Introduction In his straightforward poem “He Never Expected Much,” Hardy addresses the ups and downs of life as well as its unavoidable conclusion. He explores the unfairness, sadness, and fleeting moments of enjoyment that characterize life. The speaker in Hardy’s opening lines remembers when he was younger and realized that life wouldn’t always be ideal, … Read more
Introduction On Another’s Sorrow is a poem written by the English poet William Blake. The poem appears in Blake’s famous work Songs of Innocence and of Experience. Published in 1789, this poem appears as the last song in the Songs of Innocence section. This is the only poem in the volume written in Blake’s own … Read more
Introduction Friends and Flatterers is a poem written by one of the most noted poets and playwrights in the history of English literature, William Shakespeare. The time when this work was released is not available or well-documented. The poem serves as a guide to us to distinguish between a real friend and a fake one … Read more
Introduction Our revels now are ended is the name given to the dialogue in William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest. These lines are spoken by the character Prospero in Act 4, Scene 1. Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan and a powerful magician speaks these words as he reflects on the ephemeral and illusory nature of … Read more
Introduction The poem is a melancholy, melancholy elegy that does a fantastic job of capturing the emotions connected to grief. The poem’s lasting popularity may be explained by its heartbreaking declarations and deft twists, which lend it a genuine poignancy. It demonstrates Auden’s poetic empathy for human feelings. The world changes for someone who has … Read more
Introduction Anne Stevenson’s “The Spirit is too Blunt an Instrument” explores the difficult process of conceiving a new life and how the spirit is unable to accomplish it. The speaker highlights throughout the poem how extraordinarily complex a human kid is and how flawlessly the process must proceed for every tendon and sinew to do … Read more
Introduction The speaker of the poem opens by describing how a steady stream of raindrops beat down on the roof of his “bleak hut.” His health is not very good. The speaker is by himself in a trench somewhere in the First World War battlefields. He muses over death in general and his mortality in … Read more
Introduction Thom Gunn’s poetry “The Man with Night Sweats” eloquently captures the sense of loss and vulnerability. After waking from a warm dream, the speaker discovers that he is cold and perspiring. This startling contrast creates the ideal environment for contemplating the body, its resiliency, and the sadness of its unavoidable aging. About the Poet … Read more
Introduction Robert Lowell’s poem “Night Sweat” is an exquisite piece of poetry. The speaker’s cause for having night sweats is unclear. “My stalled equipment” is a metaphor that indicates the speaker is experiencing writer’s block. His past bias and declining abilities are preventing him from penning that “one writing.” Nonetheless, the poet claims that his … Read more
Introduction Under a Certain Little Star, also known by its other name Under One Small Star is a poem written by the Polish writer and poet Wislawa Szymborska. The poem first appeared in The Virginia Quarterly Review, a National Journal for Literature and Discussion. Translated by Joanna Trzeciak in English, the poem appeared in the … Read more
