Many times poets uses line breaks to help the reader better understand the poem. Most or all of these poems are written in free verse, meaning the poet has the option to place the break anywhere in the poem. The place of the break is very important and there is usually a reason to why the poet placed the break in that certain spot.

In "A Sort of a Song," Williams using the famous text "No ideas but n things" as a break in the poem. This particular line is used to so that the reader can understand the meaning of the poem. Not only does this text move away from the common rhythm of the poem, but it also presents the meaning in a different way. Williams placed this break as the second to the last line of the poem to add more meaning to the break. The poem starts by comparing language to snake. He mentions "to strike, quiet to wait,..." By saying this, he tries to explain the power of language and how useful it can be. Then he goes on and gives this break in the second paragraph, right before he mentions:
"Invent!
Saxifrage is my flower that splits
the rock."
The break tells the meaning and then Williams, commands the reader to do something about it. He says uses the language in real life and break away from the personal isolation.

The place of the break in the poem adds a special meaning and creates a different setting. Some poets uses this break in the beginning of the poem, some as the last sentence, some in the middle and others right before a command like Williams. Williams places the break in a spot in which the intro has already been given, the meaning (break), and tells the reader to act on it (since they know what it means now).

The More Things Change . . . Or Stay the Same

The late 19^th century was associated with a time that was into developing and industrializing. People started to move into cities and working in industries, rather than on farms. The traditional values of previous decades seemed to slowly disappear from the lives and the minds of the people. Along with all that, poets started to write about modern technology and sciences. The typical neo-classical poetry was considered old fashioned and possibly bogus.

Beauty seemed to be easy rather than hard, old celebrated poetry was left on shelves, and poets were able to see death from modern technology. William Butler Yeats seems to complain in his poem titled, “Adam’s Curse” that people are taking beauty for granted. "Of bankers, schoolmasters, and clergymen" seem to think that beauty can either be bought, made, or occur very easily. Yeats was influenced by the poetic tradition of the past and disapproves the modern views. In “An Irish Airman Foresees His Death,” Yeats mentions of a pilot who sees his own lonely death because of airplanes. In this he shows modern technology and the destruction it could bring. Neo-classical poets probably would have mentioned only imagining of airplanes, but Yeats actually mentions the experiences and the possibilities. Edwin Arlington Robinson also seems to disagree with the modern traditions. In “George Crabbe” he mentions how people have accepted scientific theory and thrown away poetry books into some shelf. He then goes on and mentions that poetry is a flame that would last forever, where as technology and theories are just flickers. Robinson also touches on how the modern world has forgotten there religious traditions.

“And emptiness of what our souls reveal

In books that are as altars where we kneel”

In “The darkling Thrush” Thomas Hardy writes in common meter and then puts a variation in one line. Poets in the 19^th century seemed to write more freely and about reality. Most of the poems seemed to be negative, rather than flowery and full of optimistic imaginations like in the neo-classical poems.

Poets used to write more positive poetry that were related to their fantasies and imaginations. In the early 19^th century poets started to write about the realities of the modern world, usually showing a pessimistic view. It seemed as if the poets did not like the change from traditional values to scientific theory. Poets were very influenced and attached with the poetic tradition and were not able to accept the changes that industrialization brought.

Dickinson, away from the British Romantics

British Romantics referred to poems that stay away from reality and had more to do with imagination and emotions. Emily Dickinson seemed to have broken away from such types of poetry or writings. Dickinson seems to be more interested in writing about the things that actually happen rather than the ideas or positive emotions of humans. She does not seem to mentions how life can be beautiful, the nature, or the physical passions of men/women.

In Dickinson’s “39 (49)” she mentions how she was begging to the angles and god but in the end she received nothing and ended up poor like she was before.

“Twice have I stood a beggar
Before the door of God!
….
I am poor once more!”

The poets who wrote romantics usually would have said something like the “the God finally answered” or something of that sort. Dickinson brings out the harsh reality and tells her readers that life and God are not always fair to everyone. In Dickinson’s “359 328),” she starts out by mentioning:

“A Bird, came down the walk-
…
And ate the fellow, raw,”

She describes the bird as being a killer and vicious animal that broke a worm in half, rather than a bird who is softly singing on a tree. In this sentences she tell the readers birds are not just sweet and little but are also living things that do what is best for them only. Emily Dickinson in all her (beginning) poems shows the reader the reality and how bad it can be. Then in “1263 (1129)” she advises not to mention truth in its simplest form because it can hurt others just from hearing it. Dickinson does not write romantics (optimistic view) herself, but advises her readers to stay close to it.

There is no evidence in her poems on why Dickinson goes away from the romantics, but it seems that she wants everyone to know the truth. She stays consistent in the sense that she stays away from optimistic ideas about life. The only time Dickinson comes close to romantics is when she is talks about emotions, although hers examples are usually negative. British Romantics was where one used nothing but his/her imagination, where as Dickinson uses nothing but the possible brutalities of the real world.

“Written After Swimming from Sestos to Abydos”

Many times after reading a poem the reader can identify certain things about the poet; like age, sex, sensibilities, and values. In “Written After Swimming from Sestos to Abydos” the reader can tell that the author is a man who probably believes that dying for love is asinine. He basically tells his readers that love is not some special power or motivation that will help you to defeat any obstacle that comes in your way. He tries to prove it by comparing his own experiences of crossing the river of Hellespont to the experiences of a lover named Leander. Lord Byron probably values self confidence over love. He probably feels no sympathy towards people who values love over everything. Byron specifically targets the group of people that believe one can do anything in the world for their love. He tries to tell them that, all of it is just plain asinine and will lead to their death. The source is probably not reliable, because the author himself is saying that, rather than someone else.

The diction used by the poet sounds casual, as if he is directly trying to tell his chosen audience something. The rhyming in the poem makes it sound more like a fantasy rather than reality. The reader can easily guess that the tone used in the poem by the poet is far from emotional and closer towards confidence. He wanted to prove to the world that love is not a strong enough motivation and he proves it. The language is not compressed, it can be easily understood but only if the reader already knew certain things like Leander and Hellespont.

The poem is nice but I personally have to disagree with the author’s thoughts and theme. My personal experiences tell me that there could have been many reasons to why Leander failed even with the motivation of love and why Byron succeeded with only determination. For example, Byron could have physically been stronger or a better swimmer to began with. I don’t value love in general, but I do believe that motivation such as love can do miracles for anyone.

The Natural World

The meaning of the nature or the natural world has been altered many times through out history. Romantics was a period in time when poets viewed the natural world as a symbol of childhood innocence. They believed the natural world was only seen at its best in the early stages of a human life. Many poets, including William Wordsworth and William Blake, believed the natural world was so pure that only a child could feel it rather than just seeing it. Samuel Taylor Coleridge believed that the natural world is what brings humans closer to God and that it is given to humans at birth.

Wordsworth mentions the natural world to show how a child is always ready for creativity and vivid imaginations. As the children get older, everything positive begins to fade and then they are left with nothing but just misery. For example from Wordsworth’s “Ode” he quotes about children and their perception of the natural world:

“There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream,

The earth, and every common sight,

To me did seem

Appareled in celestial light”

Then he goes on and mentions:

“But it will not be long

Ere this be thrown aside”

In the first part Wordsworth talks about how nature is so beautiful to a child, but as he/she gets older they seem to forget that beauty. Samuel Taylor Coleridge also believes that the natural world helps only a child’s imagination, but presents his “Dejection: An Ode” in a different way. He believes that nature is given at birth but as one gets older they are robbed oh such imagination:

“And happly by abstruse research to steal

From my own nature all the natural man-”

In “Frost at Midnight”, Coleridge mentions, very early in the poem, how the childhood is so peaceful like the natural world.

The natural world to these poets was a symbol of innocence, childhood, and purity given at birth by God. It represented the how a man loses his imagination as they get older and more involved with the real world. It can be assumed that poets then believed, a human looses his/her ability to feel nature and is left with just memories of a beautiful world they once had in mind.