Author: LILLIAN CHEN

In the poem, The Fist by Derek Walcott, he depicts love as a strong feeling plunging into his physical self. He describes it as being a “strong clench”  and that he is “gripping to the edge of unreason” (Walcott,3). With these short stanzas, Walcott expresses the feelings of losing someone so important. His words reflect the exact emotions that people go through in a short but strong manner. When reading his poem, it brings back memories of past heartbreak which is an emotion he intends to reach for. However, he does acknowledge that this is a way to recover from heartache. He states that “This way at least you live” which is somewhat relieving because the reader then can assume that the poet is going through the steps of grief (Walcott,3). This summarizes that in the end, the experience of getting through hardships is what allows one to grow and live on.

In Wharton’s short story Roman Fever, he discusses the friendship between the characters Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade. Although their status remained as friends even though Mrs. Slade knew about Mrs. Ansley’s secret admiration towards her husband, she continued to be friends with her. However, the relationship between Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade was never truly sincere ever again. Usually, friendships between two individuals influence their judgment, however, Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade differ in how their judgment influenced their friendship. Mrs. Slade was unaware of the secrets Mrs. Ansley had which concealed their true intentions. This leads to keeping the friendship although Mrs. Slade knew about her feelings. In the end, their judgment also led to the end of their friendship. Mrs. Slade asked why Mrs. Ansley was sad for her and at the end of battling it out, Mrs. Ansley reveals that she had Barbara. Wharton intentionally ends the short at that line because it shows how their relationship was truly insincere and full of lies. Friendship should be made of people who truly care for each other and respect where it is a judgment-free zone. However, that one line represented that the friendship and judgment they both had were corrupted with jealousy, lies, and insincerity.

Wharton’s story “A Muse’s Tragedy” ends with a melancholy letter where Mary Anerton chooses to confess her feelings to Danyer after he proposes to her. Mary was always whispered about and somewhat looked down upon because she was Rendle’s muse. She spends endless time with him and through that, she thought that Rendle would begin to grow some feelings for her. It was at the moment when Rendle died that Mary wished she could have said something sooner to him. Along with that, she has always observed his actions enough to know that he would never truly be with her although she did not want to admit it. Mary decides to reject Danyer’s proposal in the letterform that consisted of how she got to where she was to reject him. She could not go back to Venice and “spoil that month– my one month.” (Wharton, 40). She chooses her life because she believes it is what she deserves and because she does not want to part away from her dreams. She does not separate her dreams from reality where Rendle is gone and that he will never reciprocate the feelings she had to her, especially because he is gone. Mary has somewhat of dedicated and strong action, however, Mary does not take into account how Danyer will feel. He took her in regardless of what others said about her, got to know her, and accepted her as herself. Denyer, in the end, is not able to show the love that Rendle can never offer her.

Chekhov chooses to depict these two people meeting each other but not much more because it places an emphasis on how someone can encounter a change so small in their life but can affect it greatly. In Gurov’s perspective, he usually goes around dispising women and calling them “the lower race” and disrespecting everything about them. However, once he meets Anna Sergeyevna, everything changes for him. He limits his story to represent the huge amount of change one person can make in another’s life. Gurov has gone throughout his life shaming women’s actions and living his life with a dull perspective using women for momentary bliss. However, the one moment where he met Anna changes his life, his thoughts, and influences his future actions. At the end of the story, Chekhov expands on Gurov’s view on life, adding on to the impact Anna had on his life. He questions the cruel world for bringing someone he truly loved at the worst time. Although they bring hardship and grey hair, Gurov and Anna have a moment to reflect on their current relationship, one that actually makes them happy.

Consider Dickinson’s uses of literary devices such as irony, imagery, and metaphors.

Dickinson’s usage of imagery at the beginning of the poem sets a melancholy setting as if all hope is gone. It brings imagery of a “white flag” meaning a lost and their “feet reluctant to led”, bringing the relationship with the other to a halt. Her use of imagery connects with nature and is used to paint an unforgiving picture of romance. Along with that, her irony in her metaphors of “Hope” and “Faith” where they were looked up upon in relationships was torn apart in her eyes. Many people are taught growing up to use hope and faith to believe in romance but instead, she believes that it can distract the truth. She also discusses “The Brain” as something physical to have the power to mentally and physically affect others. Her irony represents the lack of faith Dickinson has for romance. Dickinson ends the poem with “Or every man be blind -” relating to the metaphor earlier of “Success in Circuit lies”. Dickinson encourages others to not be blinded by romanticism because the success in relationships can be made up of lies.