Poets Explore the Theme of Death in Educating for Leisure, Mother in a Refugee Camp, Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night, Remember, T...

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Structural techniques play a huge role in many poems due to the fact that structure sometimes reflects what is happening in the poem. This can clearly be seen with all the poems, in “Remember” and “Do not go gentle into that good night” a strict, tight and ridged structure and this helps reinforce the meaning that the poets are trying to portray. With “Do not go gentle” the structure of the poem in some respects contrasts what is actually happening with Dylan Thomas, with father dying; his head is all over the place but the structure is tight and strict. Villanelles are very traditional strict structures and the message that is portrayed through “Do not go gentle” contrasts it as it is an untraditional message. In addition to this the structure can almost be seen metaphorically as the only thing holding Dylan Thomas together and holding him back from breaking down. On the other hand with “Remember” the structure reinforces the meaning within the poem. “Remember” falls into the category of a sonnet, they tend to convey romantic stories and generally are associated with romance. Therefore the structure of the poem reinforces the romantic interpretation that some people may see when reading the poem. On the other hand the sonnet form of the poem may contrast with the interpretation that the speaker of the poem is jilting her “loved one”. This contrast reinforces the meaning of the poem, as love and hate are polar opposites and by intertwining them it helps the reader focus on what is happening in the poem. However, with “Mother in a refugee camp” and “E for L” there is no clear strict, poetic structure but rather a narrative one that allows for the poet to provide a “screenshot” for the reader to help them visualize what is happeni... ... middle of paper ... ...old by a second hand narrator as a conversation and this can be further emphasized by the used of the pronoun “he” in the title. In “Havisham” I believe that the cyclical structure through the alliteration of the “B” is used to represent her endless love for her ex fiancé and this idea can be reinforced by the love that is presented throughout the poem. “Havisham” has a strict and ridged structure and this contrasts what is actually happening throughout the poem as after being jilted her head is “all over the place”.The idea of her mind being “all over the place is further reinforced through the multiple rules in the English language that the poet breaks. The breaking of the rules mirrors the breaking of Miss Havisham’s heart and this structure can almost be seen metaphorically as the only thing holding miss Havisham together and holding her back from breaking down.

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