And More Death / Metaphors - Poetry Blog 2 (Death, Be Not Proud)

"Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so; For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow Die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me."

~ John Donne, Death, Be Not Proud

This poem is filled with metaphors. The most significant metaphor relates to death and religion. Throughout the poem, there is an image of Jesus' crucifixion. It talks about how death cannot conquer a human, even if he does die - "die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me." This is metaphorical for how Jesus died on the cross to save all of us and help us achieve salvation. Also, the poem says "one short sleep passed, we wake eternally, and death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die." This sounds pretty familiar - the message is in the Gospel. Jesus died, just as we all will die (the short sleep passed), but then, he gave us everlasting life (we wake eternally), because he conquered death (death, thou shalt die). These metaphors teach to not be afraid of death because we will all be saved and live forever in the end.

Under the Influence... of Life? / Irony - Poetry Blog 3 (I Taste a Liquor Never Brewed)

Emily Dickenson wrote the poem I taste a liquor never brewed. Throughout the whole poem, she uses alcoholic words to describe a somewhat different experience. It reminded me of the expression "high on life." She uses words like "inebriate," "debauchee," "drams," and "vats" - all which relate to alcohol. The only part of this I'm not quite sure about, however, is what she is getting drunk off of. It seems like there's no logical reason, but that may be part of the poem; she is just feeling good. In addition, her reference to religious figures is ironic because drinking in excess is usually considered very immoral (especially when she describes herself as a debauchee) in most religions. The "Seraphs" and "Saints" take interest in her drunken actions when traditionally, they would have been disappointed or ashamed of her.

When Insanity Ensues (Metonymy) - Poetry Blog 2 (I Felt a Funeral, in my Brain)

Now we are going to take a gander at Emily Dickenson's I Felt a Funeral, in my Brain. This poem required a bit more thought and interpretation than "spring is pretty..."

"And Mourners to and fro... And when they all were seated, A Service, like a Drum - Kept beating - beating - till I thought My Mind was going numb." I think it's funny how she personifies these abstract thoughts. This really helps to give you an image of what is happening in her head - that is, if you know what the thoughts are. Here's my theory:

The mourners are chaos. She's thinking so much, so her thoughts are rushing around "to and fro." When they are seated, the chaos settles, and the service, insanity, begins. The funeral is for her stable mental state which has just died.

"As all the Heavens were a Bell, And Being, but an Ear, And I, and Silence, some strange Race Wrecked, solitary, here."

Theory number two:

Heavens are metonymy for religion altogether - using the word "heavens" just makes the analogy run more smoothly - while the bell is the call to religion. The ear is referred to as beings, so the ear is people who hear the call to religion. Emily, however, compares herself to silence because she can't hear the call and is not religious. By saying "some strange Race Wrecked, solitary here," she reveals that she feels like she is the only person who can't hear God's call, so she is a weak, damaged person. This may have contributed to the death of her sanity.

He's Just Not That Into You... (Chapter 13/ Pages 186-197)

" 'What is it?' she almost screamed.
  And as though awakened by her cry he caught her by the shoulders and shook her. 'Whore!' he shouted. 'Whore! Impudent strumpet!' "

~ Brave New World, page 194

Wow. I am very appalled, with the amount of censorship these days (especially in a Catholic school), that we were permitted to read this book. Don't get me wrong, I really like it so far, but this scene just surprised me. I knew John was strong in his religion, but I didn't realize he was that passionate about his faith. He is very invested in his morals. I don't personally know many guys who would resist a naked woman throwing herself at them, but I can think of some examples in literature and movies!

In Just Friends, Samantha (Anna Farris) repeatedly attacks Chris (Ryan Reynolds) even though he is in love with another woman.

In He's Just Not That Into You, Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin) throws herself at Alex (Justin Long), who explains to her why men act like they do, because she thinks she is his "exception" - she's not.










In Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer (yes, I am making a Twilight reference, and YES, I am ashamed!), Bella wants to have sex with Edward, but he denies her and runs away because he wants to be married first.