Analysis of Poems by Larkin, Dixon, Shelley, and Wordsworth
AFTERNOONS by Philip Larkin
This poem explores Larkin’s perspective on married women, starting with a late autumn afternoon scene in a recreation ground. Young mothers watch their children play, leading Larkin to conclude that early marriage and motherhood result in a loss of identity and unfulfilled potential. The poem contrasts the monotonous daily routines of wives with the absent husbands engaged in skilled work.
Literary Devices:
- Internal Rhyme: Words like “bordering” and “lying” share similar endings, subtly hinting at the restricted lives of the women.
- Rhythm: The poem’s steady rhythm mirrors the unsatisfying lives of the women at that time.
- Turning Point: The second stanza shifts to the peaceful life of husbands at home, while the third stanza highlights the appreciation others have for the mothers’ sacrifices.
- Visual Imagery: The line “The leaves fall in ones and twos” creates a vivid image of falling leaves, symbolizing isolation and decline.
- Metaphor: “In the hollows of afternoons” refers to the mothers’ limited free time.
- Personification: “The wind is running their courting places” gives the wind a human characteristic, suggesting the passage of time and lost opportunities.
- Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds in “Leaves, Trees” and “Swing, Sandpit” creates a sense of monotony.
- Alliteration: The repetition of consonant sounds in “Fall, Ones, Twos” and “Mothers, Assemble” emphasizes key themes.
PLENTY by Isobel Dixon
This poem delves into the life and relationship between a mother and her five daughters. The first six stanzas depict their poverty, using vivid examples like “our old enamel tub, age-stained and pocked upon its griffin claws, was never full” to illustrate their lack of resources. The final stanzas shift to the speaker’s present life of luxury, where material possessions are abundant but the connection with her family is lost.
Literary Devices:
- Free Verse: The absence of a rhyme scheme reflects the hardships and complexities of the family’s life.
- Rhythm: The fast pace of the first six stanzas slows down in the last two, mirroring the change in the speaker’s life.
- Turning Point: The word “now” at the beginning of the seventh stanza marks the transition from the speaker’s childhood to her present day.
- Visual Imagery: “Her lips stretched back and anchored down” paints a picture of the mother’s anger and frustration.
- Simile: “Like Mommy’s smile” compares a forced smile to something unpleasant.
- Metaphor: “Her mouth a lid clamped hard on this” suggests the mother’s suppression of emotions.
- Alliteration: The repetition of the “s” sound in “She saw it always, snapping locks and straps” emphasizes the stress and strain of their situation.
OZYMANDIAS by Percy Bysshe Shelley
This poem recounts a traveler’s encounter with the fragmented remains of a statue of Ozymandias, a once-powerful king. The poem explores themes of power, hubris, and the inevitable decline of empires.
Literary Devices:
- Rhyme Scheme: The sonnet form with its ABABACDCEDEFEF rhyme scheme provides structure and emphasizes key ideas.
- Rhythm: The poem’s rhythm shifts from slow to fast and back to slow, reflecting the changing focus on the statue and its surroundings.
- Turning Point: The line “nothing beside remains” marks the shift from describing the statue to its desolate environment.
- Visual Imagery: “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone” creates a powerful image of the ruined statue, symbolizing the fall of Ozymandias’ empire.
- Metaphor: “Sneer of cold command” describes the king’s arrogance and lack of empathy.
- Personification: “The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed” gives human qualities to the statue, highlighting the king’s cruelty and power.
- Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds in “Half sunk a shattered visage lies” creates a sense of decay and desolation.
- Alliteration: The repetition of consonant sounds in “Stand, Desert, Sand” emphasizes the harshness of the environment.
BLACKBERRY-PICKING by Seamus Heaney
This poem reminisces about the childhood joy of blackberry-picking, contrasting it with the disappointment of discovering the berries’ inevitable decay. The poem explores themes of innocence, loss, and the passage of time.
Literary Devices:
- Rhyme Scheme: The irregular rhyme scheme reflects the unpredictable nature of memory and experience.
- Rhythm: The poem’s rhythm slows down as the speaker’s mood shifts from excitement to melancholy.
- Turning Point: The beginning of the second stanza marks the shift from the joy of picking blackberries to the realization of their decay.
- Taste Imagery: “The sweet flesh would turn sour” evokes the sensory experience of eating blackberries and their eventual spoilage.
- Simile: “Its flesh was sweet like thickened wine” compares the taste of the berries to wine, suggesting richness and indulgence.
- Metaphor: “A glossy purple clot” describes the appearance of the blackberries, hinting at their eventual decay.
- Personification: “Big dark blobs burned like a plate of eyes” gives the berries a menacing quality, foreshadowing their spoilage.
- Onomatopoeia: “Until the tinkling bottom” recreates the sound of the bucket being filled with berries.
DAFFODILS by William Wordsworth
This poem celebrates the beauty of nature and its power to inspire joy and creativity. Wordsworth describes a field of daffodils that he encountered on a walk, and how the memory of them continues to bring him happiness.
Literary Devices:
- Rhyme Scheme: The ABABCC rhyme scheme provides structure and emphasizes the poem’s joyful tone.
- Rhythm: The poem’s rhythm is lively and energetic in the first three stanzas, slowing down in the final stanza as the speaker reflects on the memory of the daffodils.
- Turning Point: The final stanza shifts from describing the daffodils to reflecting on their impact on the speaker’s emotions.
- Visual Imagery: “On my couch I lie” creates a vivid image of the speaker relaxing and reminiscing.
- Simile: “Lonely as a cloud” compares the speaker to a solitary cloud, suggesting a sense of freedom and detachment.
- Metaphor: “Tossing their heads in sprightly dance” describes the movement of the daffodils as a dance, conveying their liveliness and joy.
- Personification: “Fluttering and dancing in the breeze” gives the daffodils human qualities, emphasizing their beauty and grace.
- Alliteration: The repetition of the “s” sound in “Continuous as the stars that shine” creates a sense of continuity and timelessness.
- Onomatopoeia: “Twinkle” recreates the sound of the stars shining, adding to the poem’s sensory imagery.