Analysis of Poetry as a Source of Inspiration

Life is always unsatisfactory for people. Because life is always full of numerous challenges and difficulties. Faced with the downturn and frustration of life, people sometimes feel depressed that they need encouragement and help of others. Over centuries, poets wrote countless inspiring poems. In “Barter”, Sara Teasdale describes all the wonder and beauty in the world. Sara Teasdale is imploring people to appreciate life. Sara Teasdale gives an idea that spending time to experience the beauty of the world is more worthy than enduring all the hardships in life. In William Ernest Henley’s “Invictus”, the author wants to let the people know that no matter how hard life is, do not let difficulties crumb you and get you down. This poem illustrates that in the darkest of times, even if fate was against you, the human spirit will be strong enough to endure all the pain and struggle. In the poem “If” of Rudyard Kipling, the author states responsibilities, solution and fortitude. These traditional virtues are characteristics of a good person. The author gives a true measure of a perfect person to inspire a person to become better. “Barter”, “Invictus” and “If” these three poems are typical inspiring poems for people.

World is full of brilliant beautiful things that can inspire people to who struggle with hardships to enjoy life and treasure life. Sara Teasdale wrote “Barter” to show the beauty in life. The main ideal of this poem is that people should cherish and appreciate incredible beauty in life. “Barter” is consists of 3 stanzas, 6 lines belong to 1 stanza, which means that this poem totally are 18 lines. Every stanza follows the rhyming form ABCBDD. In “Barter” of Sara Teasdale, the tone of the poem has a beautiful, fluid feel. It is warm, gentle and soothing. The main idea of “Barter” is that happiness which plays a much significant role in life will encourage and inspire people when difficulties try to overcome you. At the first line, the author uses a metaphor that she thinks loveliness is a product which can be sell. In this poem, Sara Teasdale illustrates beautiful natural-scenery “blue waves whitened on a cliff” and “scent of pine trees in the rain”. These two sceneries just a small part of incredible natural-sceneries around us. All sceneries are wonders of the world. From the simplest pine tree to the most magnificent ocean waves, nature has created many beautiful and brilliant things. “And children’s faces looking up”, the author builds up the innocence of youth and purity. Sara Teasdale illustrates a lot of beauties of life “music like a curve of gold”, “eyes that love you, arms that hold”. These beautiful and brilliant things she said were not things one could imagine. They are smell, sight, sound, and feeling. These good things that Sara Teasdale describes in the poem are able to inspire people who in the suffering and the trough to pick up the hope of life.

“Invictus” written by William Ernest Henley is consist of 4 stanzas, that 4 lines compose 1 stanza totally 18 lines. The rhythm of this poem is ABAB. It keeps the whole structure of the poem compact and rhythmic. The tone of this poem is unyielding, fortitude feeling. When William Ernest Henry was in hospital being treated for bone tuberculosis, also known as porter's disease, he wrote this poem. The main idea of this poem is that people should be bold in facing of death and maintaining dignity for all the hardships of life. In the first stanza, William Ernest Henley mentions 'Out of the night that covers me'. Night is used as a metaphor that night is the hardship which overcomes me and crumbles me down. The night as emblematic of all the negative things in life. In the next line, 'Black as the Pit from pole to pole', it shows the painful desolation in the author’s inner. In lines 8-9 of stanza 2, Henry portrays himself as a tenacious prisoner who will not bow to his captors, even if beaten and bleeding. In the third stanza, 'looms but the Horror of the shade'(10) refers to the abyss of the unknown, which may bring more hardship to the poet. In the last two line, “I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul”, states the author’s bold and fearless statement. That is, we are the decision-makers of our life and the masters of our destiny. This spirit in the poem will inspire people when they also face hardship and difficulty.

The poem “If” written by Rudyard Kipling is structured in a way that almost every line of each stanza begins with the word “If”. The poem is written from the perspective of a father to teach his son how to be a responsible, honest and fortitude man. Every stanza follows the rhyming form AAAABCBC. The tone of this poem is inspiring. This poem consists of 4 stanzas, that 8 lines compose 1 stanza totally 32 lines. In the first stanza “If you can keep your head when all about you, are losing theirs and blaming it on you, if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, but make allowance for their doubting too”. The speaker highlighted two traits that everyone must have: self-trust and the ability to understand the blaming of others, even if it means knowing that people won't always like or agree with you. “If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, or being lied about, don’t deal in lies, or being hated, don’t give way to hating, and yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise.” The speaker told the reader to be patient. In the second stanza, “If you can dream—and not make dreams your master; if you can think—and not make thoughts your aim.” Kipling urges the reader to dream and think, but not to be troubled by dreams and thoughts.

“If you can meet with triumph and disaster

And treat those two imposters just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,”

The author tells the reader that he or she must be able to tolerate his or her words being distorted by dishonest and harmful people. And it states that if you fail, the importance of getting up and starting again. These just a few examples of suggestions of author that how to be a man. Author nearly illustrates all characteristics that a good man should bear. These give people a good idea to become better.

To inspire people, “Barter” of Sara Teasdale shows incredible beauties in the world to let the people who in the deep valley of lifetime know how world brilliant is; “Invictus” of William Ernest Henley uses a fearless statement that is “I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.” to let people to be bold; “If’ of Rudyard Kipling gives a lot of suggestion which will be a good guide for people to become better of being a man. Three of these poems can inspire people when they face hardship and make them overcome it.