Robert Frost’s “Mending Wall” uses extended metaphors, the juxtaposition of different points of view and repetition to describe social barriers in communication and the futile intents against established cultural norms. By exposing contrasting perceptions about the subject and implanting hardship, the wall is shown as an unmovable and irreplaceable element of two individuals’ lives. The poem reveals itself as both the savior and critic of the wall’s existence, proving the difficulties of living under strict social constructs and the impossibility of change under such conditions.
Frost begins by showing the existence of a being that dislikes the wall: “something there is that doesn’t love a wall.” The hardship suffered by the wall throughout the poem, the “frozen-ground-swell under it”, the spilled “upper boulders”, the “gaps” and “the boulders that have fallen,” demonstrate the actions taken by this being. The decision taken by the narrator and his neighbor to rebuild the wall, shows the necessity for such divisor. The destructive force mentioned earlier is juxtaposed with the neighbors’ actions, exemplifying the opposing figures under any social or organizational system. The narrator describes how he talks to his neighbor in order to “set the wall between us once again,” a process that resembles a conversation that will finally lead to reconciliation. Frost highlights how this process occurs while having “the wall between us as we go,” proving the utmost necessity of the wall’s existence, even during peaceful times.
Furthermore, the extended metaphor of the wall, meaning the social constructs that provide for respectful relationships to be maintained, reveals the author’s thoughts concerning society as a planned and strict environment. The narrator states that his neighbor “is all pine,” while he is “apple orchard.” This comment mirrors a condition not shared by both neighbors. It is almost as though he were saying his neighbor was from a social class, religion or race different from his. Such division between the two characters can be maintained peacefully with the existence of the wall, shown by the neighbor’s remark: “Good fences make good neighbors.” The possibility that the wall’s existence makes for a “good” relationship simply rejects the idea of sharing or communicating with each other. Their interaction is on the basis of the walls existence only.
Similarly, the repeated use of the word “boulders” highlights the walls composition. The idea of the wall being structured with these boulders which fall on both sides consider both individuals’ mistakes and their commitment to having the wall built dividing their lands. This results similar to the repetition of the phrase “good fences make good neighbors” during the mending of the wall and in the end of the poem, as it exposes the resolute decision of having the wall on foot, ignoring the hardship suffered by the wall and the neighbors in its construction.
The extended metaphor of the wall as the culturally accepted rules of behavior and the divisor of individuals’ possessions, is used by Frost to show his disbelief about its necessity, while keeping it throughout the poem. The juxtaposition of the destructive force and the mending neighbors, exemplifies arguments caused by a social construct and the obligation of understanding both points of view. Even though order is reestablished with the mending of the wall, the author provides the critical view of the wall through the narrator and the attacks against the wall.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Death As A Mission
Kevin Young’s “The Mission” employs enjambment, life and death imagery and irony to portray the life of the living amongst the dead. The juxtaposition of moving beings and lifeless objects exposes the frivolity of grievance and the reluctance of accepting human’s final end. Young uses couplets which serve as concise and piercing pieces to the poem’s entirety, supporting the duality of existence described by the author.
The first couplets of the poem serve to contextualize the narrator’s experience with death, providing enough details to notice his fascination with the subject. The author juxtaposes the “funerals” with “afternoons,” showing the resemblance of the time of day with the death of a living being. Repetition plays an important role in the poem’s structure. Young describes how “soul / after soul” was “pour[ed] / into the cold / New England ground.” The structure of the couplets forces the reader to quickly move his eyes from one line to the next, mirroring the continual flow of people dying. The insignificance of each death, the lack of individual attention to each individual reveals the frivolity of burial.
Similarly, Young describes different actions within the same sentence with opposite adjectives, ironically portraying death. He states that while “children played tag / out front [. . .] bodies / snuck in the back.” The continual burial of bodies, juxtaposed with the children playing create an eerie sensation. The poem uses comic appeal to break the tension and anxiety caused by the discussion of death when describing how “the secondhand suits / that fathers, or sons / now orphans, had rescued / out of closets, praying / they still fit.” The enjambment between the words “suits” and “that”, “sons” and “now”, and “rescued” and “out” maintain the line of thought and provide a complete message.
Furthermore, the poem uses the damage of the “home’s clock,” the “Mornings” and the “dead / of night” to expose the significance of time in the death of a human being. It also creates a sequence from the moment in which the clock stops ticking, symbolizing death, to the mourning or grievance, represented by the word “Morning” and the subsequent forgetting of the human being, shown by the obscurity and solitude of the night. The grievance of death, is finally exposed by the ironical “sorrow’s / not noun / but verb, something / that, unlike living, / by doing right / you do less of.” The structure of the poem provides for a falling and curved path of words, much like the grieving process. Young emphasizes the word “sorrow” which receives its separate line, as though it were to much for it to handle.
The juxtaposition of living and dead objects, the ironical comic relief and enjambment provide a greater meaning to the poem. The ease with which the structure deals with the subjects of death and grievance portrays the poet’s approach to a human’s final moments. Repetition and descriptions of normal, routinely activities give the poem a sense of casualness and consolation during discussions of delicate topics.
The first couplets of the poem serve to contextualize the narrator’s experience with death, providing enough details to notice his fascination with the subject. The author juxtaposes the “funerals” with “afternoons,” showing the resemblance of the time of day with the death of a living being. Repetition plays an important role in the poem’s structure. Young describes how “soul / after soul” was “pour[ed] / into the cold / New England ground.” The structure of the couplets forces the reader to quickly move his eyes from one line to the next, mirroring the continual flow of people dying. The insignificance of each death, the lack of individual attention to each individual reveals the frivolity of burial.
Similarly, Young describes different actions within the same sentence with opposite adjectives, ironically portraying death. He states that while “children played tag / out front [. . .] bodies / snuck in the back.” The continual burial of bodies, juxtaposed with the children playing create an eerie sensation. The poem uses comic appeal to break the tension and anxiety caused by the discussion of death when describing how “the secondhand suits / that fathers, or sons / now orphans, had rescued / out of closets, praying / they still fit.” The enjambment between the words “suits” and “that”, “sons” and “now”, and “rescued” and “out” maintain the line of thought and provide a complete message.
Furthermore, the poem uses the damage of the “home’s clock,” the “Mornings” and the “dead / of night” to expose the significance of time in the death of a human being. It also creates a sequence from the moment in which the clock stops ticking, symbolizing death, to the mourning or grievance, represented by the word “Morning” and the subsequent forgetting of the human being, shown by the obscurity and solitude of the night. The grievance of death, is finally exposed by the ironical “sorrow’s / not noun / but verb, something / that, unlike living, / by doing right / you do less of.” The structure of the poem provides for a falling and curved path of words, much like the grieving process. Young emphasizes the word “sorrow” which receives its separate line, as though it were to much for it to handle.
The juxtaposition of living and dead objects, the ironical comic relief and enjambment provide a greater meaning to the poem. The ease with which the structure deals with the subjects of death and grievance portrays the poet’s approach to a human’s final moments. Repetition and descriptions of normal, routinely activities give the poem a sense of casualness and consolation during discussions of delicate topics.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Naming the Past
As I continued my journey through Song of Solomon, I kept noticing how significant names are for the development of the characters and the way each person responds to their own. As the book turned into the narration of Milkman Dead’s life, I concentrated on how he reacted to his name. As he ventures into his aunt’s house with his friend, Guitar, and her aunt mentions that there are only three Deads alive, Milkman becomes defensive of his name, “as though having the name was a matter of deep personal pride, as though she had tried to expel him from a very special group, in which he not only belonged, but had exclusive rights” (Morrison, 38-39). This response to her aunt’s comment reflects Milkman’s desire to know everything about his family and his past, truly searching for whom he really is. Milkman’s obsession with the past is not only seen during his visit to his aunt’s, but during the Sunday trips in the car, where he mentions that he doesn’t like travelling backwards as he doesn’t know how the trees and people got there, he isn’t certain of their path, their past. The protagonist’s rebellious behavior, when visiting his aunt against his father’s will, responds to his desire of knowing more about his family, his roots, himself.
Similarly, Milkman’s obsession with the past responds to his disregard of the future. During this same visit at his aunt’s home, Milkman concludes that his necessity of knowing what was behind him “was becoming a habit – this concentration on things behind him. Almost as though there were no future to be had” (Morrison, 35). Notice how the first sentence can be understood as the obsession of knowing about the objects that are behind him or the obsession of knowing about his past. Morrison uses this to implant the second sentence, reflecting another of Milkman’s thoughts. This reminded me of Borge’s short story, Funes the Memorious, where he narrates the story of a man who could describe every leaf of a tree he once saw, or learn Latin by only looking at a dictionary and memorize a book by reading it once. Funes, much in the same way as Milkman, tries to conquer his memory, understanding his past and making something useful of it.
Furthermore, Milkman searches for the origin of his last name by consulting with his father. Macon tells the story of how his father had to register with a drunk agent of the Freedman’s Bureau who messed up his name. He later says that his mother liked how it came out to be: “Mama liked it. Liked the name. Said it was new and would wipe out the past. Wipe it all out” (Morrison, 54). The reader might glance through each of those short-lived sentences without noticing how they mirror a true recount of something stored in one’s memory, how it comes by pieces, how it repeats itself. I find it interesting how Morrison highlights that “wipe it all out” piece. I suppose it refers to their previous life as slaves. Clearly, Song of Solomon deals with the social conflicts of a “free” people who adapt to white life. Milkman’s search for the truth behind his name and family demonstrates the necessity of knowing their new role in society and letting go of that which he is obsessed with: the past.
Similarly, Milkman’s obsession with the past responds to his disregard of the future. During this same visit at his aunt’s home, Milkman concludes that his necessity of knowing what was behind him “was becoming a habit – this concentration on things behind him. Almost as though there were no future to be had” (Morrison, 35). Notice how the first sentence can be understood as the obsession of knowing about the objects that are behind him or the obsession of knowing about his past. Morrison uses this to implant the second sentence, reflecting another of Milkman’s thoughts. This reminded me of Borge’s short story, Funes the Memorious, where he narrates the story of a man who could describe every leaf of a tree he once saw, or learn Latin by only looking at a dictionary and memorize a book by reading it once. Funes, much in the same way as Milkman, tries to conquer his memory, understanding his past and making something useful of it.
Furthermore, Milkman searches for the origin of his last name by consulting with his father. Macon tells the story of how his father had to register with a drunk agent of the Freedman’s Bureau who messed up his name. He later says that his mother liked how it came out to be: “Mama liked it. Liked the name. Said it was new and would wipe out the past. Wipe it all out” (Morrison, 54). The reader might glance through each of those short-lived sentences without noticing how they mirror a true recount of something stored in one’s memory, how it comes by pieces, how it repeats itself. I find it interesting how Morrison highlights that “wipe it all out” piece. I suppose it refers to their previous life as slaves. Clearly, Song of Solomon deals with the social conflicts of a “free” people who adapt to white life. Milkman’s search for the truth behind his name and family demonstrates the necessity of knowing their new role in society and letting go of that which he is obsessed with: the past.
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