The Task

The Task
Part A
Text 1
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
-Elizabeth Barrett BrowningADDIN Mendeley Citation{8bdf65e7-eaeb-4b29-b58e-25d201927432} CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "family" : "Browning", "given" : "Elizabeth Barrett" } ], "id" : "ITEM-1", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "1860" ] ] }, "title" : "How do i love thee?", "type" : "book" }, "uris" : [ "/documents/?uuid=8bdf65e7-eaeb-4b29-b58e-25d201927432" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "(Browning, 1860)" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" } (Browning, 1860)
This poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning explores the idea of love when her words are in fact saying that love is something that cannot be really described. She is simply saying that her love is so great it cannot be measured. She loves in so many ways it cannot be counted. Her love cannot be contained by time and space. She begins by asking the question, How do I love thee? And as she tries to count the ways, the reader will immediately get the feeling that love is something that cannot be really counted. As one tries to measure the depth, breadth, height of a soul reaching so far out of sight for the ends of being then one gets the feeling that love is immeasureable. It is as if the soul wishes to embrace the entire cosmos and that is how love is. The image that one gets is that although this love is not boundless, it reaches as far as the soul can reach. The author gives the image that this is so far enough that it is farther than the eye can see. Browning presents the image that although love is not inconceivable as a concept, this love is so great it tries to surpass the boundaries of the mind by reaching out to the ends of being and ideal grace.
Browning uses the technique of contrast and contradiction in a very subtle manner. She begins by leading the reader to count the many ways of love and yet she explains that there so many ways it really cannot be counted. She is in fact saying that although love is here and now, it is also everywhere and forever. She says that love is in everyday`s need and yet it transcends the moment and reaches beyond. The ending of this poem says that love is also possible after death. Thus it has the power to go beyond the limitations of our earthly existence.
Text 2: Lyrics from the Colors of the Wind in the Movie PocahontasADDIN Mendeley Citation{6bfc6c29-35ba-4950-a2df-10e1f04e0aea} CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "family" : "Menken", "given" : "Alan" } ], "id" : "ITEM-1", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "1995" ] ] }, "title" : "Colors of the Wind", "type" : "book" }, "uris" : [ "/documents/?uuid=6bfc6c29-35ba-4950-a2df-10e1f04e0aea" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "(Menken, 1995)" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" } (Menken, 1995)
Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon
Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned?
Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain?
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?
And you'll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon
For whether we are white or copper-skinned
We need to sing with all the voices of the mountain
Need to paint with all the colors of the wind
You can own the earth and still
All you'll own is earth until
You can paint with all the colors of the wind
This song from the movie Pocahontas is simply saying that love and relationships cannot be simply measured by the five sens...