Shakespeare Sonnet 4 - Analysis

Shakespeare’s Sonnet 4: Sonnet 4: Unthrifty Loveliness, Why Dost Thou Spend is interesting because it is as concerned with the fair youth passing on his attributes to his children as the preceding three sonnets. However, to achieve this, the poet uses money lending and inheritance as a metaphor. The fair youth is accused of being frivolous; spending on himself, rather than thinking of the legacy he could be leaving his children. The fair youth’s beauty is used as currency in this poem and the speaker suggests that beauty should be passed onto his offspring as a kind of inheritance. The poet again depicts the fair youth as quite a selfish character in this poem, suggesting that nature has lent him this beauty which he should pass on – not hoard! He is warned in no uncertain terms that his beauty will die with him which has been a recurrent theme in the sonnets. The poet uses business language to clarify his purpose and his metaphorical position. For example, â€Å"Unthrifty†, â€Å"niggard†, â€Å"usurer†, â€Å"sum of sums†, â€Å"audit† and â€Å"executor†. Discover the sonnet first hand here: Sonnet 4. Sonnet 4: The Facts Sequence: Fourth in the Fair Youth Sonnets  sequenceKey Themes: Procreation, death prohibiting the continuation of beauty, money-lending and inheritance, not leaving a legacy to offspring, the fair youth’s selfish attitude in relation to his own attributes.Style:  Written in iambic pentameter  in sonnet form Sonnet 4: A Translation Wasteful, beautiful young man, why do you not pass on your beauty to the world? Nature has lent you good looks but she only lends to those who are generous, but you are a miser and abuse the amazing gift you have been given. A money lender cannot make money if he does not pass it on. If you only do business with yourself you will never reap the benefits of your riches. You are deceiving yourself. When nature takes your life what will you leave behind? Your beauty will go with you to your grave, not having been passed on to another. Sonnet 4: Analysis This obsession with the fair youth procreating is prevalent in the sonnets. The poet is also concerned with the fair youth’s legacy and is committed to convincing him that his beauty must be passed on. The metaphor of beauty as currency is also employed; perhaps the poet believes that the fair youth would relate to this analogy more easily as we are given the impression that he is quite selfish and greedy and is perhaps motivated by material gains? In many ways, this sonnet pulls together the argument set out in the previous three sonnets, and arrives at a conclusion: The Fair Youth may die childless and have no way of continuing on his line. This is at the heart of the tragedy for the poet. With his beauty, the Fair Youth could have anyone he wanted, and procreate. Through his children, he would live on, and so too would his beauty. But the poet suspects that he will not use his beauty properly and die childless. This thought leads the poet to write  Thy unused beauty must be tombed with thee. In the final line, the poet considers that perhaps it is natures intention for him to have a child. If the Fair Youth can procreate, then this leads the poet to consider his beauty enhanced because it fits into the overarching plan of nature.

Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird Essay - 729 Words

Imagine being an African American in the 1930’s where everyone was racist and thought you had no meaning to live or even get near them. Having everything separate from whites and where you were accused of anything or anything if you were near.This was how people in Maycomb County used to live in the 1930’s. In â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† that is how most people lived except the Finch family who thought everyone was created equal no matter the color of their skin. When Cal took Scout and Jem to her church that was on the day Reverend Sykes wanted the church to give money to Tom’s wife and children while he was on trial. Even though the congregation hardly had enough money for themselves. â€Å" Reverend Sykes then said, I want all of you without†¦show more content†¦This does not happen nowadays because people don’t worry about their families coming in contact with African Americans and people treating them differently for helping them out . Even if it wasn’t their wrongdoing, just being near the problem they were the suspect for the problem. Such as when Mayella kissed and Tom got blamed â€Å" She was white, and she tempted a Negro. She did something that in our society is unspeakable: she kissed a black man† (Lee 272). Even if the African American did not create the problem and was led on by a white, they were blamed and their side of the story was never the truth. That is exactly what Mayella Ewell did to Tom Robinson but he’s the one who got blamed for the misdeed. This would never happen in today’s world because there is going to be someone who believes the African American’s side of the story. Racism from the 1930’s and racism from today has changed drastically. It has gone from every African American was like poison and if you touched or talked to them you were basically a dead a man. Most African Americans did not have money back then, but they still agreed to help out Tom Robinson’s family because they knew that the whites wouldn’t, but now all African Americans have to do is ask for the help and we will because we have changed how we treat them. Also the children don’t make fun of the other kids parents when they help an African American out like Cecil Jacobs did to Scout’s daddy. TheyShow MoreRelatedTo Kill a Mockingbird Essay About Racism795 Words   |  4 PagesBurrell Period 5 TKAM Essay 10/6/09 (Re-Write 10/24/09) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee depicts racism in the 1930’s and shows the characters had to overcome challenges because of it. The 1930’s was a difficult time to live in because of racism against African Americans and the depression, where thousands of people lost their jobs. The idea â€Å"an extraordinary challenge can sometimes make an ordinary person into a hero† shows that anyone in To Kill a Mockingbird could have been a hero,Read MoreEssay On Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird970 Words   |  4 PagesRacism in the United States of America, especially the South, in the 1930s was exceptionally different from the racism that America is experiencing today. In the compelling novel â€Å"To Kill A Mockingbird,† by Harper Lee, hating or disliking a person that has a different skin color was an extremely common thing, and was accepted as normal; especially in the southern states. The majority of white children were brought up to think that they were more superior than black children in their households, andRead MoreEssay On Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird1212 Words   |  5 PagesRacism and Prejudice A person’s childhood can really affect the way they see the world. Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, is highly influenced by the life she lived as a little girl. She grew up in the small town of Monroeville, Alabama. She was born there in 1926 and recently passed away in February of 2016 (Lee). Harper Lee’s real name was Nelle (Nail), but everyone calls her Harper because she opted for Nelle to be left off of her first novel. Her parents named her after her grandmotherRead MoreRacism In To Kill A Mockingbird Essay1539 Words   |  7 Pagesconditions, and more. Prejudice gained prominence in this era and the idea of racism was born. Most westerners seem to treat everyone that doesn’t fit their skin color and attributes as a worthy sufferer of hate. Racism would later flow through systems and societies of other countries, plaguing the population of ideas that make no sense and judge a population based on something one cannot control. One of the ma ny playing fields of racism was the United States in the 1900’s, even though slavery was eradicatedRead MoreEssay On Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird952 Words   |  4 Pages The courthouse in the book To Kill a Mockingbird is represented as an old, traditional setting in the deep south, and with traditions of the deep south comes racism. In giving Scout a lesson in how racism works, Atticus also does the same for the readers. On the syllabus of this conversation: the power of language, not only as a way to shame those who don’t toe on the racist line, but also to set the terms of the debate. Racists use â€Å"nigger-lover† to suggest African Americans special rights.,Read MoreEssay On Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird761 Words   |  4 Pages Have you ever been in a situation having to do with race? In the novel â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† by Harper Lee, racism is a vital role in the time this story takes place. She wrote the story based on how racism was like in her eyes as a child. In my opinion, after reading her novel, racism still takes place in America many years later. The novel starts with the introduction of two kids that live with their lawyer father. They have an African American woman who works for them in their home all dayRead MoreEssay On Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird1151 Words   |  5 Pagesacts and judgments of racism in To Kill a Mockingbird. Maycomb, Alabama, 1930s, a small town with a big story. Tom Robinson, discriminated and unequal, was seen as â€Å"just another nigger† in Maycomb. â€Å"Nigger†, â€Å"Chocolate†, â€Å"Colored†, racial slurs that began long ago, and are still used to this day. The White Supremacist Protest of Charlottesville, some white police officer shootings of black men, LeBron James’ home vandalized with racial slurs. The inhumane, disgusting racism today is just as inhumaneRead MoreRacism In To Kill A Mockingbird Essay1090 Words   |  5 PagesAccording to a report from dosomething.org, in 2009, 2/3 of the criminals receiving life sentences were non-whites. This shows that racism is still going on today and in Harper Lees book, To Kill A Mockingbird. Her book takes place in Maycomb County, Alabama during the depression. The story is told by Jean Louise Finch, who goes by Scout. She lives with her brother named Jeremy Finch, or Jem, and their father named Atticus. He is an attorney and not afraid to stand up for what he believes inRead MoreEssay On Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird1561 Words   |  7 Pagesdisproportionately make up more than half of the prison population. There is indisputable racism in this country, and the world of Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird displays this in a very obvious light. Racism has been around for centuries, it has changed and reformed itself. Racism cannot not be solved overnight, but it can be solved with positive and immediate steps and actions. Society as a whole is highly capable of overcoming racism. Therefore, the belief that it will never change and that the society willRead MoreRacism In To Kil l A Mockingbird Essay1457 Words   |  6 Pagesimprove due to figures shining a light on the issues. Harper Lee is a highly respected character. She is able to show the effects and ugly side of racism in To Kill a Mockingbird. Throughout Lee brings out racism by using connections to the Jim Crow laws, mob mentality, and Scottsboro trials. The Jim Crow Laws are evident throughout To Kill a Mockingbird. They were fatal and obstructed many black people’s rights. The laws were originally meant to only separate the races and keep the conditions equal

Descriptive Essay Final Copy Free Essays

I grab my bag and a hair-tie from the vanity on my way Out the door, tying my waist-length brown hair in a knot as I hurry down the stairs. My nana stands at the stove, stirring the pot of gravy she is making for breakfast. Behind her stands my papaw, playfully yanking her ponytail every time she turns around. We will write a custom essay sample on Descriptive Essay Final Copy or any similar topic only for you Order Now At first glance one would think that they make an odd couple, with my nana being only five feet tall, with fox-red hair and hazel green eyes, in near perfect contrast to my papaw who is a large man, standing nearly six foot four, with eyes the color of the sky and white air that was once jet black. But as they laugh and play standing there in the kitchen, I know this place would mean nothing if they were any different. I slip on my boots at the door, and run across the field to the old wooden barn, its red has long faded, and the metal door handles are covered with rust. Reach out and grab the rusty handle and pull, hearing the ancient hinges creak and groan as the door opens. Walking into the barn can smell the fresh hay, and the lingering smell of the old moonshine still that sits in the corner, unattended for years, but left for the antique look. I climb the ladder to the loft, and wade through the piles of hay until reach the little door that opens onto the roof. Climb out onto the roof and walk to the end of the barn. There sit down, my leg hanging over the edge of the black shingled roof. I sit and watch as the deer run across the field, and as the train go by down next to the river. Reach in my bag and pull out my sketch pad and charcoals. I draw everything I see, the river, the birds, and the mountains. After I finish, climb down and run to the house; pause at the door, leaning own to pull off my boots. I open the door, and step into the kitchen, the floor is warm from the heat of the old white stove, causing tiny droplets of condensation to form on the speckled blue wallpaper. Nana has already set the table, her faded blue and white china resting in front of three chairs on the blue table cloth that covers the deep brown oak table. On each plate sit two biscuits, golden and gleaming with butter, accompanied by sausage and fried eggs. Grab the pot from the Stove and ladle the thick, creamy gravy onto everyone’s plates. The steam rises from each plate like a plume of smoke from a tiny fire, taking with it the wonderful smell of my nana’s cooking. As we sit down to eat, we join hands and my papaw gives the blessing; thanking God for the food he has provided on this day, and for forty years h?s had with the wonderful woman who cooked it. See my nana smile with love for my papaw, her head still bowed in prayer as we say ‘amen. ‘ As we raise our heads, I smile too, knowing that this place is filled with love and laughter and always will be. How to cite Descriptive Essay Final Copy, Essays

Explication of Mirror by Sylvia Plath free essay sample

â€Å"Mirror† by Sylvia Plath is a poem narrated from the perspective of a mirror. Within this poem, there is a clash between truth and perception. This idea is first presented through the form of the stanzas where the mirror is â€Å"silver and exact† (Plath 1) then when the mirror is â€Å"now [ ] a lake† (10). The poem then illustrates how even the truthful mirror has preconceptions. Then finally how the woman, who comes every morning to look in the mirror often deludes herself with â€Å"those liars, the candles or the moon† (12) and fails to see the truth. In the first stanza, the mirror is reflecting upon itself and says, â€Å"Whatever I see I swallow immediately/ Just as it is† (2-3). The mirror will always reflect back what it is shown; the cold, hard truth. Being awfully proud and arrogant, the mirror describes itself as â€Å"The eye of a little god† (5). This is ironic because the mirror has just been talking about how it is exact, with â€Å"no preconceptions† but it seems to already have a preconceived idea of itself. We will write a custom essay sample on Explication of Mirror by Sylvia Plath or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In the second stanza, the mirror says â€Å"Now I am a lake† (10) when a woman looks into it. Mirrors and lakes are two very different things. One produces an exact image; while the other is more unsettling and complicated, containing more depth. The lake will reflect not only the outer appearance and perspective of the woman, it will show the unavoidable truth within her. The woman occasionally deceives herself with â€Å"the candles or the moon† (12) as candles often flicker, altering our perceptions on things. But after all those delusions, she can rely on the lake to â€Å"reflect [her] faithfully† (13). The lake believes that â€Å"She rewards [it] with tears and an agitation of hands. /[It] is important to her. She comes and goes† (14-15) which is yet another preconception. The lake does not see that the tears are tears of sorrow, yet recognizes it as some sort of reward. It also thinks that it is important to her, yet the woman is just using it to search for her true identity. She doesn’t really care about the mirror, she comes merely for the purpose of seeing herself and the mirror is just a tool. In the last two lines of this poem, the mirror says â€Å"in me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman/Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish† (17-18). The young girl that used to look into the lake has turned into an old woman and every day, that reflection is changing. The woman is no longer fooled by the preconceptions, but sees a bit more of the truth within the lake day after day. The terrible fish is used as a metaphor for the dark, ugly truth within every single person that we often do not see.