8/19/2019 Midsummer Tobago commentary

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Lyla 13K English Lit. (HL)

Mr. Simon Lawrence

MIDSUMMER !"#$%" &'"MME!$R*Mi+s,mmer !o-ago -y Dere/ 0alcott e2lores the i+eas o nostalgia an+ longing

o something that is gone or lost. !hro,gh 0alcott4s stylistic eat,res o the title

re5ects the nostalgia 2rominent in the 2oem. !his is -eca,se the title sets a time

an+ 2lace which resem-les a +iary entry. !he e6ect o this is it re5ects a yearning

or something rom the 2ast that cannot -e retrie7e+ an+ the only way to hol+ onto

what is lost is to remem-er it.

 !he 8rst stan9a o the 2oem is +i6erent stylistically rom the rest o the 2oem as it is

the only stan9a with one line whereas the rest ha7e co,2lets. !he e6ect o this

stylistic choice is it highlights the setting o the 2oem an+ it gi7es a smooth

entrance or the rest o the 2oem. :,rthermore the 2oem starts o6 with *#roa+ s,n&

stone+ -eaches thro,gh the ,se o the 2losi7e alliteration o the -4s contrast with

the soothing si-ilance o *s,n&stone+ the e6ect o this contrasts ca2t,res theam-ig,ity o the images o the 2oem.

In the 8rst 3 stan9as 0alcott 2resents elements o 2ara+ise howe7er it is

contraste+ with ,ncon7entional imagery. 0alcott +escri-es a *green ri7er an+ a

*white heat that is s,rro,n+ing the area. Ri7ers are ,s,ally associate+ with a calm

serene atmos2here; howe7er -y +escri-ing the ri7er as green ma/es something

that is ,s,ally +elicate an+ calm seem m,ch hea7ier an+ m,r/y almost resem-ling

a swam2. *0hite heat also resem-les something 2ower,l an+ +angero,s as the

no,n *white ma/es the 2hrase seem -lin+ing. !he 2hrases are ma+e ,2 o no,n

2hrases which ma/es the +escri2tions resem-le little sna2shots or images the

e6ect this has is it ma/es the whole 2oem seem li/e a memory or a +iary entry. In

a++ition the style o the title 8es it in a time an+ 2lace which resem-les a +iary

entry an+ it shows a re5ecti7e nat,re. 'onse th line o the

wor+ *+rowsing. !he wor+ +rowsing may re5ect no 2,r2ose,lness an+ la9iness

which also re5ects the relaing nat,re o the -each an+ sea. !his stan9a is a

transitional stan9a or the 2oem as the -eginning o the 2oem the 2ersona a22earsto -e ?oyo,s an+ is a22reciating the s,rro,n+ings howe7er aterwar+s the 2ersona

a22ears to -e more nostalgic an+ has a longing tone. !his stea+y transition is

re5ecte+ thro,gh the ,se o longer sentences which slows +own the 2oem.

:,rthermore when loo/ing at the title *Mi+s,mmer is a time 2erio+ in the mi++le

o s,mmer an+ there is a-o,t to -e a change a transition to another season an+

this transition is re5ecte+ thro,gho,t the 2oem.

8/19/2019 Midsummer Tobago commentary

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Lyla 13K English Lit. (HL)

Mr. Simon Lawrence !he ,se o the ana2hora in stan9a @ em2hasi9es the longing or what the 2ersona

has lost it gi7es a sense o nostalgia. :,rthermore the contrasting 7er-s o *hel+

an+ *lost at the en+ o lines A an+ B -rings ,2 the i+ea o memory. !his is -eca,se

*hel+ might re5ect remem-ering an+ *lost might re5ect something orgotten.

Howe7er another inter2retation wo,l+ -e that the 2ersona is longing or what is

gone as the 7er- *lost s,ggests that there was no intention or =it4 to go away.

 !he last stan9a o the 2oem ,rther +el7es into the nostalgic nat,re o the 2ersona.

 !hro,gh the ,se o the simile *+ays that o,tgrow li/e +a,ghters shows a

2rotecti7eness o the 2ersona an+ the ,se o *+a,ghters gi7es a sense o a male

2ersona. :,rthermore the ,se o *+a,ghters might s,ggest how what is gone

might ha7e let willingly -,t the 2ersona wante+ =it4 to stay as +a,ghters at a

certain ,s,ally lea7e the 2arents to li7e their li7es. In a++ition thro,gh the 2ersona

reminiscing on the 2ast s,ggests how they +on4t want to let go an+ the only way

they can cling on is thro,gh memories. :,rthermore the last line o the 2oem is

*my har-o,ring arms the ,se o the wor+ *har-o,ring s,ggests that the 2ersona

will always -e there or what is gone which again em2hasi9es the 2rotecti7eness o

the 2ersona.

In concl,sion this 2oem -rings the i+eas o losing things an+ the only way to co2e

is to reminisce. !his nostalgic atmos2here is re5ecte+ thro,gh the ,se o +etaile+

imagery in the -eginning o the 2oem as the ,se o imagery s,ggests how well the

2ersona remem-ers the 2ast.