“A Barred Owl” and “The History Teacher”

“A Barred Owl” and “The History Teacher”

The speakers in “A Barred Owl” by Richard Wilbur and “The History Teacher” by Billy Collins both attempt to keep the harsh realities of life from the children that surround them by using personification in Wilbur’s poem and humor in Collins’s. 


Wilbur’s speaker uses personification to make a child less frightened, and Collins’s uses humor to understate the severity of the topics that a teacher must teach his young class about. In “A Barred Owl,” a young child wakes up in the middle of the night due to the hoots of an owl, which frighten her. The speaker attempts to reassure the girl that the owl is friendly, and its calls resembling the word “who” are really just the owl asking the girl “Who cooks for you?” (6). By making the owl seem like an inquisitive person, the speaker manages to calm the girl and let her sleep again. Because she now thinks of the owl as human-like in behavior, the girl is unable to dream of the owl catching, killing, eating its prey, which would simply frighten her. The speaker uses personification to conceal the harsh realities of predator and prey from the child, so that she may rest peacefully, even as the predatory owl hunts outside her window. In “The History Teacher,” the speaker addresses the teaching method of one man. Forced to teach his young students about many harsh time periods and tragic events, he uses humor to understate the harshness and tragicness. For example, instead of telling the children about the difficult conditions of the Ice Age, he tells them it was a period “when everyone had to wear sweaters” (4), and instead of telling them that the War of the Roses was fought by two rival families over the English throne, he tells them that it “took place in a garden” (11). The teacher desperately wants to protect the innocence of his students, so he uses humor. By making his students laugh during the lessons, he can take away some of the cruel blows these lessons might leave on a young child’s mind. 

Outline for “We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks

Outline for “We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks 

Thesis: The speaker in Gwendolyn Brooks’s poem “We Real Cool” feels that the “cool” people in the poem are actually simplistic, immature, and naive, and shows it by using a mocking tone, a simplistic rhythm, and a structure that emphasizes their poor actions and decisions. 

• Italics — The italics at the beginning of the poem set the setting and let the reader know who the “we” is that is mentioned continuously throughout the poem and what the group is doing, informing the reader that the “cool” people are a group of pool players at a club or bar. 
• Use of “We” and Sarcastic Tone — Although the speaker associates him or herself with the “cool” people by using “we,” he or she distances him or herself by using a sarcastic tone, which implies that the speaker is actually mocking this group of people, emphasized by the last line that states “We / Die soon” (7-8). Although the group thinks their actions are cool, the speaker recognizes that they are childish and will not end well. 
• Caesura Pauses — The poem is structured by putting the subject of a sentence on one line and then action on the next line, immediately followed by the subject of the next sentence. For example, the first couplet says, “We real cool. We / Left school. / We” (1-2). This structure is created with Caesura pauses, which break up each line and put emphasis on the actions of the “cool” people and the poor choices they have made. The structure becomes very effective in the last line, which only says “Die soon” (8), and indicates that their actions will lead to a short life and a tragic end. 
• Rhyme Pattern — As the speaker stated, “We / Left school” (1-2). The speaker looks down on this choice especially and thinks that these people are unintelligent and naive because of the decision. Each couplet features a pair of simplistic rhymes within each line. For example, “late” (3) is paired with “straight” (4) and “sin” (5) with “gin” (6). The simplistic rhymes the speaker uses emphasize the childish and unsophisticated nature of the “cool” people because these are the sorts of rhymes that an elementary schooler would create and use.

Analysis of The Lamb and The Tiger

Analysis of The Lamb and The Tiger 

In William Blake’s two poems, The Lamb and The Tiger, the speaker for both of the poems initially is amazed by and grateful for his creator, but then he becomes fearful of his creator, which is seen in the different dictions used in each poem. In The Lamb, the speaker uses lighthearted and innocent diction, such as “delight” (5), “bright” (6), “tender” (7), and “rejoice” (8), which creates a happy and safe atmosphere. The speaker repeats “Gave” several times followed by words about food, clothing, and a voice, which reinforces the idea of the speaker being grateful for all that his creator has given him. The speaker also states that “For he call himself a Lamb” (14). Comparing the creator to a lamb creates an image of sweet and loving creator who could not harm anyone or anything. However, the speaker uses darker diction in The Tiger, such as “fire” (6), “furnace” (14), “anvil” (15), and “deadly” (16), indicating a change in his feelings toward the creator that show an acknowledgement and fear of the more violent and destructive side of the creator. The speaker also repeats the words “dare” and “dread” numerous times, showing that the speaker now questions his creator and is apprehensive of him as well. Finally, the speaker asks, “Did he who made the Lamb make thee?” (20). This question shows disbelief that the same force could create two animals, one known for its harmlessness and innocence, the other for its viciousness and deadliness, and therefore, disbelief that the same creator can be both kind and cruel. 

The Picture of Dorian Gray Essay Outline

The Picture of Dorian Gray Essay Outline 

Prompt: The line between doing an action and being a certain type of person is almost always obscure When does one cease doing bad things and simply become a bas person? By focusing on Dorian, make an argument as to whether he is a man who does bad things, or whether he becomes  truly bad person.

Thesis: Dorian Gray is initially a person who does bad things, but he becomes a truly bad person when he murders Basil Hallward, although he does return to simply being a person who does bad things later in the novel. 

• Sibyl: “I loved you because you were marvelous, because you had genius and intellect, because you realized the dreams of great poets and gave shape and substance to the shadows of art. You have thrown it all away. You are shallow and stupid. My God! how mad I was to love you! What a fool I been! You are nothing to me now” (91). Dorian’s harsh words and actions towards Sibyl are the first instance of him doing a bad thing because of their effect on Sibyl, who kills herself. However, when Dorian returned to his home, he felt guilty about his treatment of her and plans to apologize to her the next day, showing that he still has a conscious and wants to right the things he wrongs. 

• Acquaintances: “Why is your friendship so fatal to young men? There was that boy in the Guards who committed suicide. You were his great friend. There was Sir Henry Ashton, who had to leave England, with a tarnished name. You and he were inseparable. What about Adrian Singleton and his dreadful end? What about Lord Kent’s only son, and his career? I met his father yesterday in St. James Street. He seemed broken with shame and sorrow. What about the young Duke of Perth? What sort of life has he got now? What gentleman would associate with him” (154). Over the years, Dorian has had a negative impact on those around him, who always end up entering disgrace after a friendship with Dorian. However, Dorian is not consciously forcing them into their bad actions, but instead merely unconsciously influencing them, which shows that he can do bad things without being fully aware of it, but he is not a bad person because he is not intentionally hurting them. 

• Basil: “Dorian Gray glanced at the picture, and suddenly an uncontrollable feeling of hatred for Basil Hallward came over him, as though it had been suggested to him by the image on the canvas, whispered into his ear by those grinning lips. The mad passions of a hunted animal stirred within him, and he loathed the man who was seated at the table more than in his whole life he had ever loathed anything” (162). The murder of Basil is the most evil and brutal action Dorian commits. Although it was impulsive, unlike the blackmailing of Alan, it was beastly, which is seen with the use of animal-related words. 

• Alan: “‘I am sorry for you, Alan,’ he murmured, ‘but you leave me no alternative. I have a letter written already. Here it is. You see the address. If you don’t help me, I must send it. If you don’t help me, I will send it. You know what the result will be. But you are going to help me. It is impossible for you to refuse me now. I tried to spare you” (175). Dorian is at his most evil here, since he is knowingly blackmailing Alan and threatening him with downfall and disgrace. However, Dorian knows what he is doing is wrong, and this action haunts him for the rest of the novel because this action is what he feels most guilty about throughout his life. 

• Adrian: “You will write to me if you want anything, won’t you?” (193). Dorian has done terrible things to Adrian, specifically getting him addicted to opium, which leads to him losing much of his own money. However, upon seeing Adrian himself, Dorian feels guilty about what he has done and seems to want to make amends by offering Adrian some help. 

• Hetty: “A new life! That was what he wanted. That was what he was waiting for. Surely he had begun it already. He had spared one innocent thing, at any rate. He would never again tempt innocence. He would be good” (227). Dorian has tired of his typical behavior and wants to become a better person by sparing Hetty of the fate that befalls his associates. While the portrait reveals to Dorian that his actions were in fact actually hypocritical since he broke her heart, Dorian does seem to genuinely want to become a better person but is simply unaware of how to do so. 

Blog for Chapters 14-16 of The Picture of Dorian Gray

Blog for Chapters 14-16 of The Picture of Dorian Gray

In chapters 14-16 of the novel, Dorian struggles to maintain composure during the aftermath of Basil’s murder. Chapter 14 shows Dorian contacting an old friend to get rid of the body. Although recently, Dorian’s conscience has been absent, it reappears when he speaks to Alan Campbell because Dorian feels upset about what he is doing to the man by involving him in the murder and making him an accomplice: “The two men’s eyes met. In Dorian’s there was infinite pity. He knew what he was going to do was dreadful” (172). Regardless, Dorian presses on and is forced to blackmail Alan to receive his help. Alan “felt dominated by him” (177), which shows that even though Dorian has done monstrous things, he is still like Henry, who wanted to dominate Dorian since they met, showing that Dorian now does the same thing to others. In chapter 15, after the body is destroyed, Dorian goes to a dinner party hosted by Lady Narborough. This chapter is reminiscent of what happens after Sibyl’s death. Upon hearing of her suicide, Dorian mourns for her briefly, but then goes out to see an opera mere hours later. Here, Dorian attends a dinner party the night after he killed a man and a few hours after he blackmailed another man into destroying the body. In addition, Dorian becomes paranoid even though he intended to forget about his sin. When casually questioned by Henry about his night, Dorian becomes very defensive: “I came in at half-past two, if you wish to know the exact time. I had left my latch-key at home, and my servant had to let me in. If you want any corroborative evidence on the subject you can ask him” (186). Although he is trying to forget about his crime, Dorian cannot, and he realizes that he must take drastic actions in order to do so, or else he will make some sort of mistake that will lead to his arrest and execution. In chapter 16, Dorian visits an opium den he often goes to in order to clear his mind. While there, a woman who knows him calls him by Sibyl’s nickname for him, Prince Charming. Sibyl’s brother James is also in the den and overhears the exchange. He attacks Dorian, but Dorian convinces him the he was not the one Sibyl was involved with because he looks too young. After James lets Dorian go, the woman from the den approached James and informs him that Dorian is much older than he appears and that “He is the worst one that comes here. They say he sold himself to the devil for a pretty face” (197). This conversation initiates a new and possibly fatal conflict that Dorian will have to deal with from henceforth. 

Blog about Chapters 9 and 10 of The Picture of Dorian Gray

Blog about Chapters 9 and 10 of The Picture of Dorian Gray

In chapters 9 and 10, Dorian becomes increasingly more paranoid about others seeing his altered portrait. When Basil visits Dorian, he informs the lad that he plans to use the portrait for an exhibition of his work and that he would like to see it again before that time. Dorian cries out and insists that the painter not see the picture: “If you try to look at it, Basil, on my word of honor I will never speak to you again as long as I live. I am quite serious. I don’t offer any explantation, and you are not to ask for any. But, remember, if you touch this screen, everything is over between us” (115). Basil relents due to Dorian’s intense threat of ending their friendship, which means a lot to the painter who later confesses his utter adoration of Dorian. Later on, Dorian becomes more and more suspicious of his servant Victor, especially after Dorian has the picture hidden away in his old school room. He refers to Victor as being “treacherous” (123) and a “spy” (127), even though Victor has done nothing to suggest such a thing. After realizing the nature of the picture and what it reveals about himself, Dorian becomes incredibly paranoid due to the fear that someone will see his true self, which leads to him also becoming pugnacious and untrusting. 

In addition to paranoia, chapters 9 and 10 also show Dorian wavering in his plans about his future behaviors. At some times, he embraces the idea of a life of sin because he would be able to experience all the pleasures life can offer whilst not having his appearance affected by the sins. At other times, he is horrified by the cruelty shown in his picture and his soul. He goes back and forth between accepting and recoiling from the portrait: “Basil would have helped him t resist Lord Henry’s influence, and the still more poisonous influences that came from his own temperament. […] Yes, Basil could have saved him. But it was too late now. The past could always be annihilated; regret, denial, or forgetfulness could do that. But the future was inevitable. There were passions in him that would find their terrible outlet, dreams that would make the shadow of their evil real” (122-3). Despite earnest thoughts about redemption, Dorian ultimately chooses sin again and again. He cannot stop believing that a future of pleasure and sin is inevitable and will happen. Such a belief allows him to yield to his desires and claim that it is not his fault, but instead destiny’s fault. 

The combination of paranoia and desire for pleasure that is seen in chapters 9 and 10 leads to Dorian hiding his hideous portrait so that he can continue living a life of sin without anyone seeing it, though this will be a constant fear of his from henceforth and will lead to tragedy. 

The Stranger Essay Outline

The Stranger Essay Outline 

Prompt: In Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, a portion of the prologue reads, “I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me. […] It is as though I have been surrounded by mirrors of hard, distorting glass. When they approach me they see only my surroundings, themselves, or figments of their imagination — indeed, everything and anything except me” (Ellison 3). In what ways can this excerpt be an appropriate description of Meursault? What does it elucidate about Meursault’s character, and is it a perfect description for the man himself? 

Thesis: The excerpt from the prologue of Invisible Man can also be a description of Meursault from The Stranger because people and society do not see Meursault for who he actually is, which is someone who values the fulfillment of his basic needs and distances himself from emotions. 

• “I remembered that it was Sunday, and that bothered me: I don’t like Sundays. So I rolled over, tried to find the salty smell of Marie’s hair had left on the pillow, and slept until ten. Then I smoked a few cigarettes, still in bed, till noon. I didn't feel like having lunch at Céleste’s like I usually did because they’d be sure To ask questions and I don’t like that. I fixed myself some eggs and ate them out of the pan, without bread because I didn’t have any left and I didn’t feel like going downstairs to buy some” (21). 

• Meursault is self centered, which is seen by his overuse of the word “I” and how much he focuses on himself and not others, such as Marie, who just hurriedly left, or Céleste, who is most likely worried about Meursault.  
• His priorities are the basic necessities for life, such as food and sleep, and not the feelings he may or may not have for Marie.
• He avoids others as much as possible, choosing instead to stay by himself in his apartment as opposed to going out to have lunch or buy bread. 

• “‘We put the cover on, but I’m supposed to unscrew the casket so you can see her.’ He was moving toward the casket when I stopped him. He said, ‘You don’t want to?’ I answered, ‘No.’ He was quiet , and I was embarrassed because I felt I shouldn’t have said that. He looked at me and then asked, ‘Why not?’ but without criticizing, as if he just wanted to know. I said, ‘I don’t know.’ He started twirling his mustache, and then without looking at me, again he said, ‘I understand’” (6).

• The caretaker of the facility Meursault’s mother lived in is confused by Meursault’s behavior. He expects Meursault to more visibly mourn his mother and perform normal tasks, such as seeing the body. However, Meursault is not mournful and views the funeral as a break from work, and his actions puzzle the caretaker, but Meursault sees no reason to cry or see the body.

• “That evening Marie came by to see me and asked if I wanted to marry her. I said it didn’t make any difference to me and that we could if she wanted to. Then she wanted to know if I loved her. I answered the same way I had last time, that it didn’t mean anything but that I probably didn’t love her. ‘So why marry me, then?’ she said. I explained to her that it didn’t really matter and that if she wanted to, we could get married” (41). 

• The answer that is expected from Meursault is that he wants to marry her and that he loves her because they are in a relationship. However, he avoids emotions, especially strong ones, such as love, so he does not actually care whether or not they get married, which is not typical for most people, who, at the very least, want to be in a romantic relationship with another person. 

• “Then he told me that as a matter of fact he wanted to ask my advice about the whole business, because I was a man, I knew about things, and then we’d be pals. I didn’t say anything, and he asked me again if I wanted to be pals. I said it was fine with me: he seemed pleased. He got out the blood sausage, fried it up, and set out glasses, plates, knives, and forks, and two bottles of wine” (29).

• Raymond attempts to form a connection with Meursault and ask him for advice about a relationship he is in, but Meursault does not really care about Raymond or his issues. The reason Meursault is even with Raymond is because Raymond offered him food and wine, which is Meursault’s main concern. 

• “He said that he had peered into it [Meursault’s soul] and that he had found nothing, gentlemen of the jury. He said the truth was that I didn’t have a soul and that nothing human, not one of the moral principles that govern men’s hearts, was within my reach. […] He went so far as to hope that human justice would mete out punishment unflinchingly. But he wasn’t afraid to say it: my callousness inspired in him a horror nearly greater than that which he felt at the crime of parricide. And also according to him, a man who is morally guilty of killing his mother severs himself from society in the same way as the man who raises a murderous hand against the father who begat him” (101-102). 

• The prosecutor makes the assumption that Meursault is evil and inhumane not only because he killed a man, but also because Meursault did not cry at his mother’s funeral, which is a completely unrelated incident. The prosecutor draws the conclusion that Meursault is emotionless, which he is, and that this therefore makes Meursault a monster, which is debatable. Because Meursault did not cry at his mother’s funeral, which is the normal response, he is condemned as a cold-blooded killer. 

• “He was expressing his certainty that my appeal would be granted, but I was carrying the burden of a sin from which I had to free myself. According to him, human justice was nothing and divine justice was everything. I pointed out that it was the former that had condemned me. His response was that I didn’t know what a sin was. All they had told me was that I was guilty. I was guilty, I was paying for it, and nothing more could be asked of me” (118). 

• The priest is confused by Meursault’s unwillingness to accept religion before his death, but Meursault does not believe in God because God is not a tangible force, and Meursault refuses the embrace anything that does not apply to his physical needs.