LiteraryTerms AlliterationTheoccurrenceofthesameletterorsoundatthebeginningofadjacentorclosely connectedwords ApostropheAnexclamatorypassageinaspeechorpoemaddressedtoaperson(typicallyone whoisdeadorabsent)orthing AssonanceTherepetitionofthesoundofavowelordiphthonginnorhymingstressed syllables ImageryVisuallydescriptiveorfigurativelanguage HyperboleExaggeratedstatementsorclaimsnotmeanttobetakenliterally. MetaphorAcomparisonanauthormakestoanotherthing,withoutusingthewords"like"or "as". OxymoronAfigureofspeechinwhichapparentlycontradictorytermsappearinconjunction ParadoxAstatementorpropositionthatseemsself contradictoryorabsurdbutinrealityexpressesapossibletruth.

ParallismTheuseofsuccessiveverbalconstructionsinpoetryorprosethatcorrespondin grammaticalstructure,sound,meter,meaning,etc. PersonificationTheattributionofapersonalnatureorhumancharacteristicstosomething nonhuman. RhymeCorrespondenceofsoundbetweenwordsortheendingsofwords,esp.whenthese areusedattheendsoflinesofpoetry. RepetitionTheactionofrepeatingsomething.

TheTwentiethCentury InfluenceofJamesJoyce Portrayingtheflowofthought Joycesuseofpointofviewinhiswritingandhispresentationofthoughtsdirectedby associationledtothebestknowncharacteristicofhismaturestyle,calledstreamof consciousness Hisexperimentswereusedbymanyotherprominentauthorsofthetime PoliticalandsocialeventsduringthetwentiethcenturywouldalterGreatBritains preeminentpositionasaworldpowerandwoulddramaticallychangeitssociety DarwinsOriginofSpeciesintroducedthetheoryofevolutionbasedonnaturalselection KarlMarxwasaGermanphilosopherandpoliticaleconomistwhoadvocatedthe abolitionofprivateproperty. SigmundFruedintroducedtheideathatmotivesforhumanbehaviorarenotinour consciousmindsbutinourunconsciousminds. Thesepeoplecausedpeopletoquestionsocial,religious,andeconomicalbeliefs. NearlyamillionBritishsoldiersweremurderedinWorldWarI. WorldWar1,theGreatWar,ledmanypeopletodevelopcynicalattitudestowardsthe government,nationalhonorandglory. Duringtheearlytwentiethcenturyallformsofartbegantransformation NovelistssuchasJosephConrad,VirginiaWoolf,D.H.Lawrence,andJamesJoyce startedexperimentingwithbothformandcontent. Theworldwidedepressionsofthe1930sgaverisetodictatorshipsinEuropeandledto thehorrorsofWorldWarII AfterWWIImostofGreatBritainscoloniesbecameindependentnationsandBritains roleinworldaffairsdecreased ContemporaryBritishliteratureismarkedbygreatdiversity.Satireisadominantmode.

Poems TheRearGuard WWI Asoldieriswonderingthroughthetrenches HestopstoaskasleepingmanIamlookingforheadquarters Themanwasactuallydead Thesoldiercontinueson Soldierreachesastaircasethatleadsoutofthetrenches Unloadinghellbehindhimstepbystep.Paradox,becauseheiswalkingintoabigger hell

DulceetDecorumEst OnthebattlefieldsofWWI Asthemenareheadinghomeforthenightgasshellsaredroppedbesidesthem Theyscramblefortheirgasmasks Thespeakerwatchesasamemberofthecrewchokesandthespeakerisunabletosave thesoldierfrominevitabledeath Fastforwardthespeakercantgettheimageofthedyingsoldieroutofhishead Thespeakeraddressesthepeopleathomewhoaretryingtoconvincetheyouthtojoin themilitary Hewondershowtheycancontinuetocallforwar.Iftheycouldonlywitnessthe physicalagonywarcreatesorevenexperiencetheemotionaltraumathatthe speaker'sgoingthroughnowthespeakerthinkstheymightchangetheirviews.Inthe speaker'smind,there'snotinggloriousorhonorableaboutdeath.Or,forthatmatter, waritself. Dulceetdecorumest/PropatriamoriItissweetandpropertodieforonescountry

TheLakeIsleofInnisfree ThespeakerinthispoemyearnstoreturntotheislandofInnisfreebecauseofthepeace andquietitaffords.

Hecanescapethenoiseofthecityandbelulledbythe"lakewaterlappingwithlow soundsbytheshore." Onthissmallisland,hecanreturntonaturebygrowingbeansandhavingbeehives,by enjoyingthe"purpleglow"ofnoon,thesoundsofbirds'wings,and,ofcourse,thebees.

TheWildSwansatCoole Thespeakerwalksdownthedrywoodlandpathinwinterandseesnineandfifty swans Ithasbeen19yearsthespeakerfindsthateverythinginhislifehaschanged Theswans,however,havestayedthesame Theswansheartshavenotgrowncoldandtheysitonthewaterbeautifuland mysterious Hewakesuptofindthattheswanshaveflownaway

DoNotGoGentleintoThatGoodNight Thespeakerassertsthatoldmenattheendsoftheirlivesshouldresistdeathas stronglyastheycan. Theyshouldonlyleavethisworldkickingandscreaming,furiousthattheyhavetodieat all. Attheendofthepoemthespeakerstatesapersonalstakeinthisissue:hisownfather isdying.

HallowMen Thepoemisnarratedbyoneofthehollowmen Thehollowmenarelivingpeople Thebasicideaofthepoemisthatcontemporarycivilizationisoftenfutileand meaningless InthebeginningofthepoemabunchofHollowMenareleaningtogetherlike scarecrows. Everythingtheysayanddoismeaningless. TheyexistinastatelikeHell,excepttheyweretootimidandcowardlytocommitthe violentactsthatwouldhavegainedthemaccesstoHell.

TheyhavenotcrossedovertheRiverStyxtomakeittoeitherHeavenorHell.The peoplewhohavecrossedoverremembertheseguysas"hollowmen." Inthesecondsection,onehollowmanisafraidtolookatpeoplewhomadeitto "death'sdreamkingdom"eitherHeavenorHell.TheHollowMenliveinaworldof brokensymbolsandimages. Thethirdsectionofthepoemdescribesthesettingasbarrenandfilledwithcactiand stones. WhentheHollowMenfeeladesiretokisssomeone,theyareunableto.Instead,they sayprayerstobrokenstones. Inthefourthsection,thehollowmanfromSection2continuestodescribehisvacant, desolatesurroundings,inwhichareno"eyes." TheHollowMenareafraidtolookatpeopleortobelookedat. Thefifthsectionbeginswithanurseryrhymemodeledonthesong"Herewego'round themulberrybush,"exceptinsteadofamulberrybushthekiddiesarecirclingaprickly pearcactus. Thespeakerdescribeshowa"shadow"hasparalyzedalloftheiractivities,sotheyare unabletoact,create,respond,orevenexist.Hetriesquotingexpressionsthatbegin "Lifeisverylong"and"ForThineistheKingdom,"butthese,too,breakoffinto fragments. Inthefinallines,the"MulberryBush"songturnsintoasongabouttheendoftheworld. Youmightexpecttheworldtoendwithahuge,brightexplosion,butfortheHollow Men,theworldendswithasadandquiet"whimper." Thisisthewaytheworldends/Notwithabangbutwithawhimper. Mostoftheimageryinthepoemdescribesemptiness

Stories TheDestructors TrevorTsonofanarchitect,appreciatesarchitecture.HeasksMr.Thomas(Old Misery)togivehimatourofhismagnificenthouse Trevorispartofagang,leaderisBlackie TrevorsuggeststhattheydestroyOldMiseryshouse TheydestroythehouseandallthemoneywhileMr.Thomasisgone. Hecomesbackearlierthanexpectedandtheboyslockhimintheouthouse Mr.Thomasisletoutbyatruckdriverattheendofthestory

Araby Aboutaboywhohasbeeninlovewithagirlforalongtime Helikesthegirlsomuchthatheisscaredtotalktoher OnedaythegirlasksthenarratorifheisgoingtotheArabyandhesaysthatheis Thegirlcantgobuttheboypromisestobringhersomethingback TheboysuncleislateintakinghimtotheAraby ThestoryendswiththeboygettingtotheAraby,butnotgettingthegirlheloves anything

RockingHorseWinner Thefamilydoesnotmakeasmuchmoneyasotherpeoplebuttoothersitseemsasthey do Themotherstartsworryingthattheydonthavemoney AlwayshearswhispersfromthehousesayingTheremustbemoremoney Mothersaysitsbettertobeluckythantoberich Theboy,Paul,getsarockinghorse Whentheboyridesontherockinghorselongenoughhegetstoahallucinogenicstate wherehegetsthenameofahorsethatisgoingtowin TheboyandtheGardnerstartplacingbetsonhorsesandwinning

Paultellshisuncleaboutthisandtheuncledoesnttakehimseriously Paulgiveshismotherfiftypoundsforherbirthdaybutsheisupsetbecausesheknows thatshewilljustspendingitandincreasingthedebt Paul,determinedtogetmorenames,spendstheentirenightontherockinghorse Heisontherockinghorsesolongthathedies

ShakespearesSister WhatifstoryaboutanimaginarysisterthatwasjustastalentedasShakespeare Theauthorsaysthatbecausesheisawomenshewouldneverbesuccessful Theaveragewomenatthetimewasnotsupposedtorunoffandgetmarriedbecauseit madeherfamilylookbad Womenwouldputtheirtalentsintotheirchildren Theriskofthinkingofleavinghomewouldgivewomenanervousbreakdown Somewomenwouldwriteunderamalename