In almost every piece of literature there can be found references to the author’s or the narrator’s culture. Having an understanding of this culture can help one better understand a literary work. Reading a work that contains references to a culture can also spark interest and inspire the reader to learn more about the culture that is represented in the work. One such piece of literature is the poem "Ah Mah‚" written by Shirley Geok-lin Lim. This poem contains many references to Chinese culture that
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on the beach‚ The dead man on the beach I’m alive‚ I’m dead‚ I’m the stranger‚ Killing an Arab Flight of Icarus by Iron Maiden The song is loosely based on the ancient Greek myth of Icarus who was imprisoned with his father Daedalus in the palace of Knossos on Crete. In an attempt to escape‚ the pair fabricated wings from feathers and wax so they could fly away. Unfortunately Icarus‚ not heeding the advice of his father‚ flew too close to the Sun‚ melting the wax that held the feathers and
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painting "Icarus" by Peter Breughel. This painting shows a boy drowning in the ocean‚ while all the focus of the painting is away from that‚ as everyone in the painting continues about their own business. Auden connects this event in the painting to real life. While we are all affected by tragic events at some point in life‚ Auden uses imagery and descriptions linking the tragedies and everyday
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Stephen becomes vividly aware that he lives in a labyrinth that houses his personal “Minotaur” towards the end of the novel when he begins to dream about figures in a cave. “The labyrinth … in which the monster is confined may represent a cave” (Grant 341). In the realm of Stephen’s unconscious dream state‚ Stephen sees creatures with phosphorescent faces advance towards him from within a cave‚ but Stephen never states where he is viewing them from‚ indicating the possibly that Stephen dwells inside
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Kathleen Tran Rehling English 2/Period 5 24 September 2010 Hubris Myths Many people from the past have told the stories about hubris and today we still talk about it. Hubris is a word which means “foolish pride”. In Greek myths‚ it talks about a mortal thinking that they are either better or wiser than the supreme Gods and Goddesses. Now this is what causes the trouble. In these myths‚ they all have a meaning about life. It also teaches us a very important lesson. One myth where a mortal is
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Since ancient times‚ philosophers have considered the dilemma of balancing reason and passion. Myths like the fall of Icarus tell of the calamities that occur when one takes precedence over the other— in this example‚ when passion supersedes reason. In his play Othello‚ Shakespeare illustrates this same predicament in an altogether different fashion. Three characters—Roderigo‚ Othello‚ and Iago—let passion override reason‚ with disastrous results. Roderigo’s infatuation with Desdemona prevails over
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The Elizabethan Age is conflicted in philosophical and religious views and it also gives birth to a wide variety of literature catering to all classes. Christopher Marlowe writes in the age of Shakespeare but he carves his own distinct identity as a playwright with historical plays like Edward II and Tamburlaine and his most famous pay Doctor Faustus. Doctor Faustus is rich in issues prevalent in those times and has elements of a morality play as well as tragedy. The opening speech of Doctor
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day. It is an experience that this reviewer remembers vividly after 54 years‚ and no doubt the same is true of the vast majority of readers of this poem‚ which is why they will find themselves having instant rapport with the sentiments expressed by McGough. The child has clearly been told what to expect‚ but the words used mean little to him without explanation‚ and his mother has either not thought this necessary or he has only half understood them. He therefore gets confused and lets his imagination
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specifically a wife‚ must stand behind her husband and support him - again suggesting male importance. The analysis for this title is the basis behind Duffy’s idea that relationships between men and women are flawed‚ in the poems Mrs. Lazarus and Mrs. Icarus‚ with the exception of the successful relationship in Anne Hathaway‚ Duffy mocks the common idea that men are more able while women are the weaker species and yet women are often the ones who suffer from the fall out of these relations‚ she does this
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For example in the myth of Icarus‚ Icarus was given wax wings by his father‚ Daedalus‚ who warned him of neither to fly too high or low to prevent the wings from breaking during their escape. In spite of the warning‚ Icarus flew too high beyond the wings’ limit which led to his demise. The myth sends caution to not push past the technology’s limit or consequences will befall
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