The following is a passage about a boy, Phaëthon, who is being teased by his friends. They do not believe that Apollo is Phaëtho
n’s father or that Apollo makes the sun rise and set. In order to prove Phaëthon ‘s friends wrong, Apollo hesitantly gives Phaëthon his chariot and horses. Apollo hurried to give directions. “You have never driven my chariot before. You must make the horsesstay on the path. If you are too low, you will scorch the earth.”
“I know, Father. Now watch me take off!” shouted Phaëthon.
Dawn stepped back and released her grip on the horses’ bridles. The horses pawed the ground and snorted with excitement. The sky begged for Dawn’s light, so she ran toward the horizon in her glowing gown to make the darkness fade. As Phaëthon was about to ascend, Apollo grabbed his arm and said, “Please listen to me! If you go too high, you will warm the cold depths of the heavens, and the Bear or Snake or Scorpion will come alive!”
Phaëthon just laughed. “My friends are waiting. I’ve got to go!” he shouted.
With that, the chariot was off. It was a wild ride. Hour and Day were unruly and difficult to control. Phaëthon did not have his father’s strong arms or years of experience. The horses wove from side to side and bobbed up and down through the heavens, hitting everything in their way. The sun bounced along behind the chariot like a basketball. It grazed the stars and skidded along mountaintops, leaving charred remains behind. Phaëthon’s friends ran for cover as they watched the spectacle. Just as his father had warned him, the figures in the sky began to move. Suddenly the Scorpion lunged toward him, but Phaëthon ducked out of the way in time. The Snake lashed out and bit a wheel off the chariot.
Apollo, witnessing the destruction, dashed up toward the heavens, but he was too late! The Bear had stirred from his icy hibernation and grabbed Phaëthon before his father could reach him. Apollo grabbed the reins and finally regained control of Hour and Day, but it was years before the earth’s mountaintops were white with snow again. The scorched areas became deserts where very little would grow. Phaëthon became a part of the constellations alongside the Bear, where his father could regretfully keep an eye on him.
The conflict in this story most contributes to which thematic topic?
Select one:
The main theme of the poem is the brevity of life. This theme is touched on not only talking about the worries and insecurities of the poet, but also the frank observations of the knowledge he has that life cannot last forever. The poet seems to lament the shortness of life since he entertains hopes of experiencing so many beautiful things.
Some of the evidences that support the theme of life's short duration are the statements about the ceasing to exist or not living to fully experience all the magic life has to offer. Perhaps the clearest example of the poets idea of a fleeting life is when he states fair creature of an hour. This line demonstrates the true briefness of life from the poet's perspective.
It seems that faery power in this context is unconditional love, but that it also has a magical element to it. This part could be a consequence of the poet never having fallen in love or feeling incapable of finding such a love in the short time that he has available to him. It could also be a reflection of the beauty of a love that he can only imagine because it is out of reach.
The first quatrains of the poem, while laced with melancholy, speak of what the author hopes to gain from life and the experiences that he wishes to live. Even though he is aware that he probably will not have the chance, he maintains the desire to live them. The final couplet is characterized not by the acceptance of defeat but rather of the inevitable.
The overall message that can be taken from Keat's conclusion in this poem is that worrying over love and fame accomplishes nothing. He does not conclude that all effort is useless because beauty lies in ambition and desire. His fears do not make him an island because he feels connected to the Universe if only for an instant.
When connecting 2+ ideas in 1 speech, transition words and repetition of key words is useful to bridge the two subjects (aka relate them to one another).
