The Amulet by Ralph Waldo Emerson Poem Analysis

Poem Explication Ralph Waldo Emerson – The Amulet Your picture smiles as first it smiled, The ring you gave is still the same, Your letter tells, O changing child, No tidings since it came. Give me an amulet That keeps intelligence with you, Red when you love, and rosier red, And when you love not, pale and blue. Alas, that neither bonds nor vows Can certify possession; Torments me still the fear that love Died in its last expression. Analysis Point of view – The speaker of the poem is a person who has just lost a loved one.

He feels that she still remains with him through all the keepsakes he has of her, and that the mementos keep their love strong. He wants to know how she is feeling and if she still loves him. He’s trying to admit to himself that he lost her. The speaker’s attitude is typical for a person who has lost someone. Always thinking about that person, wanting to know if they’re watching over them.

Figurative language – In paragraph one, the picture of the girl smiling is symbolism. The smile represents the only thing that he has left of her because there is no living smile that changes.

Symbolism

In the second paragraph there is symbolism. The amulet symbolizes remembrance, spirituality or energy force of the girl’s existence. In paragraph three there is imagery. Torment symbolizes the love and lost in death and how a person deals with a great loses. Versification – There are three stanzas in the poem.

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The rhythm pattern is 2-line last line rhyme. The general metrical scheme is 1-2, 1-2, 1-2. There are no breaks of rhythm in the poem. The word choices used in the poem are common words used to make rhyming pattern.

The words chosen are common everyday ones and are not unusual; they are just used uniquely in sentences.

Theme

The theme for this poem is love, lost, cooping. The poem express the love that the man had for the girl was very strong. ‘The ring you gave is still the same’ He’s saying even though she is physically gone he thinks her spirit remains and believes that their love and bond together will last forever. ‘Give me an amulet, That keeps intelligence with you’ He’s afraid to admit that he lost her and doesn’t know whether the “Keepsakes” will guarantee that they’re connected. Alas, that neither bonds nor vows, Can certify possession’ Even though the things that he has of her still remains he doesn’t know whether she’s always watching over. Source Justification Book: The Infinitude of The Private Man By: Maurice York, Rick Spaulding This site is credible because it tells Ralph Waldo Emerson’s life story. Rick had a staff of people from various universities and historians who collaborated to make this book possible. Both authors are also lectures and researchers that travel North America and talk about Emerson’s works.

Website: http://emerson. tamu. edu/index. tml The Emerson society was founded 29 December 1989. The society is devoted to the development of scholarships and love of the life and writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson. The University of South Carolina Board of Trustees supports this site. http://www. cliffsnotes. com/study_guide/literature/Thoreau-Emerson-and-Transcendentalism-Ralph-Waldo-Emerson-Life-and-Background-of-Emerson-Emerson-s-Reputation-and-Influence. id-134,pageNum-18. html Clifton Keith Hillegass, the founder of CliffsNotes built the company that produced study guides destined to become a multi-generational icon.

Real teachers and professors write CliffsNotes study guides. And it’s stable of educational and reference books. http://www. online-literature. com/emerson/ They offer searchable online literature for the student, educator, or enthusiast. The publicator of the site is Jalic Inc. Their purpose is the publication of quality informative websites.

Works Cited

Websites: Menon, Sindhu. “Ralph Waldo Emerson – Biography and Works. Search Texts, Read Online. Discuss. ” The Literature Network: Online Classic Literature, Poems, and Quotes.

Essays & Summaries. Jalic Inc. , 2000. Web. 06 May 2011. <http://www. online-literature. com/emerson/>.

“Ralph Waldo Emerson Biography – Ralph Waldo Emerson Childhood, Life & Timeline. ”

Famous People – Famous People in History, Famous People List & Biography. Famous People Inc. Web. 06 May 2011. <http://www. thefamouspeople. com/profiles/ralph-waldo-emersion-41. php>.

The Ralph Waldo Emerson Society. 15 Apr. 2003. Web. 6 May 2011. <http://emerson. tamu. edu/index. html>.

Thoreau, Emerson, and Transcendentalism: Ralph Waldo Emerson: Emerson’s Reputation and Influence – CliffsNotes. ” Get Homework Help with CliffsNotes Study Guides – CliffsNotes. Web. 06 May 2011. <http://www. cliffsnotes. com/study_guide/literature/Thoreau-Emerson-and-Transcendentalism-Ralph-Waldo-Emerson-Life-and-Background-of-Emerson-Emerson-s-Reputation-and-Influence. id-134,pageNum-18. html>.

Books: York, Maurice, and Rick Spaulding. Ralph Waldo Emerson: the Infinitude of the Private Man : a Biography. Chicago: Wrightwood, 2008. Print.