyi, is a novel about the change of one senior couple’s life during the impermanent absence of their unattractive and unmarried daughter. At the same time, this work provides essential information about Hungary, especially its political environment, at the end of the...

Feminist Literary Criticism: Shoshana Felman’s Ideas

Opportunities to convey one’s ideas to society through literature are effective tools that allow not only leaving a personal mark on history but also indicating an individual position on a specific topic or issue. However, when taking into account modern social norms and foundations, not all the categories of the...

Symbolism of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a long poem that tells the story of the adventures of the brave knight Sir Gawain. This story is a fairy tale that shows the bravery and courage of the knights, which were popular at the time of its writing; however, it also...

“Parable of the Sower” by Octavia E. Review

Introduction Within the current state of government and society order, it is difficult to predict the future regarding the abundance of current issues that can jeopardize a better future. The current civilization should consider the specific laws and ways of living in order to set to ensure a bright future...

Blood Symbolism in “Macbeth” by Shakespeare

Authors often utilize symbols to signify the importance of events, objects, or relationships in their works. Indeed, the majority of the great poetic or literature works use some degree of symbolism to allow readers to visualize the writers’ messages. Correspondingly, in the play Macbeth, Shakespeare uses symbolism to portray the...

Phoenix in “A Worn Path” Story by Eudora Welty

“A Worn Path” is a story about the self-sacrifice and courage of vulnerable people in the name of a loved one. Written almost 80 years ago, the narrative remains relevant until now. The current paper claims that “A Worn Path” describes a feat that is minor in the context of...

Robert Burns the Scottish Poet

Biography Burns’ family was relatively poor, and he had to work at the farm as a child. His father, William Burnes, taught him writing, reading, and arithmetic at home (Crawford 50). Later, he received lessons in French, Latin, and mathematics from John Murdoch, a student hired by his father (Carswell...

Henry’s Perspective on War Changing in Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms”

Harsh realities of war may make many people question their views, and literary characters are not an exception to this rule. Henry from Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms is initially eager to play his part in the war, but then is almost executed for no fault, and this lack of...

The Role of the Supernatural

Introduction The term “supernatural” has several meanings and is used in both everyday speech and scholarly works on philosophy, psychology, and literature. In its most general meaning, the adjective “supernatural” means something not explained naturally, which is not subject to the laws of nature. In the field of fiction, the...

Oedipus and Hamlet: Review

Oedipus the King by Sophocles and Hamlet by William Shakespeare belong to the most famous tragedies in the world. Even though the creations belong to different historical periods, they have a few common concepts. The ground for this is that both works explore human feelings, actions, and desires and the...

Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s Jazz Age Perception in “The Great Gatsby”

Introduction Great works of literature remain in history for a variety of reasons. Some of them represent a particular era masterfully, leaving the reader with strong, vivid impressions. This objective is attained through accurate use of specific symbols, strengthening the work’s relation to a particular epoch, and contributing to its...

Maus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman

This paper will analyze the graphic strategies used by Art Spiegelman on page 13 of his graphic novel, Maus: A Survivor’s Tale. This page represents a part of the narration when a father tells his son about his past, so it includes both the current timeline of the story and...

The Canterbury Tales by G. Chaucer: The Miller’s Position about Marriage and Power

Introduction At the end of the 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer introduced his Canterbury Tales, where several people share their stories about British history, identities, and values. Each tale has a narrator and main characters who make mistakes, develop relationships, and analyze their achievements through the prism of the already established...

Analysis of “Girl in Translation, Chapter 11 and 12” by Kwok

One of the most key characteristics of chapter eleven revolves around relationship dynamics between various characters. The first major event takes place when some boys, who surrounded Vivian as the center of their attention, show disrespect towards Park. At this moment, Kim observes such behavior and steps to defend him,...

Nod and Kick & Friendship and Racial Conflict in “Recitatif“ by Toni Morrison

Introduction The central idea of the Recitatif by Toni Morrison is race and racism, the “black-white” conflict. It must be noticed that the author’s approach to this subject is nonconventional, and the first sign of it is that she makes the reader guess who between the two protagonists of the...

The Philosophy of the Middle Path in the “If”

Introduction The poem “If” by Rudyard Kipling develops the theme of resilience, manhood, and middle path utilizing devices of rhythm, rhyme, repetition, and symbolism. This didactic poem presents the author’s advice to his son John and consists of one compound sentence. In this sentence, Rudyard Kipling describes paradoxical life situations...

“Crack” by David Farber Analysis

This review dwells upon David Farber’s Crack: Rock Cocaine, Street Capitalism, and the Decade of Greed. The book sheds light on diverse aspects of the war on drugs and the crack market in the USA in the twentieth century. The author attempts to identify the major causes of the problem...

A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Literature has always been a tool used by authors to attract people’s attention to a particular aspect of their lives of problems topical for society. At the same time, some issues have always been topical for communities because of their universal character. These include love, relations, faith, morals, and values...

Mental Health in “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe and “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Nowadays, mental health is a significant concern in the United States, as more and more people become affected by psychological conditions. However, the discourse around this topic, especially that of schizophrenia, has existed for a considerable time. The main characters of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper and Edgar Allan...

Attitudes Toward Death: Thomas vs. Whitman

Introduction As well as the theme of love, the theme of life and death is frequently preferred by many poets for their great works. The main challenge is the impossibility to avoid death or prolong life, and authors try to find out additional ways to calm down, motivate, and support...

Analysis of the “Odyssey” by Homer

Introduction The “Odyssey” is an epic poem depicting Odysseus’s ten-year journey after the fall of Troy. The narrative has more than one perspective, following both Odysseus retelling his story and the view of his son, Telemachus. The “Odyssey” is an example of ancient poetry that had a despicable influence on...

White Slave Owners and the Tyranny of Slavery in Phillis Wheatley’s Poetry

Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral is the first published volume of poetry written by an African-American author Phillis Wheatley (Mulder et al.). Published in 1773, Wheatley had an opportunity to speak out on the tyranny she and her race faced from day to day. Without any fear, she...

Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl” Summary and Analysis

Over the course of history, it has become clear that in a world replete with cruelty and mischievous triumph, people crave freedom even if it implies going as far as possible from the established behavioral norms and patterns. The undisputable eagerness to feel alive and find the new connotative meanings...

“Know Your Why” by Ken Costa

This book has comprised several simple truths that help an individual to figure out their main purpose in life. It is addressed to those who burn out at work spending numerous hours doing things they do not enjoy. Those activities do not bring them closer to the desired future. The...

“The Worth of Love and Human Relationships” by Oscar Wilde

Human relationships, either comic or dramatic, turn out to be a common topic for many works of literature. Oscar Wilde used a variety of literary devices to enhance sensory experiences among readers. The Importance of Being Earnest is his play about the significance of social institutions like family and marriage....

Father-Son Relationship in Night

Introduction It is natural that the relationship between parents and their children is usually composed throughout the period of early childhood. Special attention often has to be paid to the father-son relationship because these two male figures may be both prone to covering their emotions. The deep connection between sons...