"The Lamb" and "The Tiger" Outline

“The Lamb” and  “The Tiger” William Blake

Thesis: In William Blake’s poems “The Lamb” and “The Tiger” he contrasts the different creations on this earth and explores the possibility of there being more than one creator.

A.      Blake utilizes questions for two very different purposes in the poems, highlighting the difference in the creation of the lamb and the tiger.

a.       “Dost thou know who made thee?” (2)

b.      “Dost thou know who….gave thee clothing of delight[?]” (2-5).

                                                               i.      In “The Lamb” Blake is using rhetorical questions, implying that the answer is evident.  There is no question that the beautiful, sweet lamb is a gift from God as Blake makes clear throughout the poem.

c.       “What immortal hand or eye/ Could frame thy fearful symmetry?” (3-4)

d.      “What dread hand forged thy dread feet?” (12)

                                                               i.      These questions from “The Tiger” are not rhetorical, for the answer is not clear. Blake leaves the answer open as to whether God could create the lamb and the tiger, animals so different, or there could be another creator.

B.      Blake’s altered forms of repetition also illustrate the disconnect he feels between the creation of the lamb and the tiger.

a.       “Little Lamb, who made thee?/ Dost thou know who made thee?” (1-2). These two lines are repeated at the beginning of the poem and then again at the end of the first stanza as opposed to repeated at the end of the poem like in “The Tiger.” This shows that there is an answer to come in the rest of the poem; God made the lamb, which Blake is going to clarify after the second repetition.

b.      “Tiger! Tiger! Burning bright/ In the forests of the night,/ What immortal hand or eye/ Could frame thy fearful symmetry?” (1-4). These lines are written at the beginning of the poem and repeated at the very end, showing that Blake has not decided on a final answer to these questions.  He believes that God is the creator, yet he is still bringing Satan into the discussion as an alternate. By ending how he begins, Blake highlights his wavering.

C.      Blake’s biblical allusions illuminate the differences between the creation of the lamb and the tiger.

a.       “For he calls himself a Lamb;/ He is meek and he is mild” (14-15). Jesus is referred to as the Lamb of God in the bible, so by using this reference, Blake leaves no question as to who is the creator.

b.      “In what distant deeps or skies/ Burnt the fire of thine eyes?”  (5-6). The “distant deeps” refer to hell while the “skies” refer to heaven, leading to the feeling of uncertainty as to whether the same creator that made the lamb could actually also make the tiger; Blake wonders if it could actually be the Devil responsible for the tiger.

PODG #5

          At the beginning of Chapter Nine, Basil goes to find Dorian to console him but soon realizes that this is quite unnecessary, for Dorian seems to be completely unaffected. He is not in mourning or any bit sad really; he seems to be going about his life as if nothing has happened. However, in reading Dorian’s attitude towards the whole Sibyl situation, one cannot help but notice the similarity between his attitude and the attitude of the Party in 1984 by George Orwell. Dorian, addressing Basil about Sibyl’s death, says, “If one doesn’t talk about a thing, it has never happened. It is simply expression…that gives reality to things” (79). The idea that by ignoring a situation, one can make it go away is eerily similar to the policies of 1984’s Party. Big Brother rewrites history, so that events the government did not want to occur actually did not according to the books. Though the means of which Dorian and the Party go about forgetting the past are very different, the fact that they have the same goal of forgetting in mind is noteworthy. Moreover, Dorian goes on to say that “it is only shallow people who require years to get rid of an emotion” (79) . Again, the idea that emotions make one weak is easily relatable to the beliefs of the Party, who did not allow the citizens of Oceania to express their emotions. In Dorian’s attempt to distance himself from the death of Sibyl, he has in turn created a monster, a monster that is remarkably similar to the Party depicted by Orwell in 1984, a government organization known for its ludicrous practices and cruelty.

PODG #3

“The reason we all like to think so well of others is that we are all afraid for ourselves” (54).

                Lord Henry recites this quote after Basil tells him that he is much better than he thinks. This statement is laughable to Henry. Henry believes that people only compliment others in the hope of saving themselves in some way, which is interesting to think about. Does someone only compliment another when they want something? Do people always have their own interest at heart? Lord Henry seems to believe this though there are bound to be many others that oppose this idea. Some will say that they give compliments to others just because it is true. They see a positive attribute and comment on it. This viewpoint is completely valid. It seems that many of the sweeping statements Lord Henry makes must be taken with a grain of salt. The statements apply to many situations, but they are not relevant to every situation. Some will very much agree that they use flattery for gain, and others will strongly oppose this statement. However, it must be admitted that in the things that Lord Henry blurts out, there is always some truth to be found.

PODG #2

                Lord Henry is known for his odd yet profound statements. He seems to have very strong opinions on many facets of life and on many people. One particular example of this is when he speaks about Basil: “Basil, my dear boy, puts everything that is charming in him into his work. The consequence is that he has nothing left for life but his prejudices, his principles, and his common sense” (41). This idea is actually quite remarkable. Artists put so much into their work. They are channeling all of their feelings and perspectives into their pieces in order to create something beautiful. As a result, at least according to Lord Henry, they do not have that same passion in living. That immense vigor is drained from them. However, it is pointed out that bad artists are actually very pleasurable in life. That feeling that they are unable to put into their everyday work can be expressed in their everyday life. It almost makes one wonder if this is some sort of just fate. Perhaps, someone cannot beautiful and lively in every aspect of his or her life. Someone cannot be great all around. Those who are able to create great works of art suffer in other areas of their life. Those who do not have that special talent are able to be great in other ways. Therefore, the world does not favor just one group of people; it shares the wealth.

"Siren Song" Outline

“Siren Song” Margaret Atwood

Thesis: Atwood uses an allusion to create the entire basis of the poem, revealing the trickery of the women.

A.      The Sirens are Greek mythological characters known for their charming song.

a.       “This is…the song that is irresistible” (1-3). Everyone who hears the song is drawn into the source of the song, the Sirens.

b.      “the song that forces men to leap overboard” (4-5). Ships passing by lose many of their members to their enchanting song.

B.      The allusion to the Sirens reminds the reader that the Sirens are practically inescapable, and the poem shows why that is.

a.       “I don’t enjoy it here squatting on this island” (13-14). The Sirens manipulate the men into feeling bad for the Sirens, so that the men come over.

b.      “it is a boring song but it works every time” (26-27). The poem shows that this is something that the Sirens do this often, knowing that men are able to resist the women’s pleas.

C.      The allusion shows how the women manipulate those that pass by.

a.       “I will tell the secret to you, to you, only to you” (19-20). The Siren draws in the men by appealing to their sense of curiosity.

b.      “This song is a cry for help: Help me!” (21-22). The sirens evoke the valiant side of men, calling for the men to save the Sirens.

PODG #1

          Basil Hallward is Oscar Wilde’s tool to portray his own views of the aestheticism movement. Through Hallward’s dialogue, the audience is exposed to the painting process or at least what Wilde thinks it should be. The different ideas that go into creating the picture of Dorian  and all the thought Hallward puts behind it is clearly seen. Hallward’s opinions on his painting show the true essence of the aestheticism movement. In speaking with Lord Henry about his painting, Hallward states, “You might see nothing in him. I see everything in him. He is never more present in my work than when no image of him is there” (8). Hallward touches on a very important point. Art is up to interpretation. It is the artist’s job to leave a piece with the ability to be seen in many lights, and that is what Hallward does with his painting of Dorian. Hallward goes on to say that “an artist should create beautiful things, but should put nothing of his own life into them” (8). Dorian is Hallward’s beautiful object, but he is not telling Dorian’s story. He simply creates a portrait of Dorian; what Henry or anyone else wants to interpret from that is up to them. The picture is the spark, but the fire must be created in the mind of the viewer.

The Picture of Dorian Gray Preface

Oscar Wilde was one that was very engrossed in the aestheticism movement, which is clearly seen by the preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray. Wilde eloquently writes, “There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all” (vii). According to Wilde, books are not meant to sway the audience in one direction or the other just as art should not as well. It is the goal of art solely to present “beautiful things” and allow for the audience to decipher “beautiful meanings” for themselves (vii). He believes that art has many contributors from vice and virtue to thought and language, but that the art itself should portray something very basic. It is not the artist’s job to depict an image with all the intricacies spelled out. It is the audience’s job to find intricacies in what appears to be basic.

Moreover, when it comes to art, the audience plays the biggest role. It is the audience’s job to “translate into another manner or a new material his impression of beautiful things” (vii). There will be many different translations, but it should be the goal of art to create these translations: “Diversity of opinion about a work of art shows that the work is new, complex, and vital” (vii). If audiences all agree on a piece, then the artist is not being successful. However, in delving into the meaning of an art piece, Wilde warns that it is “at their peril” (vii). There is so much under the surface of artwork that the audience must realize the task they are taking on. However, it is a task necessary to be taken.

"Barbie Doll" Outline

“Barbie Doll” Marge Piercey

Thesis:  The contrast between a person’s real image and the desired yet unattainable image is highlighted by this satire.

A.      The use of verbal irony emphasizes the idiosyncrasies of our society in the treatment of women .

a.       “in the magic of puberty, a classmate said:/ You have a great big nose and fat legs” (5-6). Every person goes through puberty, yet there are those that look different than others, and everyone looks different than a barbie doll, so the author is tapping into the fact that puberty is inevitable, yet it brings about negative views and insecurities. Therefore, puberty is not that magical at all.

b.      “Doesn’t she look pretty? everyone said...To every woman a happy ending” (23-25). Ironically, the only time the girl is told she is pretty is in death. If someone had told her this when she was alive, she probably would not be in this situation.

B.      Imagery contributes to the satire of this poem.

a.       “She was healthy, tested intelligent, possessed strong arms and back” (7-8). Piercey lists all of these positive characteristics of the girl, yet none of them are good enough. Because she is not pretty, she is not worthy.

b.      “on satin she lay/ with the undertaker’s cosmetics painted on,/ a turned-up putty nose” (19-21).  This is the only imagery that shows the girl as beautiful, and it only comes once the girl is dead.

C.      The repetition in the ends of the stanzas illuminate the indecency being aimed at this girl.

a.       “ You have a great big nose and fat legs” (6). “Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs” (11). These are the ending lines for the first two stanzas. Both stanzas come back to the point that physically, she does not fit the perfect Barbie doll image.

b.      “So she cut off her nose and her legs/ and offered them up” (17-18). The first two stanzas ended with criticism, and so the third one ends with the reaction. Because of this bullying, she was pushed to take drastic action.