From within this poem we see the strong connections of it being about war and the effect it had to people.
From the beginning of the poem in the first stanza we see its a memory for the persona but is also a memory for the man that is telling the story. From "One bedtime, my father showed me his war medals" we see that the persona is recalling on the memory of his father telling him a story of war. We see positive imagery being used with how they state the medals to have "pretty coloured ribbons" therefore suggesting a key object that allows the persona to remember when he was younger. From the lines, "how first their invisible presence cause horses to bolt and flocks of meat-snatching birds to rise" we see that these angels caused a great amount of fear towards men. This could be representing how the enemy caused a great deal of terror towards the soldiers and the attacks that they held on each other were a great deal to make horses bolt. They are all scared and we get the impression that this may be talking about the trenches within the war. "invisible presence" can link to them being within the trenches due to how they are unaware of the men until they are close beside them and having to kill them or be killed themselves. Also with the line, "flocks of meat-snatching birds to rise" we could interpret that the more deaths they cause the more of a feast they will gain by it. Altogether this is protrayed as being very negative and is supported with the line, "circle round and around like a carousel". Due to this similie we can interpret that there was no escape and the men were trapped within war and had no choice but to attack the enemy to get out.
From the use of words "silence of gas" we can see that they were silent killers and that the men died due to gas attacks within the trenches. Some were never able to see the enemy and were killed by a gas as it suffercated them. We also see "when they sang it was shrapnel striking helmets" we get the notion of pain and suffering occuring. The word "shrapnel" is an example of some exposive they used within the war and therefore suggests that there was the worry of being bombed as well. The thought of the "striking helmets" portrays to us that it could be refering to the uniform of German soldiers in the World Wars for they had points on the top of their helmets. From this we could make the impression that they were noticable to be the enemy due to this detail and therefore would help the troops know how to attack due to the differences. We then see that the whole land is filled with pain and the belief of death due to the line "soldiers' prayers and soldiers' screams". All men are scared and therefore all are refering to God to help them escape the madness they have been placed in.
We see the use of an oxymoron with the words "stealthily visible" and therefore suggests to us that the angels could be presented all soldiers murdering each other. From the final line "(My father, invalided home, was told he knew more about angels than was healthy)" we see that he had no choice on returning home for he is no longer a healthy man. He might of been hurt within battle and therefore not able to fight anymore or it could refer to how he has unravelled the fact that the war is filled with murderers and we are turning into evil angels that will not be sent to heaven due to the murder we have done. He has become weak due to not being healthy anymore and therefore states to us that he needs to progress slowly into a human once more.
A poem by Larkin that is ideal to the theme of loss is MCMXIV due to how it represents the effect of war and how it caused people to suffer greatly. Not just the women, children and men at home, but the men fighting on the front.
Sunday 4 May 2014
An Old Commitment - Dannie Abse
From looking through the first few short stanzas we are able to see there is a sense of doubt and loss provided by Abse. Within the use of the line, "I had a cause then. Surely I have a cause?" we see that the persona is judging themselves to their past and refering back to the present. Within the past he had some importance and value within his life but now that time has refered on we see that he is not so sure that it is like that. We see he had a use in the past due to how it refers to a battle occuring by his past family generations and how they are connected to him with the use of the line, "I was for them and they were for me". They are linked together due to the past and he is no the only one that remains. We also see the theme of memory due to how he recalls the events and we see the use of a metaphor as he states, "as blank as stone". From this we could refer to the battle being pointless or it could suggest the notion of him not being able to recall fully on what had happened.
As we move on within the poem we are able to see the notion of a journey occuring and the persona providing an image of the sun setting. We see the persona takes great care when looking at the sun and we see the line "Behind it, what have I forgotten?" has some elements of loss brought into it. He is stating that this is behind him but feels like he does not wish to forget it completely. We see that he talks of how this loss follows the sun therefore it could be stating to us that the notion of death is occuring but is refered to them watching only when the sun is up.
We then see the persona has arrived at his wanted destination but has discovered that all has gone. We see that he is a great deal too late due to how even the people that work there have gone home and have left him in a "unlit dark". He is surrounded by darkness and lonliness but remains there anyway. We also get the notion of death due to how he states the people that work there have "departed" therefore refering to us that he is truly alone within this part of the world.
"I am no ghost and this place is in ruins" we see that normally within the ruins of somewhere, we wonder whether the place would be haunted with ghosts and within this line we see that Abse is refering to him being so alone that he has not been made as a ghost and therefore stands out within the darkness of the ruins.
We then see that he calls out the word "Black" which could refer to two different meanings. One could be the reference to a loved one having the last name of "Black" but could also refer to him shouting out into the darkness in hope that someone would bring light to him. We also get the line, "I call softly to one dead but beloved" and therefore see that he is in a great state of loss and lonliness. Someone that he loved truly is no longer with us and he is calling out to them and we see he cared greatly for them due to how he calls "softly".
From the final word we then see that he is becoming desperate for there is no answer to his agony and all he wants is a simple reply and we see how important this is to the persona due to how Abse places this one word answer on its own line.
The poems that could link to this would be Home Is So Sad by Larkin for we are able to make the link of loss occuring within both poems. Another that could link to the key theme of loss would be MCMXIV for it represents the effect of someone dying and how it causes people to feel.
As we move on within the poem we are able to see the notion of a journey occuring and the persona providing an image of the sun setting. We see the persona takes great care when looking at the sun and we see the line "Behind it, what have I forgotten?" has some elements of loss brought into it. He is stating that this is behind him but feels like he does not wish to forget it completely. We see that he talks of how this loss follows the sun therefore it could be stating to us that the notion of death is occuring but is refered to them watching only when the sun is up.
We then see the persona has arrived at his wanted destination but has discovered that all has gone. We see that he is a great deal too late due to how even the people that work there have gone home and have left him in a "unlit dark". He is surrounded by darkness and lonliness but remains there anyway. We also get the notion of death due to how he states the people that work there have "departed" therefore refering to us that he is truly alone within this part of the world.
"I am no ghost and this place is in ruins" we see that normally within the ruins of somewhere, we wonder whether the place would be haunted with ghosts and within this line we see that Abse is refering to him being so alone that he has not been made as a ghost and therefore stands out within the darkness of the ruins.
We then see that he calls out the word "Black" which could refer to two different meanings. One could be the reference to a loved one having the last name of "Black" but could also refer to him shouting out into the darkness in hope that someone would bring light to him. We also get the line, "I call softly to one dead but beloved" and therefore see that he is in a great state of loss and lonliness. Someone that he loved truly is no longer with us and he is calling out to them and we see he cared greatly for them due to how he calls "softly".
From the final word we then see that he is becoming desperate for there is no answer to his agony and all he wants is a simple reply and we see how important this is to the persona due to how Abse places this one word answer on its own line.
The poems that could link to this would be Home Is So Sad by Larkin for we are able to make the link of loss occuring within both poems. Another that could link to the key theme of loss would be MCMXIV for it represents the effect of someone dying and how it causes people to feel.
The Mistake - Dannie Abse
From looking within this poem we are able to see it holds some elements of humour due to a mistake a couple have made over a tree. From within the first stanza we are able to see that we have been provided with some sort of orders due to how Abse is writing. From the tree having "no identity" we are able to see that we know little about the tree and what beauty or danger it possesses to people that see it. Although we are unaware, we see that it refers to us to "Pluck a leaf. Close your eyes. Smell its acrid odour" as though nature has a hidden talent of showing us the beauty inside it. We are also able to see that Abse personifies the tree with the phrase, "Comfort the green tree" therefore stating to us that even no this tree has no identity it is still alive and aware of the nature outside portraying a positive view.
Within the second stanza we can see that they have been able to provide the tree with a name known as "Evodia danieli" and also that its true origin is within Korea. We however see a negative side towards people due to how they wish to "boast" about what they have discovered. They have become greedy with knowledge that will allow them to look better and much more sophisticated towards their friends. From this we see that people allow knowledge to raise them up in society and do not take the benefit of nature that we are surrounded in.
From looking within stanza three we learn the people portray this tree to be rare and holy due to how they encourage people to smell its leaves. From the line "Its rare as Welsh gold" we see that Abse has used a metaphor to portray to the audience how much this couple are trying to make it seem holy when really it is not. They are trying to give it a false/new identity compared to its old one to make it seem more exciting and glamourous. We also see that it compares to curing people with the line "It'll charm away your cold" and this is supported with the line in the first stanza saying, "Oriental dispensary".The word "Oriental" refers to being within the East therefore stating the true location of the tree to being within Eastern Korea and the word "dispensary" means an office filled with medications. From this we are able to see the link between the two lines to showing that this plant is able to be used to make medicines for the ill therefore suggesting it has a great deal more importance then many other plants.
As we move onto the final stanza we learn the humourous mistake the couple have made. One of the key lines within this stanza would be "Tired of lies" for it informs the reader that the tree is tired of having this false identity to show all these people and wants its true self to be shown and appreciated. It hates the fame that it is being given by humans and therefore we are able to see that its life within this home has been fake. From the final two lines we see the tree transform into its normal form of a walnut tree and due to the line "shamelessly free of disguise" we learn that there is no shame to what we appear to look like. The tree has no shame in becoming what it truly is even though it will not get the same attention and love as it did before. Therefore we see Abse refering to a life lesson of us having to be ourselves and not want people make us to be or want us to be.
The poems that would link to The Mistake by Larkin would be Self's the Man and Essential Beauty. Self's the Man due to having self assessed itself and coming to realise what is good and bad within its life and Essential Beauty due to how it portrays the sense of being an advertisement and hiding the truth behind everyone until they have brought the product and are aware of what it really is.
Within the second stanza we can see that they have been able to provide the tree with a name known as "Evodia danieli" and also that its true origin is within Korea. We however see a negative side towards people due to how they wish to "boast" about what they have discovered. They have become greedy with knowledge that will allow them to look better and much more sophisticated towards their friends. From this we see that people allow knowledge to raise them up in society and do not take the benefit of nature that we are surrounded in.
From looking within stanza three we learn the people portray this tree to be rare and holy due to how they encourage people to smell its leaves. From the line "Its rare as Welsh gold" we see that Abse has used a metaphor to portray to the audience how much this couple are trying to make it seem holy when really it is not. They are trying to give it a false/new identity compared to its old one to make it seem more exciting and glamourous. We also see that it compares to curing people with the line "It'll charm away your cold" and this is supported with the line in the first stanza saying, "Oriental dispensary".The word "Oriental" refers to being within the East therefore stating the true location of the tree to being within Eastern Korea and the word "dispensary" means an office filled with medications. From this we are able to see the link between the two lines to showing that this plant is able to be used to make medicines for the ill therefore suggesting it has a great deal more importance then many other plants.
As we move onto the final stanza we learn the humourous mistake the couple have made. One of the key lines within this stanza would be "Tired of lies" for it informs the reader that the tree is tired of having this false identity to show all these people and wants its true self to be shown and appreciated. It hates the fame that it is being given by humans and therefore we are able to see that its life within this home has been fake. From the final two lines we see the tree transform into its normal form of a walnut tree and due to the line "shamelessly free of disguise" we learn that there is no shame to what we appear to look like. The tree has no shame in becoming what it truly is even though it will not get the same attention and love as it did before. Therefore we see Abse refering to a life lesson of us having to be ourselves and not want people make us to be or want us to be.
The poems that would link to The Mistake by Larkin would be Self's the Man and Essential Beauty. Self's the Man due to having self assessed itself and coming to realise what is good and bad within its life and Essential Beauty due to how it portrays the sense of being an advertisement and hiding the truth behind everyone until they have brought the product and are aware of what it really is.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)