Posts

Showing posts from 2016

Essay 7: Lion Heart

This essay discusses the structure of the poem 'Lion Heart' by Amanda Chong. I particularly like this poem due to the fact that the author was merely 16 years old when she wrote it, and yet, the profoundness of her words is far beyond her years.  Lion Heart by Amanda Chong, is a fairly patriotic poem, where Chong conveys pride in her country, through delving into its historical past and exploring its origins. The key metaphor employed here is of Singapore’s national icon - the Merlion, a mythical beast characterised by its strength and might. The poem is divided in a manner where each stanza serves to delineate the transition of the Merlion moving from from ocean to land, consequently presenting a chronological order of Singapore’s journey towards development. Hence, structure plays a key role in making this poem effective. The first stanza describes the Merlion coming “out of the sea, skin dappled in scales of sunlight”. Scales refer to the fact that this creature bel

Essay 6: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

This essay discusses the relevance of the novella 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' in Victorian England and in the 21st century. This text is particularly interesting, for it is an extended metaphor that is a beautiful analysis of human psychology. It deals with two faces of a human: the outwardly facade of sophistication, and the innate yet suppressed feral instincts.  ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ by Robert Louis Stevenson can be called an evergreen classic for one key reason. The central theme of the good and evil that resides within man is highly pertinent, and is prevalent in every era. This novella explores the idea of the ‘facade’ one commonly puts up in order to be accepted in society and become well respected, however, this show of being sophisticated and civilised is a mere veneer. In Victorian England, this novel came to be of immense relevance under the light of the industrial revolution, wherein several immigrants travelled to Engl

Essay 5: Heart & Mind

This essay discusses the choice of images in the poem 'Heart and Mind' by Edith Sitwell  Heart and Mind by Edith Sitwell is brilliantly crafted poem that deals with the philosophical idea of the longevity of true love and the temporary nature of physical infatuation and lust. In this case, the heart is associated to lust, whereas the mind is associated to true love that continues to live on. The key manner in which Sitwell breaks down this complicated issue to explain her views to her readers, is by employing various contradictory images that symbolize the eternal and short-lived natures of love and passion respectively. The first image that Sitwell employs to convey this message is that of the Lion speaking to the Lioness. The Lion begins by saying when “you are amber dust”. This refers to the time when the lioness’ body has perished, but her soul lives on, in a time when there is “no liking but all lust”. Though they “shall mate no more”, the “fire of that sun the hea

Essay 4: All My Sons - Family as an Excuse

This passage answers the question:  Do you think that there is some legitimacy in Joe Keller’s argument of some wrongs being excusable in the name of family? The play All My Sons by Arthur Miller can be seen as a modern day tragedy due to the protagonist – Joe Keller – possessing a fatal flaw, that eventually leads to his downfall. Keller’s fatal flaw in this case, is his limited worldview. He thinks that his responsibility is only limited to his business and family, and thus he ignores the ‘social contract’ we are all bound by. Hence, when Keller argues that some wrongs are excusable in the name of family, it seems like a rather feeble attempt to regain his dignity, in light of the fact that he has blood on his hands regardless. Undertones of Keller’s guilt are visible from the start. In the name of defending Steve Deever, he keeps trying to justify his own crime, to provide some sort of solace to his own self. When Ann and Chris chastise Deever for his crime, Joe attempts

Essay 3: Merchant of Venice: Deceptive Appearances

All those who might have read or studied "Merchant of Venice", (one of Shakepeare's many renowned plays) would know that deceptive appearances is one of the central themes of this play. Merchant of Venice was also my favourite text from the ones we did as a part of our IGCSE syllabus. Shakespeare's craftsmanship with words is one that is truly remarkable and inimitable.  Merchant of Venice: Deceptive Appearances The theme of deceptive appearances is one of the central themes in Shakespeare’s play, The Merchant of Venice and is prevalent throughout the various intertwined plots. It is also reflected in the language, via the employment of puns, malapropisms double entendre and other literary devices. This theme is significant in the plot of the caskets, wherein their outwardly appearance is deliberately designed in a manner that tests Portia’s suitors. The first suitor, Morocco, falls prey to the golden casket that claims, “who chooseth me shall gain what

Essay 2: Passage Based - All My Sons - George's Phone Call

This is a passage based essay from All My Sons by Arthur Miller *For those of you who don't know, you are required to answer one passage based question, wherein you will be given a segment of the text. This segment is from  Page 37-40 (George ’ s phone call) Question: Discuss how tension is built in this extract In this passage from ‘All My Sons’, Arthur Miller aims to develop tension and a sense of foreboding by the phone call that precedes George Deever’s arrival. The impact this has on Kate and Joe Keller reveals to the audience that they are tainted by the ‘crime’ at the factory somehow, and have something to conceal and be fearful of. Deever acts as a catalyst and unleashes the ‘winds of destruction’ upon the Keller household, much like the winds that brought down Larry’s tree. Thus, George’s arrival heralds the unraveling of the truth and he acts as a catalyst for the destruction of the Kellers’ falsehood-based sense of security. The key to building tension so

Essay 1: Lover's Infiniteness

This essay is an analysis of the poem 'Lover's Infiniteness' by John Donne In the poem ‘Lover’s Infiniteness’, John Donne employs the structure of this poem as a key tool to represent the transient nature of his thoughts towards the idea of love. The effect created makes the reader believe that Donne was torn between perspectives and was facing an inner conflict while penning down this poem. Each stanza of the poem has a different tone, and represents this very change in the Donne’s perspective while simultaneously exploring the idea of “love’s riddle”. In the first stanza, Donne’s outlook is fairly defeatist. He feels if “yet I have not all thy love, I shall never have it all”. Donne’s idea of love comes across as childish, as one cannot really quantify love. Also, he seems to be too possessive. The language used here is fairly materialistic. This is attested to when he says “and all my treasure which should purchase thee”. Donne regards love as a black and whi

Structuring Your Essays

Although there is no hard and fast way to structure your essays, it always helps to keep in mind certain elements of the text you should discuss, so that you are able to present a deep and well thought out analysis of the same. While writing an essay make sure you cater to the: Themes Style Language and techniques (or literary devices) Structure Mood Moreover, you will also be expected to back up your analysis with evidences. Hence, you must integrate your quotes into the essay. You will gain more clarity on how to do this once you start reading the essays.  One effective strategy that many use to structure their texts is P.E.E, which essentially stands for Point, Evidence and Explanation. So make a point, integrate a quote, which is your evidence, and then, explain it further. Always remember to write about the significance or effect a certain line has, don't simply state. Also, be wary of the 'trap of summary'- don't summarise the text; analyse it.

Content of the Blog

The poems and texts the essays are based on are: Texts: 1. All My Sons by Arthur Miller 2. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson 3. The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare Poems: 1. Lovers' Infiniteness by John Donne 2. Coming Home by Owen Sheers 3. Lion Heart by Amanda Chong 4. Father Returning Home by Dilip Chitre 5. Passion by Kathleen Raine 6. She Was A Phantom of Delight by William Wordsworth 7. Song by Lady Mary Wroth 8. Stabat Mater by Sam Hunt 9. The Lost Woman by Patricia Beer 10. For My Grandmother Knitting by Liz Lochhead * Note that these are only a few of the poems present in the syllabus. Some of the essays are also comparisons between two poems, for you might be asked such questions in the exam, and it is a good idea to be familiar with the format for such essays.