Poetry

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English 101
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Poetry Analysis
Langston Hughes’s poem, Democracy is about the need for fighting for democracy and the need to attain it. It is a call to action to everybody to put aside their fears and vehemently fight for democracy as it won’t just happen if people just sit. On the other side, “When I consider how my life is spent” by John Milton is a meditation by the author about his blindness; Why it happened to him, and what underlies next. The author goes on to lament to God why this happened to him but at the same time exonerates him from his tribulations. Both poems have effectively used sound patterns, imagery, figurative elements and sound play, among other literary elements. The poems’ structures are also well set so as to capture the recipient’s mind
In Democracy, the speaker uses a didactic tone with the intention of bringing the audience’s attention to what is at stake. According to the speaker, Democracy will not come to anybody if they remain in fear of asking for it. Forget about this year, today or whatever time, democracy won’t happen if people continue bargaining with their friends and partners on what is to come (Hughes, Rampersad and Roessel 37). This is educative to anyone who cares to listen. John Milton’s poem on the other side uses a reflective tone that seeks to share with the audience his tribulations and make them picture themselves in his shoes. The speaker starts by outlining how he became blind before his life was halfway over.

“Light spent, Ere half my days.”(Pockell 73)
Sound patterns are well manifested in both poems through the use of Rhyme and alliteration. The authors have effectively used these patterns to make the words stick in the audience’s mind and therefore understand better the subject being communicated (Literary Contexts In Poetry 85). In Democracy, we can clearly identify rhyme in the first stanza in lines two and four i.e. “year and fear.” In the second stanza stand and land make a perfect rhyme. In the fourth stanza “dead” and “bread “ rhyme while in the fifth stanza, “seed” and “need” do form another perfect rhyme. In “When I consider how my life is spent” rhyme can be clearly identified in the third stanza through word such as bent and present. It is also evident that lines one, four, five and eight all rhyme with each other. Alliteration is also common in both poems. In Democracy, words such as “Things” and “their” as well as “take” and “Tomorrow” which are well arranged in the respective sentences, create a monotonous, repeated sound that accentuates the impact of the message by making it more vivid in the audience’s mind(Literary Contexts In Poetry 86). The sounds help in stressing the speaker’s message; that he wants action to be immediately taken, not in the next day or the day after. In the second poem, words such as “World” and “Wide” in the first stanza, and “that” and “Talent” in the second stanza show alliteration. “My” and “Maker” in the third stanza, and “Who” and “Wait” in the third stanza also depicts the use of alliteration.
The use of first person point of view in both poems had an intention of making the audience to get a clearer view of the speaker’s mind so that they identify with the issues that they are facing. Through this view, they were able to hold the readers’ attention keenly. “I have as much right” is meant to show the audience that they have the authority to stand up against oppression, that they own the land and can do all that is deemed right in their country. The speaker goes on to show how he is tired of hearing people say that things should be left to take their course as it is this carefree attitude that has lead to increased oppressions in many regions. “I tire so of hearing people say, Let things take their course.” (Hughes, Rampersad and Roessel 36)The statements are meant to bring a change in mindset and the audience’s way of thinking so as to bring positive change in the community. In John Milton’s poem, the first person point of view runs the whole length of the poem; this is because the speaker wants us as the audience to get a sneak peek into his mind through his reflections. Through his thoughts, we can imagine ourselves in his shoes and therefore understand better what he is going through.
The two poems have effectively used figurative language and symbols to make the audience to be more involved and hence remember the message being conveyed. In stanza two, “to stand on my two feet” is a metaphor; it does not present a literal meaning. Standing on two feet means being firm in whatever one is doing. Owning the land is also a metaphor represents the ability to make decisions freely, do what you enjoy without threats from the government or other bodies. Tomorrow’s bread is also a metaphor that depicts daily needs. The speaker intends to show that we cannot do without freedom. In the poem by Milton, many words are used that do not represent their literal meaning. The speaker does not directly refer to his blindness but uses words that may be interpreted as serving that purpose. ‘Light’ as employed in the poem can be regarded as referring to vision. Milton says that his light is spent meaning he will not have the ability to see again.
Allusion is widely used in “When I consider how my life is spent.” with the aim of making the audience to identify with things which they are well familiar. The poem greatly alludes to the Bible in most of the stanzas. In the second stanza, introduces us to the Parable of the Talents that was narrated by Jesus in his time on earth (Pockell 74). The speaker may be referring to his good writing skills that may not be put to good use anymore due to his blindness. The author also points out what God requires from His children in the remaining stanzas.
In conclusion, both poems have effectively used various literal devices to communicate their intended message to the audience/ readers. The use of metaphors makes the audience to be involved to a larger extent by invoking their thinking and decision-making skills. Sound patterns such as Rhyme and alliteration are also greatly used in both poems. All these styles helped in passing the message in a more effective way.
Works cited
Hughes, Langston, Arnold Rampersad, and David E Roessel. The Collected Poems Of Langston Hughes. 1st ed. New York: Knopf, 1994. Print.
Literary Contexts In Poetry. 1st ed. Great Neck Publishing. Print.
Pockell, Leslie. The 100 Best Poems Of All Time. 1st ed. New York: Warner Books, 2001. Print.