Poem Analysis cx1b

The Glory Of The Day Was In Her Face James Weldon Johnson The glory of the day was in her face, The beauty of the night was in her eyes. And over all her loveliness, the grace Of Morning blushing in the early skies.

And in her voice, the calling of the dove; Like music of a sweet, melodious part. And in her smile, the breaking light of love; And all the gentle virtues in her heart.

And now the glorious day, the beauteous night, The birds that signal to their mates at dawn, To my dull ears, to my tear-blinded sight Are one with all the dead, since she is gone. Meaning: Johnson uses metaphors associated with living and nature to describe how the woman he loves makes him complete. Since his lover is gone, he no longer enjoys the very things she reminded him of. Personification 

Of Morning blushing in the early skies.

This shows personification because it is giving morning the human abilities to blush. Metaphor 

And in her voice, the calling of the dove

This is comparing her voice to the sweetness of a dove’s soft call. Simile 

Like music of a sweet, melodious part.

This is comparing her sweet dove-like voice to beautiful music.

Alliteration 

The birds that signal to their mates at dawn, To my dull ears, to my tear-blinded sight

The poet repeats initial consonant sounds “t”.

The Road Not Taken Robert Frost Two roads diverged in a yellow wood And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveller, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that, the ing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood and I took the one less travelled by, And that has made all the difference. Meaning : •

A traveller comes to a fork in the road and needs to decide which way to go to continue his journey.

•

After much mental debate, the traveller picks the road "less travelled by.“

•

The figurative meaning is not too hidden either. The poem describes the tough choices people stand for when travelling the road of life.

•

The words "sorry" and "sigh" make the tone of poem somewhat gloomy. The traveller regrets leaves the possibilities of the road not chosen behind.

•

He realizes he probably won't this way again.

Alliteration:   

Definition of alliteration: Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words. Example : “Because it was grassy and wanted wear’’ The two W's make a nice sound in the sentence.

Metaphor : •

Two distinct paths to represent two options in his life that he has to choose from.

•

He uses vivid imagery within this metaphor to describe the differences and difficulties of these choices; the first path “having perhaps the better claim” and the second “grassy and wanted wear” .

•

Frost then chooses the less travelled path and ends the poem with the declaration that “that has made all the difference” .

•

In addition, the paths opened themselves to Frost “in a yellow wood” , portraying that Frost has come to a crossroad in his life where he needs to pause and, in order to get any farther, also needs to make a choice between the two paths.

•

The yellow represents both a need for an analytical and pensive pause.

Personification : •

All sensible people know that roads don't think, and therefore don't want. They can't.

•

But the description of the road wanting wear is an example of personification in this poem.

•

A road actually wanting some as a person would.

•

However: some believe this to be incorrect and believe "wanting wear" is not a personification, but rather older English meaning "lacking".

Onomatopoeia:

• sigh" • The word sigh in stanza 4 emphasises the traveller depression/sadness for the outcome of the decision he made.