Register Theory in Poetry Analysis - Essay Example

? Poetry Analysis The Anvil is a poem written from the perspective of boy or a young man who describes his daily activities as a black smith’s apprentice who happens to be his father. It is immediately apparent that the setting of the poem is in a rural setting from the description given of goatskin bellows and the reference to the old village. The poem’s themes include alienation and human conflict as characterized by the relocation of the old village’s inhabitants to the hill camp. The young man and his father buried their tools of trade in the village before departing to the hill camp because they were of no use to them at the camp. Human conflict is illustrated by the fact that the young man’s father gets into an altercation with the government personnel and he gets his nose broken. The father dies two days later, and he is buried in a shallow grave where he is exhumed by hyenas that eat his remains through the night. The young man is alienated from his community and homeland an aspect that is apparent by his own admission that he has not seen his people for several years. The utility of their wares of trade are depicted as being useless in the new hill camp to illustrate how the government negatively influences its citizenry in the name of development. The use of metaphors is illustrated where the narrator says the hyenas laugh all night after he buried his father in a shallow grave. The laughing hyenas represent the government that is the cause of their misery; fate can also be construed to be laughing at the people’s predicament of being left without a vocation to earn a living from. Change is represented is represented by the new government job and Cadillac that the young man acquires in the south. The theme of human conflict is further illustrated by the fact that people from the young man’s region are referred to as ‘northerners’ and they are not welcome in the south. This fact amplifies the theme of alienation that is brought about by human conflict, where people are ignored and discriminated against by their government and political leadership. War Birds is a poem whose core purpose is to celebrate and appreciate nature, the environment and the landscape upon which the poet bases the poem. The poem employs a lot of imagery and symbolism to represent what is held dear by both nature and humans. The boys described in the poem are herds’ boys looking after livestock in the wild open landscape where they are depicted as observant and knowledgeable individuals. The use of similes is rife in this poem as illustrated by its use in describing the movement of various bird species amongst themselves and the vegetation. “A green-glossed paradise flycatcher, flitting through the undergrowth like an orange flame”, represents an example. This is an indication of the poet’s skill in applying different poetic devises to make the poem interesting and eliminate monotony. The War Birds is a poem that portrays man’s relationship with nature, which is shown to form a basic component of the characters in the poem. There is no clear-cut characterization in the poem, but the reader gets the notion that the characters might be young individuals or young at heart. The title of the poem is in contrast to its context, and the mood it instills in the reader. This is despite that the poet is able to create the imagery of birds at war with the use of war language. There is the use of thirst for revenge, vigorous, aggressive and expressive words like revving up of wings, and bringing out of bows and arrows to sling the invaders out. Despite all of this figurative language, the poem does not deliver on its title’s promise of war, but it instead delivers a blissful essence of elegance and the wondrous joys of nature (Xiaotang, 2002). The poet also uses other literal works to enrich his poem and a good example is the use of a bible passage that says ‘the meek shall inherit the earth’. This verse in the poem is out of context and drives the reader to seek a deeper meaning for the poem and what other themes might be underlying the poem’s exterior. On the Vipya is a poem that describes the beauty and the transcendental themes of the narrator’s environment that is reminiscent of a horrific atrocity that occurred there in the past. The poem is nostalgic in the sense that people still remember the crime that happened at the banks of this lake. This is despite of the poet’s efforts at depicting the surrounding environment in a very positive and interesting light full of imagery and symbolism. The author of this poem is skillful in the use of suspense since the reader yearns to know the need of this positive energy and mood that is created in the poem (Xiaotang, 2002). The title of the poem has significance in the sense that it is the most distinct vegetation that surrounds the lake. There is the use of symbolism and humanization of objects. The waters from the springs are depicted as flaming waters with shimmers of unforgettable memories. This artistic devise is used to further the meaning of a theme and increase substantive value of an aspect in a poem. The humanization of the Vipya and its rivulets, the waterfalls and the lake is illustrated by the when the author says that they have tales to tell. The use of descriptive analogy is present in this poem where the author describes the nature and figure of the features in the environment. What I Like Best is a representation of a comparative analogy of two sides of a scenario that has the equal probability of happening. The poem describes the properties and details of both scenarios and closes/ends the poem by asking the reader to choose which scenario suit them best. There is irony in the poem, which can only be discerned if the reader considers that author’s emphasis on the noises from both scenarios. The first scenario in the poem is a representation of plentiful period with a bountiful harvest where there are various noises in the air. The second scenario is characterized by a time of drought and famine where there are reduced noises in the air due the suffering of people. The little voices that can be heard are people groaning due to pain and suffering from hunger. The choice that is given by the author is to choose between a quiet environment and a noisy ambience. Charged with Treason is a poetic narration of an injustice perpetrated on an old woman by a new wave of change brought into the land by new governance structures and Christian beliefs. This is a poem that depicts a community’s struggle and the quest to realize and relinquish its eroded past. The tone of the poem is portrayed in a lamenting and regretful manner that portrays the community’s yearning for justice and an end to authoritarian oppression. There is a mix of stylistic devises in the poem where the author uses the first person and second stance to give conflicting views on the poem (Xiaotang, 2002). Ululation to the Moon is a figurative poem that describes the beauty of the moon and its effect on the landscape and the people who inhabit that land. The poem is full of symbolism and imagery that is used to give the poem a lustful appeal. The poem can be interpreted from various perspectives that give the potential to harbor different meanings. Humanization is also present in this poem where the moon is likened to an appealing woman who elicits profane thoughts in the character of the poem. Search for a bride is a figurative poem that depicts a young man’s quest to find the love of his life through a journey through the ridges and valleys of his homeland. It describes his arsenal of wooing tactics to the reader, which gives the colorful and joyful imagery of the young man’s determination to win over his bride. The author in instances in the poem employs the use of imagery, where the character quips that he would engulf his bride with the fire of his loins (Xiaotang, 2002). This is also symbolic in the sense that he intends to illustrate the passion that he has have for his bride. Thoza View is a poem depicting the narrator’s landscape and thee nature of its people who have unbridled perspectives about their rulers. The leaders of Thoza are depicted as individuals who are inconsiderate of their subjects. This illustrated where the narrator says that their land’s ancestors and conquerors got buried with their slaves. This is a sign of selfishness and inhuman behavior. War birds and Ululation to the new moon are two poems that that share the characteristic of having transcendental themes about the environment that are brought out in the poem in a celebratory tone and mood. Thoza View, On the Vipya and The Anvil are poetic appreciations of nature and the environment that are marred by unfortunate and terrible incidences that water down the wonderful imagery that the author seeks to portray. Charged with Treason is more of a regretful lament by a community’s representative on the atrocities that they have allowed to be perpetrated upon their kin. Search for Bride is a celebration of human love and the power it endows an individual. What I Like Best is a satirical poem that delves into the intricacies and schools of thought that predispose human beings to mete out terrible atrocities on their fellow less privileged humans. The choice between a quiet and serene ambience at the expense of other people who are ravaged by hunger, drought and famine is given as the main theme of the poem. Reference Xiaotang, C. (2002). The Register Theory Applied to the Semantic and Pragmatic Analysis of a Poem [J]. Foreign Languages and Their Teaching, 4, 003. Read More

 

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