foreside poetry Flashcards
to a waterfowl
he is observing a bird flying alone and he sees the bird and appreciates it becasue he is also walking alone and they are much the same. God, who guides me and you the same shows us the right path to go
thantopsis
death seems scary, but its not. nature will always welcome you to death because you will not be alone when you die, nature will always be with you as a friend. your body will become a brother to the ground and part of the earth. people may be skeptical, but they too will see the greatness of death.
the cross of snow
he is referencing his wife who died a while back. he remembers her when he sees a cross of snow and it reminds him of the cross he wears. he compares his wife to Christian martyrs who were burned at the steak
the tide rises the tide falls
the one who fights against the tide will not be remembered, rather washed away by the tide. the one who goes with the tide will be remembered longer. death isnt something to be feared, rather just accepted, just as the person who accepts the waves coming near them
old ironsides
people want to scrap the ship and he says not to because the ship is a part of the american spirit, like the soldiers in the war, it too should be respected and preserved. personifies the ship
the chambered nautilus
the nautilus like people have restrictions, yet when we die we are free of our shells. we, like the nautilus, leave something behind for the next generation like the shell and its a cycle
the children’s hour
he loves children and wishes he had some of his own, but his wife had a miscarrage. he sounds like a creeper when talking about the children’s love and his love
hunters of men
he puts faith in public pressure to end slavery without war. he writes this about the evils of slavery to make it seem horrible and pressure people into abolishing it
the street
he is walking down a street as he notices people who aren’t living, they’re just acting as ghosts rather than being actual humans. they just go through the motions. he personifies the world. has a dark tone
impartiallity
each person has innate prejudices, which isn’t something to go by. you can overcome differences and innate prejudices and compromise to have a good relationship. it would be rude not to compromise
