Poetry, just like other literatures plays an imperative role in the development of several aspects of life. It uses components essential for human development such as articulate vocabulary, reasoning skills, and spiritual and moral development among others. This study reflects on the nature of love in the family in poems: A Father to His Son by Carl Sandburg, Mother to Son by Langston Hughes, and The Ballad of the Harp Weaver by Edna St. Vincent Millay. The common idea is that being part of a family requires a relationship based on love. In the poem A Father to his Son by Carl Sandburg, a father advises his son, leading him through a set of guidelines and values to assist him untie the knot of inextricable uncertainties, problems, pain, and complexities of life.
Good afternoon and welcome to the Critical Study of Texts Academic Forum. Today I will discuss how Gwen Harwood’s poems are valued through the challenging ideas of nostalgia and morality. Memory is a significant motif throughout Harwood’s poetry. Memory can be subjective, fickle and unreliable as demonstrated in ‘The Violets’. The memory process is so powerful as to superimpose images of the past on to the present colouring a faded and melancholy world.
Poets through the ages have been esteemed as possessing the ability to perceive the ordinary in extraordinary and innovative ways. Poetry captures the essences of human emotion and experience and imbues them with further significance by the literary techniques that typify poetry as the language of art. In her poetry, Gwen Harwood explores many thematic concerns that resonate with her readers regardless of their contexts. The universality of concepts such as memory, inspiration, childhood education and the cyclical, yet final nature of death are transformed by Harwood’s poetry to create fresh perceptions of the continuity of experience and provide permanence to these transient elements of humanity through language. The poetic techniques employed by Harwood effectively communicate distinctive aspects of her themes while allowing them to remain universal.
A distinctive voice makes us look at the world in a new and different way. Discuss. A distinctive voice is a unique or manner of expression in which the composer conveys his ideas on particular issues. The language, tone and method in which a text is presented challenge and allow the audience to think more deeply about the words being said. Martin Luther King Junior conveys a feeling of passionate idealism within the text “I have a dream.” He makes the audience energised with his motive language and biblical references.
Gwen Harwood’s poetry encapsulates human experiences as both timeless and integral to the formation of our present perceptions. By examining the role of memory in her poems “The Violets” and “At Mornington”, Harwood identifies that their significance is that of an everlasting memory that will dominate over time’s continuity and the inevitability of death. Through the exploration of this universal concept and its overarching examination across her body of works, Harwood’s poetry possess textual integrity and simultaneously addresses the personal and universal audience thereby resonating with a broad audience and a number of critical perspectives. Engaging with her own personal experiences, Gwen Harwood conveys the echoing message of the dominant
The poetry of Gwen Harwood deals with themes which reflect universal problems such as human existence, loss of innocence, unavoidable death as well as time, youth and age. Her poetry evokes the modern reader to take the opportunity and explore the different interpretations for the relentless movement of time, where she reflects on her childhood memories. The poem ‘The Violets’ and ‘Father and Child’ allow Harwood to recollect positive and negative incidents in her childhood, where she celebrates the power of memory to give life to the past. ‘The Violets’ reflect aspects of childhood and memory, which are idealised. It encompasses the growth of the persona from innocence to experience, where the child’s loss and change are evident.
The theme of love is shown as both love between a family as well as individual relationships. This sense of love between a family is presented early on in the novel, hooking the audience into the characters continual representation of this love and the changing nature of it. There are many individual relationships in the novel, these include, Stan and Becca, Gemma and Aron etc. Sexuality is another them explored in Briar rose and is done so through the character of Josef. Sexuality is a largely debated topic in recent society; this engages the audience as they are intrigued to see the implications and general representation of sexuality in the novel.
Neshat had noticed a remarkable change in the culture which was both frightening and exciting for her. There was a noticeable difference to the culture she was experiencing to the pre-revolution Iran that she was raised in. Shirin elaborates and expresses her personal experiences and beliefs to project her perception to the world around her. It is evidently visible in Peter Skrzynecki’s poem “Feliks Skrzynecki” the development of psychological and physical belonging. The poem is a tribute to the poet’s admiration towards his father.
With a few elements like symbolism, tone, and imagery allowed me engage in a truly interesting poem about young love. The memorable experiences in life are the ones worth exploring. The use of descriptive words in “Oranges” by Gary Soto is what really kept me intrigued throughout the poem. Reference Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature.
Discoveries vary for each individual and help shape an individual’s life and perspective giving a deeper understanding of themselves, others and the world. The play ‘Away’ by Michael Gow and Alan Baillie’s short story ‘The Champion’ both explore the difficulties of communication and interaction between characters and the obstacles they have to overcome in order to make self- discoveries. Both texts use dramatic and literary techniques in different ways yet both highlight that discovery is a process and broadens an individual’s perspective on life. The characters in ‘Away’ all experience grief and hardship and through their interactions with each other they discover a new perspective and purpose in life. The characters Roy and Coral deal with