Introduction The emotional battles that people from all walks of life indulge in are explored in “The Raven,” especially the struggle to overcome the emotions of mourning and sadness, which is a battle that cannot be avoided. Even though these confrontations are not physical, they still cause damage and suffering. With this poem, Edgar Allan … Read more
Introduction The poem “Still I Rise” portrays the speaker, who is presumed to be a black woman, standing up against discrimination with courage. The speaker refuses to be intimidated and keeps rising in victory in the face of all attempts by the oppressor to “shoot,” “cut,” or “kill” her. Angelou was a devoted advocate for civil … Read more
Introduction American poet Robert Frost penned “Nothing Gold Can Stay” in 1923. It was released in the same year’s New Hampshire collection, which went on to win the 1924 Pulitzer Prize. Robert Frost’s poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay” explores the transience of life. It discusses how time affects nature in order to convey the perishable … Read more
Introduction American poet Sylvia Plath wrote the poem “Mad Girl’s Love Song” in 1953. The poem addresses both heartache and psychological issues, as implied by its title. The speaker bemoans a lost love while implying constantly that this love was only ever a fabrication of her thoughts. The women’s publication Mademoiselle’s August 1953 edition was … Read more
Introduction In the poem, “I Am Offering This” the speaker insists that love itself is a gift more priceless and enduring than any material luxury, making the poem primarily a romantic poem. The poem also serves as a reflection on the capacity of poetry to express deep feelings, give solace in difficult or lonely times, … Read more
Introduction In the early 1863, Emily Dickinson wrote the poem “Because I could not stop for death.” The speaker of the poem describes how “Death,” portrayed as a “kindly” gentleman, visited her and offered to take her for a trip in his carriage. The speaker appears to be riding through portrayals of the many stages … Read more
Introduction Marge Piercy’s poem “Barbie Doll” addresses the unreasonable and ridiculous demands made of young girls. Second-wave feminism was prevalent when “Barbie Doll” was composed and released. The speaker discusses the emotions that feminism was and is still battling against throughout the poem. She uses the narrative of a “girlchild” to talk about gender roles … Read more
Introduction Robert Hayden wrote the poem “Those Winter Sundays” in 1962. The speaker of the poem, who is an adult, remembers how, when he was a boy, his father would get up early on Sunday mornings throughout the winter to start a fire and warm the home before anybody else got out of bed. At … Read more
