Emerson as Brahma .......In his poem, Emerson assumes the persona of the creator god, Brahma.

Speaking as Brahma, he says he contains the naturethat is, the essence (Brahman)of everything in the universe. In other words, he is both shadow and sun!ight (!ine "), shame and fame (!ine #), and the doubter and the doubt (!ine $$). %oreover, he is the s!ayer (!ine $) as we!! as the s!ain (!ine &). 'hus, shadow and sun!ight are the same even though they are different, for their essences are unified in Brahma. 'he same is true of shame and fame, doubter and doubt, s!ayer and s!ain, and a!! other things in the universe. (ho or (hat Is the )ed S!ayer* .......'he first !ine of the poem refers to a red s!ayer. In the +indu socia! system, members ofthe mi!itarybe!onged to a caste known as ,shatriya. Because a person in this caste typica!!y burned with a fiery temperament that made him a formidab!e so!dier, he was associated with the co!or red. 'hus, the red s!ayer is a ,shatriya warrior.Kshatriyais derived from the Sanskrit wordkatra, meaningrule. 'heme .......'he theme of Brahma is this- +uman beings can find fu!fi!!ment and contentment on!y when they rea!i.e that they are part of a universa! entity. 'he u!timate unity if the universe is e/pressed through the second stan.a. Emerson uses such opposites such as shadow and sun!ight, good and evi!, in order to prove this phi!osophica! be!ief. In essence, Emerson states that a!! opposites are reconci!ed in the u!timate unity of the universe. 'his is proven as he states that shadow and sun!ight are the same as are shame and fame. 'hus, when it comes down to it, the universe is bui!t through harmony and not counteracting forces such as good and evi!. 0oint of 1iew .......2ssuming the ro!e of Brahma, Emersonpresentsthe first fourteen !ines of the poem in first3person point of view. In the !ast two !ines, he addresses the reader, using second3person point of view. . . Summary of the 0oem .......'he +indu god Brahma te!!s the reader that what appear to be oppositesa warrior and his enemy, remoteness and nearness, shadows and sun!ight, and shame and fameare rea!!y the same. 2nyone who does not be!ieve this truth !ives in error, for a!! these things are part of the essence of Brahmathe eterna! god who is beyond human understandingand therefore are unified in him and are the same. Even a hymn sung by a Brahmin, a +indu priest, is part of Brahma4s essence. 5ther +indu godssuch as 6ama, the !ord of death7 2gni, the god of fire7 and Indra, the warrior god and god of rain!ong to !ive in Brahma4s essence (!ine $8), as do the ho!iest +indus of the past (!ine $9). Brahma ends the poem by te!!ing the reader that if he finds his way to Brahma4s essence he wi!! have a!! that he needs for a!! eternity

:igures of Speech .......:o!!owing are e/amp!es of figures of speech in the poem. 2!!iteration If the red s!ayer think he s!ays, ; 5r if the s!ain think he is s!ain (!ines $ and &) :ar or forgot to me is near (!ine <) Shadow and sun!ight are the same (!ine ") (hen me they f!y, I am the wings (!ine $=) I am the doubter and the doubt (!ine $$) 2nd pine in vain the sacred Seven (!ine $9) %etaphor (hen me they f!y, I am the wings (!ine $=) >omparison of Brahma to abird I am the doubter and the doubt (!ine $$) >omparison of Brahma to a doubter and to doubt itse!f 2nd I the hymn the Brahmin sings (!ine $&) >omparison of Brahma to a hymn 0arado/ :ar or forgot to me is near (!ine <) Shadow and sun!ight are the same (!ine ") 2nd one to me are shame and fame (!ine #) 0arado/ used to show the unity through the counteracting forces and thsat the universe is made through harmony. 0arado/ can take the form of an o/ymoron, overstatement or understatement. 0arado/ can b!end into irony.