Literary Conventions Of Inspiration In Poetry And Henley's In

Poetry is a form of literary conventions that is both fervent and alluring. Poems are paintings with words, a medium of self-expression, it is a song that rhymes and displays beauty. A necessary topic, inspiration has been represented for centuries in many ways. Inspiration is the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something. When we think about inspiration, what has inspired us humans the most have been ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Rudyard Kipling’s If, and William Ernest Henley’s Invictus both from the same era’s, explore inspiration and perseverance and how its power works in different circumstances. Both texts are highly reflective of the society and context in which they were written and various reasons people

Don’t hit back when others are blaming you for what went wrong. In the first stanza repetition is used 3 times, as seen in the following extract “If you can keep your calm when all about you…..If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you…If you can wait and not be tired by waiting…”. Repetition of the word ‘if’ not only in this stanza but the entire poem, creates suspense. This poetic device piles on the conditions whilst delaying the consequences. Lines 6 and 7 display Kipling’s taste for anaphora, the repetition of the first part of the sentence in order to achieve artistic effect. This is seen in the following extract “Or, being lied about…Or being hated...” Line 8 of the first stanza emphasises how important it is to not be seen as a know-it-all, or as a self-righteous saint. All these lines (6-8) are imperatives, however the tone in which they are said do not feel like an order or command. However, it is friendly and good natured, as a father giving his son advice. Symbolism is also used in the first stanza as seen in the following extract “If you can wait and not be tired by waiting..” Taken from line 5 of the poem, this line stresses the importance of patience. Patience is imperative if you want to become a man, and also it symbolizes the endurance and struggle of the journey. Anaphora is once again encountered in lines 9-10 “If you can dream...If you can think…” The speaker places strong emphasis on dreaming and thinking, but it is about not enslaving yourself to one’s thoughts or dreams. The next two lines “If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster. And treat those two impostors just the same:” are a classic representation of personification. Triumph and Disaster are both nouns that have been given human qualities. They aren’t impostors but both success and failure are dangerous, getting carried away by the emotions they cause is really easy. Both these lines