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Splendor in the Grass is a 1961 American period drama film produced and directed by Elia Kazan, from a screenplay written by William Inge. It stars Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty (in his film debut) as two high school sweethearts, navigating feelings of sexual repression, love, and heartbreak.
With Natalie Wood, Pat Hingle, Audrey Christie, Barbara Loden. The love of high school sweethearts Deanie and Bud is weighed down by the oppressive expectations of their parents and society in smalltown Kansas in 1928, threatening the future of their relationship.
- (23K)
- Drama, Romance
- Elia Kazan
- 1961-10-20
- Summary
- Meaning
- Themes
- Structure and Form
- Literary Devices
- Detailed Analysis
- Similar Poetry
‘Splendour in the Grass’ by William Wordsworthis a short excerpt from a longer work in which Wordsworth reminds readers that there are sources of happiness in one’s old age. In the poem’s first lines, the poet begins by describing the “radiance” that he, and all human beings, lose as they age. It is a radiance that is incredibly temporary, like the...
The meaning of ‘Splendour in the Grass’ is that despite the loss of youth and beauty, there is still a great deal one can appreciate and take comfort in as one ages. The poet compares the light of youth with the flourishing of a glorious flower or the splendor of a single blade of grass. But, one can still seek to enjoy the “philosophic mind” that ...
Throughout ‘Splendour in the Grass,’William Wordsworth engages with the theme of aging. It is, by far, the most important theme of this excerpt from the longer poem ‘Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood.’ In the first lines, the speaker, who is commonly considered to be the poet himself, looks back on his life and t...
‘Splendour in the Grass’ by William Wordsworth is a fourteen-line poem that follows a rhyme scheme of AABBCCDDEEFG. There are some examples of half-rhyme within this text, for example, the “EE” rhyme which includes the words “spring” and “suffering.” Some of the many perfect rhymesin this poem include “bright” and “sight” at the ends of lines one a...
Throughout this poem, the poet makes use of several literary devices. These include but are not limited to: 1. Personification: occurs when the poet imbues a non-human feature of their text with human characteristics. For example, “Of splendour in the grass, / of glory in the flower.” 2. Irony: occurs when an outcome is different than expected. For...
Lines 1-4
In the first lines of this poem, the speaker begins by alluding to the past. He remembers how peaceful, optimistic, and beautiful the past years were. Now these years are “forever taken from my sight.” This suggests that a conscious force, perhaps time or God, took these very real experiences away from the poet. Things have changed, and “nothing can bring back the hour / Of splendour in the grass.” Readers who are familiar with William Wordsworth’s poetry will find themselves unsurprised to r...
Lines 5-8
Having asserted that human beings decline, like flowers, after a particularly radiant youth, the poet suggests that “we will grieve not.” He suggests that despite the feelings of sorrow, aging, and death of oak, it is important to “find / Strength in what remains behind.” Wordsworth knows that he, and all human beings who have experienced a beautiful youth and decline as they grew older, should not mourn that loss. They should look back on their youth with a great deal of happiness and find s...
Lines 9-12
In the ninth and tenth lines of Wordsworth’s poem, the speaker presents another way that human beings should soothe themselves as they age. One can take happiness in the “soothing thoughts that spring / Out of human suffering.” Here, in order to emphasize his point, Wordsworth rhymes the words “Spring” and “suffering.” These less than perfect rhymes also present readers with an example of juxtaposition. Spring is normally a time associated with happiness, rebirth, and beauty. But, Wordsworth...
Readers who enjoyed this poem should also consider reading some other William Wordsworth poems. For example: 1. ‘Lines Written in Early Spring’ —is a landscape poem concerned with nature that describes a man lounging underneath a tree and contemplating the changes society has undergone. 2. ‘To a Child’ — a short poem in which the poet describes the...
- Female
- October 9, 1995
- Poetry Analyst And Editor
The love of high school sweethearts Deanie and Bud is weighed down by the oppressive expectations of their parents and society in smalltown Kansas in 1928, threatening the future of their relationship. It's 1928 in oil rich southeast Kansas.
Synopsis. In a small Kansas town during the late 1920's, two high school students, Wilma Dean Loomis and Bud Stamper, fall in love. Frightened by their physical desires but unwilling to have a sexual relationship, their time together is filled with confusion and frustration.
- Elia Kazan, Don Kranze
- Natalie Wood
Splendor in the Grass (1961) BAFTA FILM AWARD® nominee. Set in the 1920s, two Midwest teenagers fall in love, are frightened by their physical desires and struggle to navigate their feelings of sexual repression. 2,072. IMDb 7.7 2 h 3 min 1961 13+. Drama • Romance • Tense • Mysterious. Rent. HD $3.99. Buy. HD $9.99. More purchase. options.
Bud (Warren Beatty) and his high school sweetheart, Deanie (Natalie Wood), are weighed down by their parents' oppressive expectations, which threaten the future of their relationship.
- (27)
- Drama