The Themes of Loss and Isolation in Looking for Dad and the Sick Equation by Brian as Well as Long Distance by Tony Harrison
When exploring poems it is clear to see that there are many analytical
and poetic devices used to emphasise meaning and theme throughout the
verses. The 3 poems that employ examples of this are 'Looking for dad'
and 'The sick equation' by Brian Patten and 'Long distance' by Tony
Harrison. There are many different ways to express feelings through
the use of poetry and the main feature in the 3 of these poems is Loss
and isolation. This relates to the poet's personal feelings and
emotion towards major influences in their lives and how they have
affected them in many different ways.
Brian Patten's 'The Sick Equation' explores how his parent's intense
arguing and general disrespect for each other had such a damaging
effect on his thoughts, personality and life. It is written as if he
is between the ages of 10-16 as he refers to school,
It also exclaims that at this time, his parents are still living
together but the house is 'full of anger and pain.' Which gives an
indication of how he feels about his home life.
The poet assumes from his past experience that he can't go with anyone
because his equation is 'broken'. He feels it is better being one,
rather than being two and trying sort things out because it will
always end it hurt or divorce as the only example he can look upon is
his parents.
Up to line 5 Patten describes how he pushed away anyone who wanted to
love him and how he always thought that marriage would end in divorce.
He has very low confidence. He would rather not be loved at all than
be lo...
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...e both very similar poems as they are based around the same author
and his own personal experiences. Long distance however still portrays
these views just over a longer timespan and with more a feeling of
loss of his parents rather than Brian Pattens childhood of family
feuding. The 2 poets are extremely similar in the ways that they put
their point across and there are even replicated words 'raw love' 'raw
cocoon' which shows similar styles of writing. I believe that the way
in which both poets captured their feelings and emotions throughout
the poems made them very enjoyable to read as well as transferring
their point across accurately to the reader. It is unclouded as to the
mixed upbringing of the 2 poets and the way in which they both had
experiences of loss and isolation each in their own unique and
powerful way.
homes. But the way in which each of the poets express this occurrence, with the use of
In his narrative, Justin Burnell recounts his memories of his biological father changing into to a woman. There are many ways the people in this story reacts but as a whole, in his recounts, they are almost the same. The heavy atmosphere in this story tells you how this story is going to go. The author does not give the year this takes place but just the location, in Knoxville, gives the reader insight on the hate that would be prominent.
Looking back at the narratives and the significance of the poems in them is that many of the poems are inspired by nature around the authors. Also, the poems provide more of the voice of the authors instead of just the voice of the narrator and helps present the emotional tones of the characters in the narratives to the reader so that there can be more of a connection to it when it is being read. The poems make for a simple addition to the narrative and allows for a much more meaningful experience for a reader and makes for a much more engrossing story, thus adding to the to experience as a whole.
Death and Grieving Imagine that the person you love most in the world dies. How would you cope with the loss? Death and grieving is an agonizing and inevitable part of life. No one is immune from death’s insidious and frigid grip. Individuals vary in their emotional reactions to loss.
In the essay I hope to explain why I picked each poem and to suggest
Each poem describes a scene where a man learns from his experience and interaction with nature. In “The Meadow Mouse” the man instantly finds himself a father-figure to the mouse that he finds. When the mouse leaves, he thinks of the dangers of nature such as, “the turtle gasping in the dusty rubble of the highway.” From his instant love and pain of losing the mouse, he learns how he truly feels about nature. Set in a different scene, the fisherman in “The Fish,...
These poems represent the idea of allusion by symbolizing the need for poetry. For example in sentence 9 of Introduction to Poetry he uses allusion to demonstrate there is a dream or accomplishment he wants to do with "his students". In sentences 16-19 of Trouble with poetry, he also uses allusion because it looks like he has an idea in mind and has plans set ahead.
In any discussion of poetry vs. prose worth it's stanzas, questions regarding such tools as meter, rhyme, and format must come into play. These are, after all, the most obvious distinguishing features of poetry, and they must certainly be key in determining the definition, and in fact nature, of poetry.
The idea of graves serving memory is introduced in Part I of the collection within the poem
result it has on people. In all three poems the last line of the poems
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In relation to structure and style, the poem contains six stanzas of varying lengths. The first, second, and fourth stanzas
is the most unsettling of the three poems, even though it does not comment on
Upon reading these poems, I could relate to each strongly on a personal level. Each poem expresses a different view of death and the different stages of acceptance and grieving. When I was younger, my grandmother passed away. I was quite fond of my grandmother and she and I had a close relationship. When she passed away, I was devastated and went through a series of phases and emotions, much like those descr...