A Poetry Commentary on The Jaguar, by Ted Hughes
The Jaguar is a descriptive poem by Ted Hughes. It tells the story of
a jaguar and its life at a zoo. The poem very much describes the
atmosphere of the zoo and how this particular jaguar overcomes this
enclosed surrounding. I think the authors words are very passionate
and strongly link to the character and behaviour of the jaguar. I
think he expects the reader to visualise this scene and have the same
thoughts as the jaguar. I think he also expects us to really stress
key words and read it in a flowing way. Just like the jaguar's
movements. The tone varies between the stanzas. The first two stanzas
suggest a very negative tone, and then this is followed by a quick
transmission word and alters to a triumphant and strong tone. Overall
the sound of the poem portrays strength and admiration.
The poem is written in free verse. The poem uses many enjambments;
which suggests that the rhyming words are not so noticeable. I think
this structure is linked to the life of the jaguar. The jaguar is in
no way disturbed about the fact that it is locked up in a cage.
Instead it follows its own imagination and way of life.
The first stanza suggests to me that it is trying to set the tone and
describe the setting. One example of describing the setting is when
the word 'shriek' appears. As it is onomatopoeia its sound reflects
the sense of atmosphere. It describes what it is like at the zoo and
what noises are to be heard. Simultaneously there is a simile in the
first stanza, which to me emphasises the standard in the zoo. 'Like
cheap tarts to attract,' the audience. The animals are being portrayed
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...Her again we see consonance, since it shows a vital
point. Now near the end, the jaguar's horizons are still growing
although in reality he is condemned to the same amount of space as
before.
The poem it self contains many double meanings, which are connected to
real life and a story which is being told in the poem. To me it seems
to be a source of motivation, and a message behind it saying: you
should believe in your self and overcome difficulties in a smart
manner. I think it also shows what is behind the jaguars thought. It
shows his impression of the zoo and portrays his feelings. To him the
people seem to be a hindrance which the jaguar has to psychologically
overcome. For the audience it is no more than a spectacular ten
minutes of 'wild life' and this thought soon disappears and is
forgotten in the memory.
The dead black person hanging from a tree is described as “fruit for the crows to pluck/For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck/For the sun to rot, for the trees to drop.” During this portion of the song, one can hear the tremolo of the piano building in volume and ending with a staccato at the end of each line. Musically, this adds an element of suspense, and emphasizes the last dependent clause, effectively adding heaviness to the entire section. From the viewpoint of anyone other than racist white southerners in the 20th century, it is extremely troubling that the violent murder of black people had become so integrated into natural cycles, which seem to be more encompassing and absolute than societal customs. The lyrics attempt to transcend societal ingroups and outgroups, political issues of personal and peripheral interest and the concepts of time and place by describing how pointless violence, a moral rebellion against nature, has become part of nature. However, my interpretation of the intentions of the songwriter may be informed by my background information about the post-Reconstruction South and my hardline stance against systemic violence and white
as told from the point of view of a friend serving as pall bearer. The poem
On the surface, "life" is a late 19th century poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar. The poem illustrates the amount of comfort and somber there is in life. Unfortunately, according to Paul Laurence Dunbar, there is more soberness in life than the joyous moments in our existence. In more detail, Paul Laurence Dunbar demonstrates how without companionship our existence is a series of joys and sorrows in the poem, "Life" through concrete and abstract diction.
Moore begins the last stanza with an ambiguous “So”. Although one has a heightened awareness of mortality, one “behaves,” one keeps the ego disciplined. This is the same concept as that of the caged bird who, though held captive in a cruelly small space, continues to sing with all his heart. Despite the bird's lack of “satisfaction” because of his loss of flight and freedom, he knows “joy”.
Throughout the poem there is only one narrator, a man or woman. The narrator is of high importance to the one being spoken too, so possibly a girlfriend or boyfriend. This narrator alludes to the idea that dreams and reality can be one in the same. The narrator says, “You are not wrong, who deem/That my days have been a dream;” (Line 4-5). The narrator explains that the moments spent with her have felt almost, if not, a perfect dream. The narrator also says, in the closing lines of the first stanza, “All that we see or seem/Is but a dream within a dream.” (Line 10-11). The narrator concludes like dreams, reality is not controlled; reality is what you make it, or what you see. Moreover, in the second stanza the narrator
In the third stanza, the language becomes much darker, words like: anger, explode, and against make this stanza seem even more warlike than the first stanza.
Notably, sorrow and regret is the tone of this poem, demonstrated in the very first stanza:
...s the theme of family. For example, when you truly love someone in your family, you make sure that you show them you truly love them by not only giving them a hug but also telling them that you love them. I can relate to this situation because whenever I notice that my mom is feeling down, I make sure that I tell her that I love her and she is the best mom in the world. Another theme that is present in this poem that I can relate with my life is the theme of mortality. For example, the man is obsessed with not only how but also why Annabel died. I can relate to the man in this situation because after my mom’s dog passed away about nine or ten years ago I was wondering for the longest time why she had to pass away. She wasn’t always the nicest dog, but I still loved her anyways. This poem celebrates the child-like emotions with the ideals of the Romantic era.
On the surface the poem seems to be a meditation on past events and actions, a contemplative reflection about what has gone on before. Research into the poem informs us that the poem is written with a sense of irony
I think that these two opening lines of the third verse have a lot of
...the fleeting innate qualities of human beings and their world that they have constructed, giving way to the idea that mortals should live their lives as honorably as possible, so that they will be remembered by their future generations. The impermanence of the human form and its creations is heavily referred to as neither can survive throughout time, however, their words and deeds can live on through stories. The mere existence of this poem can attest to this idea.
There are many examples of figurative language associated with this poem, metaphors being one of them. For, example Hughes says "life is a barren field frozen with snow tone (Hughes 7).” In this stanza the speaker is comparing life itself to a frozen barren field. Another element of this poem is the theme. This poem teaches us we should hold onto our dreams forever.
subtleties and depth. In the opening lines the speaker is true to this prosaic tone,
the theme of death. The speaker of the poems talks about the loss of a
to the point. After re-reading this poem and many more, I interpret it as an expression of the human experiences having