Analytical essay on the poem "A Winter Night" In her poem "A Winter Night", Sara Teasdale (1884-1933)

is e pressing a !ier"e !eeling o! sadness, miser#, loneliness and disappointment in addition to the pit# !or the homeless people$ In the !irst stan%a, Teasdale ill&strates the "oldness and harshness o! the 'orld o&tside her room(s 'indo' thro&gh a sad and dar) des"ription o! the night$ In the se"ond stan%a, she sho's the hopeless "onditions o! the homeless people in the streets d&ring the "old harsh night$ *inall# in the third stan%a, she "omes to sho' ho' she !eels lonel# and sadl# altho&gh her room is pea"e!&l and 'ell isolated !rom all the harshness o! the 'orld o&tside$ The title o! the poem is 'ell "hosen +# the poet as it totall# re!le"ts the ideas and tho&ghts o! hers$ ,n hearing or reading that title one "an immediatel# !eel the sorro'!&l gloom# impression o! the t'o 'ords$ The 'ord "'inter" "on-e#s a "old and depressed e!!e"t 'hile the 'ord "night" has a s"ar# e!!e"t$ Teasdale adopts a sad and depressed tone re!le"ted in 'ords li)e "!rost-+itter-"old-"r&el-'ind-s'ord-smite-pit#-homeless-"r#ing"$ The poem is di-ided into three emotionall#-"onne"ted .&atrains, 'ith Teasdale(s !ollo'ing a -er# organi%ed and "ontrolled str&"t&re$ Teasdale ta")les her ideas thro&gh a pro"ess o! "omparison and "ontrast 'ith three stages$ The !irst stage dis"&ssed in the !irst and the se"ond stan%a is a "old and sorro'!&l des"ription o! the 'orld and people o&tside the room(s 'indo'$ The last stan%a in"l&des the se"ond stage/ the pea"e!&l, 'arm, and "alm room o! the poet, and the third stage/ the sorro'!&l !eelings inside her heart$ Then she ma)es a "omparison +et'een the three stages to "on"l&de 'ith the !a"t that her inside !eelings are similar to those o! the homeless people despite the o&tside "ontrast +et'een them$ Teasdale tends to &se long lines to e press her misera+le !eelings in a stret"h o! lang&age in hope that she ma# get rid o! these !eelings and tho&ghts !or a 'hile$ 0er !eeling o! loneliness ma)es her )eep 'riting and 'riting$ 0o'e-er, this 'a# o! ta")ling the iss&e o! the poem seems -er# logi"al, the lin) here is "ompletel# emotional 'ith Teasdale "o&nting &p her ideas and tho&ghts starting 'ith least sad !eeling till the most sad one 'hi"h is s&rl# her o'n inside !eeling$ Teasdale ma)es an e tensi-e &se o! the so&nd de-i"es to "on-o# her emotions "learl#$ She &ses a .&it reg&lar rh#me$ The rh#me s"heme o! the !irst stan%a is (a+"+) 'ith the se"ond and !o&rth line rh#ming together reg&larl#$ The end rh#me in the 'ords "night-smite" implies a s"ar# and harsh !eeling$ The assonan"e +et'een "moon-"r&el" sho's the +itterness o! her !eeling and -ision o! the 'orld$ The slant rh#me in the 'ords ""old-!old" sho's the "ontrast and the "omparison +et'een the 'arm and se"&red room and the "old !eeling inside her$

Sara Teasdale s&""ess!&ll# emplo#s patterns o! imager# to +&ild &p a "ertain mode and atmosphere !or the poem$ Namel#, imager# o! the s"enes is s)ill!&ll# &tili%ed +# Teasdale to "ast &p a mo-ing pi"t&re 'ith li-ing elements to get the readers "ompletel# in-ol-ed in the 'orld o! the poem$ 1is&al images, !or instan"e, help the readers "on2&re &p the "omplete s"ene +# -is&al e!!e"ts$ ,ne e ample, "li)e a homeless "hild m# heart is "r#ing in the "old" (11,13) is a -is&al image that ma)es the readers -is&ali%e the pi"t&re o! the "r#ing +o# n&m+ing 'ith "old to imagine ho' sad she is$ Teasdale emplo#s a&ditor# images to "on-e# her !eelings thro&gh so&nd e!!e"ts s&"h as "s'ord" (4) that heightens the emotions o! !ear o! the sho")ing, s&dden, and -iolent so&nd o! sheathing the s'ord$ Another e ample, ""r#ing" (13) so&nds li)e the sorro'!&l 'eep$ "the 'orld is +itter "old" (3) is a g&stator# image "on-e#s the +itterness and the "old &npleasant !eelings o! the poet$ ,rgani" images to&"h internal sensations s&"h as "starred 'ith !rost"(1) that e presses the "old 'eather and the harsh !eelings, "t'o-edged s'ord to smite" (4) that "on-e#s inner pin and s&!!ering, and "a +it o! 4&ne"(9) sho'ing 'arm and se"&rit#$ "pa"ing to and !ro"(5) is an e pressi-e )inestheti" image ill&strating the 'andering lost mo-ement o! homeless people all thro&gh the streets$