P4+Joshua+Smith

**Dante Alighieri:**
Dante is one of the greatest poets whoever lived because of his allegorical style of poetry, and for his epic collection of poems, //The Divine Comedy.// “Many literary historians regard //The// //Divine Comedy// as the greatest work of Italian Literature. In world literature, it is ranked as an epic poem of the highest order” (Ergang, 103). The epic is divided in to three sections, //Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory), and Paradiso (Paradise, or Heaven).// Dante himself travels through these sections of the afterlife to gain understanding. However, Dante wrote the //Divine Comedy// to comment on the political happenings of his day. Since it is an allegory, the characters and objects in the poem all have a meaning. Many times, Dante encounters corrupt politicians, merchants, or clergymen in the depths of Hell in //Inferno//. This makes //The Divine Comedy// a very early form of political writing. Dante despised the corruption of his own time, so he cast those who lied, cheated, and betrayed their fellow men in the deepest circles of Hell. He also pokes fun at the Catholic Church in //Inferno.// Famous Roman and Greek scholars who were never baptized are soon to be in Limbo, the first circle of Hell. Dante was upset that the Church had such strict guidelines in regards to who can experiences Paradise, and who cannot, so he included this section to sarcastically say that it was not right that such brilliant men could not enter Paradise, simply because of the time they lived in. //Purgatorio// deals with the search for knowledge. Dante climbs the mount of Purgatory, and along the way learns about the meaning behind sins such as Pride, Envy, and Sloth, among others. //Purgatorio// is somewhat of a political writing, but more of a moral philosophy work. In //Paradiso,// Dante has learned all he possibly could from his journey. He is ready to travel the realm of Heaven in order to search for God. He does catch a brief glimpse of him at the end. What gives //The Divine Comedy// such a long life is that it’s themes and issues can be translated to our time. Corruption still occurs at the highest levels of government. There are still moral and philosophical questions to be answered. When we have these questions, and seek the answers, we sometimes turn to Dante for guidance. Dante is still such an influential poet because his works are able to survive and actually be used for commentary on our daily lives, despite the fact it was written seven hundred years ago. The longevity and style of his work makes Dante one of the greatest poets whoever lived.



**Works Cited:** **Three famous poems:**
 * [], Encyclopedia Britannica, 2013.
 * [],Encyclopedia Britannica, 2013.
 * [], Liberal Arts Institutional Technology Services.
 * Ergang, Robert, //The Renaissance//, Van Nostrand, 1967.
 * //Inferno:// “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here,” (Dante, Canto 3)
 * //Purgatorio:// “Thus you may understand that love alone is the true seed of every merit in you, and of all acts for which you must atone,” (Dante, Canto 33)
 * //Paradiso:// “My course is set for an uncharted sea,” (Dante, Canto 2)

**Literary Techniques:** In Dante's poems, Allegory, Metaphor, Imagery, Paradox, and Symbolism are used.

Allegory: A literary device where characters, events, or things are used to symbolize ideas, or beliefs.

Metaphor: Comparing two unlike objects, an analogy.

Imagery: Vivid description and language used to enhance an author’s work.

Paradox: Having two meanings, one that is, or is very close to, the opposite of the other.

Symbolism: Using persons, places, or objects to represent something other than their literal meaning.


 * //Inferno// has Allegory, Metaphor, and Imagery.

Allegory Example: As Dante travels through hell, he sees infamous politicians and clergymen from his time are being punished for corruption and fraud. Dante is showing these men to be the embodiment of dishonesty and fraudulence.

Metaphor Example: An example of Metaphor seen in //Inferno// is that Betrayal __is__ indeed the worst of sins, at least in Dante's eyes. It has one of the worst punishments: being forever frozen in an icy lake, unable to move.

Imagery Example: Dante uses vivid language to describe Hell as a vast and cruel realm. He explains that it has 9 circles, from Limbo to Betrayal, and that each circle contains an ironic punishment for the sinners placed there.


 * //Purgatorio// contains Paradox, Imagery, and Symbolism.

Paradox Example: In the poem, love is explained as both "the true seed of every merit in you," but it is also responsible for "all acts for which you must atone." In this case, love can be seen as both a good and wholesome feeling, but also as a destructive force that can consume people and cause them to commit horrible deeds.

Imagery Example: Again, Dante explains the realm of Purgatory as being a tall mountain which is difficult to traverse. Deeds in Purgatory include Sloth, and Envy.

Symbolism Example: The journey Dante takes is a good example of Symbolism. It represents a journey for knowledge and understanding, a journey that many people may take in their lives, as Dante did.


 * //Paradiso// contains Imagery, Symbolism, and Metaphor.

Imagery: Dante describes Heaven as being made of the known heavenly bodies of the time, from the Sun, to Saturn and the stars beyond. Dante travels through this mysterious and unknown realm.

Symbolism: The journey Dante takes in Heaven is different from his journey through Purgatory. He has almost reached the end of his quest, he just needs to make one last push for eternal knowledge and salvation. This represents an endless journey for enlightenment.

Metaphor: Heaven is the final stop for all enlightened beings in //The Divine Comedy.//

**Musical Comparison:**

//Inferno: “// I found myself in the dark woods / The right **way** lost / To tell about those woods is hard / So tangled and rough / And savage that thinking of it now” (I Found A Way, by Alkaline Trio). This has both an Allegory and a Metaphor: The Dark Woods. The Dark Woods are “tangled and rough,”, like life when “The right way lost”. The song also has vivid Imagery.

//Purgatorio:// (Purgatorio, by Tangerine Dream): The band made the song as a tribute to Dante and his //Divine Comedy.//

//Paradiso:// “She’s buying a stairway, to heaven” (Stairway to Heaven, by Led Zepplin). The “stairway to heaven” is a Metaphor and an Allegory speaking of a women’s journey, much like Dante’s journey for knowledge. With the Imagery, we get an idea that the women is trying to go on this journey by “buying” in to it.

= **Alfred Lord Tennyson:** =

Tennyson is also an amazing poet for his use of imagery and how his poems impacted Victorian culture. “And by the moon the reaper weary, Piling sheaves in uplands airy, Listening, whispers, " 'Tis the fairy Lady of Shalott” (Tennyson, //The Lady of Shalott//). //The Lady of Shalott// was one of Tennyson’s most famous poems because of his stunning use of imagery. He puts vivid descriptions of landscapes and nature in his poems. Many of his works have a plethora of themes as well. Although //Shalott// is one of his more memorable pieces, he is famous for many other works, too. His poems //Ulysses//, as well as his work //In Memorium// are still enjoyed by millions today. //Ulysses// deals with themes of Perseverance and Mortality. //In Memorium// has themes concerning Life and Death. These variations in work and themes are very common when looking at Tennyson.Tennyson enjoyed writing somewhat shorter poems. He did not write any epics, though //In Memorium// is very detailed and has a collection of poems within. There is one major factor that places Tennyson among the titans of poetry. And that is, much like the works of Dante, Shakespeare, and Kipling, his work has stood the test of time. He is as popular, or even more popular, today than he was when he was alive.



**Works Cited:**


 * [], The Victorian Web, 2004
 * [], A&E Networks, 2013
 * [], Poem Hunter, 2013
 * Tennyson, Alfred Lord, //The Lady of Shalott,// First Edition 1833, Second Edition 1842.

**Three Famous Poems:**


 * //The Lady of Shalott:// “All in the blue unclouded weather, Thick-jewell'd shone the saddle-leather, The helmet and the helmet-feather, Burn'd like one burning flame together, As he rode down to Camelot.”
 * //Ulysses: “//One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will, To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”
 * //In Memorium:// “I hold it true, whate'er befall; I feel it when I sorrow most; 'Tis better to have loved and lost, Than never to have loved at all.”

**Literary Techniques:**

Imagery: Using vivid descriptions and language to enhance writing.

Symbolism: Hiding a theme or central idea behind a person, place, or thing in a work.

Asyndeton: When sentences do not use conjunctions such as and, or, and nor.

Metaphor: An analogy/comparison.


 * //The Lady of Shalott// contains Symbolism, Imagery, and Metaphor.

Symbolism Example: The tower that the Lady is in and can not leave could represent many things. One way to see it, is it could represent the forces that steer people away from curiosity and create a sense of "safety".

Imagery Example: Very vivid scenes exist in the poem. It has a medieval feel to it, a tower in the middle of a river, wheat and barley fields in the surrounding hills, and a knight in shining armor, galloping along.

Metaphor Example: The boat near the tower in the poem can be compared to human curiosity and sense of adventure.


 * //Ulysses// contains Asyndeton, Imagery, and Symbolism.

Asyndeton Example: "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."

Imagery Example: Vividly describes the qualities of brave men, such as "heroic hearts," and "strong in will."

Symbolism Example: The final lines suggest finding something. It can be seen as people trying to find their own answers in the world.


 * //In Memorium// contains Imagery, Symbolism, and Metaphor.

Imagery Example: Many of the poems describe vividly the feelings of sadness and hope.

Symbolism and Metaphor Example: Love can be seen in the poem as being an unstoppable force that will always trump anger, and sorrow.

**Musical Comparison:**


 * //The Lady of Shalott: “//Sink me in the river, at dawn, Send me away with the words of a love song” (The Band Perry, //If I Die Young).// Has very similar Imagery to the poem as it refers to a river and love, like the original poem.
 * //Ulysses:// Ulysses (Indie Rock Band). Same name as the poem, inspired by it.
 * //In Memorium: “//How many roads have gone by, So many words left unspoken, I need to be by your side, if only to hold you” (Kenny Loggins, //Forever).// Both the song and the collective of poems deal with the loss of a loved one. The themes of sadness and missing someone, or something, are in both, as well.

**G.M Hopkins:**

G.M Hopkins needs to be considered as a mastermind of poetic genius because of his interesting rhyming style and experimentation. “ Time past she has been attempted and pursued, By many blows and banes; but now hears roar  A wilder beast from West than all were, more Rife in her wrongs, more lawless, and more lewd” (G.M Hopkins, //Andromeda//). Many poems of Hopkins have this rhyme style of ABBA. It was different from most poetry of his time, the Victorian Age. He was willing to try new styles of rhyming and poetry all the time. His experimentation with different styles can be seen in other famous works of his, such as //Brothers// (Rhyme style: AABB) and //Cheery Beggar// (ABACB). He also did not just stick to certain themes. Some poems have a happy feel to them, like //Cheery Beggar.// Others, like //Brothers,// have a more loving theme. //The Wreck of the Deutschland// is a very serious poem. Hopkins’ ability to work outside of the comfort zones of many poets of his time makes Hopkins a true king of poetry. **Words Cited:**


 * [], Poem Hunter, 2013
 * [], Academy of American Poets, 2013
 * [], A&E Networks, 2013
 * Hopkins, G.M., Andromeda, Date Unknown.

**Three famous poems:**
 * //Andromeda:// “ His thoughts on her, forsaken that she seems,  All while her patience, morselled into pangs,  Mounts; then to alight disarming, no one dreams,  With Gorgon’s gear and barebill, thongs and fangs.”
 * //The Wreck of the Deutschland: “// I did say yes  at lightning |&| lashed rod;  Thou heardst me truer than tongue confess, Thy terror, O Christ, O God;”
 * //Brothers: “// How lovely the elder brother’s,  Life all laced in the other’s.”

**Literary Techniques:**

Imagery: Descriptive and interesting technical language.

Prosody: Different styles or rhythms of rhyming.

Consonance: Using the same consonance many times in the same sentence.

Symbolism: Hiding a theme or idea being a person, place or object. Has more than a literal meaning.


 * //Andromeda// contains Imagery, Prosody, and Symbolism:

Imagery Example: Describes the tragic story of Andromeda and the Gorgon.

Prosody Example: Has a rhyme style of ABBA.

Symbolism Example: The poem contains a theme of loss and sorrow behind the main story.


 * //The Wreck of the Deutschland// contains Prosody, Consonance, and Imagery.

Prosody Example: Has a rhyme style of ABAB.

Consonance Example: "O Christ, O God."

Imagery: Describes a terrible wreck and a serious situation in which people may have been hurt, or even killed.


 * //Brothers// contains Prosody, Imagery, and Symbolism.

Prosody Example: Rhyme style of AABB.

Imagery: Describes the importance of brothers in the lives of younger siblings.

Symbolism: Brothers are seen as not just siblings in the poem, but can also be seen as very important life figures who will always offer unconditional love.

**Musical Comparison:**


 * //Andromeda:// “Welcome to my morning, welcome to my day,” (Farewell Andromeda, by John Denver). Both the song and the poem deal with loss, but the song has a much more upbeat and cheerful tone speaking of a “new morning”.
 * //Wreck of the Deutschland:// “Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind” (Dust In The Wind, by Kansas). The song and poem relate because they have a very sad and solemn tone. Everything about the two is serious and seems to be a tribute to those who have passed.
 * //Brothers:// “Some who say I’ve lost my mind, Brother try and hope to find,” (Brother, by Alice in Chains). Both works deal with brothers and how they help siblings to find their way.