Poetry Outline: "The Whipping" by Robert Hayden

Question: Does this poem express any beauty? What human truth does it seem to embody? Could you argue against the claim that "it is over now, it is over" (19)?

A) No beauty whatsoever is embodied in this poem.
1) Physically: Words give awfully negative picture, such as "crippling" (7), "strikes" and "shrilly" (9), "writhing" (14), and "sobs" (20). Also, the poem is about a young boy who is whipped until "the stick breaks in her hand" (10-11) and he is crying hysterically.
2) Otherwise: The woman in the poem is not beautiful inside or out, she is whipping a young boy with a stick as he sobs and she yells at him. She has "crippling fat" (7) and is aggressive, abusive, and violent. There is not even beauty in the woman's garden, a place where one would expect an abundance of beauty. Hayden describes the scene saying that the young boy "wildly...crashes through the elephant-ears, pleads in dusty zinnias" (5-6). Even though they are flowers they are described and made to give the mental image of a treacherous scene not a beautiful garden.
B) Human truth: Humans can change and be awful, evil creatures, even to the innocent and undeserving, sometimes they even try to justify it.
1) The old woman is whipping a boy, yelling obnoxiously loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear her point out the boy's "faults". She chases him, corners him, and beats him until the stick itself breaks. The young boy struggles to free himself from the blows, sad because he describes her face as "the face that [he] no longer knew or loved" (17-18), meaning he once cared about this woman.
2) The old woman thinks it is okay for her to do this because after the whipping, it says that she was "avenged in part for lifelong hidings she has had to bear" (23-24). Some part of this woman believes this boy is responsible for some misery she has undergone in her life.
C) The whipping and abuse of the boy is definitely not over because at the very beginning the author says, "the old woman across the way is whipping the boy again" (1-2).
1) "Again" (2) means that this has happened before and will more likely than not happen again. It sounds so nonchalant in saying the woman is doing it again, as if though this type of abuse occurs often.
2) "The face I no longer knew or loved" (17-18) implies the reason why this young boy no longer feels that he knows or loves the face of this woman is because she has done this to him so much that it ruined their relationship. This physical altercation is not a minor disciplinary action of a parental figure, this woman abuses this child often and relentlessly.

Analysis of Prospero

In act one, scene two, lines 70-200 of The Tempest, the protagonist, Prospero, makes himself out to be a victim of cruel betrayal and a loving father who is dedicated to his literature. Prospero explains to his daughter, Miranda, the reason why they live on an abandoned island is because they were forced out of Milan by Prospero's brother, Antonio. According to Prospero, Antonio viewed him as unfit to be the king because of his obsession with his books, so he banished him and Miranda from Milan. Prospero constantly stresses how cruel and deceitful his brother's actions were  to seem victimized by him in order to gain sympathy from the audience. He claims that the people of Milan loved him very much, and that he was a perfectly capable leader. Prospero seems to not want to take any blame for his banishment, not even considering the idea that perhaps what Antonio did was justified. He also repeats to Miranda that he loves her more than anything in the world, and that her smile kept him determined to survive when he would have otherwise given up. This portrays the idea that Prospero is an incredibly loving father who would do anything for his daughter. Prospero's main goal during this section of the play is to gain sympathy from the audience by making himself out to be an innocent victim of betrayal and showing that he is an adoring father.

The Tempest: A Shakespearean Comedy

As a Shakespearean comedy, The Tempest contains the theme of courtship, as well as a comic situation, comic individual, and comic solution. Courtship occurs between Alonso's son Ferdinand and Prospero's daughter Miranda. Their relationship can be considered a courtship because the attraction between the two is immediate and obvious. It is apparent that the desire between Ferdinand and Miranda is instinctive, as they waste no time making it clear they feel naturally charmed by each other. The couple also uses specific language when speaking to or about the other. For example, Ferdinand chooses to express his deep love for Miranda by complimenting her endlessly, and using hyperboles to exaggerate his feelings. In return, Miranda vows to be with and love him forever. Unfortunately, the pair is given no choice but to keep their love for each other codified because of Prospero's false disapproval of their being together. A comic situation occurs when characters' minds become fogged by spells or drugs. Prospero frequently makes use of trickery and deceit; throughout the play he places spells upon his enemies, pushing them to the brink of insanity. Some of the men get into mischief and end up drinking too much wine, which also distorts their perception of reality. All of these surreal and unclear circumstances lead to dream-like situations.

One character in the comedy that qualifies as a comic individual is Prospero, because of his obsession with his books. Second to his daughter, Prospero's books are the most important part of his entire life. His folly is spurred by his undying devotion to his literature. He also somehow manages to maintain his rationality despite all of the tragic events that befall him. Miraculously, Prospero is never pushed to the point where he becomes irrational, which enables the audience to continue to laugh at him. Although he as an individual remains rational, his actions are those of an irrational person, which is what Shakespeare perceived to be comedy. The comic solution occurs as Prospero apologizes to everyone for having deceived and tricked them. As he makes amends with the all of the characters, he relieves them of the spells he had cast on them, and clarifies all issues from the past. The play concludes when the whole group travels back to Naples where Ferdinand and Miranda are meant to finally be wed. Keeping his promise to Ariel, Prospero sets him free in return for all of his loyalty and assistance. With that, everything and everyone is restored to its proper form.