To an Athlete Dying Young

Archit Shukla
C. Srygley
AP Literature
14 February 2012

To an Athlete Dying Young by A.E. Housman

THE time you won your town the race

We chaired you through the market-place;

Man and boy stood cheering by,

And home we brought you shoulder-high.


To-day, the road all runners come,
5
Shoulder-high we bring you home,

And set you at your threshold down,

Townsman of a stiller town.


Smart lad, to slip betimes away

From fields where glory does not stay,
10
And early though the laurel grows

It withers quicker than the rose.


Eyes the shady night has shut

Cannot see the record cut,

And silence sounds no worse than cheers
15
After earth has stopped the ears:


Now you will not swell the rout

Of lads that wore their honours out,

Runners whom renown outran

And the name died before the man.
20

So set, before its echoes fade,

The fleet foot on the sill of shade,

And hold to the low lintel up

The still-defended challenge-cup.


And round that early-laurelled head
25
Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead,

And find unwithered on its curls

The garland briefer than a girl's.

Initial: Housman’s To an Athlete Dying Young is a poem describing the immortalization and remembrance of an athlete’s legacy after he has died. Upon succumbing to his death, the athlete is remembered for that entire he has done rather than his death. In other words, the athlete will be remembered for his success rather than if or when someone will beat him.
Paraphrase:
When you won your race through town

We paraded through the marketplace;

Children and adults stood watching,

And home we brought you in glory.


Today all runners come,
5
Shoulder-high we bring you home,

And set you at your threshold down,

Townsman of a stiller town.


Smart lad, to die at this time

From fields where glory does not stay,
10
And early though the laurel grows

It withers quicker than the rose.


Eyes that shade darkness are shut

Cannot see the record cut,

The silence is as the cheers
15
After earth has stopped the ears:


Now you will not swell the rout

Of lads that wore their honours out,

Runners whom renown outran

And the name died before the man.
20

So set, before its echoes fade,

The fleet foot on the sill of shade,

And hold to the low lintel up

The still-defended challenge-cup.


And round that early-laurelled head
25
Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead,

And find unwithered on its curls

The garland briefer than a girl's.

SWIFTT:
S: Housman’s poem is divided into seven stanzas consisting of four lines each. The rhyme scheme is aabbccdd; further, there are seven sentences for seven stanzas. The sentences are simple in structure, and do not have hidden symbols or details, meaning that the overall nature of the poem is straightforward. W: Housman’s diction in To an Athlete Dying Young is often sparingly complex yet has a surplus of details. For example, terms like shoulder-high, strengthless, and threshold are neither complex nor contain strong connotative feel. Yet, the details provided by these words reveal the praise the athlete receives even during his death. I: Throughout To an Athlete Dying Young, the images of glory as well as death are expressed. Housman uses the imagery of a burial to signify the death of the Athlete, yet Housman also express praise and immortalization of the young athlete by stating that even those who overcome the athlete’s records will not have the glory the fallen athlete does. F: There is no evidence of the use of similes; however, the entire poem itself is an extended metaphor that relates accomplishments living on even after one’s death. Furthermore, the poem is also a paradox for the feelings one should experience after death (sorrow and pain rather than pride and glory).T: The aspect of tone can be observed in multiple points of view. For example, generally the death of a well-respected athlete will bring on sorrow and depression. Secondly, the glorification of the athlete expresses a more proud and memorable tone. Finally, because there is a paradox in the poem, an ironic tone is possible. T: The theme of this poem is to accomplish one’s goals and live one’s life to the fullest because death can strike at any time. Furthermore, the aspect of “life is a race” can also be noted.
Final: In conclusion, I feel that my initial analysis of the athlete being immortalized and glorified at his swift death still holds true. The term race reflects one’s own race to be remembered and glorified but also reflects one’s race against time.

Ode on a Grecian Urn

Archit Shukla
C. Srygley
AP Literature
7 February 2012

Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats

THOU still unravish'd bride of quietness,

Thou foster-child of Silence and slow Time,

Sylvan historian, who canst thus express

A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme:

What leaf-fringed legend haunts about thy shape
5
Of deities or mortals, or of both,

In Tempe or the dales of Arcady?

What men or gods are these? What maidens loth?

What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape?

What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy?
10

Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard

Are sweeter; therefore, ye soft pipes, play on;

Not to the sensual ear, but, more endear'd,

Pipe to the spirit ditties of no tone:

Fair youth, beneath the trees, thou canst not leave
15
Thy song, nor ever can those trees be bare;

Bold Lover, never, never canst thou kiss,

Though winning near the goal—yet, do not grieve;

She cannot fade, though thou hast not thy bliss,

For ever wilt thou love, and she be fair!
20

Ah, happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed

Your leaves, nor ever bid the Spring adieu;

And, happy melodist, unwearièd,

For ever piping songs for ever new;

More happy love! more happy, happy love!
25
For ever warm and still to be enjoy'd,

For ever panting, and for ever young;

All breathing human passion far above,

That leaves a heart high-sorrowful and cloy'd,

A burning forehead, and a parching tongue.
30

Who are these coming to the sacrifice?

To what green altar, O mysterious priest,

Lead'st thou that heifer lowing at the skies,

And all her silken flanks with garlands drest?

What little town by river or sea-shore,
35
Or mountain-built with peaceful citadel,

Is emptied of its folk, this pious morn?

And, little town, thy streets for evermore

Will silent be; and not a soul, to tell

Why thou art desolate, can e'er return.
40

O Attic shape! fair attitude! with brede

Of marble men and maidens overwrought,

With forest branches and the trodden weed;

Thou, silent form! dost tease us out of thought

As doth eternity: Cold Pastoral!
45
When old age shall this generation waste,

Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe

Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say'st,

'Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all

Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.'

Initial: Upon reading Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats, the complexity and multiple themes within each stanza is overwhelming. Initially, I feel that Keats is describing the nature of an urn that has withstood the test of time by means of having the speaker analyze the visual depictions on the urn. The speaker attempts to analyze the depictions on the urn three times and fails each time. The final lines of Keats’ poem are interestingly confusing in that there can be multiple interpretations on the purpose and reason for Keats stating, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty.”
Paraphrase:
You are still un-ravished a bride of tranquility,

You are a foster-child of Silence and timelessness,

Sylvan historian, who cannot express this

A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme:

What olden legends is expressed on you
5
Of gods or men or both?

In Tempe or the dales of Arcady?

What men or gods are these? What maidens loth?

What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape?

What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy?
10

Melodies listened are sweet, but Melodies unheard

Are sweeter; therefore, ye soft pipes, play on;

Not to the sensual ear, but, more endear'd,

Pipe to the spirit ditties of no tone:

Fair youth, beneath the trees, thou canst not leave
15
Thy song, nor ever can those trees be bare;

Bold Lover never have thou kissed,

Though winning near the goal—yet, do not grieve;

She cannot fade, though thou hast not thy bliss,

For ever wilt thou love, and she be fair!
20

Ah, happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed

Your leaves, nor ever bid the Spring adieu;

And, happy melodist, unwearièd,

For ever piping songs for ever new;

More happy love! more happy, happy love!
25
For ever warm and still to be enjoy'd,

For ever panting, and for ever young;

All breathing human passion far above,

That leaves a heart high-sorrowful and cloy'd,

A burning forehead, and a parching tongue.
30

Who are these coming to the sacrifice?

To what green altar, O mysterious priest,

Lead'st thou that heifer lowing at the skies,

And all her silken flanks with garlands drest?

What little town by river or sea-shore,
35
Or mountain-built with peaceful citadel,

Is emptied of its folk, this pious morn?

And, little town, thy streets for evermore

Will silent be; and not a soul, to tell

Why thou art desolate, can e'er return.
40

O Attic shape! fair attitude! with brede

Of marble men and maidens overwrought,

With forest branches and the trodden weed;

Thou, silent form! dost tease us out of thought

As doth eternity: Cold Pastoral!
45
When old age shall this generation waste,

Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe

Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say'st,

'Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all

Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.'

SWIFTT:
S: The complexity of Ode on a Grecian Urn is best reflected through the syntactical structure of the poem. Keats uses strong and direct sentences (exclamatory sentences) as a means for the speaker to communicate to the urn as well as the reader. The use of rhetorical questions is used for the speaker to insinuate his own confusion and lack of understanding when observing the urn. The poem itself is an ode and follows the general outline to that degree.W: The word-choice or diction is quite complex throughout the poem—mainly due to the heavy use of archaic and open-ended word phrasing. Although the surface message is simple, the archaic diction Keats uses allows the speaker to ponder the purpose and his own understanding of the urn; yet simultaneous, Keats uses the complex diction to send a subliminal message to the reader. I: The imagery Keats uses is all visual and is used not as the “main course” but rather a “side dish.” In other words, the images of sensual man with pipes, the images of spring, and the overall flowery tale are meant to enhance the interpretation of the poem. F: Just as the imagery, the figurative language (e.g. the metaphors) is used only to enhance the specific analysis the speaker is doing throughout the various stanzas. Yet, the use of paradox in that man’s interpretations of art are futile as well as life versus lifelessness is expressed. T: The tone itself is difficult to grasp. An artificial analysis of man is expressed, yet the tone could also be condemning or arrogant in terms of man’s (speaker’s) analysis of the urn.T: The final two lines of Keats’ poem express the theme directly: Beauty is truth, truth beauty—that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.” Keats’ speaker is either describing the urn or the urn is describing mankind. Case one shows that the limitations of an analysis exist and exist to make the analysis one’s own (limitations of human interpretation on beauty). Or, the second case makes the claim that beauty and truth are interchangeable and one expression… that is all mankind must know on this earth.
Final: In conclusion, I feel that my initial interpretation was not as exact or descriptive in responding to Keats’ poem. Upon completing this analysis, I feel that the two cases mentioned above genuinely express the themes and reasons behind Ode on a Grecian Urn. It is obvious that this poem holds multiple interpretations and for that reason, the complexity is preserved.

Solitary Reaper

Archit Shukla
C. Srygley
AP Literature
13 February 2012

Solitary Reaper by William Wordsworth

BEHOLD her, single in the field,

Yon solitary Highland Lass!

Reaping and singing by herself;

Stop here, or gently pass!

Alone she cuts and binds the grain,
5
And sings a melancholy strain;

O listen! for the Vale profound

Is overflowing with the sound.


No Nightingale did ever chaunt

More welcome notes to weary bands
10
Of travellers in some shady haunt,

Among Arabian sands:

A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard

In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,

Breaking the silence of the seas
15
Among the farthest Hebrides.


Will no one tell me what she sings?—

Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow

For old, unhappy, far-off things,

And battles long ago:
20
Or is it some more humble lay,

Familiar matter of to-day?

Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,

That has been, and may be again?


Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang
25
As if her song could have no ending;

I saw her singing at her work,

And o'er the sickle bending;—

I listen'd, motionless and still;

And, as I mounted up the hill,
30
The music in my heart I bore,

Long after it was heard no more.

Initial: By title only, William Wordsworth’s Solitary Reaper is possibly a tale about a person who is harvesting and singing alone and in their own isolated world. Upon reading Wordsworth’s poem, the speaker is describing the alluring singing and presence of the woman or “solitary reaper.” The speaker is mesmorized by the woman’s song, and the speaker feels her presence in his heart long after he has left the woman. This poem, in a generic sense, is praising music and its appeal to all.
Paraphrase:
BEHOLD her, alone in her field,

The private Highland Lady!

Harvesting and singing by herself;

Stop here, or gently pass!

Alone she cuts and binds the grain,
5
And sings a depressed song;

O listen! for the hillside around

Is overflowing with the sound.


No woman did ever speak

More welcome notes to weary bands
10
Of travelers in some sheltered haunt,

Among Arabian sands:

A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard

In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,

Breaking the silence of the seas
15
Among the farthest Hebrides.


Can Someone tell me what she sings?—

Perhaps the nostalgic numbers flow

For old, sad, far-off things,

And old battles:
20
Or is it more humble sounds,

Familiar matter of the present?

Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,

That has been, and may be again?


Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang
25
As if her song could have no ending;

I saw her singing at her work,

And o'er the sickle bending;—

I listen'd, motionless and still;

And, as I mounted up the hill,
30
The music in my heart I bore,

Long after it was heard no more.

SWIFTT:
S: Wordsworth’s Solitary Reaper effectively transitions through the use of four stanzas of eight lines each. The use of rhetorical questions portrays the speaker’s impatience as well as notes the appeal of the song being sung. The rhyme scheme is ABABCCD and the sentences contain heavy use of punctuation such as commas, dashes, and semi-colons. W: In terms of diction, Wordsworth use basic linguistic wording at times while adding an archaic word for effect. For example, words like chaunt, ne’er, yon, and lass are archaic words that reveal a specific detail or mood during that stanza of the poem. Secondly, words like melancholy, sorrow, and shady reveal an appealing and sorrowful tone. I: The imagery in the Solitary Reaper is heavily used; further, the images of an Arabian desert as well as a warzone are used to describe the nature of the song. Secondly, the bird imagery and countryside setting also add visual detail to the poem as well as reveal the praise of music and song the solitary woman has on the speaker. F: There is no use of specific figurative language such as simile and metaphor; however, the dominant feature of this poem is the imagery. T: The tone of the poem, in the context of the speaker, is rather curious and intriguing. The speaker’s impatience reflects the need to understand the song and why it is being sung. Further, a second tone of appeal or allure as well as praise can be seen through the music or song itself. T: The generic theme of Wordsworth’s Solitary Reaper is praising the beauty and hidden mystery in music and song. The incomprehensible nature of the song not only intrigues the speaker but expresses a hidden beauty in the song itself.
Final: Initially, I felt that Wordsworth’s Solitary Reaper described an isolated woman singing a melancholy song that was alluring and very much comprehensible. Yet, upon further analysis, the poem is meant to portray the beauty in music and praise the hidden qualities of song—hidden qualities that are felt long after the last note is sung. The tone and theme express the appeal of music; furthermore, each visual images as well as connotative and archaic diction reveal details to make these conclusions.

Wild Swans at Coole

Archit Shukla
C. Srygley
AP Literature
6 February 2012

The Wild Swans at Coole by William Butler Yeats

THE TREES are in their autumn beauty,

The woodland paths are dry,

Under the October twilight the water

Mirrors a still sky;

Upon the brimming water among the stones
5
Are nine and fifty swans.


The nineteenth Autumn has come upon me

Since I first made my count;

I saw, before I had well finished,

All suddenly mount
10
And scatter wheeling in great broken rings

Upon their clamorous wings.


I have looked upon those brilliant creatures,

And now my heart is sore.

All’s changed since I, hearing at twilight,
15
The first time on this shore,

The bell-beat of their wings above my head,

Trod with a lighter tread.


Unwearied still, lover by lover,

They paddle in the cold,
20
Companionable streams or climb the air;

Their hearts have not grown old;

Passion or conquest, wander where they will,

Attend upon them still.


But now they drift on the still water
25
Mysterious, beautiful;

Among what rushes will they build,

By what lake’s edge or pool

Delight men’s eyes, when I awake some day

To find they have flown away?

Initial: Upon initially reading Yeats’ The Wild Swans at Coole, the reader cannot help but feel the specific tone of pondering and a sense of unfinished journey. Yeats is describing a man’s journey during the season of autumn or fall—a season known connotatively for the peak of one’s life as winter will bring death. The man is describing his interactions with the wild swans he sees, both prior to the present day as well as the present day. Yeats states, “I have looked at those brilliant creatures, but now my heart is sore,” which is rather ominous and could foreshadow a oncoming death.
Paraphrase:
THE trees are in the autumn beauty,The woodland paths are dry,Under the October waterMirrors a still sky;Upon the brimming water among the stonesAre fifty-nine swans.The nineteenth fall has come on meSince I first made my count;I saw, before I had well finished,All suddenly mountAnd scatter wheeling in great broken ringsUpon their noisy wings.I have seen those radiant creatures,And now my heart is aching.All's changed since I, hearing at twilight,The first time on this shore,The bell-beat of their wings above my head,Trod with a lighter tread.Serene still, lover by lover,They paddle in the coldCompanionable streams or climb the air;The swan have un-aged hearts;Passion or conquest, wander where they will,Attend upon them still.But now they drift on the still water,Odd, stunning;Among what rushes will they build,By what lake's edge or poolDelight men's eyes when I awake some dayTo find they have flown away?
SWIFTT:
S: Yeats uses a five stanza-six line poem format to illustrate his idea of the man pondering on his life’s journey. Yeats uses five sentences, each of which is in one stanza, to describe his ideas. Each of the first for sentences are compound-complex and declarative; however, Yeats’ last sentence is an interrogative with a rhetorical question. Finally, there is a couplet in the first two sentences, and the overall rhyme scheme is abcbdd, a rather simple scheme. W: Yeats uses descriptive adjectives that enhance the man’s elegance of the swans. Terms like brilliant, beautiful, twilight, and mysterious add vivid details and imagery to the poem. Overall, the terms are neither archaic nor simplistic. Yeats uses the perfect blend emotional and concrete details and word usage. I: Imagery, specifically visual imagery, is developed throughout the poem to describe the location, flight, and nature of the swan. The descriptions of the surrounding land, watery home, and misty air are used to develop an image within the reader’s mind. F: There is no use of traditional figurative language like simile or personification; however, an extended metaphor of an unrestricted life developed through the swan as compared to the man is possible. Secondly, Yeats uses rhetorical questioning nearing the end of his poem to elaborate on the helpless nature of the man. T: The tone of The Wild Swans at Coole is bleak and helpless. The man feels his time on earth has been restricted and gone to waste such that when compared to the freedom of the swan (flight), the man’s grounded nature has seemingly wasted his life. T: The theme of Yeats’ poem is a never-ending journey even during the end of one’s life—a restricted journey in which only so much can be accomplished. Unlike the flight and freedom of the swan, the man feels his life to be useless and rather unrewarding.
Final: Initially, I felt that Yeats was describing the end of a man’s life as well as comparing the man’s life to that of a swan. I agree with this description; however, I feel that the tone is not pondering or mysterious but rather depressing and mournful. The man feels his life has been restricted and worth little, while the swan’s majestic flight represents a strong urge for freedom.

Oven Bird

Archit Shukla
C. Srygley
AP Literature
6 February 2012

Oven Bird by Robert Frost

There is a singer everyone has heard,Loud, a mid-summer and a mid-wood bird,Who makes the solid tree trunks sound again.He says that leaves are old and that for flowersMid-summer is to spring as one to ten.He says the early petal-fall is pastWhen pear and cherry bloom went down in showersOn sunny days a moment overcast;And comes that other fall we name the fall.He says the highway dust is over all.The bird would cease and be as other birdsBut that he knows in singing not to sing.The question that he frames in all but wordsIs what to make of a diminished thing.

Initial: Upon reader Oven Bird by Robert Frost, I feel that Frost intends to write this poem to classify and describe the interconnection of seasons. Using analogies and puns, Frost describes a circular connection between the four seasons—summer, fall, winter, and spring. Throughout the poem, there is a reference to “he,” which can be interpreted as the creator of seasons or god. The arrangements and sentence structure is rather simple yet elegantly placed.
Paraphrase:
There is a singer all have heard,
Loud, like mid-summer or mid-wood
Who makes the tree trunks sound.
He says that leaves are older unlike flowers
Mid-summer is to spring as one to ten.
He says the early petal-fall is past,
When fruit-bearing trees fall fast
On sunny days a swift cloudy overcast;
And comes the season of fall.
He says the dusty highway is on all.
The bird would cease and be as other birds
But that he knows in singing not to sing.
The question that he frames in all but words
Is what to make of a diminished thing.

SWIFTT:
S: Oven Bird, a poem by Robert Frost, is a sonnet in structure and contains a couplet in the first two sentences. There is a simple rhyme scheme and a total of five sentences covering fourteen lines. The sentences themselves are not vastly difficult to interpret, yet the simplicity of the sentences adds an elegance and “flow” to the poem. W: There is use of puns, “then comes the other fall we also name fall” in referring to the season. The overall usage of complex and double-meaning words is not evident; however, connotative words like spring, overcast, and diminished add necessary details. There is also use of assonance in “I” and “O” vowels to describe the seasons as they change and connect.I: Frost uses imagery, specifically visual imagery, to depict the change in seasons. For example, “when pear and cherry bloom went down in showers” is a one of the many lines that depict the transformation of summer to early fall. Frost also describes the scenery as it pertains to a specific season, adding to the visual imagery. Further, the seasons described in Oven Bird are connotatively used as their counterparts—summer as vitality, spring as rebirth, winter as decay and death, and fall as harvest.F: Although no obvious use of figurative language, the use of personification in describing the birds as they sing and communicate with one another can be classified. Again, the use of a pun and specific word usage overtakes any figurative language. T: The tone of Frost’s poem is questioning, curious, and possibly somber. Frost even uses a seeming rhetorical question in “what to make of diminished things” to gain insight onto other thoughts and opinions. T: The theme is generically the intertwined nature of season and its connotative impact on the surroundings. The use of the bird as a symbol for humanity reflects this impact such that the bird is cheerful and singing in spring, but isolated and quiet in fall and winter.
Final: Initially, I felt that Oven Bird, by Robert Frost, was a simple poem describing the changes in nature; however after my analysis, I see that Frost’s intent was to describe the connotative natures of the changes in seasons as it relates to humanity. The bird referenced throughout the poem serves as a reminder to humanity’s response to changes in the seasons. Further, the lack of activity and response in summer, the sense of abandonment and quietness in fall, the ominous nature of winter, and the excitement and noise of spring represent what Frost and many of us feel about the seasons. Frost’s use of simple sentence structure and connotative words add to the appeal or opposition to specific seasons. Secondly, Frost uses imagery and personification to relate the changes in the seasons as humanity sees it.