’s “A Terrible Beauty” Essay, Research Paper
Analysis of Francis Devine?s ?A Terrible Beauty?
When first confronted with the poem, ?A Terrible Beauty?, the reader would presumable not get any understanding out of the title. After reading the poem the reader can get the basic idea and create a clear picture of the setting and the tone from the speaker. The subject was a black man getting beaten by a group of Irish somewhere in Ireland. The reader does not recognize the theme of the poem right away. After recognizing the last two lines: ? Is this the terrible beauty / we have reared?, (51-51) as an allusion, the reader makes a reference back to the poem by William Butler Yeats. In the poem by Yeats, ?Easter 1916?, the reader can interpret some irony and discover the theme. The theme is a question: how could Irishmen beat a black man in such an appalling racist way after encountering racism themselves? The discussion will include five aspects of poetic discourse: imagery, tone of the poem/speaker, diction, allusions, and irony.
The poem is divided into eight stanzas and fifty-two lines; there is no rhythm or rhyme connection them. The poem begins with the line: ?They were beating him?(1, 5, 9, 13), and explains he was a black man, but as the reader continues to the end of the second stanza some repetition of that line is notices. The repetition is there to create an emphasis on the racism these Irishmen showed towards this black man. In stanzas three and four it is clarified that the speaker is opposed to what the group has done to the man, with the lines, ?Effing nigger lover? (18) and ?As I helped him stand?, (21) The poem continues and explains that the black man did not want help. As the reader starts with stanza seven and goes on, the speaker is just thinking, and trying to make an understanding of what he has just witnessed. The speaker then explains that he and many other Irish were once victims of some racism. Finally in the last stanza, a question: ?Is this the terrible beauty / we have reared? (51-52), referring to Ireland as being beautiful, but also a terrible place, as depicted in the poem with the beating.
Imagery is very frequently used throughout this poem. The imagery is there to create a mood, and to help the reader get a distinct picture of things that are taking place in the poem. The reader can get a clear picture of what the speaker is observing in stanza two. When he says, ?jackals at some other beast?s kill? (8); the reader gets the idea of how low this group of young men appeared. The line, ?A passive, stuffing-less rag doll? (10), creates a picture of how weak and defenseless this black man is. The imagery in stanzas four and five helps the reader to picture how the black man appeared when the speaker helped him up, with these lines:
his teeth trembling, oozing blood (25)
as if he had been guzzling cherries (26)
his eyebrows slit like Dick Tiger (29)
In stanza eight the reader can picture the signs reading, ?No Wogs, No Dogs, No Irish? (43); this helps in interpreting and forming many conclusions about meanings in the poem. When picturing the signs with racial comments, the reader can also picture and understand how the speaker is feeling about the situation before him.
The first five stanzas of the poem are presenting the reader with something important that is taking place; the speaker?s tone is somewhat sympathetic showing compassion towards the beaten black man as he harshly describes what the Irishmen had done to him. Entering the seventh stanza a reading through to the end the reader can notice that the tone has changed. In the last three stanzas it is as if the speaker is thinking about what he has just witnessed and is analyzing the situation. The tone in this section of the poem manifests confusion; the speaker is confused because of the irony of the situation. The speaker ends the poem with a question: ?Is this the terrible beauty we have reared??(51-52), showing that he is still wondering and confused.
The choice of words used to make up this poem, the diction, is very basic. Most of the poem?s diction presented a lot of imagery throughout the poem, which has already been discussed. In stanza number seven the words: ?flotsam or jetsam? (36) are very noticeable; these words symbolize the way this black man felt in Ireland. Flotsam or jetsam means that this black man felt like driftwood in the middle of the ocean, no one to turn to or help him, in need of a friend. Also in stanza number seven the reader notices the line: ?in need of the sun, the smell of red earth?; this line suggests to the reader that it is probably nighttime and in a city where there is no natural land. The smell of the area is probably very bad. The reader can make many conclusions about the poem by reading through its diction.
The poem is really meant to suggest some irony of what has happened, it uses many allusions to help the reader connect with this irony. Other allusions are there to present some imagery. The one allusion which presented imagery was: ?his eyebrows slit like Dick Tiger / somewhere in the fourteenth round.? (29-30). In the line: ?that I would bring him to James?s?, another allusion is discovered. St. James?s is probably the most well known hospital in Dublin, Ireland. An allusion which helped to create irony of the situation was the one in which he refers back to Brixton when the speaker was looking for ?digs?. The speaker then refers to a man by the name of Nelson; he was a leader in England who apparently had to decide whether or not he could, ?give back his freedom to a city / that could savagely beat / a man on the street / because he was black? (45-48). Finally the last two lines: ?Is this the terrible beauty / we have reared?? (51-52) are an allusion which refer to a poem by William Butler Yeats, ?Easter 1916?. This allusion is necessary to help the reader discover the theme of the poem. This shows how allusions play an important part in the development of a poem.
The main theme of this poem shows and ironic situation. The irony of this poem can be suggested after reading what was done to the black man by these Irish, then finding out what had been done to Irish some time before. The speaker explains with an allusion to Brixton, in which signs were up which read: ?NO, Wogs, No Dogs, No Irish? (43). These signs show that England once presented the Irish with racism. When referring to ?Easter 1916?, by William Butler Yeats, which talks of Ireland gaining its independence from England, the reader can see the ordeal which Ireland suffered. Now in Ireland free of persecution, the Irish do not understand that they are doing the evil to this black man that they have once experienced; this is the irony of ?A Terrible Beauty?.
During the analysis of ?A Terrible Beauty?, all five aspects of poetic discourse discussed have had some connection with each other. From the imagery of the poem the reader was able to visualize the scene; from visualizing, the reader can observe how the speaker?s tone is presented. The diction comes from the tone of the speaker; the speaker?s tone influences what he says. The diction of the poem contains its allusions, which in this case helped in discovering the irony. All the aspects of poetic discourse came together in creating an amazing poem. After reading this poem many times over, and working hard on taking it apart and analyzing it, the reader can understand that it is of great significance. The value of the poem would come form its irony, which states a meaningful point. Francis Devine was very observant when writing this poem of the truth that Ireland is a terrible beauty. ?A Terrible Beauty? by Francis Devine is of Great value because it will make the reader observant, and capable of recognizing similar situations in today?s lifetime dealing with racism, and the people who choose to light its fame.
Другие работы по теме:
Cheers A Semiotic Analysis By Berger Essay
, Research Paper Cheers : A Semiotic Analysis by Berger In Arthur Asa Berger s essay, he conducts a semiotic analysis of the comedy television show Cheers. In his analysis of the show he points out many characteristics that refer to semiotics. Even though one could not agree with all of his findings, many of them are reasonable.
Exotica 2
Exotica – Character Analysis Essay, Research Paper Atom Egoyan’s Exotica “I wanted to make a movie about believable people doing believable things in an unbelievable way.” stated Atom Egoyan of his recent film The Adjuster. The Canadian director has recently been acclaimed for his imagination and originality, which is more than evident in his latest work Exotica.
Francis Macomber Essay Research Paper Intentional as
Francis Macomber Essay, Research Paper Intentional as Opposed to Accidental Killings Ernest Hemingway has created a masterpiece of mystery in his story The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber.” The mystery does not reveal itself to the reader until the end. During the final stages, Margaret Macomber kills her spouse on a safari in Africa, in order to save him from being mauled by a large buffalo.
Macomber Essay Research Paper The Intentional Death
Macomber Essay, Research Paper The Intentional Death of Francis MacomberErnest Hemingway has created a masterpiece of mystery in his story “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber”. The mystery does not reveal itself to the reader until the end of the story, yet it leaves a lot to the imagination. At the end of the story Margaret Macomber kills her husband by accident, in order to save him from being mauled by a large Buffalo while on a safari in Africa.
Kive Essay Research Paper
# a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Grapes of Wrath, The – Book Summary and Analysis Grapes of Wrath, The – Book Analysis Grapes of Wrath, The – Joads’ Journey Great Expectations – Powerful Themes in the Novel
Robert Francis Waxwings Essay Research Paper Waxwings
Robert Francis- Waxwings Essay, Research Paper Waxwings: Robert Francis The overall theme of Robert Francis Waxwings is the belief of Taoism. This idea obviously is stated in the first line of the first stanza and then subtly throughout the rest of the poem. The title of the poem can also present a hint of Taoism.
Francis Ford Coppola A Filmma Essay Research
Paper In Francis Ford Coppola: A Filmmaker s Life, Michael Schumacher aims to provide a wealth of details about all aspects of the creation of most of Coppola’s films. In detail, Schumacher works on Dementia 13 through John Grisham’s The Rainmaker, charting Coppola’s techniques with actors and crew, the integration of his family into the work, and his well-publicized battles with Hollywood executives.
Francis Ford Coppola Essay Research Paper Following
Francis Ford Coppola Essay, Research Paper Following careful thought on which director to study, I chose Francis Ford Coppola. Although he has directed more films than I have had the opportunity to experience, I have viewed enough to understand his progression and style of his work. Over almost forty years of work, Coppola has directed about twenty-five films, produced near forty-five, composed two, and acted in eight.
The Intentional Death Of Francis Macomber Essay
, Research Paper The Intentional Death of Francis Macomber Ernest Hemingway has created a masterpiece of mystery in his story “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber”. The mystery does not
The Attributes Of The Christian God Essay
, Research Paper According to Christianity, the attributes of God can be organized into two categories: Physical and ethical or moral. Some terms address God’s transcendence of physical ideology, others address God’s Devine intellect and will. There are a multitude of terms from which to choose when labeling the attributes of God.
Canticle For Leibowitz Essay Research Paper Walter
Canticle For Leibowitz Essay, Research Paper Walter Miller, in the novel A Canticle For Leibowitz, mocks the way we are as humans, particularly in those ways that lead to regressive thinking. The novel pokes fun at the attention to impractical details, such as to the spent copying the Leibowitz blueprints.
A Canticle For Lebowitz Essay Research Paper
A Canticle for Lebowitz Walter M. Miller, Jr. Copyright date: 1959 In A Canticle for Lebowitz, the character that starts everything off is Brother Francis. Brother Francis was just a young novice looking for a place of refuge, in the time were mutants roamed the deserts and barbarians ruled the plains. Brother Francis is a well-mannered man, who believes in himself greatly.
Review For A Canticle For Leibowitz Essay
, Research Paper A Canticle for Leibowitz Walter M. Miller, Jr.’s A Canticle for Leibowitz treats religion very differently than does most science fiction. Miller’s Brother Francis is charged with discovering the meaning of faith and God in the wake of total nuclear destruction. The particular religion extent in Miller’s future is the venerable Catholic Church, an institution that has survived near-annihilation before.
St Francis Of Assisi Essay Research Paper
Saint Francis of Assisi Francis was born at Assisi in Umbria in the early 1180?s. His fath er was Pietro Bernadone, a very wealthy cloth merchant. His baptized name was Giovanni but it was changed to Francesco. Francis received a decent amount of schooling as a child although he did not show much interest in it.
Saint Francis Life Essay Research Paper St
Saint Francis Life Essay, Research Paper St. Francis?s life began as any other man of his time. He was a wealthy individual who was preoccupied with material comforts. This preoccupation also
St Francis Essay Research Paper Saint Francis
St. Francis Essay, Research Paper Saint Francis of Assisi By Msgr. Leon Cristiani This biography had a lot of information on St. Francis of Assisi. He was a very generous man who founded the Friars. Along the way he accomplished many good deeds. He gave all that he had to the poor so that they could live a better life.
Francis Of Assisi
– ” Brother Son Sister Moon” Essay, Research Paper Francis of Assisi – ” Brother Son Sister Moon” Ben Ngkaion per: a 2/26/97 Crisis and conversion: While Francis is sick and dreaming, he has images of nature which represent the
Francis Drake Essay Research Paper Author John
Francis Drake Essay, Research Paper Author John Guy Drake, a 16th Century Explorer Ticktock Publishing-1997 SIR FRANCIS DRAKE Sir Francis Drake is known for England’s defeat of the Spanish Armada. He was a sea dog and he sailed around the world. Drake was actually the first one to sail around the world since Magellan died in his journey.
Francis Marion Biography By Nic Cardella
Essay, Research Paper Francis Marion was born in 1732 in what is now South Carolina. When he was a toddler he was small, skinny, weak, and frequently sick. It was said that he was no bigger than a lobster. He was sick a lot because of the swampy areas he grew up in. As he got older he played in the swamps a lot, which is probably the reason why he knew the swamps so well.
St Francis Of Assisi Biogroph Essay Research
Paper Francis of Assisi lived about eight hundred years ago. He was born in the city of Assisi, Italy, in 1182. He was the son of Piero of Bernadone, who was a wealthy merchant. He received a education and seemed to follow his father’s footsteps as a wealthy merchant. In 1201 he took part in an attack on Perugia, was taken hostage, and remained a captive there for a year.
Where Did The Love Go Essay Research
Paper Where Did the Love Go? The other day I was looking through a magazine that a friend let me borrow. The name of the magazine was Slam. It is a magazine all about basketball and the players in the NBA. I was halfway through the magazine when I saw an advertisement that caught my eye. It was a picture of a NBA star named Steve Francis.
Analysis Of 2
Analysis Of “The New Singles” Essay, Research Paper The article that will be evaluated in this particular essay is taken from Newsweek?s ?Society and Arts? (dating August 14,2000), which is titled as ?The New Singles? and it is written by Carla Power in cooperation with Antonia Francis, in Paris and Stefan Theil, in Berlin.
2 Paintings Modanno W Child And Angels
Essay, Research Paper The painting called Madonna and Child with Saint Francis and Dominic and Angels by Giulio Cesare Procaccini is one of many paintings labeled masterpiece. This painting contains brilliant brushwork and messages that are indirect.
Sir Francis Bacon Essay Research Paper Sir
Sir Francis Bacon Essay, Research Paper Sir Francis Bacon Sir Francis Bacon was born January 22, 1561. He died April 9, 1626. He was an English essayist, lawyer, statesman, and philosopher . He
The Short Happy Life Of Francis Mccamber
Essay, Research Paper In Ernest Hemingway?s ?The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber? the true character which is fit to qualify as the code hero is Francis Macomber. It is not obvious at
The Butcher Boy A Book Report Essay
, Research Paper Julian Mackler Trumbower-Pd.2 9/3/99 Summer Reading Assignment: Summary The Butcher Boy By Patrick McCabe The Butcher Boy is the story of a young boy named Francis Leary growing up in a samll town in Ireland during the Cold War. Francis Leary tells the story as a narrative retrospect of his life.
Marcelino Essay Research Paper The catalyst for
Marcelino Essay, Research Paper The catalyst for the intense drama that follows is this scene: One exasperated monk, trying to instill discipline in a beloved orphan boy, conjures up a rule. He exclaims, “You must NEVER climb this stairway!” to the attic.
The Arch Duke Francis Ferdinand Essay Research
Paper Why The Duke Was Chosen. The Archduke was chosen as a target because Serbians feared that after his ascension to the persecutions of Serbs living within the ASTRO-Hungarian Empire of Serbia had gained independence from the OTTEMAN Empire in 1878. At the time, Serbia laid claimed to several regions of Bosnia, which were primarily inhabited by Serbs.
Archduke Francis Ferdinand Essay Research Paper Born
Archduke Francis Ferdinand Essay, Research Paper Born in 1863 in Graz, Austria, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian empire, son of Archduke Charles Louis, known as “the loneliest man in Vienna” and Archduke of Austria was Francis (Franz) Ferdinand. He became t heir to the throne after the Emperor’s son, Crown Prince Rudolph, killed himself in 1896, and the death of his father in 1896.
The Double Helix Essay Research Paper One
The Double Helix Essay, Research Paper One of the most important discoveries ever in biology has to be that of the structure of DNA. In ?The Double Helix,? James tells the story, both funny and serious, of all his trials and tribulations leading up to the famous discovery. James starts out with his fantasy of someday solving the great mystery surrounding the structure of DNA.
Animals As Symbols Essay Research Paper Animals
Animals As Symbols Essay, Research Paper Animals as Symbols In both of Ernest Hemingway s short stories, The Snows of Kilimanjaro and The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber, he uses animals as symbols to the character’s death. In each of the stories the animals are used differently to symbolize the death.