Sixth Page: Themes in Poetry

 In the poem "The End and the Beginning" by Wislawa Szymborska, the writer describes the aftermath of a war. The theme of war is heavily involved in this poem as the speaker describes what must be done after a war. The people that have experienced the pain of the war must carry on the stories they've experienced for the future generations who may not understand it as much. It is important for future generations to understand the hardships people have went through in order to not make a repeat in history. The use of rhythm is used as a form in this poem to highlight the somber tone.   

"To See the World in a Grain of Sand" written by William Blake expands on the idea of changing your perspective on how you view the world. By making readers ponder about what it would be like to see the whole world easily or have all the time in the world, it evolves around the theme of appreciating life and living to your fullest extent. The poetic form used in only the first 4 lines of this poem is rhythm to emphasize the light-heartedness of the poem.    

In the poem "Because I Could Not Stop For Death" by Emily Dickinson, the theme of death and its inevitability is apparent throughout this poem. The speaker is visited by "Death" himself and describes the journey she was on with him. This journey symbolizes life overall and the message of never expecting when death will come to you is made clear in this poem. The use of hyphens at the end of each line adds a dramatic effect to the poem like how death can cut life short. 

From the poem "A Noiseless Patient Spider" by Walt Whitman, the themes of separation, hardship, and patience are important themes in this poem. The writer compares himself internally to a spider. Like a tiny spider, he feels detached and is surrounded by isolation. Detached from the world he experiences struggle and learns to cope with it. This poem is a free verse poem because it doesn't contain any patterns. Repetition is found in this poem, repeating key words and sounds to accentuate some lines.  

"The Second Coming" by William Butler Yeats has the theme of prophecy and violence. The notion of the world coming to an end and a new era emerging is the meaning behind "the Second Coming". There is going to be violence and chaos in the future and there is nothing people can do about it. The poem as an ABBA CDDC form with iambic pentameter. This puts stress on the alliteration and symbolism evident throughout the poem and gives the feeling of impending doom.