Analizying Poems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analizying Poems - Essay Example In sum, the poems sound like reminders for human beings to adjust their actions, perspectives and livelihoods in order for them to live in ways that are sensitive to some of the issues that lie hidden away from unperceiving eye, and which cause much of human suffering that is witnessed in the modern world. The Sound of Silence Garfunkel’s poem, â€Å"The Sound of Silence,† illustrates a moment of awakening for the speaker. In the first line, he refers to darkness as an â€Å"old friend,† (Garfunkel 1). The hidden meaning is that the speaker has lived with or in this darkness for a long time. Symbolically, this darkness represents ignorance and a general loss of direction and common sense. In a broad sense, this poem invites the readers to examine their own live in order to redeem themselves from systems of darkness, which systematically prevent them from the pleasures and joy of reality. In lines 12 and 13, the speaker talks of , â€Å"When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light/ That split the night,† (Garfunkel 12, 13). This moment appears to be the supreme moment of awakening. Symbolically, the darkness could imply the common misconceptions, prejudices, dogma, indoctrination and other kinds of information that cannot stand the test of credibility. Such systems have the effect of blinding humanity from the real truths. They are also the causes of suffering, conflicts, and other ills, which afflict societies. This poem is a mockery to the modern discourse of communication and human existence, which have eroded the natural sense of humanity. The poem relies significantly on figurative language to make meaning out of the many issues of general human interest. The poet directs the readers to some of the important issues that are often ignored by humanity in their rash to meet their daily needs. Generally, the poet seeks to remind humanity of some of the basic concerns that must be addressed in order for people to live in tot ality. By assigning the quality of sound to silence, the poet employs the technique of inversion and contrast to achieve his thematic objectives. Blowin’ in the Wind In the poem â€Å"Blowin’ in the Wind† the poet uses the technique of questioning to interrogate some of the weaknesses that prevent people from finding solutions to issues that appear to be quite ordinary. The question, â€Å"How many...?,† is repeated severally throughout the poem. At every instance, the question is directed towards a different subject, which, in essence, comprises the underlying themes in the poem. Such themes include death and suffering, negligence, loveless relations, reward, recognition and the permanence of phenomena. The persona delves into multiple issues that concern a range of subjects of human interest. In the first two lines, the poet appears to hint at the theme of human struggle: â€Å"How many roads must a man walk down/ Before you call him a man?† (Dyl an 1, 2). This line captures the futility of human efforts, which lead man to engage in multiple struggles, which are often poorly rewarded. This line reads like an indictment to the unfeeling world that fails to recognize the selfless struggles and sacrifice that some people engage into for the sake of improving the welfare of the society. This line could apply to themes of poor working conditions in the modern employment sector and other roles that fail to attract the necessary rewards and acknowledgement from people. The other question, â€Å"