When I Have Fears and Mezzo Cammin Essay - 783 Words

Irene Lee Ms. Bufkin AP Lit and Comp 6 11 April 2011 Timed Essay Corrections—When I Have Fears and Mezzo Cammin As people near the time of their deaths, they begin to reflect upon the history and events of their own lives. Both John Keats’ â€Å"When I have Fears† and Henry Longfellow’s â€Å"Mezzo Cammin† reflect upon the speakers’ fears and thoughts of death. However, the conclusions between these two poems end quite differently. Although both reflect upon Death’s grasp, Keats’ displays an appreciation and subtle satisfaction with the wonders of life, while Longfellow morbidly mourns his past inactions and fears what events the future may bring. The two poems are similar in their corresponding feeling of dread for death. Using diction,†¦show more content†¦The speaker believes that love is hard to come by and that he is sad that he may not encounter it, since death is just around the corner. The speaker then also talks of â€Å"unreflecting love,† thus depicting that the speaker has never experienced real love and is unlikely to ever experience it, because he is so worried about death’s fast approach. However, at the end of â€Å"When I have Fears,† the speaker reflects that his goals for literary prowess and love are â€Å"nothingness† in comparison to the grand scope of things. There is hope after death, and Keats’ narrator finds solace in this. Although he has not achieved everything he had wanted, the speaker is still appreciative of what he was able to do. On the other hand, Longfellow’s speaker in â€Å"Mezzo Cammin† takes on a much more sorrowful and negative tone. Using diction of â€Å"half of my life,† â€Å"years slip,† and â€Å"not fulfilled,† Longellow shows that the speaker is really dreading and mourning his day to go. It seems that the speaker’s fear of death completely and irresolutely hinders him from accomplishing any of his goals. He is too busy being pessimistic about his life that he is unable to live in the present. He is also unable to dream into the future. Unlike Keats’ speaker, Longfellow’s speaker is completely stunted in from any possible growth. He is too stuck in the Past and its images of â€Å"smoking roof, soft bells, and gleaming lights.† This hazyShow MoreRelatedâ€Å"When I Have Fears† and â€Å"Mezzo Cammin† Essay981 Words   |  4 PagesStephanie Villalobos Mr. Domingo AP Literature; Period 2 August 23rd 2010 â€Å"When I Have Fears† and â€Å"Mezzo Cammin† Essay In the two poems, â€Å"When I Have Fears† by John Keats and â€Å"Mezzo Cammin† by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, both of the poets deal with the death that they believe is quickly approaching them and think back to their regrets in life. Keats during the time when this poem had been written had just seen his brother die of tuberculosis and due to this he believed he too would soon dieRead More`` Mezzo Cammin `` By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow And When I Have A Fear1155 Words   |  5 Pagesthe poems â€Å"Mezzo cammin† by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and â€Å" When I have a fear† by John keats, both poems themes are about the imminence of death and their unfulfilled dreams in life. There are many similarities in the poem but they are mostly in the beginning of the poems, the conclusion on the other hand is not similar. In â€Å"Mezzo cammin’’ the main theme of the poem is the reminisce of his dreams from the past. Keats poems emphasize a theme of the waste of a physical life and his fears associatedRead More`` Mezzo Cammin `` By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow And When I Have Fears1328 Words   |  6 Pagesis that of succumbing in pursuit of one’s aspirations, especially with the approach of death. The fear and enigmatic mystery of death at the brink of this shortcoming may cause one who is near death to re-evaluate life as a wasted opportunity or a broken path of dreams because of the inability to find any type of success. The sonnets â€Å"Mezzo Cammin† by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and â€Å"When I have Fears† by John Keats examine the thought processes of two people who submit to the struggles of life inRead MoreComparing The Poems When I Have Fears 1229 Words   |  5 Pagespoems â€Å"When I have Fears† by John Keats and â€Å"Mezzo Cammin† by Henry Longfellow have many similarities and differences in their tones, on their views on life and death, and on the symbolisms used to descri be the poets’ lives. The two poets can be seen as opposites as one is more hopeful and optimistic, while the other is more pessimistic and accepting of failure. A similarity between the two poems is that they both surround the fear of dying before accomplishing life dreams. In â€Å"When I have Fears†, KeatsRead MoreSimilarities Between Keats And Longfellow750 Words   |  3 PagesWhile both Keats and Longfellow often reflect on their own unfulfilled dreams and impending deaths, the poems however contrast on their own dispositions towards death and the future. Here, Keats expresses a fear of not having enough time to accomplish all that he believes he is capable of doing, but as he recognizes the enormity of the world and his own limitations of life, he realizes that his own mortal goals are meaningless in the long run of things. On the other hand, Longfellow speaks of aRead MoreKeats vs. Longfellow559 Words   |  2 Pagesboth Keats and Longfellow’s poems, â€Å"When I Have Fears† and â€Å"Mezzo Cammin,† focus on the unfulfillment of goals in life and the menacing appearance of death, their final assumptions of death are related but different. Both poems share similarity focusing on the poets’ thoughts as they contemplate the inevitability of their deaths and whether their accomplishments have meaning after death, but the poets exhibit a different attiutude towards their subject. Keats fears that he will not be able to fullyRead MorePoetry Essay Prompt2545 Words   |  11 PagesCitizen† (W.H. Auden) Prompt: In a brief essay, identify at least two of the implications implicit in the society reflected in the poem. Support your statements by specific references to the poem. 1972 NO POEM 1973 (exam not available) 1974 Poem: â€Å"I wonder whether one expects...† (No poet given) Prompt: Write a unified essay in which you relate the imagery of the last stanza to the speaker’s view of himself earlier in the poem and to his view of how others see poets. 1975 NO POEM 1976 Poem: â€Å"Poetry