Question

How do Marlowe and Raleigh use similar repeated words and phrases to develop different meanings in their poems?

Option 1: Both Marlowe and Raleigh use repetition to emphasize the fleeting nature of life, but Marlowe leans toward a pessimistic view, while Raleigh's repetition conveys a sense of bold exploration and ambition.
Option 2: Marlowe and Raleigh employ repetition to highlight the passage of time, with Marlowe evoking a sense of melancholy and Raleigh using it to evoke a sense of adventure and daring.
Option 3: Similar repetition in the poems of Marlowe and Raleigh underscores the transience of life, but Marlowe's repetition is laden with despair, whereas Raleigh's repetition conveys a spirit of exploration and courage.
Option 4: Both Marlowe and Raleigh use repetition to emphasize the ephemerality of life, but Marlowe's repetition conveys a sense of resignation, while Raleigh's repetition suggests a spirit of exploration and valor.

Answer 1

Christopher Marlowe and Sir Walter Raleigh employ repetition in their poetry to emphasize life's ephemerality, but Marlowe conveys a tone of melancholy or despair, while Raleigh communicates a spirit of exploration and courage.

Step-by-step explanation:

Comparing and contrasting the use of repetition in the works of Marlowe and Raleigh helps to uncover different thematic explorations within the elegiac convention they both employ. Christopher Marlowe and Sir Walter Raleigh are both known for utilizing repetition in their poems to emphasize concepts within their works, yet they develop distinctly different meanings. Marlowe's use of repetition often carries a tone of melancholy or despair, underscoring the ephemerality of life and the inevitability of death, which may lead to a pessimistic viewpoint. In contrast, Raleigh's repetition is infused with a sense of bold exploration and courage, suggesting that though life is transient, it is also ripe with adventurous potential and the boldness of human spirit.

For instance, if Marlowe's repetitions fixate on the unattainable or the loss inherent in time's passage, Raleigh's might celebrate the valiant attempts at seizing the day, despite knowing that every moment is fleeting. These variations in the use of repetition reflect not only the poets' individual attitudes toward life and death but also add layers of complexity to the elegies, making them personal reflections of each poet's world view.