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Prose passage #2

Prose passage #1

Prose #2 Analysis

Within the final moments of Robert Jordan’s life reveals his connection with nature and his total lack of innocence as he prepares himself for death. This can be seen through his continual use of nature imagery and the lack of emotion within his diction during his final minutes of life.

 Robert Jordan continually uses the imagery of nature to ready himself for death. His insistence on thinking death will be like a drink of water for “That’s what it’ll be like”(470 Hemingway). Robert Jordan’s continual connection with nature pervades the imagery seen within the final moments of the man’s life as he prepares to die not a hero’s death but that of a guilty killer lying “the pine needle floor”(471). This last piece of imagery shows the mental closeness, which Robert has with nature as he is dying on nature’s floor. This important use of imagery helps to fully expose this connection with nature for nature is what allows Robert introspection and to truly express his emotion. This is all vocalized through the imagery through which the natural world is seen thus tainted by Robert’s emotions helps to fully expose the man’s true emotions.

 Along with the use of imagery Robert Jordan’s final words are that of calm and acceptance. Within these final words the acceptance of fate is seen as he marvels at the “sunlit place where the first trees of the pine forest joined the green slope”(471 

Hemingway). Within this last moment of life the crucial diction of this final thought exposes the acceptance of death by Robert Jordan for he is no longer and innocent man due to his exposure of violent fighting. For the physical connotation of the imagery brings to mind calmness and tranquility juxtaposing the violent and chaotic fighting that consumes the world around us. This can also be seen as Robert prepares himself ”very carefully and delicately”(Hemingway 471). For Robert in preparing to die also prepares to kill thus do this imagery once again highlight the true cruelty of the fighting. There is no prayer there is no emotion as he prepares to die. This total lack of emotion within the diction helps to explain the truly complex character of Robert Jordan.

Through the use of imagery and diction Hemingway exposes the lack of innocence and the acceptance of death within Robert Jordan. The influence of nature on Robert Jordan is profound for within the final moments of life it both calms him and expresses his acceptance of death. This subtle use of both diction and imagery expresses the mind of Robert and through the character Hemingway own beliefs upon the violent nature of war and it’s effects on man.

Prose #1 Analysis

Within the two character’s Maria and Robert Jordan of For Whom The Bell Tolls one can see the degradation of innocence within Robert Jordan through his diction and the facade which he uses in discussion with his love Maria.

 Robert Jordan’s elevated diction within his discussions with Maria sharply contrasts that of his usual diction in which his diction is much more casual. Within these crucial conversations one sees the hypocrisy of Robert’s life. For within his relationship with Maria Robert all though truly loving the woman, he must hide the corruption of Robert himself unlike the purity of Maria. This can be seen within the lines “Thou has loved many others. Some but not as thee. And it was not thus? Truly?”(160 Hemingway). Within this elevated diction one sees Robert trying to fool Maria into believing Robert is truly is as innocent as she. A change of diction however comes when Robert converses with himself as he thinks, “Don’t worry. You mustn’t worry”(Hemingway 161). Thus does one see a clear distinction within the diction of that in which he speaks with Maria and that with which he speaks to himself. The facade of innocence which 

Robert uses for the sake of his love is purely to allow Maria to be happy within the final moment of life upon this earth. The elevated language of the text allows Maria to believe that Robert truly is a noble pure man and not and evil one. A man cold enough to have “made love to this girl and now your head clear”( Hemingway 161) plot the destruction and chaos of a battle to come. This line also shows the lack of innocence within Robert as his diction exposes a man calm and unbothered by the thoughts of killing men only for the destruction of a bridge. A bridge which will be rebuilt upon the advancement of the Republic and corrupt assortment of Russians and Spaniards. This change in mannerism between the man whom says “Thou art Beautiful now” (Hemingway 160) and that whom plans to “place the two automatic rifles to get the most level fields of fire”(Hemingway 161). Within both quotes does one see the fundamental change brought upon the lack of innocence within Robert Jordan thus allowing him to plan the violent death of both those he fights with and those he fights against. 

 Within the difference of diction does the reader see the true effect that innocence has upon the human soul for while speaking with an innocent human Robert speaks as an innocent himself however within his mind he speaks as cold and calculated as a killer.

Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" analysis

The poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost uses the descriptive words of the natural world to better describe his pains and the metaphor of a journey to express his feelings on life and the darkness that it entails within the present.

 Throughout the work the woods are described as “lovely, dark and deep” (13 Frost). The woods to Frost are a symbol for the mind as he sits within the frozen wasteland alone upon his journey with “miles to go before I sleep” (15 Frost) thus does Frost see that this hardship will end. This use of denotation allows for Frost to explore his mind as he speaks of the world around him. This can be seen specifically in the diction he uses within each of these lines as he understates the time he has left in this life while he reflects upon his presentation which is dark and depressing however lovely in it’s pain.  The narrator also represents his hardships through the description of the woods is haunting and unknown during “darkest evening of the year” ( 8 Frost). This further description of the time in which the man travels shows the depression the narrator feels. When describing the season as winter and dark the narrator shows the depression and hopelessness of his current struggles within the world around him. 

  However he pauses during this time to acknowledge his horse whom “gives his harness bells a shake”(Frost 9). The physical connotation of the bell brings not only the narrator but also the reader back into the physical world. This break within the poem also shows a shift in the narrator’s depressive thoughts as he now begins to see the need to continue on as the distractions of the real world bring him once again to the need to continue on within life. This shift in from inward contemplation upon life to the outward call of those around him specifically the horse. This shift in thoughts leads the narrator to continue on in life not only to his destination but also within his life itself for he has “miles to go before I sleep”(15 Frost). This acknowledgment of the journey is a progression from bleak hopelessness to the belief in continuing on for happier times. This is also seen through out the mind of Robert Jordan, a man whom faced with similar challenges is just as in tune with nature like that of the narrator for the “earth moved” (Hemingway) for Robert truly is a piece of nature. This can be seen through the continual descriptions of nature specifically in the first and final lines of the novel as Robert feels “his heart beating against the pine needle floor of the forest”(Hemingway 471). A literal closeness specifically placed within the text to show the physical need of Robert to connect with the nature around him. Also like the  narrator within “Stopping By The Woods On A Snowy Evening” Robert reveals through his diction his guilt for he repeatedly says “you mustn’t worry.”(161 Hemingway) for he knows the evils that he has wrought upon this world and acknowledges those which he plans to are morally wrong. Yet like the narrator Robert must use his own vocalization of the plans to force himself to move forward.

 This natural progression of the writers of both For Whom The Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost transposes the emotions of their characters upon the natural world. Hemingway, through the emotions of Robert Jordan and the subsequent reaction of the natural world around him literally shaking the earth during great fits of passion. However Robert Frost uses the nature around him to help morally guide the narrator forward upon his life thus allowing him to over come the great challenges of life while looking into the frozen, snowy, woods. Thus does each author use both the physical connotation of the words and the symbolism they denote through out each piece to fully express the emotion behind their contemplations.

The Coming Of War: Acteon Analysis

Ezra Pound, a writer bothered by the violence and destruction of the first World War uses the ancient myth of Acteon to fully show the hopelessness the loss of innocence brought upon the man. Within the Ezra Pound’s disjointed stanza alignment and the diction of opposing characters to expose the damage to innocence due to the horrors of war.

  Within the arrangement of stanzas of “The Coming of War:Acteon” does one see the broken and disjointed feelings of the narrator as each line is continually disjointed and plain. Each line in it’s own disjointed way expresses the broken thoughts of the writer. For just as “A sea/ Harsher than granite/ unstill, never ceasing”(Pound 7- 9) so is the mind of the narrator, for the lines are broken up specifically to communicate this indecision as Ezra to is uneasy and confused. Ezra also uses the sea as a metaphor for the mind as it to is unstill and ceasing when agitated. This can also be seen through the disjointed description of “Acteon of golden greaves! / over fair meadows” the narrator is unsure of the hero of old for this can be seen as he continues to switch between Acteon and the pastoral landscape of golden fields. This helps to show the innocence of Acteon and those who’s innocence was so selfishly taken away as Pound uses the pastoral scene to heighten the tragedy of the rape of innocence. 

 This continual switching within the last stanza itself and between stanzas creates a disjointed feeling, a feeling of uneasiness. For between either stanza the narrator switches between the description of Lethe and the hero Acteon. For “An image of Lethe”(1 Pound) brings to mind turmoil and destruction just as the river within Hades that carries its name contrasts the “Acteon of golden greaves” a hero of old. This contradiction helps to expose both the good and evils of war as both horrendous and courageous actions are wrought upon the field. Within either stanza both of these facts are exposed as Pound moves between stanzas helping him to fully expose the horrors of war.

 Similarly Within For Whom The Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway the pains and torments of war is seen through the continual changing of perspectives similar to that of Ezra Pound’s poem “The Coming of War:Acteon”. For within each piece the switching of perspectives be that through line arrangement or perspective of the viewer each allows the reader to see the true horrors of war. Throughout For Whom The Bell Tolls Hemingway continually switches perspectives to that of the enemy exposing a man whom vocalizes “what a bad thing war is”(331 Hemingway). Yet like Robert this enemy follows the orders given to him by his people. The similarity in diction echoes that of Ezra Pound whom vocalized that war is  “an image of Lethe/and the fields”(1-2 Pound) are the waters of the river of oblivion. For within war good men are killed by good men and this is exposed through the subtle use of line arrangement and diction within both pieces

 Through the use of diction and Line arrangement both Ernest Hemingway and Ezra Pound truly expose the horrors of war causing a loss of innocence within man.  As each man works to use the symbolism of each word to fully express their true emotions. For within Ezra Pound’s poem the “Coming of War Acteon” the loss of hero through that of the disjointed structure showing the hysteria caused by war. Hemingway on the other hand uses the diction of two characters, men whom speak with the same bitter tone for the violent nature of war itself.