Introduction
Modern American literature is presented by numerous writers and poets, which present their pieces of work about different topics and of various styles. The verse has always been attracting the readers’ attention due to the variety of beautiful words and ways of expressing the idea of the poet. It is well-known fact that there are several elements of poetry and modern literature offers a great variety of poems, which contain these elements. The poems The Painter’s Song and Full Moon are the brightest examples of modern English poetry, which demonstrate to the reader all the beauty of the verse and involve in the atmosphere described in the poem.
Poem The Painter’s Song
The Painter’s Song written by Barry Cornwall is a wonderful poem that contains the elements of narrative poetry. From the very beginning of the poem, the readers find themselves in the street, covered with darkness. As an example of narrative poetry, this poem has its plot and main character. Unfortunately, the author does not give the exact name of the main character of his story, but it is clearly understood that it is a man, who is searching for his muse, whom he names as a goddess:
Those sunset echoes always confuse sense
Of sight and smell within a vapored wind
I thought I saw my shadow on the fence
And waited for my goddess to ascend (Fields 58).
Due to the usage of the allegory goddess to ascend the author tries to show that the main character waits for his lovely muse as for goddess. As for the tone of presentation, the poem is written in a calm tone with effective rhymes, which completely reflect the mood of the poet.
Poem Full Moon
Full Moon is another beautiful poem written in free verse. Despite the fact that this poem does not have rhyme, it produces a very good effect. Again, like the previous poetry, this one does not name the person as the poem is written in the first person.
When I looked up to zenith I found dark
encroached by bright precursors of full moon
and when she burst out from her cloistered place
night gave up all its misted screens to sight (Fields 145).
The poem is full of figures of speech, which makes it sound more poetically. For example, clouds had roared are a metaphor used to demonstrate the beauty of the night sky. The words of the poem are very beautiful and melodic which reflects the inner state of the poet, who is inspired by the beauty of the full moon.
Conclusion
As for the components of the poems, The Painter’s Night is written in iambic type, while Full Moon has a trochee type of meter. As for the imagery, both poems possess such elements. In The Painter’s Night, one can see the allegory, and Full Moon contains metaphors, like as she burst out. The presence of metaphors and allegories helps to imagine the scene depicted in the poem.
To my mind, both poems are very beautiful and demonstrate the skills of the poets in the best possible way. In The Painter’s Song, the poet tries to demonstrate the despair of the lonely person, who is searching for his muse that is why the tone of the poem is a bit sad and romantic. Full Moon is a poem that makes the readers realize the beauty of the full moon and reflects the best feelings of the person. The main difference between the poems is the rhyme, as Full Moon is written in free verse and may be regarded as lyric poetry, while The Painter’s Song is written in verse and has the characteristics of narrative poetry.
Works Cited
Fields, Jonathan T. Charles Dickens, Barry Cornwall & some of his friends. USA: University of Michigan Library, 2000.