Explain the way in which Duffy presents the strengths and limitations
of language in two poems.
When drawing from both 'Warming Her Pearls' and 'Selling Manhattan' ,
it is evident that Carol Anne Duffy maintains a certain avant-garde
approach to the vast array of possibilities that language presents.
She acutely exposes the ambiguity that language holds in its meanings,
presenting the reader with endless connotations to consider. Duffy
also draws attention to its inability to fully express the extent of
human emotions.
Both of the above stated poems focus on societal and cultural
stratification, with Duffy's use of language carefully designed to
emphasise the distance between different social groups. 'Selling
Manhattan' being a dramatic monologue, articulates the thoughts of the
Dutch settler, Peter Minuit, who is reputed to have bought Manhattan
from the North American Indians, for twenty-four dollars worth of
glass beads, in 1626. A strong division and contrast exists when this
is compared to the feelings of an indigenous North American Indian.
Duffy uses language to demonstrate this contrast. In Minuit's glee, he
states 'I got myself a bargain'. This heavily exhibits his rapacious
attitude and his inability to consider the cost to others that his
actions create. The value that he places on money is also shown. This
is a key theme to the entire section, also entitled 'Selling
Manhattan', with Duffy fiercely criticising the capitalist attitude to
economics. Duffy's use of language with the words 'I ' and 'myself' in
Minuit's stanza draws attention to just how self absorbed the Dutchman
really is.
When the reader is first introduced to the Indian a comparison is
automatically made. The first line i...
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...uses on intimate detail. It could also however
be interpreted as being the result of an obscene and abnormal
obsession. When considering that this poem is not based upon a modern
society, holding modern values that are now far more accepting towards
homosexuality, the ambiguity in the depth of this line creates a
hindrance to any sympathy that a reader may feel. A reader may take on
a similar attitude to that which is evident in the society that
'Warming Her Pearls' describes, perceiving an iniquitous abnormality.
Additionally, as this possibility exists that her seeming love is in
fact an obsession, the reader has no choice but to question their
belief in her affections. The influence and energy of this poem is
therefore abridged by this ambiguity, due to the lack of absolute
meaning in language, as illustrated by the French philosopher, Jacques
Derrida.
...es her. The imageries of pink Mustang signifies her social class, while “Road” indicates her location as nowhere within a community. The commodification of her body means it can be touched in ways derogatory to her dignity whether she likes it or not because it is a saleable commodity that doesn’t belong to her. Her silver painted nipples identifies silver coins. Silver coins represent monetary value put on her body. Silver painted nipples also mean the attractive way in which a product is packaged. The poem also depicts the defiance of women against how she has been treated. She identifies man as the one that kisses away himself piece by piece till the last coin is spent. However, she cannot change the reality of her location, and temporal placement.
Literature shows us the changes of our society from time to time. It also gives us an idea about people, culture, politics, gender traditions, as well as an overall view of previous civilizations. As a part of literature, poetry introduces us to different cultures with different perspectives. Ancient Egypt and ancient China may differ in terms of culture, politics, economic stability, tradition, or even in religious belief. However, in poetry, especially in love lyrics both Egyptian and Chinese poems portray common area of describing women, social attitudes toward love, sexuality and the existence of romance or selfishness in relationships. . If we look at the Egyptian poem “My god, my Lotus” and the Chinese poem “Fishhawk”, we will see both poems have similarities in describing relationships. Also, they have the similarity of imagining the lovers and their expression of love toward each other. However, both poems have some significant differences in terms of representing female sexuality, gender disparity and the display of love.
This poem reveals a lot about the Victorian concept of love and women. The lady in the poem embodies the true Victorian image of the “ideal” woman: virginal. embowed, innocent and obedient, also dedicated to her tasks.... ... middle of paper ...
Deep-seated in these practices is added universal investigative and enquiring of acquainted conflicts between philosophy and the art of speaking and/or effective writing. Most often we see the figurative and rhetorical elements of a text as purely complementary and marginal to the basic reasoning of its debate, closer exploration often exposes that metaphor and rhetoric play an important role in the readers understanding of a piece of literary art. Usually the figural and metaphorical foundations strongly back or it can destabilize the reasoning of the texts. Deconstruction however does not indicate that all works are meaningless, but rather that they are spilling over with numerous and sometimes contradictory meanings. Derrida, having his roots in philosophy brings up the question, “what is the meaning of the meaning?”
The speaker begins the poem an ethereal tone masking the violent nature of her subject matter. The poem is set in the Elysian Fields, a paradise where the souls of the heroic and virtuous were sent (cite). Through her use of the words “dreamed”, “sweet women”, “blossoms” and
Not only does this personification alter the pace of the poem, but the fact that the woman’s breasts – important sexual organs and symbols of female sexuality – are portrayed as sleeping conveys a lack of arousal and general desire, particularly on the behalf of the woman. This sense of a lack of desire between the gypsy and the woman is communicated later in the poem through the description of the characters’ undressing before they begin to have sex:
A voice for voiceless which she finds from nowhere. Rarely a "homeless Man under the Bridge" could arouse such an inspiration to make him one of the most widely read poem of recent times. She tries to find the unwritten pages of life of a man who almost delivered a judgment on the masked masses of Britain.
Humans hunger and thirst for peace, and the poet making the claim that she wouldn’t even trade love for such a valuable feeling such as peace, gives off the vibe that love really is
The opening of the poem the woman is explaining why painting her nails red is sophisticated “Because a bit of colour is a public service”(1). In line two Satyamurti calls attention to the role of women in the society and in the family- that while they are not being paid for work they do everyday of their lives, it should not be neglected. She acknowledges by “Because I am proud of my hands”, she is explaining that women ar...
I found that throughout this poem there was much symbolism within it. Identifying that it was written in first person form showed that this poem relates to the author on a personal basis, and that it was probably written to symbolize his life. But when talking about people’s lives, you can conclude that people’s lives are generally and individually very diffe...
“The Sick Rose” is a short poem that was written by William Blake; he is also known as a poet artist and mystic. Since many poets receive their inspirational of writing their poems from sources like a lover, a personal experience and or a history event. Thus; Blake short poem is not from his imagination, but it’s from the reality that he might witness in his life. The Blake’s poem had received many criticisms from critics who tried to investigate “The Sick Roe” and they give their interpretation with many different types of explanation. There’re some critics who believe that the Rose is a symbol of beauty, youthfulness, innocent; compare to the worm whom they think it represent an old age, corrupts and decay. And there is the type of critics who thinks that the Rose is represented the “social crown of life”. The criticisms of “The Sick Rose” came from Michael Riffaterre in his test “the self-sufficient”, Cervo Nathan in his journal the “explicator” and Berger Harry in his book the caterpillage. I chose these three critics to make some comparison of their opinion and in what point they don’t agree on. “The Sick Rose” is derived to capture the world for allegory and interest in the way that life still challengeable between innocent fragile and evil and corruption”.
Whether the reader sees the satire or not depends on the reader themselves. Those who see this poem may not realize they're guilty of believing that the love and patience in stanza one exists. The presentation of this argument works because it seems sweet at first glance, logical when looked at again, and satirical when looked at against the views of the society.
...ues. The body of symbolism indicates Thomas’s changing view between the writer and his environment and outward look of the relationship with his own children. The use of surrealism provides a vivid image of his life’s despair. Though the poem can be analyze and evaluated from all of the different methods of criticism. The text within the verses indicates that the evaluation of the author is indicative to the psychological critical approach.
The poem draws us into it as if we were the ones who do not know who we really are or where we really belong to the family. It ends without a clear view. She is still an outsider. looking in and never being a part of it. Both of these poems discuss the struggle of being part of two cultures.
A poem is a composite art symbol and is a signature of aesthetic competent. Gauri Deshpande excels in her poetic creativity and the fabric of sensibility that she articulates is not only significant but is also innovative. The enduring quality of her poetry is not only a sum total of past heritage but is also referential, expressive and connotative. Gauri Deshpande is a name that the critic and the reader of Indian English Poetry can not by-pass without leaving a conspicuous lacuna in his repertoire. As for her post of prestige in the tradition of the genre, she is, no doubt, with Toru Dutt, Sarojini Naidu and Kamala Das, comfortably bolstered up by the merit and the body of work that she has to her name. The structural manipulation of a poem is equally interesting and the canon of her English Poetry so far includes three collections, namely, Between Births (1968), Lost Love (1970), and Beyond The Slaughter House (1972) with a total of eighty poem, presumably and hopefully excluding the ones not published and not anthologised so far, depict the female psyche as well as the imagery with which her primary concerns are underlined. To mark out the singular feature of each of these collections, separate slots are assigned to each.