Symbolism & Repetition
Figurative Language Poems
Educational PoemsThe Lamb
Little Lamb who made thee
Dost thou know who made thee
Gave thee life & bid thee feed.
By the stream & o’er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing wooly bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice!
Little Lamb who made thee
Dost thou know who made thee
Little Lamb I’ll tell thee,
Little Lamb I’ll tell thee!
He is called by thy name,
For he calls himself a Lamb:
He is meek & he is mild,
He became a little child:
I a child & thou a lamb,
We are called by his name.
Little Lamb God bless thee.
Little Lamb God bless thee.
Plain Explanation Meaning and Main Idea
This poem presents the lamb as a gentle creature connected with innocence, childhood, and divine care. The speaker asks who made the lamb and then answers by linking the lamb to meekness, blessing, and spiritual tenderness.
Examples Figurative Language and Literary Devices
- Symbolism: The lamb symbolizes innocence, gentleness, and spiritual purity.
- Repetition: “Little Lamb” and “who made thee” give the poem a childlike, prayer-like rhythm.
- Imagery: Streams, meadows, soft wool, and a tender voice create a peaceful natural picture.
- Contrast: When read beside “The Tyger,” the lamb shows the softer side of creation.
Ozymandias
I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
Plain Explanation Meaning and Main Idea
The poem describes the ruins of a powerful king’s statue in the desert. Although Ozymandias once claimed greatness, only broken stone and empty sand remain. The poem shows that pride, power, and fame do not last forever.
Examples Figurative Language and Literary Devices
- Irony: The king’s command to “Look on my Works” is ironic because his works have disappeared.
- Symbolism: The broken statue symbolizes fallen pride and the temporary nature of power.
- Imagery: “Trunkless legs,” “shattered visage,” and “lone and level sands” create a strong visual scene.
- Alliteration: “Lone and level” reinforces the emptiness of the desert.
- Contrast: The king’s boast is contrasted with the ruined landscape.
A Dream Within a Dream
Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow—
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.
I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand—
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep—while I weep!
O God! Can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?
Plain Explanation Meaning and Main Idea
Poe’s poem reflects on how quickly life, love, and hope seem to slip away. The speaker feels unable to hold onto reality, just as sand slips through his fingers into the sea.
Examples Figurative Language and Literary Devices
- Metaphor: Life is compared to “a dream within a dream,” suggesting uncertainty and fragility.
- Symbolism: The sand represents time, memory, or things the speaker cannot keep.
- Imagery: The roaring shore and slipping sand create a dramatic physical scene.
- Repetition: The repeated final question emphasizes doubt and emotional distress.
Emotional Effect Tone and Mood
The tone is mournful and desperate. The mood is dreamlike, sad, and uncertain.
The Arrow and the Song
I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.
I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For who has sight so keen and strong,
That it can follow the flight of song?
Long, long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroke;
And the song, from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.
Plain Explanation Meaning and Main Idea
The poem suggests that words, songs, and actions may travel beyond what we can see. The speaker later discovers that the song has stayed alive in a friend’s heart, showing how human expression can leave a lasting impact.
Examples Figurative Language and Literary Devices
- Metaphor: The song becomes something that can travel and be found again.
- Symbolism: The arrow can symbolize action; the song can symbolize feeling, art, or friendship.
- Parallel structure: The arrow and song are described in similar patterns.
- Imagery: Flight, air, earth, and oak create simple but memorable pictures.
My Shadow
I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,
And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.
He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;
And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.
One morning, very early, before the sun was up,
I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;
But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head,
Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.
Plain Explanation Meaning and Main Idea
The poem imagines a child’s shadow as a playful companion. The speaker treats the shadow like another person who follows, jumps, and even sleeps late.
Examples Figurative Language and Literary Devices
- Personification: The shadow is described as if it can behave like a person.
- Simile: The shadow is “like an arrant sleepy-head,” comparing it to a lazy sleeper.
- Imagery: “Shining dew” and “buttercup” create a bright morning scene.
- Humor: The child’s complaint about the lazy shadow makes the poem playful.
Teaching Note Why This Poem Is Useful for Students
This is a strong poem for teaching personification because the shadow is ordinary, but Stevenson makes it feel like a character.
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