Biblical Allusions in Hart Cranes The Broken Tower - Essay Example

No: Biblical Allusions in Hart Crane’s “The Broken Tower” The Broken Tower is a poem by Hart Crane is composed of many allusions and like any other poem; it tries to pass out some information indirectly. The biblical allusions and echoes are seen throughout the poem. Although the poem has many metaphors, allusions are equally used in this poem. Biblical allusions and echoes in the poem begin from the title itself “The Broken Tower.” the allusion of the broken tower as brought about in this poem as a biblical allusion of “The Tower of Babel.” Here the poet tries to bring about a meaning as it is portrayed in the topic of the poem. It generally means that there was a fall basically pointing to a distant past in history. According to this writer and as portrayed though the poem, there was a fall or breaking. In the bible, the tower of Babel fell at some point in history. The fall came after some higher or define influence came and caused some misunderstanding amongst the people. Equally as shown in the poem, the writer ties to put across some discord that was displayed and which came though misunderstandings therefore, causing some kind of a fall represented by the biblical tower of Babel. The poem begins with “The bell-rope that gathers God at dawn". The word God is biblical and here we see a connection between God and the bell-rope. The poet here seems to point out a long time period or history whereby some history is gathered that point out to God. The word dawn on the other hand is the connection and the timeliness of the period in which the history is gathered. The rope could further mean. This rope which is seen as what is able to bring God to mean that it is a connection between the people and God himself. The next phrase “Dispatches me as though I dropped down the kneel” still points out to this rope. In the third line of the first stanza another biblical word “Cathedral” is used which basically means a church. It brings out more the connection between God and the people and brining them to a place of worship which is a church (Cathedral) (Yorty, 2013). The meaning of wandering the cathedral law. The last sentence of this first stanza has two biblical words “crucifix” and “hell” which are used still to show the connection between the consequences the connection to God that it can cause one to be crucified which in essence is close to hell. The second stanza seems to be a continuation of the message that was put across in the first stanza. There is devotion to the divine who is the source of the gifts and this devotion is early done early. The corps also being a symbol of the shadow from the dead or in hell as previously pointed the cause of death if there is no connection with God. The thirds stanza starts with the word bells which is a connection with the first stanza where there was bells ringing in the church (Yorty, 2013). The bells ringing is said to have broken their tower down. This means that the bell is a biblical prophetic message that was so powerful that could not be contained. This powerful message is further explained on how it can go though the membrane. This is what the bible says about the word of God that it can be able to penetrate anywhere. There is no difficult situation that can be able to prevent the word of God from reaching the people. The broken interval is a time period in which this message goes to the desired recipients. The bible talks about a timely message to each and every individual and this is that the poet brings out by using these words. Stanza four emphasizes further on the sound of bells which was previously on first and second stanzas (Yorty, 2013). The emphasis means that the power of these sounds was great and that there was several ways the bells could ring as it is represented with heaping canyons, choir and banked voices. As revealed in the bible, the world of God can be passed to the people in different ways though different people and talents as given by God. This stanza emphasizes that the sounds of the bells echoed so powerfully that they could destroy other sounds. This is what the bible says about the word of God. The word of God is able to destroy other forces created by Satan. The poem in stanza five begins with the poet talking of entering the broken world (Yorty, 2013). The broken world is taken from the previous sections to mean the broken world or tower. The bible talks about this the differences brought about by sin. As earlier stated though the tower of Babel, this tower brought differences and division among the people in the earth. Equally the broken world is as a result of the sins that has made the tower fall or break hence “the broken world”. The visionary company of love and its voice is taken to be the voice of God that unites the broken world. As the bible says that God is Love, and that the word of God though his voice brings unity to all. The world “instant in the wind” shows the speed of this word of God. By using the word instant, it shows its swiftness. The bible also talks about how the word of God can spread like wild fire and cover a very large area within a very short time. The last part of this stanza also talks about reaching a desperate choice in a short while. This still signifies the swiftness of the word of God to reach those who are hungry for it. The sixth stanza starts with the words “my word I poured” (Yorty, 2013). This word differs from the ones used in the previous stanzas but again it brings out the continued meaning of what was there previously. Biblically, the word here would mean God’s word. The pouring of the world would mean the preaching of the world of God. This would be able to connect well with the previous message of the word of God being able to unite and the division brought about by Satan on the other hand destroying and breaking. The word “tribunal monarch of the air” brings out the previous message on the word of God (Yorty, 2013). As this stanza being a continuation of a previous message, it talks about the word of God being able to spread though the air among many and different kingdoms of the world represented by the word monarch. The word of God as is pointed out in the bible is able to go though any kingdom and nation passing though all difficulties and hindrances offered by any man and leadership structures whatsoever. The third line of this stanza talks of a crystal word that strikes. As continued form the previous lines, this is just a continuation of the work of God’s word on the earth. It is able to bring a great effect to the people. The stanza ends with the poet wondering (Yorty, 2013). He tries to give a view of the effects of either obeying or disobeying this word which is either hope or despair. The bible fully supports this since the word of God teaches people and gives them a choice either to follow God and live or disobey God and perish. These two choices is what the poet tries to put across when he uses hope and despair. The poet at this point tries to go more personal on his own life experience. He wonders whether his actions could have any effect on the lofty tower. This stanza tries to narrow the point more by individualizing the issue about the tower and what an individual’s actions can have on the fall of the tower. The bible points out clearly that although the struggle between good and evil is a wide war between God and Satan, it comes back to individuals where each and every individual is judged according to his/her deeds. When the writer of this poem wonders of his blood left him, this is right since he wants to be sure whether he did good or bad from what is expected of him. In other words he is asking for Devine intervention on this because he cannot find an answer. Which is right since man has no power over Devine power and he/she has to ask for intervention. When the writer talks of mortality stirring power, this shows the importance and the Devine nature attached to the source of this power. Earlier in the stanza, it talks about what holds the mighty tower. It is then evident that the Devine power referred to here is God who can be able to sustain the universe referred here to be the tower. This stanza continues with the woes and worries that the writer has concerning the Devine power. The poet talks about pulse and strokes he heard (Yorty, 2013). The bible talks about the thunder sounds and earthquakes that come with the power of God. The poet goes further and talks of a revival that he was able to recall from his veins. This is an important aspect of the Christian life. The revival of one’s life when the person is controlled by God, the change in their lives cause a revival and the change is felt from the person himself and even others will be able to see the change. This is what the bible calls repentance and change of life experience and works after receiving God in one’s life. When the writer talks about the angelus of wars evoked by his chest, this is basically the battle that will come up in his life when he makes a decision represented by his chest as the hearth. Therefore, a decision to follow God would cause a kind of war in his life between the good and the evil. This is what exactly the bible talks about of what happens in a life of man. There is a choice to leave a sinful life and live a Godly life. At this point in life, a person makes a decision to follow the way of God. This choice is always a war between the Godly and the evil angels in a life of a person. Therefore, when a decision is made, war is evoked at that point in time. The writer further gives a feeling that he has after making such a choice. He says that he is healed and what he holds is now original and pure. Which is actually what the bible teachers about what a person feels after giving their lives to God. The bible says that the person lives a new life and sees things different and not the way they used to be. The stanza takes the meaning of the tower another step higher. At the beginning of stanza one, the word tower was used and it represented the actual construction made of stone. There was a biblical representation of the tower of Babel for the same. The definition of a tower at this point in time is more than just a construction by stone. As it was during the old days when man constructed the tower of Babel, they were not successful since God would not compete with man and that lead to the destruction of the tower. The poet here talks about haven not being able to be covered by stone. This is very true since from the previous example of the tower of Babel also, man was not successful to reach heaven with their construction of a stone tower. This shows the power held by the Devine God and that by man. Even though man can work very hard, he will not be able to reach God. As the stanza ends, the poet talks about the peace that will come symbolized by wings of silence. This peace also increases to widen and deepen (Yorty, 2013). This is the power of God being able to reach to the lives of man and to be able to rule their lives fully and with the passing of time, they will be able to grow and know God more and more with each passing day. This is what exactly what the bible says of the continuous growth in God, whereby, a person will be able to grow from one glory to the other as time goes by. The last stanza wraps it wall by talking of the heart which is the source of all the great deeds and works a person does. It goes further to talk of it being able to shrine the quiet lake and swell a tower. This verse brings the source of all the power to its root which is the heart. This is used in the bible also since the bible says that the source of any action that man does is from his/her heart. That is why it is taken by the poet here to be the matrix that lifts eyes down, swells a tower and shrines the quiet lake. On the other hand, the source of Devine power which is able to control the decorum of the sky, unleash the earth and lift love on its shower (Yorty, 2013). This is the mighty power that is in total control of the universe. The stanza generally summarizes on the kind of powers that controls the universe and the human live. As previously mentioned, God is the one in control of the whole universe and also he controls the human life by all means. This fact is evidenced from the bible when it says that he (God) created the earth and gave man to take care of it. The bible also further says that the earth and all that is in it belongs to God. Therefore, God has control over man and the universe as it is portrayed by the last stanza of this poem. Work Cited Yorty, D. (2013). The Broken Tower by Hart Crane read by Tennessee Williams. Retrieved 2nd April, 2013 from; http://vimeo.com/58256615 Read More