Symbol

A symbol is a visual representation of something to the audience. Symbols can range from objects to souls. For example, in The Great Gatsby, the billboard with the eyes on it, above the Valley of Ashes, symbolizes that everybody is being watched. This reference reoccurs throughout the novel and ultimately alludes to a key message. Another example of a symbol is Hamlet's ghost in Hamlet. Hamlet's ghost represents pride, love, loyalty, and revenge. Symbols usually delicately appear at the beginning of a work and then prove their importance in a much more obvious way farther into the work. Overall, symbols are essential to the plot.

Setting

The setting represents the time, location, and objects surrounding an event. The setting can affect the entire "feeling" of an affair. For example, the setting of where the guards first see the ghost of Hamlet is very dark and late at night. This setting infers a mysterious and cold impression. Regardless of what is being done, the setting can alter the perceptions of the viewers, which can lead to negative outcomes. The setting can also foreshadow future events which can change a viewer's mindset. Thus, the setting is an extremely important and effective characteristic to any work.

Character (Elizabeth vs. Hamlet)

Characters, just like a plot, are extremely important and essential to any work. Jane Austen, the author of Pride and Prejudice, uses characters as a way to depict the people's views in society. For example, Elizabeth Bennet's conflict   with society is made visible through the personality in which Austen gives her. However, unlike Hamlet's Hamlet, Elizabeth does not state any soliloquies, which shows the difference between a drama and a fiction. In Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, Hamlet's internal conflict dealing with the death of his father presents Hamlet's individual struggle, contradicting to Elizabeth Bennet's external conflict. Ultimately, an author can bestow the message or story of any work on a character at the beginning of a piece and still have it be just as prominent in the end. Thus, character's carry on the plot.

Plot (Austen and Shakespeare)

The plot is a crucial aspect of any fiction and drama. The plot refers to the main events of a work, and obviously, without  solid events or an easy-to-follow plot, a work can not be very strong. Two examples of plot based works are Hamlet and Pride and Prejudice. The plot of Hamlet revolves around Hamlet's personal struggles and grievances which makes it "internal". In contrast, the plot of Pride and Prejudice follows a traditional structure of introducing multiple characters but focusing on one specific conflict throughout the entire work. Pride and Prejudice is considered to be "external" because, unlike Hamlet, Pride and Prejudice deals with the views of many different characters. In my opinion, the plot is ultimately the most important feature of a work.

Essay Comments Blog (Claudius Essay)

I feel that my essay was well-written and descriptively showed my points of view on King Claudius and how superficial he truly is. I supported my points well with textual evidence but might have gotten a little too carried away and off topic. I also think I could have lengthened my conclusion paragraph by adding a new point of view or idea. Overall, I feel that I wrote a well-written essay regardless of the small "mistakes" that it contained.

"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" Vs. "To His Coy Mistress"

“To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell and “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot both address the ideologies of “time”. “Time” is defined as “the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole” by the New Oxford American Dictionary. Ironically, neither Andrew Marvell nor T.S. Eliot symbolize “time” as that proclamation. In “To His Coy Mistress”, the speaker begins by describing the “desirable” world that men and women would dream of but later contradicts himself by stating that time doesn’t last forever. The speaker connotes that seizing the moment is necessary as a way of expressing his and his mistress’ love towards each other. In opposition to “To His Coy Mistress” but more along the lines of the New Oxford American Dictionary, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” suggests that time is endless and that anything and everything can be experienced within one lifetime. Thus, the ethic that seizing the moment is essential as specified by Andrew Marvell is challenged by T.S. Eliot’s idea that an everlasting “time” presents itself to be available. 

Comparison Of Two Poems : Ulysses Vs. Fast Break

Alfred Lord Tennyson's Ulysses and Edward Hirsch's Fast Break are two completely different poems. Ulysses has a very slow tempo to it while Fast Break resembles it's title. Just by discussing the stories told in the poems, the two prove even more unalike. Ulysses is about a King who is growing closer and closer to death. His kingship is slowly falling and time is creeping by. Obviously, this poem is not going to be enthusiastic and bright. In contrast, Fast Break conveys, in my opinion, a very alive and vivacious tone which absorbed me and kept me interested in the poem. Furthermore, Alfred Lord Tennyson's Ulysses and Edward Hirsch's Fast Break differ because of the stories told within the poems. They are written in correspondence to the vibes embedded in the poems and are both composed brilliantly.

Ozymandias Vs. Ponder These Busted Statues

Ozymandias and Ponder These Busted Statues both refer to time but are viewed completely differently. In Ozymandias, time is perceived as more of a sad and dark ideology. Actions take place but in a slow and depressed manner. In Ponder These Busted Statues, time is seen as a "game". A "game" where seizing the moment is the most important aspect because time does not last forever. Living life at a fast and exciting rate because there is no "time" to waste. Ponder These Busted Statues refers to sex on multiple occasions because the author feels that sex and love are the most important actions in life. There is no "time" to waste so live life to the fullest.