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HomeworkHelp(/homeworkhelp)>HenryKing(/homeworkhelp/topic/henryking)
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booboosmoosh(/people/booboosmoosh)|HighSchoolTeacher|(Level3)EducatorEmeritus
PostedonJune15,2011at1:20AM(/homeworkhelp/whattonemoodpoeticdevicespoemcontemplation263714#answer338995)

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InHenryKing,BishopofChichester'spoem,"AContemplationuponFlowers,"theauthorusesapoemtoservea
specificpurposeit

...simplyseekstoconveyemotionsorideas.
Kingwritesthispoemaboutwantingtobemorelikenature:toknowwhentolive,andthenwhentodiewithout
fearofdeath.
Thereisagreatdealofimageryinthepoem,andthisisfirstseenaspersonification.Therearemanyexamples,but
someincludetheauthor'sreferencetotheflowersas"brave"andthenhereferstotheflower'sabilityto
"gallant"usedasaverb,meaningtocourtalady."Vain"isalsoahumancharacteristic,aswellas"Youcome
abroad,""youarenotproud,"and"youknowyourbirth."Personificationcontinuesthroughoutthepoem,seenin
"youobey,""lookascheerfullyasyou,""Oteachme,"and"mybreath/Likeyours..."
Ametaphorisusedintheline,"yourembroideredgarmentsarefromearth,"comparingtheflowerstocolorful
clothing.
Personificationfromthefirststanzaleadsintoanextendedmetaphorinthesecondstanza:thespeakerissayingthat
he'dpreferittobe"Spring,"meaningthathewouldlikealwaysstayyoung."MyfatewouldknownoWinter"
continueswiththecomparisonofhislifetotheseasons,andwintersymbolizesthespeaker'sdeath.
Inthethirdstanza,"Death"isanexampleofmetonymy(http://www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/allam/general/glo
ssary.htm#m):
...afigureofspeechwhichsubstitutesonetermwithanotherthatisbeingassociatedwiththethatterm

Weseethiswiththeuseoftheword"Death"whichreallyreferstotheactof"dying."Itcouldprobablybeargued
that"Death"mightalsobepersonification,asifdeathcouldbeseen,ratherthanseeingtheeffectsofdeath,orthe
actofdying.
Finally,attheendofthelaststanza,thereisasimile,comparingthesmellofflowerstotheauthor'slastbreath:
"thenteachme,thatmybreath/Likeyoursmaysweetenandperfumemydeath."
Sources:
http://www.poemhunter.com/poems/(http://www.poemhunter.com/poems/)

sbgcxhj(/people/sbgcxhj)|Student,Grade10|eNotesNewbie
PostedonJanuary30,2012at10:15AM(/homeworkhelp/whattonemoodpoeticdevicespoemcontemplation263714#answer3893
04)

iwantasummaryexplainingeverystanainthepoem
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