Symbolism is an of import facet of literary plants because through it the craftsman of the work is able to pass on his positions and thoughts which might non be evident from the work unless thought upon from a critical angle. Through the class of this paper. I intend to analyse and compare the symbolism in two chef-d’oeuvres viz. Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path” and Robert Frost’s “A Road Not Taken” . The ground for choosing these two plants of art is because they demonstrate the deepness and a assortment of literary elements including Style. Form and Content which would organize the centrepiece of my analysis.
A Worn Path. one of Eudora Welty’s chef-d’oeuvres is a narrative of resiliency. will and finding. The narrative ponders on the importance of the said elements in accomplishing success in life. Welty was born in Jackson. Mississippi in 1909. being an exceeding pupil. graduated from the University of Wisconsin majoring in Literature and English.
Her initial calling pick led her into going a journalist nevertheless ; she shortly realized her possible as a author on human behaviour. Her writing manner is greatly admired and as a consequence. she was awarded the Pulitzer Award in 1972 for her fictional narrative titled “The Optimist’s Daughter” . In add-on. she has besides won assorted other awards including two American Book Awards and many O Henry awards. Her composing sphere extended to include dramas and verse forms to kids books ( Gale. 2002 ) . Through the Worn Path. the writer has been able to convey the narrative of an old African American adult female who has faced many adversities in life. The literature is loaded with literary elements including symbols which help Welty convey her point of position to the reader. The woman’s life is a word picture of gallantry and forfeit and is a presentation of how adversities can be dealt with in life. In her work we see assorted subjects including the sense of taking up duty and the features of a determined and strong willed single.
At the clip Welty composed her work. Jackson was a topographic point riddled with racial profiling and favoritism and hence as a consequence. her work demonstrates facets of racism as good ( Skyes. 1998 ) . The star of her narrative is a adult female named Phoenix Jackson. an old black adult female life in a town full of white people. The narrative focuses on her journey to town which she makes in order to acquire medical specialties for her grandson. During her way. the adult female encounters assorted jobs including physical obstructions like trees. shrubs and little animate beings. These obstructions try to barricade her way but she is relentless in her attack and determined in her will and manages to relinquish off all obstructions through the usage of her umbrella. Through the class of the narrative we find out that this is non her first ocean trip in fact she has made ocean trips like such many times before in the yesteryear ; although her will is strong but age has made her senses weak and given her a hapless seeing ( Clugston. 2010 ) .
Jackson has a graphic imaginativeness as we see her conceive ofing assorted hideous subjects and emotions throughout the narrative. for case. we see her believing about nutrient and waltzing with a straw man. In add-on. she besides runs into a huntsman in the forests who passes racial remarks to Jackson. The Exposition of the narrative comes into position at the terminal of the narrative when we see that Jackson eventually reaches the pharmaceutics to acquire the medical specialty ; at that really minute we find out that Jackson’s grandson is dead ; the old Negro adult female is still in the stage of denial and does non wish to accept her grandson’s decease. We see her non merely acquiring the medical specialties for him but she came to town to purchase a plaything windmill for her grandson. The narrative is extremely tragic yet it defines the importance of intent in life which drives us to accomplish more than we are really capable of. The narrative ends with Jackson’s last words which demonstrate the love she had for her grandson.
Her love is so pure that she says that all the difficult work that she did was worth it and that if she had to make it once more. she would make it in a pulse ( Clugston. 2010 ) . Literary elements like manner and signifier are alone when it comes to Welty’s work. Welty’s work stands out because despite being so intense in its readings. it is simple. The manner she structures her words are so simple yet it renders the readers in a province of deep critical analysis. The signifier of the narrative encompasses assorted literary devices which create an consequence that leaves big room for reading i. e. to an single reader ; the reading might be different to another. The narrative is communicated from a impersonal point of view i. e. a 3rd individual position. The manner of narrative makes sympathising with Jackson a batch more intense. The 3rd individual position nevertheless makes the chief character seem blurred.
Phoenix Jackson is the supporter of the narrative around whom the full narrative revolves while the adversary of the narrative is non a individual but the environment in general which causes great uncomfortableness to her in the signifier of physical obstructions every bit good as racial maltreatment. In add-on to the two. the narrative besides consists of characters which are “Stereotyped” i. e. they present a colored point of position. Another of import literary component demonstrated in the prose is Exposition i. e. the conveyance of the Southern Cross of the narrative which is revealed at the stoping minutes ( Neil. 1963 ) . In add-on to the elements of signifier. Welty has besides made usage of assorted symbols in the prose. These symbols might non be easy evident at first nevertheless one time identified. they farther refine the construct that Welty has tried to convey. The first such illustration in the narrative is the name of the supporter herself i. e. Phoenix ; Phoenix is a fabulous bird which dies and so is reborn from its ain ashes after a 500 twelvemonth period. The name is suiting to the character because we see that the old adult female. despite being worn out and battered is able to vie with all the adversities she encounters. In add-on. her last name Jackson likely signifies Jackson. Mississippi.
The two names in concurrence refer to the racial profiling that Mississippi was capable to in the late 40’s. The Similes used in the prose besides call upon assorted comparings including the comparing made between a balmy whip and the cane carried around by Jackson ; we besides see Jackson’s motions in the wood being compared to a figure which would be seen exhibiting in a festival ( Gale. 2002 ) . In add-on. Welty has set the phase utilizing assorted elements of imagination. Through imagination an writer is able to make an environment in the heads of the readers through mere words. The imagination in the prose includes the usage of physical elements like workss. animate beings and objects like barbed wires which makes the readers think if Jackson would be able to make her finish or non. Eudora Welty has besides made usage of “Apostrophe” through which she was able to convey dead objects to life.
The ground behind the usage of such an component is to heighten the reading experience so that the readers are able to associate to the characters in a more accentuated manner ; illustration of the same include the usage of the straw man and her dance with it and the imaginativeness of a male child conveying Sweets to her etc. All these elements help us recognize that despite being old. she was determined and that her imaginativeness helped her range her ends ( Hardin. 2000 ) . The comparing between the two chosen literary pieces takes an of import turn because I aim to compare an point of prose with an point of poesy. The Road Not Taken is a verse form with a construction representing four five lined stanzas. As with the instance above. the poet has used simplistic linguistic communication yet the significance hidden in the verse form is rather intense and requires a deeper analysis. Robert Frost. the composer of the verse form. was born in San Francisco. in 1874 ; the timelines between the two creative persons rather important showing a complete contrast of positions. Frost. being an first-class pupil became a coach after finishing his instruction. The interesting facet of Frost’s work was that although being a US poet. his work did non derive as much popularity locally as it did internationally i. e. specially in the UK. For his attempts in the field of poesy. he was presented with the Pulitzer award four times. Frost is considered to be one of the iconic poets of his clip ( “The Road. ” n. d. ) The scene set by the verse form is of the month of fall. The lineation described in the verse form is greatly similar to the countryside where Frost himself settled down one time he had moved to the UK.
The poet is non disconnected in his ideas and presentation but instead the Southern Cross of the verse form is revealed subtly and easy. The verse form starts out with Frost depicting the scene of a tract which is surrounded on all sides by Yellow trees. The trees exist so that Frost can depict the month of fall i. e. we see foliages wilting off. The way finally leads to a dual crossing i. e. the way leads to two distinguishable waies and the poet is seen to be in a topographic point of determination i. e. he has to make up one’s mind which path to take.
The poet does non desire to choose a way but has to make so. This facet presented by the poet demonstrates a fact of life i. e. in the life of every adult male comes a clip when he has to choose a way. He might non wish the determination he makes. but the determination is so of import that he has to lodge by it and seek to do it work. This describes the true kernel of life i. e. “who we are” is based on the determinations we take in life ( “The Road. ” n. d. ) . An interesting facet of the content of the verse form is that during the description of the two waies. the poet is of the sentiment that one way seemed more worn out than the other. The poet shows his willingness to follow the former because he wants a life that is new i. e. he wants to populate in a manner no 1 has of all time done earlier. He finally does pick a way nevertheless ; he states in the verse form that he would ever retrieve the “Road non taken” .
This is once more a world of life because there comes a clip when every adult male ponders on the determinations he made in life. It makes him recognize if the determinations were worthwhile or non. nevertheless whatever the result. the effects of the determination can non be undone. The terminal of the verse form sees the poet sigh nevertheless. the significance of the suspiration is still ill-defined because we are unable to place if it was a suspiration of alleviation or an look of bitterness. The name of the verse form is self-explanatory nevertheless. the verse form does non merely depict the determinations we make but describes our attack to our determinations and the usual feeling of “what if” that worlds are so capable of developing. The picks that we make define who we are and make us known in the universe around us. The verse form is an indicant to the reader to be careful about the picks made in life because one bad move can render life to travel in a way which might non hold benefits attached ( Shmoop Editorial Team. 2008 ) .
The verse form is a attractively composed with the usage of simple words and stanzas yet in concurrence are able to bring forth a profound impact on the readers. The Southern Cross of the verse form focuses on the importance of determination devising in life. Our picks specify our being and hapless picks would do us repent our determinations and the cicatrixs that these determinations leave on life might non be comprehensible. The verse form is structured in the signifier of quatrains i. e. 4 five lined stanzas. The stanzas complement each other and assist develop and bring out the significance of the verse form in a slow mode. The initial stanzas of the poem focal point on the environment created by the poet while the latter stanzas focal point overly on the poet’s emotions and determination of taking the way that he did. The verse form has an A-B-A-A-B rime strategy which is rather alone. The pairs within the verse form describe the issue at manus in the verse form i. e. the way to be chosen while the concluding versions of the rime describe the declaration of the job.
The verse form besides consists of assorted literary devices which exert a great influence on the readers. The why in which the rimes are structured provide an penetration on the manner the poet thinks. The beat of the verse form is iambic which gives the verse form its gait. In the verse form an unstressed syllable is instantly succeeded by a stressed syllable bespeaking the iambic construction of the verse form. for case. “roads. diverged and wood” . Although this construction is consistent throughout the verse form. the organisation of the syllables throughout the verse form varies. This gives the verse form an component of surprise and keeps the readers intrigued ( Shmoop Editorial Team. 2008 ) . There is besides usage of symbols and metaphors in the verse form which makes it rather interesting to read and visualise ; for case. Frost gives illustrations of wood and forks which are found on the tracts.
These are indexs of the jobs that all determinations carry. We see indistinguishable forks being used in the verse form ; this highlights the ability that God has given worlds i. e. the ability to take and choose a life way due to liberate will. The poet has besides made usage of Ironic tone in the verse form. Ironic tone as the name suggests is the manner in which an facet is presented in the verse form in one manner yet the significance of that facet is meant to be something wholly different. The poet believes that his life would be one to absorb the alterations brought approximately by the determinations he has made and that his life would be an illustration for others to follow. However. inside he believes that when the clip comes. he himself would bewray himself. Another interesting facet which is described in the verse form which leaves the readers in a province of idea is the sigh Lashkar-e-Taiba out by the poet at the terminal.
The suspiration can be seen to hold a double significance i. e. it can be a suspiration of alleviation that the poet was able to pick a pick that suited him and that he was able to dodge a slug by non taking the alternate way. In contrast. it can besides be a suspiration of bitterness because there are irritants in the life determination he made and he regrets non taking the way sacrificed ( Holman & A ; Snyder ) . The construction of the verse form. the rhyming sequences. the enunciation and the pick of words used by Robert Frost leaves the readers at an deadlock i. e. he leaves the narrative unfastened to be interpreted. While Eudora Welty’s chef-d’oeuvre was brilliant. it had a definite stoping where we realize the adversities that the adult female suffers.
However. Robert Frost’s reading of the way non taken leaves the readers believing about non merely whether the poet made the right call but whether they themselves are doing good life picks or non. The verse form highlights the impact determinations have on the construction of life itself and the badness of the effects if the determinations taken are non equal ( SparkNotes Editors. 2002 ) . The beauty of literature is that it is a jubilation of life and life experiences. Literature provides assorted platforms for look and each platform carries with it distinguishable elements and devices which help the expressionist express their point of position in the most profound mode.
Through the paper. I have been able to contrast two contrasting literary platforms i. e. prose and poesy. The prose was a chef-d’oeuvre concocted by Eudora Welty who has described the resiliency and forfeits of one. Phoenix Jackson. who despite racial profiling. age limitations and physical barriers was able to acquire to her aims no affair how implausible and impossible it was. In contrast. we see Robert Frost in his verse form describe the importance of life’s determinations and its impacts of the overall quality of life. In the life of every adult male there are times when we have to choose among options. It is these times which are specifying minutes and can take to life taking complete bends. It is hence overriding to believe about picks and doing profound determinations.
