Essays on Literature

I hear America singing begins with a poem and linoleum-cut illustrations. Whitman uses the speaker's voice to evoke an image of America that reflects his sense of place and national identity. But is he really painting a true portrait of our nation? What are some of Whitman's omissions? And does...

Absalom was the third son of David, king of Israel. He was married to Macah, the daughter of Talmai, the king of Geshur. Despite his deceit and vengeful plot, Absalom still managed to be one of David s most popular sons. In fact, he was named after his father, David....

The key figure in Bartleby the Scrivener is the lawyer who narrates the tale. The lawyer, who is sixty-years-old, holds the position of Master in Chancery, a lucrative position that is granted to friends and relatives of powerful individuals. He takes great pride in his prudence and even...

The True History of Life The true history of life is not a plot or conflict. It is the moments of our lives that make them memorable. Winesburg stories do not include a plot or a conflict, but work together to create an epiphany, which is a moment of insight, either...

"Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card is a 1985 military science fiction novel. The novel depicts two conflicts between humankind and an insectoid alien race known as the Formics. The book depicts how the human race must work to save itself, despite being under attack from the Formics. This novel...

In the novel, Sons and Lovers, Paul Morel suffers from the psychological disorder called Oedipus complex. Although the disorder has many different causes, a traumatic event in the child's early life may have influenced the development of this disorder. It was presumed that this condition was a result of the...

Jasper Jones: A Critically Acclaimed Novel Jasper Jones is a 2009 novel by Australian writer Craig Silvey. It has won several awards including the International Dublin Literary Award, and was shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize. In addition, the American Library Association ranked the novel among its 'Best Fiction for Young Adults'...

If you're in a science class and studying Benjamin Banneker You are probably curious about his life. What can you expect to learn about him in your Biographical sketch? Read on to learn about his early life, his career, and his impact on American science. And don't forget to learn about...

If you want to read some of the best poetry written by Pablo Neruda, look no further than The Poetry of Pablo Neruda. This English-language collection is the most comprehensive collection of Neruda's work in any language. Neruda, who died in 1994, has been hailed as the greatest poet of...

A valediction forbidding mourns The speaker's love for the person who is leaving him or her is expressed in this poem. It addresses the concept of love and separation and uses metaphors to illustrate the ideas. "The soul departs the body," Donne writes. The metaphor sets the tone of the poem....

"Dulce et decorum est" is a poem by Wilfred Owen, written during World War I and published posthumously in 1920. The phrase comes from Horace's Ode 3.2, which means "sweet and fitting" and ends with the words, "pro patria morum."Wilfred Owen The poem 'Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori' by...

Santosh Patel's Tragic Journey Santosh Patel sold his Indian zoo and boarded a freighter headed for Canada. Unfortunately, his freighter was hit by a terrible storm and sank. Only Pi, the teenage son of Patel, survived. Luckily, he had taken a Bengal tiger with him. They find refuge on the lifeboat...