An Analysis Of The Poem If You

An Analysis Of The Poem? If You Should Travel? By Countee Cullen Essay, Research Paper

In the verse form? If You Should Travel? , Countee Cullen emphasizes on the apprehension of human joys and sorrows. The importance of joy is shown utilizing different illustrations of joy such as love and dream. Both stanzas include a individuals feeling or reactions towards joy during the happy minutes every bit good as the feelings after the joyous minute is over.

In this verse form, Cullen conveys several different messages. One of the subjects of the verse form is that one ne’er realizes what one have until it is lost. In this instance it refers to joyous minutes. The 2nd stanza the poet besides tells the reader that joy makes a long permanent memory in 1s head which is seen in the individual? s personality or? the glow on the [ individuals ] face? ( 2. 7-8 ) . Although, Cullen does non advert whom the love is towards in the first stanza and what the dream is about in the 2nd stanza the reader can construe that every bit is said in a positive mode.

Using a authoritative illustration of metaphor, love is compared to the visible radiation that brightens a twenty-four hours merely the manner in which joys brightens people? s lives. The gently passing of the twenty-four hours without writer recognizing its traveling indicates to us that the joy is non given much importance in the individual? s life. The subject, a individual ne’er realizes what he has until it is lost, can clearly seen when the poet says, ? We would non cognize, but for the dark, When [ the joy ] has slipped off?

( 1. 3-4 ) . The poet convey the message that people normally would non experience the joy until the joy is slipped off and the individual is struck by the darkness of the sorrow.

In the 2nd stanza joy is given a much more positive response. Joy in this stanza is referred to as a pleasant dream. The non realisation of the passing of the joys is said in this stanza. Here the poet says the joy does non go forth a physical consequence on the individual and that the dream has merely left a glow across the dreamers face. This shows the 2nd subject of the verse form that joy makes a long permanent memory in 1s head when referred to the glow on the dreamers face.

This verse form makes the reader recognize the importance of joy before it is gone. The verse form besides mentally prepares the reader to the sorrows that are struck after the joyful minutes are over. The tone of the verse form is positive. The sort of temper this verse form creates is neither dejecting nor really exciting. This verse form might strike a reader as really inactive due to the usage of phrases like? The gently go throughing twenty-four hours? ( 1. 2 ) or? Go softly ; a dream? ( 2. 5 ) . The rhyme strategy of the verse form is a B a B.

The verse form? If You Should Travel? is an magnificently lyriced verse form about an apprehension of human joys and sorrows. The positive point of position of the poet is a plus along with the good usage of imagination like love and dream. Overall, the subject, the rime strategy, the pleasant imagination, the tone, and the temper all work together in the verse form.