In “Mont Blanc,” the speaker talks about the beauty, power and strength of Mont Blanc which enhances the human mind. The mountain is surrounded with trees, waterfalls, winds, woods, rivers and snow which influence our “wild thoughts.” It makes me think how we take nature for granted and don’t appreciated. For example, how often do we stop and contemplate the Franklin Mountains in El Paso? Not very often I would say. If we would learn to acknowledge nature, we could experience new emotions and attitudes in our lives. Nature can lead our imagination to a place that has never been before.
In “Hymn to Intellectual Beauty,” the speaker talks about the “Spirit of Beauty,” which is the human intellect. The “Spirit of Beauty” showers the human mind with harmony, and it’s also music to our hearts. But this “beauty” doesn’t stay in human minds it passes by “As summer winds that creep from flower to flower.” Instead, the world is left with “poisonous names with which-our youth is fed.” Then autumn comes along and everything is more “solemn and serene” as if the world had never experienced darkness. After reading this poem, I ask myself the following questions: What happened to the virtue of reason? Why do the media insist in doing the thinking for us, acting as if they know what’s better for us? Why do they persuade us in thinking that being a size zero is more beautiful and attractive? It could be because we let ourselves be influence by some commercial on television and in some way we support these ridiculous ideas. There’s this commercial on television (I don’t remember exactly what it says) that says they do the thinking for us, so that we don’t have to. This commercial is promoting ignorance loud and clear—don’t think—don’t use your reasoning, etc., etc. I hope that one day we’ll take full control of our lives, and as a result, develop our own ideas and creativity.
In, “Ozymandias,” the speaker talks about meeting a traveler from the past who I think is a wise man, someone who did good deeds throughout his life, “Look on my works…,” but no good deeds of his remain, they’re all gone, “Nothing besides remains.” He was a good king, “…King of Kings,” but I suspect that the speaker could be talking about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ who was betrayed by men. This makes me wonder why all the good people always end up being murdered. For example, Malcolm X advocated rights for not only the African American people, but also for the white people until he was murdered.
In, “Ode to the West Wind,” the speaker is amused by the wind and adores it. He talks about the power and the strength of the wind. The speaker goes far in calling the wind, “Wild Spirit,” and talks to it as if it were a god, “Destroyer and Preserver.” The speaker talks about how the wind lifts the leaves from the ground and takes them somewhere else, and he too wants to be lifted away from his misery, “Oh lift me as a wave, a leaf, a cloud/I fall upon the thorns of life! I bleed!” Lesson learned: There’s always hope out there whenever we feel miserable and it could be just right in front of our eyes—so close to us that we can even touch it…like the wind.
In, “Sky-Lark,” the speaker of the poem is amused by this bird and praises its songs. He can’t see the bird, but can hear its singing which delights him. The bird can’t be seen because it’s like hidden in the clouds, but the speaker can feel its presence which “showers a rain of melody.” He compares the singing bird to a poet whose hymns come out of his writing and/or thoughts. Also, the speaker wants this song bird to teach him “Such harmonious madness” and the world will listen as he is now. Lesson learned: Not only the things that we are able to see are beautiful, but also the things that are not visible to us.
