Language Shapes Meaning - Essay Example

Literary Analysis Some poems that are written gain a lot more meaning in their words when the reader understands the history behind the poem. This is mostly because of the way that language shapes meaning. Many words that we use in our language are actually very abstract. They have a meaning, but this meaning is strongly influenced by the other words found around them. In many cases, these meanings are given further nuance when taken into context with the history behind a given poem, such as realizing that it was written during a specific time period or that major world events were taking place at that time. When reading a poem such as “A Song on the End of the World” by Czeslaw Milosz, one has the option of learning the history behind the poem since the poem makes sense either way, but a great deal more meaning can be gleaned from it when history is taken into account. The poem presents a picture of what seems to be a very peaceful day. The author shows his readers the insects drifting over the flowers, the daily peaceful activities of the people as they mend nets, take leisurely walks, sell vegetables, consider napping on a green lawn, tend to their gardens and play music that greets the night time sky. Animals are present too as the birds play in some remnant rain water, a snake moves through the area and “happy porpoises jump in the sea” (4). There is nothing overly aggressive or threatening in the scene presented other than the author’s assertion that this is the day the world ended. In presenting these descriptions, the author works to use as few abstract terms as possible, giving the reader a sense that he is being very specific as to his subject. However, this is somewhat misleading as it becomes clear that none of these actions, each an indication of a quiet, small-town lifestyle, provide any specific detail as to where these actions are taking place. The closest he comes to providing actual specifics as to location is when he points to a “yellow-sailed boat” that “comes nearer the island” (11). The porpoises are ‘happy’, the bee ‘circles’ and the people are ‘disappointed’, but each of these abstract terms are given specific definition by their context within the poem. This confines the reader on the page and within the vision the author is bringing forward. The way in which Milosz wrote this poem seems to discourage people from looking beyond the text of the poem itself for meaning. Although some abstract terms are used, as has been discussed, they are used in specific ways that seem to indicate they mean only what they are intended to mean. The scene presented is very specific, limiting interpretation of the actions occurring to nothing more than a casual afternoon leading into evening. Things are starting to calm down toward evening as the boat comes closer to shore, the ladies are relaxing and the town drunk has come to the end of his latest bender. What becomes puzzling, though, is the way in which the author continues to insist that this very peaceful day is actually the end of the world. Even the characters within his poem do not seem to acknowledge the doom about to fall. “And those who expected signs and archangels’ trumps / Do not believe it is happening now / … / No one believes it is happening now” (16-21). Working simply within the context of the poem itself, the reader comes to understand that this scene, which could be happening almost anywhere, is the calming peace immediately before everything is destroyed without warning and without time to prepare for the attack. References to Biblical passages that indicate the signs of the end of the world suggests that the end approaching is either immediately cataclysmic or it is insidious – sneaking up on the people like an odorless poison – but it is not the work of God. However, the poem also suggests that this doom has sent out warning signals for those capable of paying attention to it. The old man who would be a prophet has seen these signs, recognized them for what they are and, realizing that there’s nothing he can do to prevent what’s coming, focuses on enjoying the last moments of peace he can find. His mutterings at the end of the poem, “There will be no other end of the world,” trap the reader within the poem’s context and prevent him from interpreting the end of the world as simply the end of the day – a metaphor suggesting the concept that each day introduces a new beginning. At the very end of the poem, in italicized letters, is printed the words Warsaw 1944. This last line seems out of place, given that the poem is already dated and the poem has so carefully avoided making any reference to specific, identifiable landmarks. Seeing this line causes the reader to return to the poem from an entirely different perspective, taking history into account. The date and location given instructs the reader that this poem was written at about the time that Poland was overtaken by the Nazi Germans in their bid for world domination. The country was given to the Nazis with little or no resistance, as is represented by the peaceful activities of the people in the poem. What Milosz presents for the reader is thus a lamb presented for slaughter with only a few old men understanding the bigger issues involved and the red bloodshed and destruction to follow represented by his tying the tomatoes. With this historical reference, each line takes on greater meaning and symbolism – the bee can be seen as the Nazis, circling around the sweet peace of the people of Poland, the yellow-sailed boat moves in closer and the fisherman mends his nets, both ensuring full domination. The young sparrows become symbolic of the innocent people of Poland while the golden-skinned snake of the Nazi’s Aryan Army lurks nearby. The peaceful scene found on first reading the poem becomes a scene full of threat and impending destruction. Rather than seeing the poem at its surface, as many of the characters of the poem seem to understand their day, reading the poem within its historical context opens it up to the much deeper and more frightening image seen by the white-haired old man at the end. Although Milosz’s poem can be pleasant and easily understood on one level even without understanding the historical context, it might puzzle the reader as to why the poem should receive such strong attention over other poems that seem to present a peaceful countryside. The poem doesn’t do a lot on its own to encourage its readers to look beyond the words of the poem, but the constant insistence that the world is about to end in spite of this peaceful scene finally forces the reader to look a little further. The hint they need is contained within the last line where the author dates and places the poem. In this final specific, the historic context is finally brought into play and the poem shifts into an entirely different meaning. The various characters and actions become much more threatening and threatened. As the vision of the old man reveals, once this element of the poem is revealed, there is no going back to understanding the poem as a peaceful afternoon near the sea. This significant difference in understanding the meaning of the poem indicates how important context can be in understanding the ideas of poetry and why it is important to understand something of the author. Outline Introduction Thesis statement: When reading a poem such as “A Song on the End of the World” by Czeslaw Milosz, one has the option of learning the history behind the poem since the poem makes sense either way, but a great deal more meaning can be gleaned from it when history is taken into account. Upon First Reading The poem’s presentation without external context Use of abstracts Internal Context Understanding the poem at face value Hints of deeper meaning External Context Historic hint at the end of the poem How this affects the poem’s meaning Conclusion Read More