The Last Leaf by Oliver Wendell Holmes I saw him once before, As he passed by the door, And again

The pavement stones resound, As he totters o'er the ground With his cane. They say that in his prime, Ere the pruning-knife of Time Cut him down, Not a better man was found By the Crier on his round Through the town. But now he walks the streets, And he looks at all he meets Sad and wan, And he shakes his feeble head, That it seems as if he said, "They are gone!" The mossy marbles rest On the lips that he has prest In their bloom, And the names he loved to hear Have been carved for many a year On the tomb. My grandmamma has said-Poor old lady, she is dead Long ago-That he had a Roman nose, And his cheek was like a rose In the snow; But now his nose is thin, And it rests upon his chin Like a staff, And a crook is in his back, And a melancholy crack In his laugh. I know it is a sin For me to sit and grin At him here; But the old three-cornered hat, And the breeches, and all that, Are so queer! And if I should live to be The last leaf upon the tree In the spring, Let them smile, as I do now, At the old forsaken bough Where I cling.

ANALYSIS The poem is very easy to understand literally. It is written in plain English with not a lot of big words or phrases. Basically, the poem is talking about a very old man. He passes by the door of the narrator twice while hobbling with his cane. When he was younger it is said that he used to be the best man in town. But now he just wanders the streets alone and seems to mourn about all of the people he used to know who are gone. The people that he loved have long since been buried. The narrators grandmother, who is dead, told him that long ago the man had a Roman nose and bright red cheeks. However, now he has a thin nose and a crack in his back and his voice cracks when he laughs. And the narrator knows that it is wrong to laugh at him but he cant help himself because the way the old man dresses is so strange. The narrator ends by saying if he lives to be the last leaf upon the tree he will be fine if the youth laugh, as he is laughing now, at the silly branch that he clings to. There are a few similes used in the poem. They say that his cheek used to be like a rose in the snow, and they say that his nose now sits on his face like a staff. The only other poetic device used is likening the old man to the last leaf on a tree because he is the last one left where many used to be, and they liken his style and mannerism and the way they are thought of as weird by the youth to the way an old bough on a tree looks strange when it has only one leaf left on it. The hidden meaning is that the old man is like the last leaf hanging from the bough of a tree. All the other leaves that have fallen off already are the people that he loved who have already died and been buried. The bough is old and outdated and so to outside observers it looks strange, which means that the old man is old and outdated and those around him who see him think that his mannerisms and dress are strange, so they laugh at him. In his poem The Last Leaf Oliver Wendell Holmes describes a relic of a season that has passed. The interesting element in the poem is that the relic is a living human being who is the last survivor of the generation that bloomed at the same time that he did. Holmes describes this relic of a man using similes and metaphors.

Holmes uses similes to underscore the condition of the aged gentlemen in the poem. The description of the mans cheek in his youth being like a rose in the snow serves two purposes. Firstly, it contrasts the passion of youth, represented by the redness of his cheeks, with the sad and wan appearance the man now has. Secondly, it suggests something about the nature of youth. Like a rose in the snow, youth is bound to fade away. Holmes also describes the old mans nose as being like a staff. This comparison not only describes the old mans physical appearance, but it also connotes age and the weakness that accompanies it. Holmes also makes great use of metaphors in this poem. One of the most powerful of these metaphors is the description of time as a pruning knife. Time is described as a weapon that injures the body; however, it is not a lethal weapon that kills with a blow. It whittles away at life a little bit at a time, weakening and deforming the body as it goes. The old mans teeth are described metaphorically as mossy marbles. This metaphor serves to describe his teeth as small, rounded useless things. They were made so by the same erosive forces of time that ravaged the rest of the old mans body. The final metaphor included in the poem is the one for which the poem is named. The old man is compared to the last leaf upon the tree in the spring. He is the last leaf because he is the last surviving member a group that has fallen before him and been ground into the dirt. The other people bloomed and thrived at the same time he did, but now he is strangely out of place in the new season of spring that brings forth a new generation. Holmes admires this stubborn old leaf and hopes himself to be such a leaf in another spring yet to come. He therefore smiles at the old man despite the mans ugly and withered appearance"

Similies used ny Holmes are: A.) The man's cheek was like a "rose in the snow" this could mean threee things. 1.)Roses are red amd signify passion. This would be the passion of youth in contrast to the show. Snow being the current wan(pale)demeanor of the old man. 2.) It could represent the nature of youth. It will fade. A rose set in the snow can do nothing but wither away. 3.) OR on a different tangent, the one I lean toward, it could be a symbol of perseverance. This man shouldn't still be here, much like a rose should not sitll be thriving in the snow. B.) The man's nose is "like a staff" 1.)This is a reflection on his WHOLE self through just his nose. 2.)Staff brings to mind cane. Cane transcends to instability and weakness. In the case a the staff instability in walking, but symbolically it is just weak in a general form. Men lean on staffs to help them stand. Metaphors used: A.)Time is a prunning knife. It cuts away selectively, choosing what to shape and what not to. I preffer carving knife. Prunning is like fine tuning to yield a more prolific outcome. Carving is slowly whittling away, such is life. B.)The man is the "Last leaf in the spring".. Every one else has already past. The man is faded and weak, but still hangs on (why I like the third interpretation of the rose in snow similie the most). The old man's stubborn battle to cling to the tree is an inspiration to the speaker to cling to the tree and aspire to someday be that "last leaf in the spring".

"Oliver Wendell Holmes uses this older man as a relic of the season. He has held on to be the last of this generation that have all fallen before him, but he still holds stubbornly to life like the "last leaf" on a tree in spring time. He is out of place; a withered discolored leaf among thriving new buds.

WHAT IS A NOVEL? A novel is a fictional piece of prose usually written in a narrative style. Novels tell stories, which are typically defined as a series of events described in a sequence. The novel has been a part of human culture for over a thousand years, although its origins are somewhat debated. Regardless of how it began, the novel has risen to prominence and remained one of the most popular and treasured examples of human culture and writing. Novels are often beloved for their creation of spectacular worlds, empathetic characters, and carefully thought-out arguments. They are often seen as a boundless realm of exploration and creativity, with subgenres springing up to include nearly every type of subject that can be written about. The literary style remains cost-effective despite the range of imaginary things that can be put into novels; unlike the soaring costs of special effects and computer graphics needed to make a fantastical movie, a novel requires only imagination and talent to create massive worlds and detailed characters. FEATURES Use of symbolism: This is where the writer/artist uses a symbol to describe, represent or characterise a person, thing or place. For instance, the use of a broken egg to describe or represent a lost society e.t.c Suspense: Is another stylistic feature used which in actual sense leaves the audience who is the reader with so many questions about what happened next. For instance "....and he was no more. Irony: This one, the writer uses to contradicting explanations. For instance, the use of phrases like "sweet sorrow". Rhyming words: This are words that have the same feel maybe due to the sound of utterance or to the way they are written. For instance "The Garden of Eden" Where garden and Eden sound the same. Sarcasm: This is where the writer gives another character the words of another and makes them sound impolite to the other party. It might involve the other party saying the same words in a way that may offend the other. For example, a person dressed clumsly might be complemented for dressing well.

Satire: Is more like sarcasm however, it mostly deals with actions unlike sarcasm which deals with words. However, both are geared towards offending the other party. Other stylistic features or stylistic devices as they are called , will be discussed with time because in reality, they are so many and can consume much time to exhaust at one go.

Okay, let us take a close look at the elements of a novel.

Plot: Before you even write a book, you should have a good idea of what it is going to be about. You have everything well thought out, and you are bursting with ideas that you cant wait to put on paper. In your mind, you can visualize the events, and you very well know the way your story should flow. You want it to end in a certain way and you desire the reader to be affected in a certain manner. Yes, you have a rough idea of how the events should flow from the very beginning down to the very end. Your story will not simply be a combination of unrelated and haphazard events. Rather, these events will be arranged in a certain pattern, with discernable logical transitions between them. Indeed these events are bridged, so that your reader will journey on without encountering confusing gaps. This in essence, is what a plot is: a flow of events in a story. The plot has five parts to it, and these are:
o o o o o

exposition rising action climax falling action resolution

Let us discuss each of these in detail. 6. Exposition This is where you introduce the characters, the setting, and the conflict. This is where you set the

stage, so to speakthat proverbial stage where your characters are going to act and where all the action is going to take place. Setting The exposition is the part of the novel of least action, but that does not mean it is not important. It is in fact the most important part of your plot. This is because it is where you set the ground work; the foundation of your whole book. A poor foundation will render your whole weak useless. Is it not true that most of us put books away because the first few pages are down right boring? So pay particular attention to the exposition. 7. Rising Action Ah! This is where the novel starts getting interesting. The characters start acting. They get caught up in problems and/ or move to solve these problems. The reader is gripped by the action. The transition from exposition to rising action should happy early on so as to engage the reader and keep her reading. If this transition does not happen early enough, your reader will get bored and wont see the point of reading on. 8. Climax This is where the action reaches its peak. The conflict is highest. At this point, the reader cannot simply put the book down. Falling Action 9. After the graph of activity reaches its maximum, it rapidly starts dropping. During this period, the truth is brought out, and all the mysteries are solved. 10. Resolution The conflict is resolved, and the story comes to its end. The reader responds

with a sigh, a chuckle, a sniffle, a frownwhatever response you intended.

The setting refers to the place and time in which you set your story. Settings in novels must be realistic to life. The sounds and the sights should be those that the reader is conversant with, those in real life, those that she can easily imagine. characterization The characters in a novel are realistic and have full human attributes. They feel the sting of failure, the twinge of conscience due to wrong doing, the joy of friendship, and a vast number of human emotions. They have hopes, dreams and ambitions. The character is one of the most important of the elements of a novel, because it is through them that the author tells the story. Simply put, there is no story without the characters. Theme This is the major idea, or motif, that permeates the whole work. This motif recurs throughout from the beginning to the end. It is the writers very reason for writing. Some writers want to mock the brutish realities of life, the corrupt practices of people in power, or they simply want to bring out a certain point about life. Conflict The conflict, tension or problem is what makes the story move.Of the elements of a novel, this one is one of the most important. The characters move to solve this conflict, and their endeavours to solve these problems are what make the story worth reading. Without conflict, there is no story. Here is the blue print of a normal story:

A problem arises----character(s) move to solve problem---Problem solved. You will find this sequence in all stories. It is all about problems
WHAT IS A DRAMA? Drama is a unique tool to explore and express human feeling. Drama is an essential form of behaviour in all cultures, it is a fundamental human activity. Drama assists in the development of :

Music/Rhythm: While music is often featured in drama, in this case Aristotle was referring to the rhythm of the actors' voices as they speak. Spectacle: This refers to the visual elements of a play: sets, costumes, special effects, etc. Spectacle is everything that the audience sees as they watch the play.

In modern theater, this list has changed slightly, although you will notice that many of the elements remain the same. The list of essential elements in modern theater are:

the use of imagination powers of creative self expression decision making and problem solving skills and understanding of self and the world self confidence, asense of worth and respect and consideration for others.

Character Plot Theme Dialogue Convention Genre Audience

The SACSA Framework defines Drama as: 'the enactment of real and imagined events through role-play, play making and performances, enabling individuals and groups to explore, shape and represent ideas, feelings and their consequences in symbolic or dramatic form.' FEATURES Aristotle's Six Elements of Drama Aristotle considered these six things to be essential to good drama.

The first four, character, plot, theme and dialogue remain the same, but the following additions are now also considered essential elements of drama.

Convention: These are the techniques and methods used by the playwright and director to create the desired stylistic effect. Genre: Genre refers to the type of play. Some examples of different genres include, comedy, tragedy, mystery and historical play. Audience: This is the group of people who watch the play. Many playwrights and actors consider the audience to be the most important element of drama, as all of the effort put in to writing and producing a play is for the enjoyment of the audience.

Plot: This is what happens in the play. Plot refers to the action; the basic storyline of the play. Theme: While plot refers to the action of the play, theme refers to the meaning of the play. Theme is the main idea or lesson to be learned from the play. In some cases, the theme of a play is obvious; other times it is quite subtle. Characters: Characters are the people (sometimes animals or ideas) portrayed by the actors in the play. It is the characters who move the action, or plot, of the play forward. Dialogue: This refers to the words written by the playwright and spoken by the characters in the play. The dialogue helps move the action of the play along.