The Consequences of Hubris Anonymous 12th Grade

Hardy's "The Convergence of the Twain" tells of the events that lead up to the sinking of the Titanic through its collision with an iceberg, while on a deeper meaning, highlighting the tragic consequences of the hubris of mankind. Through opposition and diction, the speaker criticizes the human race for succumbing to hubris and attempting to become greater than God.

The once-magnificent Titanic is left alone and isolated on the lonely seafloor in ruins with no human life to be found, suggesting that the vanity and hubris of mankind is the cause for the Titanic's tragic end. The Titanic's being disconnected from "human vanity" (2) and the "Pride of Life that planned her" (3) at the bottom of the ocean underlines that man's hubris has consequently led to the downfall of the Titanic. The imagery of the scene is a sharp contrast to the once lively and grand Titanic. The "cold currents" (6) that have replaced the "salamandrine fires" (3) in the ship are an example of sensory language that highlight the absence of life and the warmth that accompanies it through fireplaces and lights. A series of oppositions are also introduced, emphasizing the lifelessness of the shipwreck: mirrors meant "to glass the opulent" (8) and reflect human...