An Horation Ode

            In a typical sense, a reader of poetry will only come to truly appreciate a poem, once he or she has managed by some degree, to obtain a sense of conquest over the disorder, meaningless, and enigma which characterises most forms of poetry. However it is quite often the case that the reader is unable to fully explore and comprehend a poem , while at times even unaware that it has anything more to offer than what is literally written on the page - an oversight that quite commonly can be attributed to having a limited understanding to the context of the poem. For the purposes of this assignment, the term "context" not only refers to the specific historical period, but also to the cultural, political, literary and artistic contexts by which poetry is written.
             Throughout the course of this essay I will focus specifically on three poems; "An Horatian Ode" by Andrew Marvell, "The Rose" by William Carlos Williams and The "Botticellian Trees", written again by William Carlos Williams. I have deliberately selected these poems on the basis that they each afford the reader with a greater sense of appreciation for the poem as a result of being aware of their individual and differing forms of contexts.
             To begin, I will first look at Andrew Marvell's politically and historically shrewd poem, "An Horatian Ode upon Cromwell's return from Ireland". The poem, as the title would suggest, is an alleged tribute, honouring and welcoming Oliver Cromwell home from his conquest of Ireland. In addition to praising and acknowledging Cromwell as a good leader, Marvell injects a somewhat subtle use of ambiguity and irony, which deliberately interweave in order to delineate his subjection of Ireland during the 1650's. Upon a preliminary reading of the poem, that is to say, a reading whereby a critical deconstruction is not established, one could perhaps be forgiven for the assumption that the poem has little additional subtexts or meaning other than to literally pay respect to Cromwell.