In “After Psalm Eight” by Richie Hoffmann he writes of the constellations such as Perseus saying:
From the terrace, I can see the work of your fingers: the constellation Perseus, his sword, trailing the sea, fixed against the sky. The masterwork of light which lingers on the surface of the sea transfixes me. (lines 1- 6)
This poem shows that archetypes are powerful and are capable of transforming a piece of literature into a masterpiece. By simply adding one reference to the night sky the whole poem gained a new meaning. Archetypes are a very typical example of a certain person or thing. Richie Hoffman’s incorporation of the natural wonders created by God himself showed a true appreciation for the stars. In literature stars are sometimes given life like qualities in order to enhance the meaning or importance of the work. It is often said that the stars are among the most beautiful things in creation, but many miss the true beauty of the constellations up above. The reason why they are attributed as a wonderful spectacle is not only because they are aesthetically pleasing, but because of the fact that these same magnificent stars that light of the east coast’s night sky give light to the millions all across the world. Almost everyone can look up to the sky at…show more content… A generic prototype upon which others are copied and expanded. Archetypes are used all the time, but most commonly they are used in myths and storytelling across different cultures. The use of archetypes to illuminate personality and literature was advanced by Carl Jung early in the 20th century, who suggested the existence of universal contentless forms that channel experiences and emotions, resulting in recognizable and typical patterns of behavior with certain probable outcomes. Archetypes are important to both ancient mythology and modern narrative and that importance will only grow with