John Updike free essay sample

When a person comes of age, they experience a profound change or epiphany that leads to an inner growth, or new part of their life. In John Updike’s â€Å"Aamp;P†, coming of age is a major theme. The main character, Sammy, transitions from idealism to realism. He also experiences the enlightenment from transitioning from ignorance to knowledge. Finally, Sammy changes from thinking of himself, to thinking of others. Sammy experiences coming of age. Sammy transitions from idealism to realism in â€Å"Aamp;P†. His epiphany is foreshadowed when Sammy says â€Å"now here comes the sad part of the story† (Updike, 3). This quote foreshadows the events that lead up to Sammy’s change. Sammy is warned by Lengel about quitting his job. Lengel tries to help Sammy realize what consequences there are to quitting his job for the girls he does not even know, by saying â€Å"Sammy, you don’t want to do this to your mom and dad†(Updike, 5). These two poems will be compared and contrasted based on their content, form, and style. The poems will be compared in depth on their likeliness to one another and their differences. Both of these poets have a different way of presenting death. Even though each poem is different in its own meaning, they are relatively similar in comparison with the inevitable end, which is death. John Updike was born March 18, 1932 in Shillington, Pennsylvania. He is famous for many writings throughout his lifetime. Updike began his remarkable career as a poet in 1958 by publishing his first volume, a collection of poems titled The Carpentered Hen. He was first established as a major American writer upon the publication of his novel Rabbit Run, which took off for success and he went on to write an entire series throughout his life (as cited in The Biography Channel 2005). Dylan Thomas was born in the Uplands area of Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales, on October 27, 1914. History states that Thomas was indulged like a child and he was, in fact, still a teenager when he published many of the poems he would become famous for: â€Å"And death shall have no dominion â€Å"Before I Knocked† and â€Å"The Force That Through the Green Fuse Drives the Flower. And death shall have no dominion, appeared in the New English Weekly in May 1933 and further work appeared in The Listener in 1934 catching the attention of two of the most senior poets of the day T. S. Eliot and Stephen Spender ( as cited in Cyr, M. D. 1998 Pg 207). Dylan Thomas’s poem â€Å"Do not go gentle into that good night† has been listed as him most famous a nd easily accessible poem that he has written. When reading Dylan Thomas’s poem â€Å"Do not go gentle into that good night† one can assume that he wrote the poem about his own father’s death. The poem takes place at the bedside of his father. His father is slowly dying, willing to accept death and is awaiting his demise. The father does not care about the actions that are taking place around him, or his sons begging will for his father to fight off death and live. The speaker is begging his father not to give in to death, but to fight with all his strength: â€Å"Do not go gentle into that good night, Rage, rage against the dying of the light† (As cited in Clungston, 2010 Chapter 12. 5 Pg. 296, par. 3). The speaker is telling his father not to go towards the bright light that is commonly referred to as being seen by those who are about to die and make their way to heaven. Since the speaker is begging, you can ultimately figure out that the father is willing to die and not willing to fight as his son begs him to fight. All men, â€Å"wise men,† â€Å"Good men,† â€Å"Wild men,† and â€Å"Grave men† eventually die, showing that death is a certainty. Just because death is a natural part of life, Thomas does not want his father to take that route right now. In the poem line that says, â€Å"Though wise men at their end know dark is right,† shows that smart people are willing and able to fight against death, even though they know that it is going to occur. The line â€Å"And you, my father, there on that sad height† (As cited in Clungston, 2010 Chapter 12. 5 Pg. 296, par. 5) shows that the father is perched high upon his death bed, his son treating him like he is a worshiped symbol in his life. For one to rage against the dying of the light, it is like being told to fight off the enemy. The light being the enemy that is trying to take him away. The presentation of his father’s death becomes relatively clear. Dylan Thomas is presenting the events that led up to his fathers in a poetic form. His presentations of the events make the underlying story easier to understand. John Updike’s poem â€Å"Dog’s Death,† gives the details of death from the dogs perspective and the family’s eagerness to save their beloved pet, â€Å"Too young to know much, she was beginning to learn† (As cited in Clungston, 2010 Chapter 2. 3 Pg. 53, par. 1). This line gives insight to the dog’s age. You can tell from the start of this poem that the dog is a young puppy. This is further visible because of the mentioning of her being too young. The narrator can easily be determined to be the dog’s owner. From reading the poem, you can establish that he is married and has children, â€Å"Monday morning, as the children were noisily fed† (As cited in Clungston, 2010 Chapter 2. 3 Pg. 53, par. 3). When she felt unwell, they â€Å"teased her with play,† (As cited in Clungston, 2010 Chapter 2. 3 Pg. 53, par. 2), thinking she was just feeling ill, not realizing that they were actually causing more harm. The initial injury is not completely revealed. There is mention that the puppy may have been kicked or brushed by a car. The poem gives way to the ending before the end is actually read. The line mentions an autopsy revealing a rupture in the liver. This line comes out in the third stanza of the poem. The next stanza after that goes into the Monday morning, so ultimately a major injury is disclosed to the reader before the poem goes on to stating that they are on their way to the veterinarian’s office. Upon discovery of the dog’s injuries, they rush off to save the dog’s life at the vet. The dogs immediate family proceeds to the Vet and allow the dog to be on their lap during the car ride, rather than in the back seat. The line that states â€Å"to bite my hand and died† (As cited in Clungston, 2010 Chapter 2. 3 Pg. 53, par. ),   reveals that the dog is scared and does not know what to do. The dog feels safe and secure in the owner’s lap and bites the hand as a sense and feeling of comfort. This shows a sense of love and that they treat the dog as a member of their immediate family. The family’s love for the dog shows that humans can love animals and treat their animals like their own children. John Updike’s poem â€Å"Dog’s Death,† gives the details of death from the dog’s perspective and the family’s eagerness to save their beloved pet. The love the family shows is the same love they would give to a dying family member or friend. John Updike presents the outcome of death in a loving and sad presentation. He takes the actions that could easily be presented as those actions that we would apply to a human, and shows how it can be applied to a dog. Dylan Thomas can be described as a lyrical poet, which Merriam Webster defines as â€Å"expressing direct usually intense personal emotion especially in a manner suggestive of song†( Merriam Webster 2012). This poem is close to the elegy form of poetry, which is a lyric poem that expresses the poet’s thoughts about death and it is based on someone that is close and in high regard to the poet. Upon further review and comparison, this poem is closer to being the form of a dramatic monologue, which is a poem in which only one person speaks to one or more silent listeners, creating dramatic tension. Do not go gentle into that good night is a dramatic monologue as well. Thomas’s words throughout the poem create a dramatic unfolding of the passion he throws to his father, pleading him to fight for his own life. This shows that Thomas significance towards his father’s is the same as his own. He wishes to continue to live and avoid death until it is completely necessary and there is nothing left fighting for. John Updike is considered more as an author and not so much as a poet. John Updike’s poem Dog’s Death is an example of narrative poetry, which is poetry that tells a story. He uses detailed imagery of reality and real life situations. John Updike leaves no stones unturned in his writings. He goes deep into detail in this poem â€Å"The autopsy disclosed a rupture in her liver,† or of diarrhea and had dragged across the floor† (As cited in Clungston, 2010 Chapter 2. 3 Pg. 53). John Updike is not afraid to write in relation to real life events that occur. John Updike does not filter out the bad or ugly facts of life that can occur. Both of these poems give the reader a good look into the personal writing attributes of each poet. Dylan Thomas was a lyric poet who made the reader feel the feelings that encompassed him during his endures with his father’s death. John Updike was not afraid to write about the grotesque sights that accompanied a dog while it was slowly inching towards death. The style of these two poems is very different. Even though they focus on the same topic, which is death, the presentation is not the same. Dylan Thomas’s poem has a very unique line structure. It is not easily seen unless you look for it. The end of the first line in each stanza rhymes with the last word in the third line of each stanza. The second line of each stanza rhymes with the second line of each stanza after that. It is categorized as a villanelle, originally intended for French poetry, is exceedingly difficult to write in English because of a lack of rhyming words compared to the French language. Villanelles are nineteen lines long, with six stanzas. This poem is unique in itself. There are only two rhymes in this villanelle, each are placed strategically in the poem. â€Å"Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light† (As cited in Clungston, 2010 Chapter 12. 5 Pg. 296, par. 1)! This occurs in every stanza. The first line of each stanza rhymes with the last line of each stanza. John Updike’s poem reads more like a story. There are no words or lines that rhyme with each other. The only repetition throughout the entire poem is the words good dog. This poem is definitely an elegy. The dog was close to the family, so the poem follows suit and is all about the dogs struggle to die and the family’s struggle to keep that from occurring. I imagined that I was the owner of the dog while reading this poem. It made me feel like I had lost my own pet that was dear to me. I did have a few pets die under my care when I was a child. Before I read this poem, I did not feel remorse or sadness when they passed. I felt it was just a part of life. After being introduced and reading this poem, I feel the sadness and heartache that I should have felt when I was younger. John Updike and Dylan Thomas are both remarkable people. They both are known for their various works that they have produced in their lifetime. The poem â€Å"Dog’s Death† and the poem â€Å"Do not go gentle into that good night† both focus around death. Death is an everyday part of our daily life. We will hear of many deaths and experience the heartfelt loss that death accompanies. Dylan Thomas captured the feelings and emotions one can attain from experience of watching a family member die. John Updike showed us that animals can take on human characteristics in our lives and we can mourn their loss as if they were a family member. Both poets have different unique styles, forms, and contents of writing, but they both tell a similar story. Each poet tells their version of death in a different way, with a similar meaning. John Updike shows us how a simple life of a dog can mean so much more. John Updike portrays the dog as being a valued member of the family. The death of the dog brings heartache and sadness to the loving family. Dylan Thomas shows us that his father’s death could have been avoided had he not gone towards the light. The loss of his father engaged him to compile the poem and give the reader a feeling of sadness and sorrow that they can relate with. John Updike and Dylan Thomas present the same conclusion, which is death, in a different view and understanding. References The Biography Channel (2005) website retrieved from http://www. biography. com/people/john-updike-9513636. Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into Literature. Retrieved from http://content. ashford. edu/books http://www. breakoutofthebox. com/goodog. htm Beattie, A. (2011). John Updikes Sense of Wonder. John Updike Review, 1(1), 5-15. Cyr, M. D. (1998). Dylan thomass do not go gentle into that good night: Through lapis lazuli to king lear. Papers on Language and Literature, 34(2), 207-217. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/198427087? accountid=32521 Lycett, A. , amp; Coles, D. (2003, Dec 27). He did not go gentle into that good night [dylan thomas: A new life]. The Globe and Mail (Index-Only), pp. 0-D9. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/347505493? accountid=32521 Allen, B. (2009, Updikes farewell. The Hudson Review, 62(3), 521-528. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/231930782? accountid=32521