American Literature

Literature has been known to contain hidden profound messages, meanings and symbolisms that are actually significant or reflective to society. Such symbolisms are the archetypes which frequently occur in the myths of people widely separated from time and place while having a common meaning which tend to elicit comparable psychological responses and to serve similar cultural functions (Guerin et al., 2005, p. 184). In short, archetypes are important because they serve to mirror the collective psyche of a society which is also the same collective psyche of another society or culture. Thus, archetypes are not mere symbolisms that serve to characterize protagonists or antagonists and or not mere descriptions of settings of a literary work but they actually embody something that other cultures are known to possess or portray.
   
An example would be the archetypal atmosphere of romance which is prevalent in the F. Scott Fitzgeralds In This Side of Paradise. The novel focuses on the various love-like relationships that the delusional protagonist experiences through his young adolescent life until the time that he can be regarded as a man of the world. The theme of romance occurs throughout the novel and true enough, the novel concentrates on the world of love according to Amory Blaine. Romance embodies many other notions like irrationality, illogicalness and even being too overly emotional and cruel. This is perhaps why romance or love has always been associated and represented with the color of red, a color which is perceived in archetypal imagery means blood, sacrifice, violent passion and disorder (Guerin et al., 2005, p.185).  Thus, Amory Blaines great passion and the sudden upturning of his life because of the relationship he wanted to build with the women he met (but never got to starting about it) were all caused by romanceand the interpretation and meaning of the archetypal imagery of the theme of romance proves this.

Modernist poetry opens up a whole new world of experiencing poetry in terms of structure, tone and meaning. William Carlos Williams This is Just to Say and Theodore Roethkes My Papas Waltz are no exceptions to this rule. Both poems describe different situations, but both address an offense and ones experience surrounding an offense.  This is Just to Say depicts the offense of stealing plums. My Papas Waltz, depending on the interpretation of the poem, depicts the offense of accidental hurting of a child to full-blown child abuse, depending on interpretation.   In terms of societys beliefs on offenses- the offenses described in each poem are far conflicting, and the poems treat them very differently.  Though the formal offense in Roethkes poem My Papas Waltz is greater, the offense of stealing plums in This is Just to Say is treated as far more serious and impacting.
   
Roethkes poem My Papas Waltz includes an offense that at best is an accidental bruise, and at worst, a cruel, drunken beating.   Based on the perspective of the poem-told from the viewpoint of a son- it is handled in a tone of forgiveness and love.  The poems theme is a way to find insight into the treatment of the offense.  Thematically, My Papas Waltz talks about the bittersweet relationship between a father and son, and the changes between the romanticism and trauma of a father-son relationship. This is proven through lines like line four in the poem, but I held on like deathsuch waltzing was not easy (Roethke).  The experience of family is told through the extended metaphor of the waltz, a dance that shows an interdependent relationship. 

The child in the poem will always love his father, no matter how terrible he is or how much he drinks. The whiskey on your breathCould make a small boy dizzyBut I hung on like deathSuch waltzing was not easy (Roethke).  The boy knows his father is drinking and this can possibly lead to violent behavior.  Still, the son tries hard to stay close to his father in the name of his love for his family.  Though the reality of this is haunting and makes the poem particularly sad to read, it shows that the fathers offense of hurting his child is forgiven by the child himself.  Dealing with the offense in such a way lessens the offenses impact and makes it less serious than it should be.  The last line shows a dramatic visual of this then waltzed me off to bedStill clinging to your shirt.  At the end, the son is still clinging to his father- the man that hurts him- out of love. The son in the poem forgives the father out of love, so the offense of physical harm is present, but weakened by the bond of a son for his father.

A less serious offense in the cannon of human offense is the stealing of plums in William Carlos Williams poem, This is Just To Say. Still, it is treated far more coldly and seriously than My Papas Waltz. The voice in the poem wants the reader to forgive him for eating something that the reader- or whomever the poem is addressed to- presumably saved for themselves. The protagonists think that the plums owner was probably saving them for breakfast.  Some scholars liken this honest plum stealing to a kind of rape, a rape that the narrator is not sorry for but relishes in.  This is shown at the end of the poem, it reads forgive methey were deliciousso sweet and so cold (Williams).  The protagonist asks for forgiveness from the owner of the plums, but this forgiveness is empty.  If it were a sincere display of forgiveness, the poem would end with an apology, and not one more dig in about the plums being delicious, their attractive qualities appealing to the reader on a sensory level.  

This is just to Say is written in a style that adds to the seriousness of the offense.  The poem is brief- rich in economic word choices- and in this there is a sense of tension.  The words that go unsaid are present in the poem or can be imagined by the reader. Because the words are so sparse and create tension and richness, the tone of the poem is that of seriousness, mystery and weight.  The tone of the poem, unlike Roethkes nostalgic and love-filled poem My Papas Waltz, is cold and filled with tension.  This contributes to the weight and offense of the poem. This gives the treatment of the plum stealing more weight, making it more serious and unforgivable.

Both Theodore Roethke and William Carlos Williams are modernist poets who expertly write poetry that is rich in meaning, emotion, perspective and storytelling. Though the poems This is Just to Say and My Papas Waltz are very different, they both describe offenses.  The offense in My Papas Waltz is hurting a child, but it is treated with a viewpoint of love and nostalgia.  The offense seems less serious in This is Just to Say but it treated with an unapologetic tone and tense language that makes it a far more serious offense. In Roethkes poem My Papas Waltz the offense is treated with love and nostalgia

The manner in which John Smith described the increasingly important land now a formal part of the United States, in A Description of New England, intended to entice further settlement and it also reflected his genuine amazement and vision for the future.  The strength of these descriptions is grounded most fundamentally in Smiths ability to weave together his descriptions of separate places and things in such a way as to predict or to envision the rise of a great colony or nation in the future.  To this end, for example, he describes such diverse things as crops, sources of water, locations for harbors, the weather, wildlife, farming, forests, trading possibilities, the nature of the individual in such a rugged environment, the values both politically and spiritually to guide these types of daring individuals, social classes, and the larger relation to Great Britain and the threats posed by other European nations and the indigenous population.  These varied descriptions, read discretely and without a larger context, might leave the reader rather perplexed as if a travel account had been prepared and published. 

A closer consider of the text, however, clearly demonstrates that Smith was constructing through his travels and descriptions that rise of an extremely formidable part of the British Empire.  More specifically, though he could not have known its precise nature at the time of his writing, Smith was effectively outlining and foreshadowing the reasons why and how America would evolve and the source of its commercial wealth and its own unique form of social and political development. 

He was giving birth to what today is often referred to as the American Dream, the deep-seated belief that individualism and hard work guided by a certain moral framework will aid individuals in conquering all obstacles and achieving success, and it is fair to characterize Smith as the father of the American Dream in many respects.  In order to support this characterization of Smith, this paper will present his descriptions and analyses of the ruggedly valuable natural environment and the type of individual needed to conquer and thrive in such a challenging environment.
From an analytical perspective, if Smiths writing is to be connected to a larger purpose, then it is necessary to understand how he described the new land in need of taming and conquering. 

He described, to be sure, a land that was both deadly and filled with riches both easily accessible and some that were hidden.  The most striking features of his descriptions pertained to the spacious nature of the land and its physical and geographical variety.  His descriptions read very much like a map, describing land that is fertile for growing crops and areas on the coast for fishing or points for international trade, and reading these descriptions creates an infectious enthusiasm for the prospects of these new lands.  More specifically, virtually every type of vocation and means of subsistence is available and the natural resources make these vocations and means of subsistence easily attainable if individuals are willing to work hard and take advantage of the opportunities.  Before arriving inland, for example, Smith seems almost in awe as he describes the structure and the length of the coasts.  He notes, for instance, that the Bay is full of great Ilandswhich diuides it into many faire and excellent good harbours (pdf, p. 42).

These coasts provide fish for food and trade they provide excellent geography for harbors, and the surrounding mountains and forests provide an overly ample amount of stone, wood, and minerals for construction and craftsmanship.  The forests are similarly well-stocked with more than enough resources to sustain future settlement and expansion.  Smith describes networks of rivers flowing from many mountains and the richness of the fertile farming lands fed and nourished by these rivers.

Farming is not the only possibility quite the contrary, for those not inclined to the farming lifestyle, Smith goes on to describe an extraordinarily diverse type of wildlife that can support the food needs of hunters and the commercial needs of traders in the form of pelts.  In sum, from a natural environment point of view, Smith has described a land which is suitable for virtually every type of vocation and in which resources and opportunities are endless for those hardy individuals daring to risk a more independent lifestyle.  It is within this context, trying to describe what type of individual is most suited to these challenges, that Smith makes some valuable comments about the political and religious benefits of settlement and expansion in this new area.

It is important to note that Smith was quite loyal to both his home country and to its governing system on the other hand, he seemed to predict that social, political, and commercial life in this new place would be more independent of authority for practical reasons associated with necessity and that individuals would be compelled to assume much more individual initiative and responsibility than might have been the case had they remained living in England.   In this respect, relying on many analogies, Smith is careful to state that My purpose is not to perfwade children from their parents (pdf, p. 58). 

He therefore states his allegiance to Britain while simultaneously outlining the benefits to potential settlers.  First, he engages in an extensive discussion to the effect that individuals of all social classes will be able to prosper in ways that might not be possible in England.  The rich and the powerful can extend their trading empires while the lower classes can build new lives and perhaps improve their standard of living and offer better prospects for their own children.  Smith is thus characterizing a new type of social equality as a major benefit and advantage this advantage, to be sure, is one of the fundamental pillars of the American Dream.  Equality of opportunity, the idea that everyone will be provided an equal opportunity to prosper, is perhaps the most important tenet of the American Dream.  Second, there would exist less oversight, more independence, and individuals would be encouraged rather than discouraged from taking risks.  The natural environment was rough, conquering it demanded hardy rather than timid settlers, and this would confer a greater degree of self-determination than was allowed in England or Europe at the time.  Finally, Smith explicitly linked the notion of individual liberty with commercial profit and prosperity. (pdf, pp. 60-61) 

He felt that liberty was an intangible benefit that would be mutually beneficial to both England and the local settlers.  He has therefore outlined the origins of the modern American Dream by presenting equality of opportunity for all social classes, a tolerance and encouragement of risk-taking and new ways of doing things, and an emphasis on the causative relationships between liberty, economic prosperity, and individual success and happiness.

In conclusion, a careful reading of Smiths work supports an interpretation to the effect that he had unintentionally created the framework for the American Dream.  In order to conquer the rugged environment with so many riches a new type of philosophical mindset need to be instilled in individuals.   This mindset is akin to what is known as the American work ethic and it functioned to mold and to create new types of individuals who did not conform to British expectations and demand for very long. 

The greatness of a writer lies to a great extent in his image making capability and the creativity of a writer is exposed in the metaphors he coins. Here, Ernest Hemingway, in his short story The End of Something, shows great originality through a number of similes and metaphors. Contributing greatly to the significance of his imagery he achieves a new meaning and richness. Hemingway has wonderfully blended the form and idea of the anecdote through his skilful handling of the imagery.

In this short story, if we analyze the firs term, we perceive that the author narrates about a place, Hortons Bay, which was a lumbering town. Once it was a very busy and populous place where was a sawmill where logs were cut with the saws to make lumber. But suddenly the mill collapses because the supply of logs was not abundant and one day The lumber schooners came into the bay and were loaded with the cut of the mill that stood stacked in the yard. The heaps of timber were taken away. The detachable machinery was taken out along with the two large saws and all those things were carried away which made the mill a mill and Hortons Bay a town.

This story tells us about a deserted place and two people, Nick and Marjorie who are the major characters. After a long period of ten years while Nick and Marjorie came to fish by the side of the beach, they saw the deserted place where once the mill was there and for which the town was full of people. Similarly, the relation between Nick and Marjorie comes to an end. Marjorie is one kind of character who loves nick, loves to fish with Nick. Once they came to fish by the sea beach. Suddenly Nick says that the fish are not going to be caught. Here the author wants to reveal the present situation of Nicks mentality and uses fish as metaphor. Here as Nicks speech- But they wont strike. This speech proves that Nick loses his affection to Marjorie.

Mutability is the main theme of this short story. Hemingway, in this short story, by the passage of time, attempts to divulge the theme of changeability in nature and in human mind or relation and also tries to reveal the similarities between nature and human life. As we see The broken mill represents Nick and Marjories broken relationship. The town, Horton Bay, was indeed a busy and crowded place and famous for its lumbering works. But now the town is isolated and lost its previous phase. Similarly, Nick lost his interest to Marjorie.

After ten years while Nick and Marjorie rowed along the sea beach they saw the mill, which was ruined, but still contains the sign that once there was the mill. They were setting night lines to fish with trailing bait. Marjorie wants to attract Nicks concentration saying, Theres our old ruin. Nick rows and looks at the white stone in the green trees. Suddenly Marjorie asks Nick that can he bear the moment in his mind when the mill was subsided. Nick says he can barely remember the period immediately. Again Marjorie says the ruined mill seems more like a castle. But Nick keeps himself wordless. Nick keeps rowing and gets them quite distant from the sight of the mill. Because Marjorie feels curiosity in ruined mill but Nick doesnt. Marjorie always likes a beautiful night when Nick stays beside her. But Nick is quite unconcerned to Marjorie. He relation between Nick and Marjorie gets into an end like the mill was broken and the town turned into a deserted place.

The first part of this short story of Hemingway thus embodies the accurate and shrewd observations of an author regarding man and life. Terse, compact and packed with thought, informed by a sharp and keen intellect, the style as well as the matter appeals to a wide range of readers. Full of practical wisdom and keen insight into human nature and life in general, the first part of this short story does indeed. From the above analysis, the story reveals that in the very beginning the process of the broken mill has described through vivid imagery. We are amazed to note how skillfully the author has used similes and metaphors to give the story a coherent meaning.      

Literature has always been part of human life and culture. It exists to inform or entertain people, to satirize or argue social issues, to emphasize or to deconstruct certain themes we encounter in our lives. Generally, a literary piece can be classified according to its function and this function has a lot to do with the authors motive in writing a literary material. In Washington Irvings (2009) The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow, it is very clear that above anything, the authors motive is to provide a social criticism of the American society during his time. Specifically, he uses exaggeration of the storys elements, especially of the setting and characterization, and intolerance of peoples behavior, beliefs, and values.

By judging its setting and characterization, it is no doubt that The Legend of the Sleppy Hollow is a gothic story (Elite Skills Classics 2009). Harris (2008) explains that gothic stories usually use an atmosphere of mystery and suspense, supernatural and inexplicable visions and events, and high, even overwrought emotion among others.In the legend, there is an atmosphere of mystery and suspense especially when Ichabod encounters the headless goblin. Mainly, the goblin, which appeared as a horseman of large dimensions, and mounted on a black horse of powerful frame makes the story gothic. Likewise, his chase of Ichabod results in a high, even overwrought emotion, thus making readers feel tension as they continue reading. On the one hand, these elements strongly suggest the gothic elements of the story, but on the other, Irvings use of exaggeration makes the story more disturbing.

Irvings description of the events and characters makes it look exaggerated. He uses exaggerated adjectives and modifiers to elaborate characteristics, behavior, motif, and actions. This strategy stirs up imagination, and allows the reader to be absorbed in reading. For example, in describing the goblin, he first reveals that the goblin is of large dimensions. (Irving 39) Note that Irving uses this phrase instead of saying that the goblin is huge. Also, he uses the term, dimensions instead of size, making the goblin seem like an unknown figure of different shapes. Irving shows fondness of double adjectives to describe things. For example, There was something in the moody and dogged silence of this pertinacious companion that was mysterious and appalling. (Irving 40) Note the use of moody and dogged then of mysterious and appalling. When the party at the Van Tassels is over, Ichabod is described as heavy-hearted and crestfallen, (Irving 36) which likewise employs the use of double adjectives.

Irvings description of characters also reveals his propensity to become overly emphatic and exaggerated. Describing Katrina Van Tassel, he states,
She was a blooming lass of fresh eighteen plump as apartridge ripe and melting and rosy-cheeked as one of herfathers peaches, and universally famed, not merely for herbeauty, but her vast expectations. She was withal a little of acoquette, as might be perceived even in her dress, which was amixture of ancient and modern fashions, as most suited to set offher charms. She wore the ornaments of pure yellow goldand withal a provokingly short petticoat, to display the prettiest foot and ankle in thecountry round. (Irving 13)
These descriptions, which give the physical characteristics of the character, form a vivid illustration to the minds of the readers. Comparing Katrina to a partridge, Irving uses ripe, melting, and rosy-cheekedthree adjectives that emphasize attractiveness of the girl. Also, the description of the characters attire presents the triviality of the author, and further illustrates his exaggerated way of description.
   
These exaggerations that Irving employs make the story unbelievable. Instead of giving a realistic depiction, Irving chooses to exaggerate to suit the requirements of the folktale, which is expected to be formed out of peoples collective imagination. Unlike other literary pieces which aim to portray reality, the legend makes use of exaggerated elements that imply the authors objective to make it look fictional so as to discourage readers from believing. Such motive is evident in his ending, where he relates the story of a New York farmer who reports that Ichabod actually left to pursue a career in politics. This revelation leads the readers to a realization that after all, the tales of the sleepy hollow are not true. At the end, Irving wants his readers to denounce triviality and superstition, and embrace realism instead.
   
Aside from exaggeration, Irving also shows intolerance of trivial matters. First, he employs a fictional character named Diedrich Knickerbocker to emphasize the fallaciousness of the story. By assigning a tale collector, Irving emphasizes the fictional quality of the story. As the readers learn that a certain D.K. is the source of the story, they become open to the possibility that this collector may have altered the storys content to please his readers. Unlike a folktale told firsthand, the story seems to be one that is handed down by an unknown gossiper to a person who takes interest in it, a story collector by the name of Knickerbocker. This motif makes the story less credible, thus showing Irvings intent not to tolerate readers to believe in the legend.
   
Likewise, Irvings description of the setting implies his intolerance of triviality. Set in a Dutch community after the U. S. independence, the story relays the triviality of the Dutch who settled in America. The name of the place, Sleepy Hollow suggests the backwardness of the place, its inability to progress and embrace reforms. As the narrator recounts, despite the migration and improvement during the said time, population, manners, and customs remain fixed (Irving 2) in the Sleepy Hollow, and people are given to all kinds ofmarvelous beliefs, are subject to trances and visions, and frequently see strange sights, and hear music and voices in the air. (Irving 2) In addition, the characters submit to all kinds of tales and such is their pastime and main activity during occasions. No single character is exempted from this behavior, even the male figures Ichabod and Brom, who are often contrasted. As Daniel Hoffman notes, Ichabod and Brom present the regional clash between characters. In the story, we see the Yankee versus the Backwoodsman (86).

Nevertheless, this contrast does not affect the way the two behave in the story in regard to their belief in superstitions. The main character, Ichabod, who is a schoolteacher is fond of telling tales of magic and superstitions. Surprisingly and more ridiculously presented is the character of Brom Van Brunt, who likewise believes in such stories, and even makes up his own. Nevertheless, his attitude is quite different from the rest, because while everyone fears the headless creature, he claims to have defeated it. In addition, the old man, Balt Van Tassel, a respected landowner, is himself fond of supernatural tales too. During the party, he engages in storytelling about the unknown.  Considering these, Irving once again exaggerates in his description of the characters. As Greven (89) claims, a certain fetishization of fraternity exists here, making male characters such as Ichabod a homosocial individual. Irving actually involves all characters, implying that they share the same attitude. Assigning similarities, Irving implies his strong criticism and intolerance of the people, especially of Dutch settlers during the said time.
   
Overall, the exaggerated description of the characters, setting, and events in the story make it appear too fictional. The imaginary place, trivial characters, and their gossiping that leads them to backwardness imply the authors strong criticism of such societies that existed during his time. In particular, he sets his story in New York to effect a contrast between Sleepy Hollow and the citys reforms. Moreover, Irving shows intolerance of the peoples behavior by making Ichabod disappear. Not knowing what happens to him, the people will believe what they want to believe, thus suggesting two options, whether to dwell in the impossible or to be realistic. Furthermore, Irving does not just present sleepy societies in exaggeration. He also expresses intolerance of them. Using a dead fictional character by the name of Knickerbocker, he suggests that such tales should remain as tales. He does not make Knickerbocker a living narrator in order to emphasize that along with the tales he collected, he too is obsolete, and should just remain a memory.

The 1897 published  The Open Boat written by Stephen Crane, originated on a real incident from his true life, that was on January which is in the same year. During  his travel going to Cuba to labour as a newspaper letter-writer throughout the Cuban rebellion opposed to Spain. The Commander (Commodore), become submerged off the seaboard of Florida Crane, and the other three men were all compulsory directed their route closer to the shore in a small boat. He was grounded at the sea for almost thirty hours after his ship. On that case, one of the three men drowned while trying stressfuly to swim going to the shore. Then Crane wrote the narratine The Open Boat in the short time afterward. The story tells about the trouble and trials of four men sunken ship at the sea who should make their route going to the shore. Cranes engrossingly realistic picture of their  life-threatening unpleasant experience seize the sense of feeling and emotion of makig every effort for survival in opposition to the nature. And because of the works theoretical and analytical conjecture, this is frequently categorized as a composition of Naturalism, written side shoot of the Realist  manoeuvre. The composition, The Open Boat has demonstrated a lasting outstanding that talks to the lasting experience of  distressing a near call woth the demise (Crane, 1900).

Everyone would expect that the narrative should be a heart-pounding escapade tale not basing on the adrenaline rush of trouble than ont the systematical and theoretical investigation if mans connection to the nature that totally swamp him. This feeling of totally taking up in the strive against the nature is depicted but the well known line of the story (first line actually) None of them knew the color of the sky. (Cranes 1st line) Fascinatingly, nonetheless, it  does not construct Cranes narration realistic, it in fact creates a type of  clear-sightedness, an bright and intense nightmare condition, in which look like horsesscrambling over walls of water, carpets on a line in a gale, and white flames, to allude only some of the dozen metaphors used (Crane, 1900). The cosy but comfortable of these picture does not make the Cranes causing to be the experience any less heartfelt., they just simply call observation to the inability of trivial and bare words to communicate and transmit it. Additional to brilliant and creative language, Crane make use of  carefully-chosen narratives and tale to make the circumstances seem uncomfortable. The  expance to which the four men are balanced on the edge of their lives and death is with illustrations by the seagull that the ground that disembark on the ship captains head, as Cranes stated The captain naturally wished to knock it away with the end of the heavy painter .......... To have continue to exist in this condition for thirty hours looks like almost incomprehensible.

Cranes extraordinary use of  rhythm in the composition reminds one of the movement of the sea, while each and every phrase has a separate and discrete sense of falling and rising, each one is also a dissimilar length, just like the waves, several of which are enormous and rolling, while others are purely and solely small swells. Every can feel this through this lines lines The craft pranced and reared, and plunged like an animal. As each wave came, and she rose for it, she seemed like a horse making at a fence outrageously high. In his depiction, in his rhythm, Crane does not and never allows everyone to fail to remember the narratives setting, not even for a second, the enormous and distressing presence of nature,  self- possesed to dismantle the insignificance which is man, orders and draws everybodys attention and observationat all times. However, the very significant aspect of their strive lies in the venture to help others for survival.

Crane narrates the time when we were swamped by the surf and making the best of our way toward the shore. But finally the correspondent arrived at a place in the sea where travel was beset with difficulty. He did not pause swimming to inquire what manner of current had caught him, but there his progress ceased. The shore was set before him like a bit of scenery on a stage, and he looked at it and understood with his eyes each detail of it. As the cook passed, much farther to the left, the captain was calling to him. Turn over on your back, cook Turn over on your back and use the oar.  All right, sir. The cook turned on his back, and paddling with an oar, went ahead as if he were a canoe. (Crane 1900).

Tim OBrien scrutinizes the connection between the narration on the story and the experience of war. How to tell a True War Story is something like distinguishing the truth of the story from a fiction. Basically, the story comprises of a story telling by the author and putting him into one of the characters. A true war story is a clear reflection of the story to describe obscenity and immorality that provides the principle of courage. It depicts the idea that sometimes stories are even more realistic rather than what happens in the real world as you get to picture the details in the scenario. However, contradictions appear when he put his identity onto one of the characters and lays the notion that storytelling is fallacy most especially on war stories. The narrator comes out to be erratic in a sense that the most realistic part of the true war story is an intuitive response of a listener and comes into view of being typical. OBrien defends that the story is a mere fact though, however it becomes unrealistic when some parts of the story were not able to stand for the truthfulness of the scenarios. Thus, a true war story does not depict certainty and truth is extraneous.

On the other hand, the poetry of Owen resembles the literature of OBrien where in it both depict war. Wilfred Owen, being known as an educated soldier and at the same time a poet, established his name on the First World War. His style of poetry uses pararhyme or the imperfect rhyme where in the consonants in two words is similar but differs in vowels. The poem, Arms and the Boy, depicts the side of the author as being nationalistic and reflects the reality of what young people faced during that time. Violence had been prevalent and devours the innocence of the youth emotionally and physically. The author showed that the boys are too young to engage in the war and be responsible for the weapons and being armed to kill other soldiers. 

The piece of Tim OBrien relates to the poem Arms and the boy by Wilfred Owen both talks about the war. Both authors describe the violence and crime in the scenes of their stories and involve reality. However, the poetry of Owen is considered to be more realistic as it is equipped with his own experiences as a soldier.

The work of OBrien falls more on the side of a fiction and reality and thus suggests vagueness. He also writes according to his experiences but seems to be usual for the readers and appears to be common such as describing war as hell and other. Generally, OBrien and Owen are just two of the great artists who express their ideas and experiences on war through their writings. Both use their own styles of literature Owen as reflecting the reality of what violence the war brings and OBrien narrating the story and putting him as one of the characters in the story. Thus, they are similar with their subject matter and the style by narrating the story to the readers. A distinction just occurs between how OBrien uses vagueness into his literature while a pararhyme for Owen. Consequently the novel of OBrien is a different style from the poem of Owen.