Blog 3: Tone and Symbolism

Have you thought about the importance of stories and poems of fantasy? Some people might think it is immature or that it's a simply ridiculous thing for children. However, we forget the ability of the human being to imagine and be creative through fables, stories, poems and children's literature which make us dream and create an imaginary world filled with adventure. According to Sigmund Freud, "fantasy is a phenomenon inherent to though, as a mental activity that underlies the play of children and adult art". In my research about Dorothea Barth, the author of the poem "Broken Wings", I found a curious information about her childhood. Barth was born in Amsterdam, and she moved to the United States when she was nine years old. The dictionary soon became her friend, as she sought the meaning of a new and peculiar vocabulary of a language she had never seen in her young life. For that reason, Dorothea Barth loved literature and music, so that Dorothea is currently a recognized freelance writer that combines creative writing and musical talents to create wonderful fantasy poems. I personally chose the poem about fairies because it caught my attention in a way that is written and has a moral factor. In other words, this poem says although we have bad times, there is always someone who can help you to succeed and overcome all the obstacles.

The tone of a poem reflects what the writer wants to express through his writings, and the feelings can be defined. Some possible attitudes are pessimism, optimism, earnestness, seriousness, bitterness, humorous, and joyful. An author's tone can be revealed through choice of words and details. For instance, the writer may want you to believe that the beginning of the poem is in a deep of sadness and great joy at the end like the poem "Broken Wings".

The symbolism could represent a person, place or object which has a meaning in itself but suggests other meanings as well. In the poem "Broken Wings" are some symbolism such as bluer than the bonnets, summer, sky, bluebird, and bloom.

The tone and symbolism are essential part of any poem because they contribute to a better interpretation of the poem, story, or any other type of literature. In "Broken Wings" is easy to see how it reflects the tone and symbolism with metaphors, repetitions of certain words or comparisons that help in a better understanding and to decipher what the meaning of the poem is and what the writer Dorothea Barth really wants to express through her way of writing.

Getting out of the fantasy, this poem teaches us that in spite of that sometimes we do not have the same physical abilities that others will always be a time when we need help from someone and that person could give us this help in a difficult situation without interest. The fairy was having a big trouble without one of her wings, and fortunately she was able to fly again with the support of a mortal, a regular person who did not have the power as a fairy.