The sleep poem appreciation
Answers
Answer:
The poem To Sleep is a sonnet by William Wordsworth about his insomnia or inability to sleep for the past three days. He does not say what made him sleepless. This could even be because he does not the reason for his insomnia
Answer:
To Sleep appreciation
Explanation:
‘To Sleep’ is a poem by William Wordsworth. He is a poet with a deep love for nature. His poems always have a tone of pantheism as he considers nature to be divine. ‘To Sleep’ is an Italian sonnet which consists of two main parts viz. an octave(8 line stanza) rhyming abba abba followed by a sestet(6 line stanza) rhyming cdc dcd. The poem is actually a direct address by the poet, Wordsworth, to the sleep that very often eludes him. It appears to be coming from an insomniac who knows the true value of sleep.
The poet starts off by describing a peaceful and idyllic scene. There he is able to see a flock of sheep walking past him, the fields which have been ploughed evenly and also water turning white as froth is produced on its surface due to the great speed with which it is rushing forward. He is also able to see the immaculate sky. Then the poet says that he is hearing the low patter of rainfall, the monotonous buzzing of bees, the sounds of wind blowing slowly and also the bubbling of water as it reaches the sea. The poet then sadly says that even though he imagines these things he is not able to get sleep. The poet knows that time is moving swiftly and that soon it will be dawn. He says that he can hear the small birds’ melodies from his orchard trees and also the melancholic cry of cuckoo. Here, both the small birds and cuckoo are the clarions of the dawn. Also they have been used to create a contrast as small birds produce melodies of joy and cuckoos give out melancholic cries.
In the third stanza, the poet reveals that all the strategies for courting sleep that he has described so far were applied by him the previous night, and yet he had lain asleep. This had also been the situation faced by him for nights in a row before last night. He then characterises ‘Sleep’ to be a human figure with which he is playing a game. He says that he had been both silent and crafty, and yet he could not grasp hold of sleep. Finally, he appeals to the figure of Sleep to make sure that the present night is not wasted in the same way. The poet concludes the poem by respectfully telling Sleep that morning does not have much value if one is not able to sleep the night before. He also appeals to Sleep to come to him, for Sleep is that which separates one day from the next, the one that gives birth to new thoughts, and makes one feel healthy and fit.
The poem follows ‘abba abba cdc dcd’ rhyme scheme. It is written in simple lines with a mixed tone of melancholy and glee. In the first and second stanza the tone is predominantly serene and peaceful. In the third stanza the tone is one of desperation as the poet reveals that every night without sleep is a night wasted as far as he is concerned. Finally in the last stanza the tone is one of reverence as the poet says that sleep is most important for refreshing the human mind. A number of poetic devices are used to highlight the theme of the poem. Alliteration has been abundantly used in the poem. For eg.“Come, blessed barrier between day and day” (‘b’ sound) and “Sleepless; and soon the small birds’ melodies”(‘s’ sound). In the poem, Sleep has been greatly personified throughout. The application of human attributes for sleep can be seen in the lines “And could not win thee, Sleep! by any stealth:” and “Dear mother of fresh thoughts and joyous health!”. Onomatopoeia can be seen when the poet says that he can the bees murmuring. Consonance is applied in the line “Murmuring; the fall of rivers, winds and seas,”. The line “Dear mother of fresh thoughts and joyous health” is a perfect example of hyperbole. Moreover, an example of rhetorical question is cited in the line “Without Thee what us all the morning’s wealth?”
The poet has also made use of three different imageries viz. Visual( flock of sheep passing by, seas), Auditory(sound of rain, bees murmuring) and Kinesthetic(fall of rivers). Along with these the poet has also made use of apostrophe and transposed sentences in order to make the poem simple and elegant.