An Interpretation of “Black Lamb” by Paula Bohince

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Recommended: An essay of rape

Paula Bohince grew up in rural Pennsylvania town and still resides there. (Bohince, Paula). The theme and setting reflects a young innocent girl raped in a Pennsylvania town. The poet writes the poem from the victim’s perspective. The words give a creepy feeling of what has happened. The poem describes a young girl who was brutally taken advantage of and relays the devastating affect it had on her. The diction is very fitting for the poem. It creates a very vivid picture of the devastating affect the attack had on the girl. The diction creates a gruesome picture and tone for the reader. The use of words like transparency, black lamb and maggots generates a rejected feeling in the girl. There is no place she can hide and her feelings are constantly being eaten away.

The poem “Black Lamb” is about a person who has experienced the horrible reality of being raped. It creates a person who is extremely dissatisfied with herself. She feels that everyone thinks she is different or bad. Her life has been turned completely around in such a short time. Trying to live a normal life has been destroyed by an evil act she had no control over.

The attack consisted of many misleading gestures. The first experience was like a burning ember with an extremely rough texture. He tried to persuade her with expensive gifts with a “chamois”, soft leather made from skin of chamois, sheep and deer (“chamois.” Def. 2). He used his personal control to go beyond the limits of what is considered right. His bodily invasion or rape causes a lamb to become the black lamb of the neighborhood.

Her feeling of rejection of everyone around her was beginning to take a toll on her. Although she was as innocent as a lamb in the beginning, the time has come when...

... middle of paper ...

...a burden she was carrying by keeping the rapist’s identity to herself.

WORKS CITED

“abattoir.” Webster’s New World Dictionary and Thesaurus. 2nd Edition. 2002.

Print.

Bohince, Paula. “Edge of Bayonet Woods.” Sarabandebooks.org. 2008.

Sarabande Books. 6 September 2009.

“chamois.” Webster’s New World Dictionary and Thesaurus. 2nd Edition. 2002.

Print.

”loathe.” Webster’s New World Dictionary and Thesaurus. 2nd Edition. 2002.

Print.

“phantom.” Webster’s New World Dictionary and Thesaurus. 2nd Edition. 2002.

Print.

“profane.” Webster’s New World Dictionary and Thesaurus. 2nd Edition. 2002.

Print.

“quaking.” Webster’s New World Dictionary and Thesaurus. 2nd Edition. 2002.

Print.

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