Research

MA English

Semester 3

Submitted To: Sabir Hussain Shah

Submitted by: Kishwar Wahid

Roll No: 22

Mirpur University of Science and

Technology, Bhimber

Introduction
This document consists of two summaries of articles based on
metaphors. First article is written by Elisabeth G. Gitter about undermined
metaphors used in Matthew Arnold's poetry. He uses landscapes for
symbolizing human life. Second article is written by S. Ullmann about
composite metaphors in Longfellow's poetry.
Metaphors
"Metaphor

is

figure

of

verbalization

which

makes

an

implicit,

implicatively insinuated or hidden comparison between two things that

are unrelated but share some shared features. In other words, similarity of
two conflicting or different objects is made based on a single or some
shared features." Source (literarydevices.net/metaphor)

Summary: Undermined Metaphors in Arnold's Poetry

Landscapes like rivers, plains, seas and islands are important in
poetry of Matthew Arnold. More focus is often given on implication of
these images which result in complex ways in poems creating problems in
understanding because of their odd structure. To clarify the status of
nature in Arnold's poetry, it is required to look at how and why he does
this. His choice of these images is rarely inventive but his alteration of
orthodox metaphoric structure is sometimes thoughtful. For example in
"To Marguerite- Continued", he introduces a prolonged island metaphor
where he speaks as if "we" were really islands. But in fifth line suddenly he
shifts focus from first to third person. In further stanzas, he develops the
personification of islands having both physical and intellectual and
emotional characteristics. Poet transfers emotion from tenor to vehicle
which fades the difference between subject and object.
Romantic poets find meaning in landscape and their experience of
life which blurs difference between inner and outer. Spiritualization of
landscape depends upon inventive human observer. Objects lose most of
their meaning without the observer. For Arnold, human (observer) is not
much important. He looks at humans and objects alike. The view of
relationship of man and nature becomes more unambiguous in "SelfDependence".
In "To Marguerite-Continued", there is a shift from comparison to
identification. The poet wants to be as calm and vast as stars and seas:
"Calm me, ah, compose me to the end". To be like seas and stars, he
needs to act the way they act. They are not the physical counterparts of
human emotion relatively they focus on same galactic rules. Seas and
stars have mighty life because they know their place not because they are
calmer and happier than men. Universal laws of happiness are needed to
be understood under which stars and seas live and mythology of collective
spiritual and emotional characteristics of all creation is needed to be
understood.
In "Dover Beach", he uses words like "calm", "tranquil", and "sweat"
to resemble evening and the sea. Poet uses waves as metaphor and later

he rejects it. Some tides come and go which are considered misleading
while other never comes back which are called spiritual tides. For Arnold
everything is hidden and to discover one need to sink in himself. Life in
general is not understood through images and appearances, so, nature
can be taken as example only. He denies duality by undermining of
metaphor.

Summary: Composite Metaphors in Longfellow's Poetry

At the end of "first flight", Longfellow describes prayers as "purplecolored and odorous flowers" symbolizing himself. "Synesthesia" is
"production, from a sense-impression of one kind, of an associated mental
image of a sense-impression of another kin" (Shorter O.E.D). From
psychological point of view, it covers wide field of intersensorial
associations which is based on relationship between two sensations
merged. Some famous poets used different colors as sounds like "brown,
red and blue sounds" by Rimbaud.
Synesthesia symbolizes frequent type of changing meaning for
student of language. Adjectives and other words are often transferred
from one sensory province to another. "Piercing sound", "warm color",
"couleur criarde" etc are used as metaphoric expressions which give
durable changes to meaning. Synesthesia is indistinguishably mingled
with the age-old problem of the limitation and interdependence of the
several branches of art in the arena of aesthetics.
These changes had many effects on poetry. If synesthesia is
properly used it brings charm and glamour to the poetry and results in
many opportunities for poet because it provides different angles for
describing certain object. The use of aesthetics is as old as poetry itself.
This trend became an important characteristic of "decadent movement"
and spread from France to England resulting in a new type of metaphor.
His synesthetic metaphors surpass in quality rather than quantity.
Instead of their attractive beauty, they occur rarely and do not degenerate
into a fixed device. Comparison with other poets that with Longfellow's
transfers is very helpful with respect to psychological value. Overall,
transfers have a tendency to to point from the lower levels of the
sensorium (touch, heat, taste) towards the higher ones (sound, sight), and
not vice-versa. Adjectives, similes, and other adequate devices of graphic
representation are provided well for visual terminology.
Synesthesia can assist many purposes in Longfellow's poetry. It
plays insignificant part in his dramas and occasional in his narrative
poetry. Synesthesia is extremely important asset for lyrical poetry. All

these diverse uses of synesthetic images can be reduced to two patterns.

First association is between old and new sense-perception residing in
similar features. The second association is not by similarity but by
contiguity. It is evident that these involved and astonishing metaphors
heavily charged with sensitive connotations and avocatory effects. Most
graphic type of his composite metaphors is the way Longfellow describes
purely aesthetic impressions. The most notable quality of these complex
images is the natural comfort and freedom with which they come to the
poet, and through which they are understood and accepted by the reader.

Conclusion
Metaphors used in Arnold's poetry are different than those used in
Longfellow's. Matthew Arnold uses landscapes to give meaning to life like
stars and sea to describe calmness and vastness. One need to sink into
himself to discover happiness. Longfellow uses aesthetics as metaphors.
He uses synesthesia to write his poetry like he gives sound to colors.
"Brown, red and blue sounds" is an example of it. Sensorial transfers like
touch, heat and taste are used in his poetry.