Hot and Cold: Heat in PoetryPoetry is one of the most mysterious inhabitants of the literary world. A poem can be anything from a three-line poem known as a haiku to a giant epic poem like "The Odyssey." They can be rhymed or not, long or short, sensible or absurd. Even the lyrics of the songs can be considered poetry, given the way they rhyme and flow so well. The parameters of a poem are broad, the requirements few; but no matter what style or author you read, from Homer to Doctor Seuss, symbolism is the driving force behind everything. Symbolism is the reason for every piece of poetry written so far, even some of Dr. Seuss's books. Countless words, thoughts and ideas are used to convey symbolism. A flower, a tree and even the color blue to name a few. But a recurring symbolic element found in the literary world is the use of temperature. The warmth of the sun or a comforting smile, the cold of the night or a dark hospital room, the use of temperature occurs in many poems and plays its role well. But the role it plays can vary from one writer to another, from one poem to another. The three main uses of temperatures however are to show the warmth of memory versus the harsh cold of reality, the warmth of comfort and how heat is used to show life and vitality while cold is used to signify harshness and cruelty. The first two poems to be discussed are “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” by William Wordsworth and “Disabled” by Wilfred Owen. These two poems are very different in subject matter, but their use of temperature in the form of memory gives them a common denominator. Both speak of the memory as a warm and comforting feeling. The opposite of memory is reality, cold, cruel and merciless. In Wordsworth's poem...... middle of paper ...... expresses his feelings and expresses himself. With Elsa having ice powers while Anna is warm and friendly, the idea works that way too. So, until the sun ceases to shine or the mere memory of the cold fades from all thought, this idea will be continually used by writers of all forms of literature. It is indeed the sign of a powerful symbol. Works Cited: Maya Angelou: World Renaissance Woman. Mayangelou.com, 2014. Web. April 18, 2014. Mays, Kelly J et al. Norton Introduction to Literature. 9th ed. WW Norton & Company, February 13, 2007. E-book. Parrott, Lauren. Life, unconquered: analysis of the poem “Disabled” by Wilfred Owen. Penn. State University, April 24, 2013. Web. April 18, 2014. Sather, Jody. Voices from the Gaps: Judith Ortiz Cofer. University of Minnesota, June 22, 2003. Web. April 18, 2014.Wilfred Owen. Poetry Foundation, 2014. Web. April 18. 2014.