Analysis Of To Paint A Water Lily

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The poem To Paint a Water Lily creates a setting that is a war like environment that one would normally think as peaceful. The way the speaker describes the pond and all of its inflictions can easily be compared to my thoughts on how some aspects of modern society in America functions.
Our American society is constantly putting out the idea to others that we live perfect, beautiful lives, much like what you would think the life of a water lily. They are beautiful flowers that one would believe to simply live in a quiet and calm pond, coexisting peacefully with the other inhabitants. In this poem the speaker is quick to disillusion the audience of this particular view. The water lily is forced to watch and be in the middle of constant war. In lines like, "Under the trees. There are battle-shouts / And death-cries everywhere hereabouts" (9-10) it shows the true environment of the water lily. I believe the water lily is in constant sorrow and fear of its life. Much like …show more content…

All that is plastered around them is a beautiful and happy America, but in reality, America deals with some gruesome events, much like the events taken place at the pond. There are constant shootings in schools, malls, and public events. Terrible things are happening to good people, whether they want to believe it or not. The same goes for the water lily. For example, it has to constantly deal with the daunting creature that swims beneath the pond. The poem says "Through the spectrum. Think what worse/ Is the ponds bed's matter of course;", this creature is obviously causing the water lily some sort of anxiety. I believe the lily is constantly thinking when is the creature going to make its kill? Could it accidently snap me in half as it tries to kill his prey? Many people in America at the moment are thinking the exact same thing but in this case whether or not they are going to be

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