A Hopeful Harp

While looking at Dear Harp of My Country by Thomas Moore we can see how Moore creates a strong bond between the speaker and the harp showing the importance it held not only to himself but the symbol it held to his country. Moore twice states in his work “Dear harp of my country…” allowing readers to really grasp the idea that the harp held an important significance to those in his country.

Dear Harp of my Country! in darkness I found thee...”

The first time around this phrase is used it is showing readers the beauty of the harp and its significance to those who which played it as well as heard its song. Not only that but it gives the harp the light at the end of the tunnel feeling. Moore gives the harp in this first line alone a feeling of salvation of hope.

Dear Harp of my Country! farewell to thy numbers

The second time around it feels like a final farewell, almost like an obituary towards a loved one. By creating this Moore shows the emotions and pride the harp brings to his people as well as the sadness it brings to see that the harp is not once seen as how it used to be. And being that his history is one of a musician, we can see how musicians hold certain instruments dear to their harps as they were a part of the creation of some of their pieces. And even though Moore shows and makes the harp feel like a loved one we lost he also manages to show readers how the harp was a symbol of hope to those who played and those who listened.

-Diana Moreno

2 thoughts on “A Hopeful Harp

  1. Your explanation on how Moore uses his personal emotions to better represent the importance of the harp is the an original and creative way to look at the work. It provides an alternate layer of insight into how literature of power can convey raw emotion because it is dependent on empathy to begin with. Although the explanation behind the personification of the harp is thorough and expressive, the analysis could be further improved if the claim of the harp as hopeful was better substantiated.

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  2. The main thesis deals with the similarities between the author and his harp (and more importantly his country). I like how this post has enough room to thoroughly examine the poem, taking time look at them from a critical point of view. This could be improved with one more examination of one more line.

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