My Analysis of The Poems
Happiness is “a pleasurable or satisfying experience” according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary.com. Over the years, people discuss about that issue and search about the things provide happiness. Also, poets write poems with different and effective perspectives about happiness by the help of poetic devices. In the poem “Happiness” by Raymond Carver, persona tells his experience about a two happy boy in a morning and in the poem “A Birthday” by Christina Rossetti, persona tells his happiness for his coming birthday. Both poems uses imageries to describe happiness, however, while Raymond Caver emphasize that small things provide real happiness in the life, Christina Rossetti emphasize happiness’ greatness by comparing it with nature.
In our days, people see happiness by having money, huge house or car because of the changes in the society’s attitude, technology, populism and many other things. However, Raymond Carver states in his poem, -by the help of real life examples via imagery-, that happiness doesn’t require expensiveness but unexpected, little and valuable things. Examples that helped guide the readers through the poem were “They wear caps and sweaters, and one boy has a bag over his shoulder. They are so happy they aren’t saying anything, these boys.” These examples of imagery helped readers to understand what happiness means to Raymond Carver, how he uses symbols in real life and not just money or being rich; that’s all that matters. These boys are maybe not rich but the important thing- which makes them happy- that they share a time together which makes them connected to each other in a way. The line “It's early in the morning and they are doing this thing together”, shows their togetherness and after that line persona says “they come on slowly, slowly. The sky is taking on light” which is an imagery that gives a rise to readers that a happy time is coming. The line at the end summaries all the things imageries bring in, “Happiness. It comes on unexpectedly. And goes beyond, really,” So in this poem, by the help of imagery- real life examples and setting changes-, happiness is defined as a thing that comes without a big reason and goes on.
How do we understand that we are happy? What is the magnitude of happiness? Christina Rossetti answers these questions in her poem “A Birthday” via imageries. In the poem, happiness’ greatness is compared to nature. Persona likens her heart to different things by the help of imageries. “My heart is like a singing bird/ Whose nest is in a water'd shoot; /My heart is like an apple-tree/ Whose boughs are bent with thickset fruit; / My heart is like a rainbow shell/ paddles in a halcyon sea;/ My heart is gladder than all these/ Because my love is come to me.” is the example of imagery to build simile examples. Persona creates an image of singing bird to describe her excitement, she creates an image of rainbow to describe being full of life and being energetic, also she creates an image of apple tree with thickset fruit to describe exuberance. So by the help of imagery, Christina Rossetti shows the greatness of happiness and its outcomes.
Overall, happiness is not about materiality but about spirituality. Happiness comes unexpectedly and its sequences are really strong, magical and fascinating. Both poems “Happiness” and “A Birthday” defines happiness by the help of imageries, but while imageries in the “Happiness” shows the happiness’ spiritual and unexpected side; imageries in the “A Birthday” shows its magical and strong side.
Happiness is “a pleasurable or satisfying experience” according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary.com. Over the years, people discuss about that issue and search about the things provide happiness. Also, poets write poems with different and effective perspectives about happiness by the help of poetic devices. In the poem “Happiness” by Raymond Carver, persona tells his experience about a two happy boy in a morning and in the poem “A Birthday” by Christina Rossetti, persona tells his happiness for his coming birthday. Both poems uses imageries to describe happiness, however, while Raymond Caver emphasize that small things provide real happiness in the life, Christina Rossetti emphasize happiness’ greatness by comparing it with nature.
In our days, people see happiness by having money, huge house or car because of the changes in the society’s attitude, technology, populism and many other things. However, Raymond Carver states in his poem, -by the help of real life examples via imagery-, that happiness doesn’t require expensiveness but unexpected, little and valuable things. Examples that helped guide the readers through the poem were “They wear caps and sweaters, and one boy has a bag over his shoulder. They are so happy they aren’t saying anything, these boys.” These examples of imagery helped readers to understand what happiness means to Raymond Carver, how he uses symbols in real life and not just money or being rich; that’s all that matters. These boys are maybe not rich but the important thing- which makes them happy- that they share a time together which makes them connected to each other in a way. The line “It's early in the morning and they are doing this thing together”, shows their togetherness and after that line persona says “they come on slowly, slowly. The sky is taking on light” which is an imagery that gives a rise to readers that a happy time is coming. The line at the end summaries all the things imageries bring in, “Happiness. It comes on unexpectedly. And goes beyond, really,” So in this poem, by the help of imagery- real life examples and setting changes-, happiness is defined as a thing that comes without a big reason and goes on.
How do we understand that we are happy? What is the magnitude of happiness? Christina Rossetti answers these questions in her poem “A Birthday” via imageries. In the poem, happiness’ greatness is compared to nature. Persona likens her heart to different things by the help of imageries. “My heart is like a singing bird/ Whose nest is in a water'd shoot; /My heart is like an apple-tree/ Whose boughs are bent with thickset fruit; / My heart is like a rainbow shell/ paddles in a halcyon sea;/ My heart is gladder than all these/ Because my love is come to me.” is the example of imagery to build simile examples. Persona creates an image of singing bird to describe her excitement, she creates an image of rainbow to describe being full of life and being energetic, also she creates an image of apple tree with thickset fruit to describe exuberance. So by the help of imagery, Christina Rossetti shows the greatness of happiness and its outcomes.
Overall, happiness is not about materiality but about spirituality. Happiness comes unexpectedly and its sequences are really strong, magical and fascinating. Both poems “Happiness” and “A Birthday” defines happiness by the help of imageries, but while imageries in the “Happiness” shows the happiness’ spiritual and unexpected side; imageries in the “A Birthday” shows its magical and strong side.