Analysis of "The Old Cowboy"

 Link to Poem: http://sfrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/2012/01/old-cowboy.html


Dramatic Situation:
      -Speaker: an observer; not "the cowboy" himself, but someone who knows the lifestyle
      -Context: explanation of lifestyle
      -Circumstances: Modern times, around people who do not understand the cowboy lifestyle.


Structure:
      -The first three stanzas discuss the lines on his face in a symbolic sense. The fourth stanza provides an example of the strength of cowboys. Last two stanzas reveal purpose for poem.
      -The logic of the poem is inductive


Theme:
      -The theme of this poem is that cowboys are wise, strong, and should be respected.


Grammar and Meaning:
      -The author's grammar represents the grammar used by cowboys. Words such as "ain't" and phrases such as "You surely may have seen him lying face down in the dirt..." serve to provide a sounds such as that of the cowboy.


Important Images and Figures of Speech:
      -"Every line on that cowboy's face, there's a story to be told...."
      -"But, when you look into his eyes those lines just fall bare. Look at him and honor the wisdom he has to share."


Most Important Single Words:
      -"Ain't"
      -"Laugh lines"
      -"Smile lines"
      -"Praying
      -"Dirt"
      -"Honor"
      -"Wisdom"


Tone:
     -The author has respect for the subject (cowboys), and wants the audience to see why they should be honored and respected.


Literary Devices: 
      -Symbolism- The lines on the cowboy's face represent his experience and wisdom.
      - Imagery- "You surely may have seen him
                       Lying face down in the dirt
                       Why, believe me, 
                       He's just resting
                       He ain't really hurt."

      -Meter- causes the poem to flow and allows for rhyming

      -Metaphor- "Every line on that cowboy's face
                            If you could crawl inside
                            Would lead you to a story
                            Those are where
                            A million tales do hide."

Prosody- 

      -The rhyme pattern and meter help the author's thoughts flow smoother and allow for the author's thoughts to be "seen" as the poem progresses.

A Tale of Two Cities Notes (Dr. Tony Williams Lecture, Gresham College)

• Self-sacrifice was a major them based off  his friend's play inspired by the 1845 trip to find the Northwest Passage, from which all participants perished (suggestions of cannibalism).
• Dickens creates "Lucie" based off a character played by the woman whom he wants, but is not married to (ends up divorcing his wife for).
• Carton is a reflection of Dickens (Charles Darnay and Dick Carton, as which is what he named Sydney Carton instead, are a parallel representation of Dickens himself).
• May of 1858, separated from his wife, June it was publicly announced.
• 1859- Began a new Journal, first 3 chapters of A Tale of Two Cities was published.
• London provided many unsettling sights that "were to haunt him for years".
• Wretchedness and darkness but also "magic lantern". "A day in London sets me up and starts me."He made connections within London that were not previously made.
• Visited Paris for the first time in 1844 on his way to Italy. "It is the most extraordinary place in the world." "Nothing but strange and striking things came swarming before me." He found Paris to be a character in itself. He described it as an eternal book. He was completely amazed with it. Saw it as an opposite to London in that sense.
• Dickens visited Paris at least 15 times between 1844 and 1868. Often very lengthy stays. Gave public readings in the British embassy. This was over a span of multiple topographical and political changes.
• Fascinated by the darker side of the city. Drawn to visit the morgue, which was listed as a visitor attraction in the city.
• Bleakly described the location at which the Bastille had been.
• "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of foolishness, it was the age of wisdom..."
• A Tale of Two Cities- years leading up to and directly after the French Revolution. Victorians were haunted by memory and example of French Revolution. Written only 70 years after the revolution.
• Novel is a warning of revolution, one of the Victorian's great fears. Novel came out in chunks, chapter by chapter in journals and magazines (1859) 
• He felt it was the best story he had ever written. 
• Dickens build suspense and tension through imagery, setting, and plot.
• Responds to criticism with clear and decisive responses. 
• Characters become mysteries to one another, despite the tangled connections between most of the characters.
• 
  

A Tale of Two Cities- Dicken's Literary Techniques in the First 100 Pages

• Allusion- Period based; The French Revolution and The effects that the American Revolution had on England. Dickens also alludes to the Bible. The dated allusions make identification and understanding of them more difficult. You may have to do more in-depth reading or even, possibly, research to fully understand.
• Parallelism and Dichotomy- "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only." The idea of opposites is consistent throughout the novel. In the beginning, the idea of resurrection accompanies the idea of death(one would not be possible without the other). The contrast and relationship between London and Paris, and Lucie Manette and Charles Darnay.