Passing and Glassing - "Wisdom's looking-glass..."

• In 'Passing and Glassing', the quote "Wisdom's looking-glass; Being full of hope and fear, and still, brimful of good or ill... For there is nothing new beneath the sun", the use of Plosive Alliteration creates a forceful, almost explosive rhythm, which mirrors the immense weight that wisdom carries - The sharp b and p sounds emphasize the intensity of human experiences, whether positive or negative, that wisdom contains - The alliteration highlights that wisdom is not passive but active, full of force and impact, capable of holding the full spectrum of life’s contradictions
• In 'Passing and Glassing', the quote "Wisdom's looking-glass; Being full of hope and fear, and still, brimful of good or ill... For there is nothing new beneath the sun", the use of Plosive Alliteration reinforces the contrast between “good or ill”, using the sharpness of the b and p sounds to convey the sharpness or abruptness of life’s experiences - These opposing forces (hope and fear, good and ill) are not gentle or smooth but are often jarring, intense, and sudden, much like the explosive nature of the plosive sounds themselves - The alliteration, therefore, mirrors the disruptive and often challenging aspects of life that wisdom must contain
• In 'Passing and Glassing', the quote "Wisdom's looking-glass; Being full of hope and fear, and still, brimful of good or ill... For there is nothing new beneath the sun", the use of Plosive Alliteration builds a sense of tension and momentum in the poem - The repeated b and p sounds drive the line forward, increasing the sense of urgency and importance in the message - By linking “brimful” with the plosives, Rossetti might be suggesting that wisdom does not simply sit passively; it is filled with action, change, and the tension of opposing forces, such as hope and fear, good and ill
• In 'Passing and Glassing', the quote "Wisdom's looking-glass; Being full of hope and fear, and still, brimful of good or ill... For there is nothing new beneath the sun", the use of Plosive Alliteration emphasizes the heaviness and intensity of human experience that wisdom reflects - Words like “brimful” evoke a sense of being full, overflowing, and burdened with the weight of life’s dualities - hope and fear, good and ill - The sharp sounds mimic the sharpness and weight of these experiences, suggesting that wisdom involves an accumulation of both painful and joyful moments
• In 'Passing and Glassing', the quote "Wisdom's looking-glass; Being full of hope and fear, and still, brimful of good or ill... For there is nothing new beneath the sun", the use of Plosive Alliteration mirror the sudden, often abrupt shifts in life that wisdom must process - Just as plosives create a sudden burst of sound, life’s transitions - such as the change between hope and fear or good and ill - can be sudden and unanticipated - The alliteration emphasizes that wisdom is built through navigating these volatile shifts in life, and just as plosives have an immediate impact, wisdom is constantly impacted by life’s unpredictable cycles of fortune and misfortune
• In 'Passing and Glassing', the quote "Wisdom's looking-glass; Being full of hope and fear, and still, brimful of good or ill... For there is nothing new beneath the sun", the use of Metaphor ("Wisdom's looking-glass") represents wisdom’s role in revealing the truths of life - Just as a mirror reflects an image faithfully, wisdom offers a reflection of reality, showing life as it truly is - full of contradictions, struggles, and fleeting moments of beauty - The metaphor suggests that wisdom does not distort or obscure, but presents an honest, unflinching view of both the joys and sorrows of human existence
• In 'Passing and Glassing', the quote "Wisdom's looking-glass; Being full of hope and fear, and still, brimful of good or ill... For there is nothing new beneath the sun", the use of Metaphor ("Wisdom's looking-glass") symbolizes wisdom’s ability to bring clarity and understanding - A mirror helps to see things clearly, so wisdom, like a mirror, helps one to perceive life more clearly, understanding its complexities, patterns, and dualities - This metaphor suggests that wisdom allows individuals to make sense of their experiences, offering a deeper insight into the nature of life, its temporality, and its cyclical nature
• In 'Passing and Glassing', the quote "Wisdom's looking-glass; Being full of hope and fear, and still, brimful of good or ill... For there is nothing new beneath the sun", the use of Metaphor ("Wisdom's looking-glass") suggests that wisdom allows for self-reflection - Just as a mirror helps one to see their own image, wisdom enables a person to reflect on their inner life, choices, and actions - The poem could be suggesting that wisdom, like a looking-glass, gives one the ability to introspect and recognize the truth of one's self, guiding personal growth and understanding of one’s place in the world
• In 'Passing and Glassing', the quote "Wisdom's looking-glass; Being full of hope and fear, and still, brimful of good or ill... For there is nothing new beneath the sun", the use of Metaphor ("Wisdom's looking-glass") can also represent wisdom’s objectivity - A mirror reflects an image without bias, offering a neutral, undistorted view - In this way, wisdom is portrayed as an objective tool, providing an unclouded perspective on life - This interpretation suggests that wisdom allows people to see things for what they truly are, not influenced by personal desires or illusions, helping one to navigate the complexities of the world with a grounded and clear understanding
• In 'Passing and Glassing', the quote "Wisdom's looking-glass; Being full of hope and fear, and still, brimful of good or ill... For there is nothing new beneath the sun", the use of Metaphor ("Wisdom's looking-glass") can symbolize the fragility of wisdom itself - Glass, by nature, is delicate and easily shattered, which parallels the idea that wisdom is not absolute or invulnerable - It can be distorted or broken by external forces, such as emotional turmoil or external pressure - This suggests that wisdom, like glass, is fragile - susceptible to being clouded or even shattered by life’s difficulties or challenges - The metaphor may imply that wisdom requires care and attention to maintain, and that even the most profound insights can be undermined by vulnerability or misfortune
• In 'Passing and Glassing', the quote "Wisdom's looking-glass; Being full of hope and fear, and still, brimful of good or ill... For there is nothing new beneath the sun", the use of Allusion directly alludes to Ecclesiastes 1:9, which states: “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun” - This verse reflects the cyclical nature of existence, where all human actions, experiences, and desires are ultimately repetitive - The poem uses this allusion to suggest that despite moments of joy, fear, and hope, life remains trapped in an eternal cycle of repetition, where true novelty is elusive - Wisdom, therefore, lies in recognizing the inevitability of this repetition
• In 'Passing and Glassing', the quote "Wisdom's looking-glass; Being full of hope and fear, and still, brimful of good or ill... For there is nothing new beneath the sun", the use of Allusion and the sun’s unchanging presence throughout the day is a symbol of the eternal and unyielding passage of time - The sun, rising and setting with regularity, serves as a reminder that time moves relentlessly forward, indifferent to human concerns - The poem’s reference to the sun emphasizes how wisdom comes from accepting the constancy of time, which carries both hope and despair without pause
• In 'Passing and Glassing', the quote "Wisdom's looking-glass; Being full of hope and fear, and still, brimful of good or ill... For there is nothing new beneath the sun", the use of Allusion and the sun is also a symbol of the recurring cycles of life - birth, growth, decay, and death - Just as the sun rises, reaches its peak, and sets every day, life follows a similar repetitive pattern - This suggests that the events of human existence, filled with moments of joy and sorrow, are not unique but part of an eternal rhythm - Wisdom in this context comes from recognizing that we are part of a larger, timeless cycle that continues regardless of our personal experiences
• In 'Passing and Glassing', the quote "Wisdom's looking-glass; Being full of hope and fear, and still, brimful of good or ill... For there is nothing new beneath the sun", the use of Allusion and the sun is often seen as a source of light and clarity, illuminating the world and allowing us to see things clearly - In the poem, the sun can symbolize wisdom itself - an illuminating force that reveals the truth of life’s divine, eternal cycles - The metaphorical “looking-glass” of wisdom reflects the light of understanding, helping one to perceive the world’s patterns and find clarity in a seemingly chaotic existence
• In 'Passing and Glassing', the quote "Wisdom's looking-glass; Being full of hope and fear, and still, brimful of good or ill... For there is nothing new beneath the sun", the use of Allusion and the sun’s constant movement across the sky also symbolizes human transience - While the sun remains unchanged, human life is fleeting in comparison, as we experience life’s brief moments of joy and suffering - This allusion highlights the impermanence of human existence, emphasizing that wisdom involves accepting our own fleeting nature within the greater, unchanging flow of time