The most remarkable character of Ella Wilcoxs’ “Life is a Privilege” (Wilcox, 1919) remains the nostalgic tone of the poem, which conveys the process of life from the beginning until the time of death. It describes the spectacular and illustrious features that are provided to all mankind and views he or she is blessed with. This is emphasized by the poet in the imagery, simile and allusion employed in the poem. Everyone wishes he or she can have a easy life from the start. Everything is not what it seems. Life is not a joke and should not be taken advantage of.
There are many disadnatages people face in every day life that make living even feel worthless or not worth it. Life is very unique, and to have a healthy one is the best part. The poem shows how short life really is and how the reader should cherish every moment of it. Sooner or later, a person will run out of time and regret all of the things he or she wished to have done in the past. Many poems don’t rhyme for reasons of subject matter but to make the poem more interesting and easier to read the poet uses rhyming words.
In many cases, poets use end rhyme, which is using words that rhyme in the end of the phrase or sentence of each sentence. “Life is a Privilege” by Ella Wilcox is a great example of end rhyme used in poetry. In “Life is a Privilege”, Ella Wilcox uses several techniques and literary devices, to transmit her thought about life. This poem follows the traditional rhme scheme of an English modern sonnet, which achieves the effect of the continous passage of time. Rhyme and Rhthm are two of the main features in this poem.
Wilcox literary profession began early in her life. At the age of eight, Wilcox began composing a list of rhymes. Wilcox parents played a crucial role in her becoming a poet. The poetical gift that Wilcox processed was no doubt greatly the result of accidental access to a library full of poets. At the age of nine, Wilcox completed a novel of eleven chapters headed with original rhymes. Wilcoxs’ repetition of rhyming words close together adds unity to this poem. The poem is about what the reader should treasure in life and how thankful he or she should be.
The poem begins with describing in detail the life and the young years that God gave to everyone. Every word within the first stanza is describing a different aspect of the young years. The poet is emphasizing the importance of youthful days and how to remember them. An individual must take advantage of their youth and really expierence because youth is guaranteed. The second stanza is describing the young adult years. Each and everyone’s life path is up to them and in their hands. Every line in this stanza states the meaning of life. Everyone should see life as rare and unknown.
Everyday people learn to find themselves and where they want to be. To wonder about the meaning of life is an extremely important activity, life does have substantial meaning, and there are, in fact, a range of practical steps we can take to ensure we end up leading lives of maximal meaningfulness. The third stanza is the later adulthood. It describes the part in life that determines how an individual will live for the rest of their life that God gave them. This stanza also shows that when a person ages, their life will change as well.
Its crucial that a person acknowledges the fact that humas are mortal and life will end someday because the fleeting nature of life is precisely what pushes humans to create meanings for themselves. Finally, the poem ends with describing the last part of life or the elderly stage. Now that a person has lived a good life, it is time to prepare for the end. Although it is sad to hear about the end, the soul gets to move on to heaven and return back to God. The final stanza is trying to let the reader know that the whole point was to return back to God.
Adding to development of the theme in this poem is the element of Imagery, Tone, Simile and Allusion. Imagery intensifies the impact of the poet’s words as Wilcoxs’ shows us with her words rather than just telling us what she feels. The imagery is very evident in this poem, in every stanza there is imagery. For example, “What marvels lie in earth and air and sea” and “And shadows fall along the winding glades”. The significance of all this imagery and the effects it has is that it makes the reader see what the writer is feeling. The device of imagery is used in this poem to clearly show the progression of life for readers.
The words in this poem are very descriptive. Ella Wilcox choice of words in this poem are easily understandable and gets the point across very well. When it says each life is good or bad, original or unique that any and every life has meaning and each person gets the privilege of living it. So many great poets use simile as a means of exspressing themselves. Writers such as William Faulkner, Robert Frost and Ella Wilcox among so many others all deployed the device. The device in this poem are simile “Life is a privilege, like some rare rose”.
Allusion and poetry seem to go hand in hand with each one making the other stronger. Allusions are everywhere in poetry. Allusions in the poem “Life is a Privilege” can be shorthand for adding emotion or significance to a passage by drawing on the readers prior associations with life. An example of allusion is very evident in the last four lines of this poem. As Ella Wilcoxs’ says: Come in that reaching upward of the soul To find the welcoming presence at the goal, And in the knowledge that our feet have trod Paths that lead from and must lead back to God.
The allusion in this poem is biblical and is used to tell the purpose of the ending of life, the entering of heaven and into God’s presence. A writer will use allusions intentionally, though it is the readers’s responsibility to understand the reference. Allusions can create meaning in a work that is lost if the reader doesn’t grasp the reference. “Life is a Privilege” is a pleasant, creative and inspiring poem. It is creative because Ella Wilcox keeps the tone and mood at a minimal though it is about a serous subject.
Wilcox wants the reader to see that the last few years of life are health related. Life can be optional and not everyone expierences all of them. Ella Wilcox wrote the poem “Life is a Privilege” to explain her expirence of life in the early 1900’s. The words that Wilcox uses in her poem to describe the peoples life in the 1900’s is impressive and breathtaking. Ella Wilcox saw that it was a privilege just to be alive. Her poem reveals a good message that you shouldn’t take life for granted. This makes the reader see each stage of life as a positive and that everything is connected how.
It is important to realize that when something has happened to an individual, it is often unique and on purpose. Wilcox stresses that everyone should expierence life to the fullest. The poem gives the reader a better view on how many directions he or she can go through in life. The poem also shows how many ways the reader can take to succeed in his or her life goals. Wilcox poem is an inspiration to many people. Life is too short to be sitting around with nothing to do. Ella Wilcox purpose of this poem is to let the reader know that he or she is capable of anything.
Ella Wilcox uses a common expirence to which the reader can easily relate to. In order for an individual to lead a fulfilled and happy life, he or she needs to remain positive. This type of attitude will allow an individual to live a full and meaningful life, that is filled with joy and happiness before it is the end. Sometimes in life, an individual must make a discesion to seek a different path or move on. This poem wants the reader to open their eyes and realize that the real things in life that will make him or her happy are right in front of them.
