Question

PLEASE HELP.

jack gilbert failing and flying

What other examples of enjambment occur in the poem? How does the poet's use of this technique affect the tone of the poem? Write a brief essay in which you identify additional examples of enjambment in the poem and describe how these examples contribute to the poem's tone or mood. ​

Answer 1

Enjambment is used in the poem 'Failing and Flying' by Jack Gilbert to create a sense of momentum and fluidity, contributing to the overall tone of resilience and exploring the complexities of life and relationships.

Step-by-step explanation:

Enjambment is a technique in poetry where a sentence or phrase continues from one line to the next without a pause. In the poem 'Failing and Flying' by Jack Gilbert, there are several examples of enjambment that contribute to the tone of the poem. One example is in the first stanza: 'Everyone forgets that Icarus also flew. / It's the same when love comes to an end, / or the marriage fails and people say / they knew it was a mistake, that everybody / said it would never work. . . .'

This use of enjambment creates a sense of momentum and fluidity in the poem. It allows the ideas and emotions to flow seamlessly from one line to the next, emphasizing the interconnectedness of the speaker's experiences. This contributes to the overall tone of resilience, perseverance, and the exploration of the complexities of life and relationships.

Answer 2

Jack Gilbert's "Failing and Flying" is a poem that wrestles with the duality of human experience, where falling and rising are intertwined in a delicate dance.

Enjambment, the continuation of a sentence or phrase across line breaks, becomes a crucial tool in conveying this dynamic. It forces us to pause, to linger on certain words, and ultimately, to embrace the uncertainty that hangs between success and failure.

One striking example occurs in the opening lines: Everyone forgets that Icarus also flew.

The word "flew" hangs at the end, suspended in the air like Icarus himself. This delay emphasizes the importance of remembering, not just the tragic fall, but the exhilarating moment of flight. It sets the tone for a poem that challenges our binary thinking about failure and invites us to reconsider the beauty of the attempt, even if it ends in ashes.