D.+Topping

=//Fire and Ice// by Robert Frost=

Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I've tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice Is also great And would suffice.  Robert Frost is anything but a minor poet. He consistently wrote dark poems that often involved death or making choices and decisions that people face in everyday life . In **//Fire and Ice//** Frost put the context of the poem into a relationship and the emotions that people often feel. He wanted the reader to feel the powerful context of the words fire and ice and relates them both to basic human emotions, desire and hate. In order to effectively communicate the darker feelings felt in a relationship he used, imagery as well as symbolism.

The first image is fire. Fire that represents desire and jealousy that consumes viciously everything that surrounds it. The more the fire becomes uncontrolled, the more and more it wants and the easier it can be started. This is the same with a relationship that desire or jealousy can occur instantly set off by anything and consuming everything until there is nothing left to burn. The other image is ice. Ice represents hate that can consume your emotions and push the other person away. When left uncontrolled, these dark emotions can bring about the end of a relationship. One of the main symbols Frost used was allowing the world to represent the relationship. The fact that the world is the relationship, desire and hate are two very powerful emotions that could be felt in a relationship, Frost ties it all together.



This poem was quoted by Stephanie Meyer in the novel //Eclipse//, which is the 4th book in the famous Twilight series. It was used to illustrate Bella and Edwards love as well as representing Edward being the ice (since he is a vampire) and Jakob being the fire (because he is a werewolf). The interpretation of why she included it in her book is not very clear, yet it may have had nothing to do with the story other than the fact that she loved the poem and respected Robert Frost.

=**How Do I Love Thee by Elizabeth Barret Browning**=

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of Being and ideal Grace. I love thee to the level of every day's Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight. I love thee freely, as men strive for Right; I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise. I love with a passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints, -- I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life! -- and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death.

Elizabeth Barret Browning was one of the most prominent poets in the Victorian era. Much of her work has religious themes as well as the intense emotion she felt towards her husband, Robert Browning. Though she published many poems while she was still alive, her husband continued to publish her poems after her death where they carried on the memory of her.

"How do I love Thee" is not actually the title of this poem. She actually wrote 44 sonnets for her husband in the late 1850s. This poem was part of a series that she titled " Sonnets from the Portuguese". In this sonnet, love is everything. The speaker tries to explain all the types of love she feels and to understand the difference between them as she expresses her admiration and affection towards "thee". The speaker goes on to use a metaphor that describes and compares her love to 3 dimensional objects. In lines 3-5, she uses a repetitive sound that gives a livelier and more energetic feel to the poem. The speaker also includes feelings of grief and hard times that give it a more realistic edge. In the real world, even when you are happy in a relationship, there are times that are less warm and fuzzy.

Another important aspect about this poem as that the speaker is not necessarily Elizabeth Barret Browning even though she did write this poem for her husband, Robert. The entire poem leaves both genders completely ambiguous making it one of the greatest love poems of all time. You can send it to anyone without changing a single word.

=Annabel Lee by Edgar Allen Poe=

It was many and many a year ago, In a kingdom by the sea, That a maiden there lived whom you may know By the name of Annabel Lee; And this maiden she lived with no other thought Than to love and be loved by me.

//I// was a child and //she// was a child, In this kingdom by the sea: But we loved with a love that was more than love — I and my Annabel Lee; With a love that the winged [|seraphs] of heaven Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago, In this kingdom by the sea, A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling My beautiful Annabel Lee; So that her highborn kinsmen came And bore her away from me, To shut her up in a [|sepulchre] In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven, Went envying her and me — Yes! — that was the reason (as all men know, In this kingdom by the sea) That the wind came out of the cloud by night, Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love Of those who were older than we — Of many far wiser than we — And neither the angels in heaven above, Nor the demons down under the sea, Can ever [|dissever] my soul from the soul Of the beautiful Annabel Lee:

For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side Of my darling — my darling — my life and my bride, In her sepulchre there by the sea, In her tomb by the sounding sea.

//Annabel Lee// is one of the last poems written by Edgar Allen Poe. Like so many of Poe's other poems, it explores the death of a beautiful women. In this poem Poe describes his love for this women was so great that even the angels were jealous. Poe wholheartedly believed that the most poetical topic was the death of a beautiful women which is seen in so many of his poems. Just like his other poems these start off with a women marrying at a young age and then in some way dying. Here, Poe and this women (whom we are not sure Annabel truly represents) had such an intense love between eachother that they would still love eachother even after death. Because Poe goes through such great links to show that they were so in love, it almost focuses more on an ideal love than one that could ever be so strong. Another important thing to point out and even further demonstartes that Poe was a gothic or transcendtalist writer is he only talks about the love they feel for eachother instead of the realistic aspect that everything couldnt be as perfect as he described.

He uses a lot of repetition of words to emphasize the melancholy tone of the poem as well as simlies and symbolism. Many people also argue that Edgar Allen Poe was somewhat inspired by Shakespears poem of Romeo and Juliet. Like Romeo and Juliet, Poe and Annabel Lee fall in love at a very young age and love eachother beyond the understanding of anyone else.

=Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare=

Cher, in the movie Clueless, fabricated a love letter between 2 nerdy teachers and opened with the first line of Sonnet 18, " Shall I compare thee to a Summer's day"
 * Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? ||
 * Thou art more lovely and more temperate: ||
 * Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, ||
 * And summer's lease hath all too short a date: ||
 * Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, ||
 * And often is his gold complexion dimm'd; ||
 * And every fair from fair sometime declines, ||
 * By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd; ||
 * But thy eternal summer shall not fade ||
 * Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest; ||
 * Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade, ||
 * When in eternal lines to time thou growest: ||
 * So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, ||
 * So long lives this and this gives life to thee. ||

Sonnet 18 is part of a large group of sonnets Shakespeare wrote addressing a man of great beauty. He uses very powerful descriptions of nature and the intense images they imply. He also directly compares them to the power the young man in the poem possess in his youth and as such a young age. In this sonnet, Shakespeare goes to great lengths to emphasize that the beauty and power of nature does not compare to the beauty and power of the young man. In fact, it seems as though he doesn't even consider the young man to be human but to represent something much higher, perhaps God.

Shakespeare uses imagery in the very first line by comparing the youth to a Summer's day. Summer is usually associated with brilliance, luminosity, full of life, etc. and in this sense, he is giving the youth all these qualities. It is also interesting to note that he starts off this poem with a question which he corrects himself the very next line saying that "Thou art more lovely and more temperate". Especially if his reference is one towards God, he realizes that his comparison is inadequate in trying to express the way he feels and trying to describe this person. The rest of the poem actually follows with why Summer is not a good enough comparison as "Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May". Throughout the rest of the poem, he continues to compare the youth to nature and putting it above everything else and almost no words can possibly describe the brilliance and beauty of nature.

=This World Is Not Conclusion by Emily Dickinson= code This World is not Conclusion. A Species stands beyond— Invisible, as Music— But positive, as Sound— It beckons, and it baffles— Philosophy—don't know— And through a Riddle, at the last— Sagacity, must go— To gain it, Men have borne Contempt of Generations And Crucifixion, shown— Faith slips—and laughs, and rallies— Blushes, if any see— Plucks at a twig of Evidence— And asks a Vane, the way— Much Gesture, from the Pulpit— Strong Hallelujahs roll— Narcotics cannot still the Tooth That nibbles at the soul—

code

Emily Dickinson was an American poet that was considered eccentric and very introverted, rarely ever leaving her room or house. She kept in contact with people through letters that contained themes of death and immortality that was also similar to many of her poems. A very important thing to note about Emily Dickinson's poems were they were usually changed by publishers to fit the poems of that time. They usually contained short lines, lack luster titles, slant rhyme, as well as unconventional capitalization and punctuation.

In the poem "This World is not Conclusion", Dickinson was saying that righteousness could not be achieved in this lifetime. Men desire it so much and would do anything to get it yet it never seems to fully be there. She also shows much of her faith in this poem. Instead of trying to harp on any kind of faith it was more so her way of trying to explain it simply for something so complex. Its interesting to think that Dickinson didn't believe in something as easy as God but more so that there is something after this world and our adventure does not end when we die. There is another life after death. She was also saying that even after we die there is another generation and after them another generation, so really this world keeps going on and on. This poem gives a new light to people allowing them to not fear death because we our adventure doesn't really end.

This is one of the most interesting poems because Dickinson is taking a stab at the afterlife which is something that neither science nor religion can truly explain. In all honesty she proves that there is truly no way of knowing anything about life. I absolutely love this poem because it gives more than hope but also a reason to never allow death to bring you sadness because for all we know there really is an afterlife that awaits everyone no matter your faith or religion. Maybe there really is another world beyond death and the world we are in now is not the final one.

This poem inspired a lot of artists that in their lyrics approached the theme of death and faith. One of my favorites is "To Where you Are" by Josh Groban:

Who can say for certain Maybe you�re still here I feel you all around me Your memories so clear

Deep in the stillness I can hear you speak You�re still an inspiration Can it be (? ) That you are mine Forever love And you are watching over me from up above

Fly me up to where you are Beyond the distant star I wish upon tonight To see you smile If only for awhile to know you�re there A breath away�s not far To where you are

Are you gently sleeping Here inside my dream And isn�t faith believing All power can�t be seen

As my heart holds you Just one beat away I cherish all you gave me everyday �cause you are mine Forever love Watching me from up above

And I believe That angels breathe And that love will live on and never leave

Fly me up To where you are Beyond the distant star I wish upon tonight To see you smile If only for awhile To know you�re there A breath away�s not far To where you are

I know you�re there A breath away�s not far To where you are

Workscited
Image of "Fire and Ice", [|www.fanpop.com/.../ images/2987610]

Image of Elizabeth Barret Browning, [|pages.usherbrooke.ca/ ang140-gr/index.html]

Image for "Sonnets for the Portugese", [|us.macmillan.com/ sonnetsfromtheportuguese]

Image for "Annabel Lee", [|www.redbubble.com/.../ art/891200-3-annabel-lee]

Image for Edgar Allen Poe, [|robertarood.wordpress.com/ 2008/07/]

Image in Clueless, [|ourdailysonnet.com/ 2009/08/29/sonnet-18/]

Image of Emily Dickinson, [|www.smvblog.com/ smv_lit_society/]

Image of Josh Groban, .