In Atwood's "Siren Song" she uses allusion to show how women are blamed for the mistakes of men, but in realit men are ar fault for there own demise. This piece is based on the characters of the sirens in Homer's The Oddessey. These's sirens were seen as evil and deadly becuz their voices were sayd to cause shipwrecks. But the sailors who were men had a choice to sail whereever they wanted and needed to. The women have no control over the personal decisions tht these men made. Atwood uses the song that they sing to represent the power of women while depicting the weakness that men have. She writes this piece from the perspective of one of the 3 sirens to help prove this theme.
Atwood is imfamous for her abstract structure. This poem is a perfect example of her style. The 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th and 6th stanza's contain 3 lines but the 3rd stanza contains 12 lines. In the 3rd stanza Atwood uses the phrase "I don't enjoy it here" to show the reality of the womens lives. This shows that the Siren's don't want to be on the island dressed as birds. The use of "feathered maniacs" provokes a sarcastic and mocking tone. Which is the reason tht I believe Atwood structures the 3rd paragraph to be longer than the rest of the poem. Alwood also writes in free verse. The words dont rhythm and aren't in a typical organiztional format. This controdicts the lives of the Siren's, which is not free. Atwood use of controdiction between the disorganized style of writing to the structured jobs of the sirens shows how the Sirens appear to be pleased with singing the same song, but are really bored with it. This also shows the controdiction in the song itself. The song is alluring and beautiful, yet deadlii.
Atwood also structures the 3rd stanza to be longer than the rest to express the tone of the poem by speaking from the Siren's perspective. In the 3rd stanza Atwood reveals that the speaker is a Siren herself. This particular Siren doesn't wasnt to be bait for the men to crash onto the island. She clearlii wants to define her own job and responsibility.
In conclusion, Margeret Atwood alludes to the story of the Siren's to show that things that are beautiful and "irrestisible" can be "fatal". Everything that glitters isn't gold. But it's the desicions is up to you;whether to fall into the trap of the Siren or to continue on the journey that was meant for you.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
The war of writing (From the FRontiER of Writing)
In SEamus Heaney's From the Frontier of writing a conciet comparing fighting a war to writing to show how the role of literature has been reversed from expression of ideas thought, and /or feeling to what the public will prefer to read. The poem begins with the speaker potrayed as a nervous, and scared solider whose vehicle is bein inspected and searched. Then the solider leaves the inspection unconcerned. AS the soldiers travel the drive along the frontier of wrting where violence is prevelent. But in the mist of this violence there are call references to nature to ease the unsettling images of artillery. The natural images are controdictory to the guns and rifles. But this solider continues to ride on the frontier dispite the conflict and controdiction and danger.
In the seventh stanza and the 2nd line Heaney uses the words "Behind a waterfall". WAterfalls are very picturesque and beautify, but one cannot see clearly through a waterfall because the water fall rapidly. But in the 6th stanza and 2nd line the word marksmen is used. Marksmen are snippers that can take someones life swiftly and unexpectingly. Heaney places these images in similar parts of the poem because he wants to show the controdiction that they have. And ironically both of these words are sandwiched between lines that contain end rythm, but the lines containing these words dont rythm with the rest of the stanza. Through this one can conclude that heaney is trying to show the conflicts in being a writer and fighting a war. Literature was created for the openning of minds and souls, but yet writers are being told what to write so that people will acknowledge their work. And soliders are often off fighting wars to solve problems that could be solved by other means.
In conclusion, Heaneys extended metaphor was conveyed through the use of imagery, structure and diction. The title From the Frontier of writing is verii says the most. One the frontier of a war, there is nowhere to hide, because you are faces your opponent directly. And in writing you face your enemy directly as well. The possibilty of defeat is always present, because by allowing people to dictate what should be written and read we loss.
In the seventh stanza and the 2nd line Heaney uses the words "Behind a waterfall". WAterfalls are very picturesque and beautify, but one cannot see clearly through a waterfall because the water fall rapidly. But in the 6th stanza and 2nd line the word marksmen is used. Marksmen are snippers that can take someones life swiftly and unexpectingly. Heaney places these images in similar parts of the poem because he wants to show the controdiction that they have. And ironically both of these words are sandwiched between lines that contain end rythm, but the lines containing these words dont rythm with the rest of the stanza. Through this one can conclude that heaney is trying to show the conflicts in being a writer and fighting a war. Literature was created for the openning of minds and souls, but yet writers are being told what to write so that people will acknowledge their work. And soliders are often off fighting wars to solve problems that could be solved by other means.
In conclusion, Heaneys extended metaphor was conveyed through the use of imagery, structure and diction. The title From the Frontier of writing is verii says the most. One the frontier of a war, there is nowhere to hide, because you are faces your opponent directly. And in writing you face your enemy directly as well. The possibilty of defeat is always present, because by allowing people to dictate what should be written and read we loss.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Blackberry Picking
In Seamus Heaney's "Blackberry Picking" he uses diction to show how life begins as a simple journey, but progresses into harsh realities. Literarly, this piece is just a reflextion of a childlike activity. But since this is a typical work of heaney it's much more deep than that. The entire poem is written in free verse except for the 3rd and 4th stanza, when he uses end rythm to excentuate the words "Clot" and "Knot". Heaney begins the piece by making accounts of the specific season and month in which the speaker is participating in blackberry picking, he goes on to discuss the details of blackberry picking, and n those details lives the reality of blackberry picking. And by the end of the work Heaney no longer disguises the truth about blackberry picking, he displays the possiblity of death. The childlike views are depleated by the end of the work, and nothing is left.
The 1st stanza is longer than the last stanza, Heaney does this purposelii to show how the years of adolescence are longer than the elderlii years. In the 1st stanza he uses words such as "sweet" and "glossy" to describe the blackberries. The words "sweet" and "glossy" connote freshness, and beauty. And usually children see everything in nature as beautiful without realizing that everything that glitters isn't gold. But Heaney goes then states those same glossy sweet blackberries leave "stains upon the tongue". Stains are common for children to have because they play and don't think of their exterior appearance until they get home and a mother or older person points it out. Stains are extremely difficult to get out of clothes. But as a child one needs the wrong to be pointed out. This shows the childishness waiting to progress into adulthood. AS the piece progresses to the last paragraph the speaker is now in an adult stage because reflections of the dirty harshness of life. The last line in particular connotes this reality because the speaker wishes that the berries will stay fresh but knows that the berries will spoil.
In conclusion, Heaney plays with the structure of the poems, and words to depict the reality that life is full of beautiful things, but nothing is eternal. Life is a long process but death is short and not always sweet.
The 1st stanza is longer than the last stanza, Heaney does this purposelii to show how the years of adolescence are longer than the elderlii years. In the 1st stanza he uses words such as "sweet" and "glossy" to describe the blackberries. The words "sweet" and "glossy" connote freshness, and beauty. And usually children see everything in nature as beautiful without realizing that everything that glitters isn't gold. But Heaney goes then states those same glossy sweet blackberries leave "stains upon the tongue". Stains are common for children to have because they play and don't think of their exterior appearance until they get home and a mother or older person points it out. Stains are extremely difficult to get out of clothes. But as a child one needs the wrong to be pointed out. This shows the childishness waiting to progress into adulthood. AS the piece progresses to the last paragraph the speaker is now in an adult stage because reflections of the dirty harshness of life. The last line in particular connotes this reality because the speaker wishes that the berries will stay fresh but knows that the berries will spoil.
In conclusion, Heaney plays with the structure of the poems, and words to depict the reality that life is full of beautiful things, but nothing is eternal. Life is a long process but death is short and not always sweet.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
