...ON MY FIRST SONNE - This poem is an elegy. An Elegy is a sad and thoughtful poem mourning the death of a person. Benjamin is a Hebrew name. In Hebrew it means “child of the right hand” - the way Jonson refers to his son in the first line of the poem. The eldest son was always the most important child. He would sit at his father’s right hand at table and would expect to inherit most of his father’s property. Jonson had five children. They all died young. His son Benjamin, the subject of this poem, was born in 1596 and died in 1603 - Ben Jonson was away from home at the time and received a letter from his wife telling him that Benjamin had died of the plague. line 3 tho’ wert/thou wert - you were line 4 Exacted to exact payment is to demand or compel payment line 6 lament mourn, deplore, be sorry for line 11 hence-forth from this time onward FAREWELL, thou child of my right hand, and joy; My sinne was too much hope of thee, loved boy. Seven yeeres tho’ wert lent to me, and I thee pay, Exacted by thy fate, on the just day. O, could I loose all father, now. For why Will man lament the state he should envie? To have so soone 'scaped worlds and fleshes rage, And, if no other miserie, yet age? Rest in soft peace, and ask’d, say here doth lye Ben. Jonson his best piece of poetrie, For whose sake, henceforth, all his vowes be such As what he loves may never like too much. ...
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...after the death in 1603 of his eldest son, Benjamin, aged seven. The poet addresses the boy, bidding him farewell, and then seeks some meaning for his loss. Jonson blames himself, rhetorically at least, arguing that he hoped too much for his son, who was only on loan to him. Now that the seven years are up, the boy has had to be returned. Jonson tries to argue that this is only fair and his presumptuous plans for the boy's future were the cause of his present sense of loss. He then questions his own grief: why lament the enviable state of death when the child has escaped suffering and the misery of aging? He cannot answer this question, simply saying "Rest in soft peace" and asking that the child, or perhaps the grave, record that his son was Jonson's "best piece of poetry," the creation of which he was most proud. He concludes by vowing that from now on he will be more careful with those he loves; he will be wary of liking and so needing them too much. Commentary: The poem is a moving exploration of a father's feelings on the loss of his son, made all the more poignant by the difference between its affectionate, resigned tone and Jonson's usually satirical and biting comic voice. About the poem The poem records and laments (expresses sorrow for) the death of the poet's first son. We call such poems elegies or describe them as elegiac. Jonson contrasts his feelings of sorrow with what he thinks he ought to feel - happiness that his son is in a better place. The death of...
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...Lines 1-2 Farewell, thou child of my right hand, and joy; My sin was too much hope of thee, loved boy. * The poem begins with the speaker saying "farewell" to his child. * The speaker also says his "sin" (or mistake) was that he had "too much hope" for his son. He implies that there is some connection between his love for the boy and the boy's death. That's odd. * The phrase "child of my right hand" is also kind of funny. It implies that the speaker's son was born from his right hand (weird, huh?). Or maybe this implies something about the speaker's favoritism toward his first-born? (Think of the phrase "my right-hand man.") * "Child of my right hand" also would indicate that the speaker's son is lucky. The right is always the good side; the left is the bad or sinister side. (In Latin, a language Jonson knew well, the word for left side is the same word that gives us sinister in English.) * As it turns out, Ben Jonson's first son was named Benjamin (just like his father), and in Hebrew Benjamin means "son of right hand." Okay, so maybe "child of my right hand" isn't so weird after all. But how many people really know what Benjamin means in Hebrew? Sheesh! * Finally, read these lines aloud. Go ahead. Nobody's looking. Notice anything? These lines are in a very famous rhythm: iambic pentameter. If you've read any Shakespeare (a friend of Jonson's), you should be picking up what we're putting down. * Basically, an iamb is a combination of one unstressed...
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...young adult, in my early twenties. I am thirty-one with three young children four and under. At the moment I have three children by three different women, with three different personalities. I have a four year old son that lives in Dayton, Ohio, a three year old son that lives outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and a one year old daughter that lives here in Cincinnati. Surprisingly, I see my son that lives in Dayton more than any of my children. If it was up to me, I would spend an equal amount of time with all my children but the mothers make it difficult for me to do so, so I call and talk to them as much as possible. Let’s begin with my youngest daughter’s mother. She is thirty-two, my daughter is her first child, and she is one. She is very over-protective and won’t let her out of here sight at the moment. Since we broke up last November, I’ve only been able to come see her on the weekends. Since she is a school teacher be off on the summer months has given me an opportunity to see her during the week. But now that I’m dating someone else she has not been answering my calls so I can visit. I see myself having to go apply for child support so I can receive visitation privileges. One of my close friends told me that she just wanted to have my child and would have nothing to do with me thereafter; I’m beginning to believe that. The last time we spoke, she brought up me signing over my parental rights, that not ever going to happen. Next, we have my three year old...
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...outside with my son. Being that I am attending college online I can still relax at home and spend time with my son. Monday Work on the computer or around the house. I would also spend some time working out. When my son gets home from school I help him with his homework. Before I do anything I make sure I complete my plan for the week on how I want to finish my class work. I also complete a few discussion questions. When my son gets home from school I help him with his homework. Tuesday I would spend time playing on my computer. When my son gets home from school I help him with his homework. I work on my class assignments and study the new material. When my son gets home from school I help him with his homework. Wednesday I would spend time playing on my computer. When my son gets home from school I help him with his homework. I work on my class assignments and study the new material. When my son gets home from school I help him with his homework. Thursday I would spend time playing on my computer. When my son gets home from school I help him with his homework. I work on my class assignments and study the new material. When my son gets home from school I help him with his homework. Friday I would spend time playing on my computer. I work on my class assignments and study the new material. Saturday I would spend this day relaxing at home and playing outside with my son. Being that I am attending college online I can still relax at home and spend time with my son. What are...
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...On May 5, 2018 my son and I went out to eat after his soccer game. I let Gabriel choose the place. Of course, my child picks McDonald’s. We are waiting in line to order, and I notice the lunch rush stars kicking in. They not only had a bus full of high school travel basketball players, but they had junior high boys who just finished a baseball game. There were a lot of irritated customers. I say this because, orders were being messed up, and tables were not wiped down, soda machine was in need of a refill, and napkins and condiments needed to be stocked. Everything that could go wrong at this restaurant did. The majority of the employees were just trying to do their job. I overheard that three people had called in. It was hard not...
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...years old and recently decided to advance my career opportunities by taking online college courses. At that time I never thought that I would find myself in the roles of a mom to a newborn baby boy, a wife of an active duty service member, and a student. At first, I found it most discouraging trying to find the time to balance college classes with all of the activities in my daily life, as being married to a soldier of the United States Army means being a single mother, currently living in a foreign country, at times of deployment. Several years have passed since I graduated high school and educational advancement was not my first priority. At that time, I had decided to join the United States Armed Forces and serve my country while stationed in Europe. Although I do not regret that decision, I do however regret not attending college directly after high school and having the option to join the service as a commissioned officer. I now decided that going back to school to obtain my Bachelor’s degree in Human Recourses Management at Penn Foster College would offer many career opportunities and set an example for my son. Taking online courses has proven to be more difficult than I thought. With my 9 week old son needing my attention most of the day, my husband working extended hours and housework piling up, I do not have the luxury to always have a set schedule allowing me to attend traditional college classes on a campus and in class rooms. My husband tries to be as supportive as he...
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...difficulty controlling behavior, and hyperactivity (over-activity). It seems with the description given any person could be diagnosed with having ADHD. Is this not the typical behavior of a toddler or a young adolescent child? As a first time parent, I too, like many other parents before me was preyed on for profit. There were many developmental miles stones to make note of over the following months and eventually years. My toddler did not seem any different from the rest of the children at daycare, in fact, he was said to be ahead of his peers when he attended pre-school. As early as age three my son began to show “inattentive and restless behavior” as one teacher put it and asked for my consent to administer an assessment test. I agreed and the test results revealed that my son was already performing on a five-year olds comprehension level. However, due to my son’s age and school requirements he was not permitted to begin kindergarten as recommended by his teachers. It was therefore deemed that my son was simply bored. The same behavior was prevalent at age five in his kindergarten class. This time, my child was repeatedly sent to the principal’s office and made to sit alone in the classroom apart from his classmates. His teacher told me she believed my son had ADHD and I should look into...
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...children see the hatred and discrimination or tried to shield them from it. In Life is Beautiful, during the Holocaust, Guido had an occupation of a book store owner who had a wife and little boy. On one day, the Nazi officers took him and his son from his home and put him on a crowded cattle car. His wife, not Jewish, demanded to go on one of the cattle cars. He went to the concentration camps with his wife and son but the Nazis separated Guido and his son from the wife. Guido realized how much discrimination and the magnitude of the hatred and mistreatment at the concentration camps and wanted to shield it from his young son. Guido told his...
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...diagnosing the problem, generating alternative solutions, evaluating alternatives, making the choice, implementing the decision, and evaluating the decision. Identifying and Diagnosing the Problem The first stage of the decision making process is identifying and diagnosing the problem. The problem is the desire to move from Mississippi to Texas. Mississippi has been my home for the last 33 years and my son has asked me and my two daughters to move to Texas with him while he attends college there. Careful thought has to be made in order for this decision to be implemented. The decision has to be made within a four month time period in order to prepare for it. Generating Alternative Solutions The second stage of the decision making process is generating alternative solutions. Three solutions are present in this case. One solution is to not move at all but to stay in Mississippi. This solution would be the most cost efficient and would only require me to help my son find an apartment and help him move. Another solution would be to move in with my sister who lives thirty minutes from the college where my son will attend. This solution would be cost efficient as well but it would require for me, my two girls, and my son to live with my sister, her boyfriend, and her son in a four bedroom house and to share...
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..."My Papa's Waltz" ENG/125 March 28, 2011 "My Papa's Waltz" My Papa’s Waltz is a fairly straightforward poem written in iambic triameter. The last word of the first and third line of each quatrain rhyme as does the last word of the second and fourth line. This poem is a reflection of an event in the life of a little boy, and because of the rhyming style of poem, it is clear it is written from a child’s perspective. The little boy recalls an experience dancing a waltz with his father in their home. Although there are many opinions circulating about whether or not his was a positive experience, I think it was. I think this is a memory of a small boy cavorting with his father. The first stanza tells the reader that the father has had perhaps too much whiskey to drink. The boy says that the smell of his father’s breath made him dizzy. This must mean that the boy is very familiar with his father in this drunken state. This does not necessarily mean that the boy was traumatized by this event, just simply that he knows his father has had some whiskey to drink. He recalls that he had to hang on tight and that it was not easy for him to hold on to his father during this waltz. The waltz is typically a slow ballroom dance in three-quarter time that give the impression that the dancers are gliding around the room. The boy’s dance with his father is hardly gliding around a room considering the boy says he “hung on like death” (Barnet, Burto, & Cain, 2011, p. 786). ...
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...and Theodore Roethke’s “My Papa’s Waltz” are two literary poems that use characteristics of everyday things to identify the emotion of the characters. Stafford’s piece expresses his life through the form of a river, while Roethke explains the relationship between a father and a son through a dance. The reader can depict how both authors use the movements of a river and a dance to express their inner-feelings. In Stafford’s poem, the river currents are understood to express life’s intermediate changes between highs and lows, through the past, present, and future. Roethke describes the Waltz between the father and son as a persistent movement that signifies both the emotional and physical issues that lie within their relationship. “My Papa’s Waltz” and “Ask Me” are similar through the complexity of emotions that the narrator goes through by using the key elements imagery, symbolism, and tone. These two literary pieces purposely run through the mix of emotions to change the reader’s perception of the poem from the beginning till the end. Throughout both literary poems, the authors provide imagery through words that have visual representation but very little description. The reader is taken into a state of mind where they can paint a picture in their head of what scenery the narrator is in. The imagery throughout the poems is important because they reflect the overall emotion of the poem and the narrators take on the situation. For example, Stafford’s first line says “Some time when...
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...becoming parents, usually when a relationship is strong and a couple is ready to settle down and start a family. Some become parents strictly by chance. It may be an unwanted scenario that was unplanned and what some would even call an “accident.” As for myself, I have always wanted to be a parent at some point in my life, but when it happened, it was definitely a surprise to me. I expected to be much further along in my life before parenthood was ever considered. When I heard the words, “I’m pregnant,” I didn’t know what to think. To me, it was too early and I wasn’t ready. I had to cope with the fact that my life was about to change. I tried to picture myself as a father and what I would have to do to get ready. I knew it was going to be hard but didn’t really think that it was going to be as hard as it actually was. I came up with all these ideas on what being a parent was going to be like. I was for certain I had everything planned out. The reality is, I was wrong. Everything changed, and all those thoughts and ideas that I had became useless from the moment my first child was born. In the beginning when my son was born, I figured I knew what to do. At first in my mind it was going to be nothing but feeding, bathing and changing dirty diapers. I thought it would be a piece of cake. I was very wrong. Yes there was feeding but not like I had originally thought. Every three to six hours he needed a bottle no matter what time of the day or night it was. I was soon very exhausted...
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...punctuation marks. They complete the sentence. Poets and storytellers alike have glamorized both, making them seem almost mundane and minute. To the people wrapped up in the consequences of life and death, they are anything but. My realization of this came during the early morning hours of May 6th. Just like every other morning, my infant son woke up wanting to be fed. While tending to him, I heard my phone ring from the next room. I ran into the room and turned it off, because the end result of caring for my son was peace and quiet and far more important than whomever was on the other end of the phone. No sooner than I silenced it; it rang a second time. I answered, thinking that the person on the other end was trying to reach me for something more important than I had first thought. At first, I couldn’t fathom what I was hearing on the other end of that phone. I couldn’t let it materialize into an actual sentence. I dropped my head down and cried and screamed and cried like my infant son would have if he needed changing. It was in response to the news coming over the line. My heart hurt with pain, grief, agony. I knew that when I heard the voice of my best friend’s mother on the other end something horrible had happened. She quietly called my name and quickly said “Dee Dee’s dead.” “Dee Dee’s dead!” she yelled. She got even louder the third time and screamed with tears into the phone. I felt her pain, we shared the same agony. “How did it happen?” I asked. “She...
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..."My Papa's Waltz" by Theodore Roethke is one of my favorite poems. It is one that gives each reader different emotion and interpretation. “My Papa’s Waltz” was written in a first person narrative and provides rhythm and symbolism. This poem displays a very relatable storey about the relationship between a son and his father. It has a known rhythm that brings to mind the type of dance that is symbolized in the title. Recognizing the character was easy because the author used “I” for first person narrative which helps the reader to communicate to what the author was intending his reader to understand. Roethke used the introduction of the poem to set the tone and setting for the story to follow. “The whiskey on your breath” Roethke T. (1942) was the first verse entry and immediately the reader can feel for the little boy thinking of what it would be like to have a drunken father. The method in which the poem is written opens the door of vagueness regarding the father’s state. The child's father was seen as being forceful to his son; while the son is frightened of his father drunkenness. The author wanted his reader to understand that whatever frame of mind a parent is in they have all the power and the child has to obey. It’s clear that the author wanted to provoke his reader with bit of remembrance of truthfulness by constructing the poem in first person narrative. The mention of the father and son romping around the room may seem rather harmless however the dance...
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