litotes- ironical understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary (e.g., you won't be sorry, meaning you'll be glad ).
A Dream by Edgar Allan Poe
In visions of the dark night
I have dreamed of joy departed-
But a waking dream of life and light
Hath left me broken-hearted.
Ah! what is not a dream by day
To him whose eyes are cast
On things around him with a ray
Turned back upon the past?
That holy dream- that holy dream,
While all the world were chiding,
Hath cheered me as a lovely beam
A lonely spirit guiding.
What though that light, thro' storm and night,
So trembled from afar-
What could there be more purely bright
In Truth's day-star?
Analyze:
SOAPS...
Why did Poe write this poem?
Subject - A dream about the absence of joy in one's life
ReplyDeleteOccasion - 19th century (as evident in the diction), occurring both at night and during the day
Audience - General, unspecified audience, but may be targeted at those who are heartbroken and experiencing loneliness and a lack of peace in life
Purpose - Poe wrote this poem to illustrate how people often struggle with internal issues that the world festers into something more terrible without even realizing it. He is describing how the war of emotion inside of him is tearing him apart and is reflecting upon his tumultuous past. Poe is basically stating that he can live his life as though nothing is wrong during the day, but then grapples with inner turmoil during the night when he dreams of what used to be and reflects on his existence.
Speaker - Edgar Allen Poe (the person having "the dream")
Speaker- Edgar Allen Poe
ReplyDeleteOccasion- in his time period, 19th century
Audience- Anyone that reads it
Purpose- To illustrate how empty his life is.
Subject- Depression?
Poe wrote this poem because he does whatever he wants. He probably wrote this after the death of his wife due to the fact that the poem is about the emptiness if joy in his life.
DeleteSubject is a dream
ReplyDeleteOccasion is a dark night.
Audience is those who have dreams that appear to be much better than their reality.
Purpose is to show that our dreams can be an escape from our own reality.
Speaker is Edgar Allan Poe.
Subject: Dream, bad dream
ReplyDeleteOccasion: nighttime
Audience: People suffering from death of love ones who just want to live in the past
Purpose: Poe is expressing his love for someone, his heart is broken when he comes back to reality
Speaker: Poe
S-Edgar Allan Poe
ReplyDeleteO-19th century.
A-People who are dreamers or believe in the future.
P-Poe wrote this poem to explain that dreams during the day are not as amazing compared to dreams at night because people are always distracted by other tasks or thoughts. He stated that the past would be a distraction because instead of humans looking at the wonders of the future, they are focused on looking at the turmoil in their past.
S-Comparing dreams that occur at night from ones that occur during the day.
Subject- a dream of life in which there is no joy, depression
ReplyDeleteOccasion- not present, a while ago, both in a dream and irl
Audience-no real audince, those who also feel depressed
Purpose- to show how depression weighs on the speaker and touches every aspect of his life
Speaker-Poe, the sad person who is dreaming
Subject - A dream about the lack of joy.
ReplyDeleteOccasion - Some time during the 19th century, around Poe's era
Audience - Most likely those experiencing a lack of joy through loneliness or heartbreak
Purpose - Poe wrote this poem to express his lack of joy and his emotional struggle day in and day out. He's trying to not think of all of his past issues, but during his dreams they come back to haunt him.
Speaker - Edgar Allen Poe
Subject: dreams vs reality
ReplyDeleteOccasion: after dreaming
Audience: those that dream
Purpose: to analyze his own thoughts and purpose
Speaker: Edgar Allen Poe, a dreamer
S-Edgar Allan Poe
ReplyDeleteO-1800's
A-Anyone who is in has had feeling of dismay or discomfort toward society and its daily workings.
P-To show how the past days are evident of his future turmoil. He is saddened over the lose of loved ones and his connection to the world itself.
S-The lack of joy in everyday life and its effects on him.
S- A Dream Poe had
ReplyDeleteO- Reviewing a dream
A- Poem readers
P- Dreams provide a place to go back to and think and review on sad times in his life. To tell about a dream that wont come true
S- Edgar Allen Poe
subject-a dream about having no joy in life
ReplyDeleteoccasion-night time, 19th century
Audience-people who have felt depression before
Purpose- Poe wrote this to describe his internal emotions that leave him broken-hearted, and how joy has walked out of his life. he describes himself as a "lonely spirit".
Speaker-Poe
S-Edgar Allen Poe
ReplyDeleteO-1827
A-anyone suffering a traumatic loss
P-cope with mourning from losing many important people in his life (parents, wife)
S-Poe dreaming of being relieved from his mental illness
S- a dream he had about having no joy in life
ReplyDeleteO-dark night, his time period of which he lived
A-People that are fans of him or can relate to his work
P-to tell about his dream and to maybe explain how he truly feels
S- Edgar Allan Poe
S- Dreams of Day VS Dreams of Night
ReplyDeleteO- 19th Century
A- Those who are Depressed
P- Explain his feelings
S- Edgar Allan Poe
Speaker- Poe
ReplyDeleteOccasion- most likely around the 19th century time period
Audience- people interested in poetry
Purpose- tell a story about dreams/compare different types of dreams
Subject- reality vs. fantasy
S-Edgar Allan Poe
ReplyDeleteO-A wicked dream during the mid 19th century
A-Fans of Gothic literature
P-Show how great a dream can be when compared to real life. Real life is terrible compared to the dreaming world.
S-The divide between waking world and the dream world.
Poe wrote this poem to illustrate how much better the dream is than real life. The dream is something to be sought, and without it, life is nothing but horror and terror. The poem is a reflection on Poe's opium addiction.
S - Poe
ReplyDeleteO - The 1800's, a "dark night"
A - People who read, duh
P - To describe his depression/feelings in a figurative sense
S - Depression? (I have no idea) An ideal?
Poe wrote this to describe his internal struggles. He also wrote it to annoy future English students like me.
S-Poe
ReplyDeleteO-his period that he lived
A-the people who are interested in his work
P-to reflect on emotions and sad parts of his life
S-his dream
S: Edgar Allen Poe
ReplyDeleteO: At night in his sleep during the time period he was alive
A: A person who enjoys reading poems
P: To express the joy that has departed him by describing his dream
S: A nightmare, or a bad dream that left him broken-hearted.
S- A dream of experiencing no joy
ReplyDeleteO- Romantic Era
A- People in the same mind state as Poe
P- Trying to express his internal struggle of trying to live a dream life and being awakened by the shock of reality
S- Poe
S:Edgar Allen Poe
ReplyDeleteo: At night, in the period that he lived in
A: A person who is interested in his reading/reading his work
P: To express his feelings/depression
S: A nightmare and bad thoughts/feelings. Suffering with depression
S: Edgar Allan Poe
ReplyDeleteO: Night, His time period
A: People who have dreams and are dealing with depression.
P: To describe how a dream is thought to be a person's biggest hope but in reality dreams bring sorrow.
S: Fantasy vs Reality (Struggle)
S: Edgar Allan Poe
ReplyDeleteO: Romantic Era (at night)
A: People who enjoy his work and agreed with his position
P: To express how he feels about his dreams in contrast to his life
S: Struggle
Speaker: Poe, the dreamer
ReplyDeleteOccasion: both in the dark of night and the light of the day, in the age of tuberculosis
Audience: Those who can relate to or sympathize with his work
Purpose: to express his internal struggle and use writing as therapy
Subject: his unhappiness because of death and bipolar disorder, using dark and light as metaphors for sadness and happiness
S: Edgar Allan Poe
ReplyDeleteO: The time that he lived
A: His readers
P: To reflect his feelings
S: His dreams
S-Edgar Allen Poe
ReplyDeleteO-Poe's time period
A-People who are interested in Poe and his writing
P-To describe his internal struggle
S-Struggle