Literary Devices

Caesura: a grammatical pause or break in a line of poetry (like a question mark), usually near the middle of the line. A caesura is usually dictated by sense or natural speech rhythm rather than by metrics. In poetry scansion, a caesura is usually indicated by the symbol //. 

Cacophony:harsh discordance of sound;

Allusion: a figure of speech that makes a reference to, or representation of, a place, event, literary work, myth, or work of art, either directly or by implication

Hysteria by T.S. Eliot

As she laughed I was aware of becoming involved in her
laughter and being part of it, until her teeth were
only accidental stars with a talent for squad-drill. I
was drawn in by short gasps, inhaled at each momentary
recovery, lost finally in the dark caverns of her
throat, bruised by the ripple of unseen muscles. An
elderly waiter with trembling hands was hurriedly
spreading a pink and white checked cloth over the rusty
green iron table, saying: "If the lady and gentleman
wish to take their tea in the garden, if the lady and
gentleman wish to take their tea in the garden ..." I
decided that if the shaking of her breasts could be
stopped, some of the fragments of the afternoon might
be collected, and I concentrated my attention with
careful subtlety to this end.

Morning at the Window by T.S. Eliot

 

They are rattling breakfast plates in basement kitchens,
And along the trampled edges of the street
I am aware of the damp souls of housemaids
Sprouting despondently at area gates.
The brown waves of fog toss up to me
Twisted faces from the bottom of the street,
And tear from a passer-by with muddy skirts
An aimless smile that hovers in the air
And vanishes along the level of the roofs.

 

Analysis: In general, this poem is straight forward in meaning. The poet is unhappy with cramped city life, and through the window he can view all the dis-pleasantries of the city, real or imagined. Eliot uses cacophony  to highlight the negativity of his feelings and what he is viewing from the window, such as: "rattling", "trampled", "damp", "despondently", "twisted" and "tear". This gives the poem a depressed feeling, as though life is forever dreary and holds no real meaning.

The Temple by Amy Lowell

Analyze This One

Between us leapt a gold and scarlet flame.
Into the hollow of the cupped, arched blue
Of Heaven it rose. Its flickering tongues up-drew
And vanished in the sunshine. How it came
We guessed not, nor what thing could be its name.
From each to each had sprung those sparks which flew
Together into fire. But we knew
The winds would slap and quench it in their game.
And so we graved and fashioned marble blocks
To treasure it, and placed them round about.
With pillared porticos we wreathed the whole,
And roofed it with bright bronze. Behind carved
locks
Flowered the tall and sheltered flame. Without,
The baffled winds thrust at a column's bole.

"These Fought in Any Case" by Ezra Pound

These fought in any case,
and some believing
pro domo, in any case ..... Died some, pro patria,
walked eye-deep in hell
believing in old men's lies, then unbelieving
came home, home to a lie,
home to many deceits,
home to old lies and new infamy;
usury age-old and age-thick
and liars in public places.
Daring as never before, wastage as never before.
Young blood and high blood,
fair cheeks, and fine bodies;
fortitude as never before
frankness as never before,
disillusions as never told in the old days,
hysterias, trench confessions,
laughter out of dead bellies.

Analysis:  Pound utilizes caesura to emphasis the significance of each line in the poem. Each line describes how the poet feels about the aftermath of world war one. Lines of particular importance end with "as never before", and alludes to the kind of violence and bravery that has no precedent in history.  Pound describes two things simultaneously,  the sacrifice and horror that defines the troops and the lies and violence inclined leaders who started the war. The lines dedicated to the troops consist of the experiences of those at war:"walked eye-deep in hell", "fortitude as never before" and "laughter out of dead bellies". Ezra pound also uses an allusion to reference Dulce et Decorum est by  Wilfred Owen in 1917 condemning world war one. She sites the line "Died some, pro patria", from his work.