Essays on Literature

‘My Papa’s Waltz’ ‘My Papa’s Waltz’ has been viewed as either a poem concerning abuse or one about a fun-loving relationship between a child and his father. This poem is one of Theodore Roethke’s best ones which appear simple at a glance, but when studied keenly there is a lot learned...

Similar to most of Shakespeare's tragedies King Lear is another complex masterpiece with dramatic works which function on a variety of levels. Therefore, the play can be approached from different critical perspectives to enhance its interpretation (Snyder, 70). Depiction of a slow descent into insanity King Lear depicts a slow descent into insanity...

According to the script, Abbey is one among many citizens who have different views on the way things are running in the west. There seem to be a group of people who are not contented with the way things are, and most of them including Abbey, are hoping for the...

Significant strides towards gender equality Significant strides have been in the bid to achieve gender equality in the professional field. During the First and Second World Wars, a lot of men enlisted to fight for their various countries. Women were thus left home to work and fend for their families back...

Fitzgerald's Background and Observations Fitzgerald is considered to be a great American writer. During his life, he authored several books most notable was the side of paradise, Great Gatsby among many others. The author was born and raised in Alabama a state in the United States of America. In the 1930's,...

In “The Lottery,” Shirley Jackson uses ironic figures and ironies to weave the story and maintain the readers’ attraction as she brings in her spiky criticisms. The title of the story is ironical as most of us know that ‘lottery’ is all about winning money. We have heard of the...

The Epic of Gilgamesh: A Hero's Quest The Epic of Gilgamesh is a classic poem from the old Mesopotamia that is considered as one of greatest surviving works of literature. Despite most stories ending with a happy ending, the heroic character in this poem does not have a successful quest. Therefore,...

'The Things They Carried' 'The Things They Carried' is a collection of twenty-two stories, all of which are based on the Alpha Company and the fate of the soldiers after their return to America from war. The soldiers carry along essential goods, and the war is isolating but exposes the truth...

Music as a literary device has continually fused an array of styles from different cultures. The cultural fusion in music tries to portray sensual themes that are often evaded or outlawed in the contemporary society.  Exoticism is a musical approach embraced by Western composers like George Bizet and Benjamin Britten...

Joseph Campbell defined a hero as "someone who has decided to dedicate their time and effort to a greater cause outside of themselves". Heroes are, therefore, required to be more concerned with the welfare of others than their own. However, even though Bilbo Baggins in "The Hobbit" does not fit...

Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" and its Contemporary Significance Edgar Allan Poe's work, The Tell-Tale Heart, is a morbid narrative where the narrator presents their murderous actions and recuses themselves from madness as the cause of their actions. While Poe's work may have been set in the mid-nineteenth century, its...

Composed in the 800s BCE, The Odyssey is one of the most stupendously awesome and best-known works of the ancient literature. The literary piece was written by Homer, a renowned poet of his time. The tale revolves around a man struggling to escape from war back to his home, where...