The poems “Happy Dog” by Flying Lemming, “The Delight Song of Tsoai-talee" by N.Scott Momaday and “The Joy Of The Lord Is Your Strength” by John Newton are all about the theme of happiness. But the difference is the reason for the speaker’s happinesses are different than each others. “Happy Dog” is about a dog at the beach, The Delight Song of Tsoai-talee is about nature and speaker’s happiness and The Joy Of The Lord Is Your Strength is about satisfaction from God and Jesus. All the three poets used metaphors to reveal the theme of happiness but the usage of the metaphors are different. Through powerful metaphors used in poems, reveal the theme of happiness and joy of living by using metaphors in different ways. The metaphors that Flying Lemming used in his poem “Happy Dog” really connects to his theme, the happiness and excitement. As the speaker says, “I’m a happy dog at the beach” in this line dog refers to human and this line is about the joy of the dog at the beach. Also the dog is confident because in one line, speaker said “There are no new tricks you can teach. ” The beach brings joy to dog and that is why dog wants to be there. Actually the poet wants to show reader that the dog is so energetic and willing to play games at beach. So the speaker or the dog used metaphors to show how happy it is at beach and how much it loves being at beach. Differently than “Happy Dog” Flying Lemming used metaphors in his poem “The Joy of The Lord is Your Strength” in a different way than Flying Lemming. The speaker said “Joy is a fruit that will not grow/ In nature's barren foil” In these lines of poem, poet showed an emotion as a fruit that won’t grow in nature. Speaker’s actual purpose of saying fruit is faith to God. As the theme of the poem, satisfaction and happiness from god, Jesus and faith, these metaphors create symbols which strengthen and deepen the meaning.In “Happy Dog” metaphor just used to show dog’s excitement and happiness at beach but in “The Joy of The Lord is Your Strength” metaphors used to support the actual message. By this metaphor poet shows us that faith is not something raise itself in nature, and people should believe and love god to make it bigger. So John Newton used metaphors to give rise to other meanings differently than Flying Lemming. In the “The Delight Song of Tsoai-talee" by N.Scott Momaday, the speaker is not a person, it is the nature itself and the speaker is happy from having a large variety in it and being alive. In the poem, the speaker used lots of metaphors to show him/her self as the nature. For example, “I am a feather on the bright sky/ I am the blue horse that runs in the plain.” The “feather on the sky” mean birds and the blue horse is the sea and ocean. The poem created all by metaphors like these. And the speaker said that “You see I am alive” to show s/he is happy and enthusiastic to be nature itself. So in this poem differently than previous ones, metaphors don’t add new and deeper meanings to poem or show the happiness, metaphors are the poem. Metaphors created the poem so its job is to reveal the poet’s emotions and thoughts directly. To conclude, all three poets used metaphors in different ways and they all gave metaphors different duties to help their poems. Metaphors all help poem to reveal the theme of happiness and joy but the way they do this is not same.Poems used metaphors to create different meaning and intellection of happiness Happy Dog - Poem by Flying Lemming I’m a happy dog at the beach If I had the power of speech I would tell you all To throw my ball I’m a happy dog at the beach I’m a happy dog at the beach There are no new tricks you can teach I’m bouncy and glad And my tail wags like mad I’m a happy dog at the beach I’m a happy dog at the beach My joy is always in reach Whatever the talk It’s the best place to walk I’m a happy dog at the beach I’m a happy dog at the beach As I hear the seagulls screech I chase and I bark Long into the dark I’m a happy dog at the beach I’m a happy dog at the beach And I don’t want to start to preach But if you ask me The best thing to see Is a happy dog at the beach Lemming, Flying. "Happy Dog." Poemhunter.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May 2015. <http://www.poemhunter.com/poems/happy/page-/11723470/>. The Joy Of The Lord Is Your Strength - Poem by John Newton Joy is a fruit that will not grow In nature's barren foil; All we can boast, till Christ we know, Is vanity and toil. But where the Lord has planted grace; And made his glories known; There fruits of heavenly joy and peace Are found, and there alone. A bleeding Saviour seen by faith, A sense of pard'ning love; A hope that triumphs over death, Give joys like those above. To take a glimpse within the veil, To know that God is mine; Are springs of joy that never fail, Unspeakably divine! These are the joys which satisfy, And sanctify the mind; Which make the spirit mount on high, And leave the world behind. No more, believers, mourn your lot, But if you are the Lord's Resign to them that know him not, Such joys as earth affords. Newton, John. "The Joy Of The Lord Is Your Strength." Poemhunter.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May 2015. <http://www.poemhunter.com/poems/joy/page-/22713951/#content>. The Delight Song Of Tsoai-Talee - Poem by Navarre Scott Momaday I am a feather on the bright sky I am the blue horse that runs in the plain I am the fish that rolls, shining, in the water I am the shadow that follows a child I am the evening light, the lustre of meadows I am an eagle playing with the wind I am a cluster of bright beads I am the farthest star I am the cold of the dawn I am the roaring of the rain I am the glitter on the crust of the snow I am the long track of the moon in a lake I am a flame of four colors I am a deer standing away in the dusk I am a field of sumac and pomme blanche I am an angle of geese in the winter sky I am the hunger of a young wolf I am the whole dream of these things You see, I am alive, I am alive I stand in good relation to the Gods I stand in good relation to the earth I stand in good relation to everything that is beautiful... You see, I am alive, I am alive Momaday, Scott. "The Delight Song of Tsoai-talee." Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 11 May 2015. <http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/175895>. |