After the past two weeks, I think my ability to read poetry has improved a lot than before. I am able to have a deeper understanding of the words or sentences in the poem. This helped me to understand what the poem, “Oedipus the King”, is talking about. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot exemplifies the loneliness and existential dread that can resemble Oedipus’s voyage. As Oedipus faces his destiny and the revelations of his past, so too does Prufrock struggle with identity and fears. Prufrock’s hesitation and contemplation mirror Oedipus’s terrible discovery of his previous deeds, as both works explore the human condition. Just as Sophocles uses tragic foreshadowing and dramatic irony, Eliot uses vivid imagery and stream-of-consciousness to deepen emotional depth. Similar to Prufrock’s sense of alienation in a busy world, Oedipus experiences growing solitude as he learns difficult realities about who he is and the repercussions of his choices. This comprehension of the emotional facets of poetry will improve my reading of Oedipus the King by enabling me to more fully appreciate the subtleties of subject and character.
Daily Archives: October 20, 2024
Before exploring poetry in class, I never truly sought it out. However, within the past few weeks, I’ve come to realize how deep and beautiful it is. My ability to now read poetry is stronger than it was before, I’ve developed a clearer understanding of what poetry is and what it isn’t. My experience and understanding of poetry now can help me better understand Oedipus The King in ways such as the way it is structured. It is also full of literary devices, one being metaphors. “The Lake Isle of Innisfree”by William Butler has the strongest connection to the play. Butler emphasizes his desire to escape to a calmer place, and his quest to find peace similar to the kings desire to find the truth.
Over the past 2 weeks, I’ve gotten a bit better at reading poetry. At first, it was a tossup for me, sometimes I got it, and other times it just went over my head. But now, after reading more, I’m starting to get the hang of it, even if I have to read some poems a few times to understand them. When I started reading ” Oedipus the King”, I noticed the strong emotions between the characters, like betrayal, revenge, and suspicion. It was pretty intense, I felt really bad for Creon because Oedipus accused him of plotting against him without any real proof, and he was sentenced to death instead of banishment. That seemed crazy. A poem that reminds me of “Oedipus the King” is “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost. Both the poem and the play are about making choices and discovering. In the poem, the speaker talks about choosing a path and how that choice made a big difference in his life. It’s kind of like how Oedipus decided to find out the truth, which led to a revelation.
Poetry is not really my forte. However, my ability in reading poems have improved a little. I can identify some of the literary devices use and tries to understand what it means. I enjoy reading poetry even though I cannot grasp what it means. Poetry in my experience can help with the reading of Oedipus the King by understanding it’s structure and literary devices use. Poetry also allows the readers to engage more deeply with the themes such as fate. The poem ‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree” by W.B Yeats resonates with the play Oedipus the King. Both explore the desire to escape from reality. “I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree, And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made:” in The Lake Isle of Innisfree by W.B Yeats. In the poem, the speaker longs for peace in nature, while Oedipus tries to escape his tragic fate.
After two weeks, I gained a better understanding of poetry. I’ve realized that poetry requires multiple readings to grasp its essence fully. I now understand the importance of reading a poem aloud, as the lines’ meaning, sound, rhythm, breath, and typography are all significant. Reading different types of poems throughout the weeks has helped my interpretation of “Oedipus the King,” enabling me to connect the emotional experiences in poetry and the themes explored in the play. In “We Real Cool,” Gwendolyn Brooks portrays the rebellious and bold nature of young people as they embrace a risky lifestyle. The poem’s rhythm and repetition highlight their audacity and suggest the potential consequences of their choices. The last line, “We die soon,” is a reminder of life’s fragility and the inevitable outcomes of their actions. This theme of youthful arrogance is reminiscent of Oedipus’s tragic flaw, pride, and determination to challenge fate. Oedipus’s statement, “I am the one who solved the famous riddle,” reflects a similar sense of pride and defiance in the face of destiny, ultimately leading to his downfall.
