blog




  • Essay / Fear of Death and Frustration in the Works of John Keats and Hw Longfellow

    Throughout the analysis of the two plays, “When I Have Fears” and “Mezzo Cammin,” there was a theme similar and a use of language to describe it. The first poem was written by John Keats in 1818, just a few years before his death. He expresses sadness, as Keats was in poor health and feared that he would not realize his potential as a writer. “Mezzo Cammin” was from the perspective of a middle-aged person who expresses that he let half his life slip away without accomplishing anything. It was written in 1842 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Although the poem "When I Have Fears" is more of a youthful lament and "Mezzo Cammin" takes on a bored and dissatisfied tone, both contribute to a central theme based on fear of death and frustration faced with the non-realization of its potential. to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay There are very clear similarities between the theme relating to depression, frustration and death in both poems. In “When I Have Fears,” Keats expresses this sadness and regret for the way he lived his life. Line 14 says, “Until love and fame think of nothingness.” » He uses this powerful imagery to lament all that he will never accomplish; love and success. However, Keats seems to have accepted the fact that he will die soon. In “Mezzo Cammin,” Wadsworth takes a similar theme in a completely different direction. He said, in a slightly depressed and dissatisfied tone: “Half of my life has passed and I have let/the years slip away and I have not fulfilled them. » (lines 1-2) In this poem, the speaker appears to be a middle-aged man in crisis. He is dissatisfied and has not exploited his full potential. Wadsworth doesn't know how to live the rest of his life and regrets the time he's already spent. He fears death even though it “thunders far from the heights” (Line 14). The theme of fear, of death, is illustrated in both poems through imagery, but the tone of each is very different. The two sonnets were written at very different times and therefore have very different structures. “When I Have Fears” is a Shakespearean sonnet written during the Romantic movement. Shakespearean sonnets use a distressed tone, with intense imagery revolving around love, sin, and passion. The perspective Keats takes is illustrated when he says: “And when I feel, fair creature of an hour/that I may never look at you again.” » (lines 9-10) This line is a striking example of some features of a Shakespearean sonnet written during the Romantic movement. On the other hand, “Mezzo Cammin” is a Petrarchan sonnet, written on the basis of Italian literature. The title is also very significant in terms of tone. “Mezzo Cammin” refers to a line from Dante's Divine Comedy: “In the midst of our life's journey, I found myself in a dark wood with the right path lost. » This line is a direct reflection of how Wadsworth feels, as if he is halfway through his life and has gone off the rails. The structure of each poem is important because it has a huge impact on the tone and direction taken. The poetic devices and choice of words used in both poems are slightly similar. John Keats uses personification to emphasize the beauty of the world he is about to leave. “When I gaze upon the starry face of the night” (line 5) is an example of his use of intense imagery, this literary device creates a more realistic scene. , and allows the reader to imagine that he is actually there. Keats talks about the love he will never know. He refers to the "huge symbols.