Nobody comes up from the sea as late as this in the day and the season, and nobody else goes down the last steep kilometre, wet-metalled where a shower passed shredding the light which keeps pouring out of its tank in the sky, through summits, trees, vapours thickening and thinning. Too credibly by half celestial, the dammed reservoir up there keeps emptying while the light lasts over the sea where ‘it gathers the gold against it’. The light is bits of crushed rock randomly glinting underfoot, wetted by the short shower, and down you go and so in its way does the sun which gets there first. Boys, two of them, turn campfirelit faces, a hesitancy to speak is a hesitancy of the earth rolling back and away behind this man going down to the sea with a bag to pick mussels, having an arrangement with the tide, the ocean to be shallowed three point seven meters, one hour’s light to be left, and there’s the excrescent moon sponging off the last of it. A door slams, a heavy wave, a door, the sea-floor shudders. Down you go alone, so late, into the surge-black fissure. source-https://poetryprof.com/you-will-know-when-you-get-there/ Question- In what ways does Curnow create a mysterious atmosphere in this poem? Answer-
Allen Curnow's "You will Know When You Get There" revolves around the journey man embarks on, of life where the ultimate destination is death. Curnow uses an array of images mainly those of visual and chromatic in order to develop the atmosphere. He induces mystery by employing the theme of man vs death as well as the unknown magnitude of nature's power. Curnow depicts a remote and isolated atmosphere in the poem by intricately weaving in diverse images.The image of "nobody (coming) up" and "nobody (going) down" helps conveys the depth of the destination.It also emphasises on how no one desires to end up there and how hard is it to reach there.This helps garner the reader's attention and convey the remoteness of the atmosphere.The development of the kinaesthetic image of the "sunlight" falling with the "showers" portrays a very satisfying yet strange setting.This is a metaphor used by Curnow to his aid in order to elucidate the transience of joy in man's life.The "reservoir" emptying while the "light lasts" furthermore augments the previous image's effect.It also enhance our understanding on the inextricable link between joy and melancholy.The chromatic image of the "god gathering' against "crushed rocks" creates a contrast with the dark mysterious atmosphere of the "late" time and the depth of the sea.This helps portray the enigma of the atmosphere Curnow is describing.All these images contribute to building up the mysterious atmosphere to elevate the effect of the themes. Curnow successfully presents the mysteries of life and death in an attempt to intensify the strange atmosphere.The "last kilometre" being "steep" paints a picture of the the end to life's journey being hard.The image painted of a rocky surface confirms how the journey is filled with ups and downs.It also emphasises on how pain can lead to solace by the end of the journey.He brings about the happiness present through the images of the "light" and the "campfire lit faces" of the boys before they are faced with the calamity of death.The contrast helps convey the rocky journey of life and how we should accept it as it is.The sea being a metaphor for death additionally adds onto to the drab and demonic image built of it as no one is aware of what awaits us after death.Curnow plays on the fear instilled in man regarding death to build up the odd atmosphere.Towards the end the portrayal of the man "having an arrangement with the tides" sheds light upon the intensity of the fear within man.This essentially has a positive impact in maintaining the peculiar atmosphere.This theme of death bleeds into the theme of uncertainty and fear which helps Curnow reinforce the strange and gloomy atmosphere. Furthermore, Curnow uses his imagination to explicate the image of nature's power and its unknown magnitude.The sinister image of the moon "sponging off the last of" "the light" conveys a sense of urgency of nature in order to claim the man.The image helps us readers imagine a setting where light is diminishing hence making the perfect atmosphere for death to claim man in the dead of the night.As the moon snatches "the last" of the light, we realise something ominous is about to take place.The "vapours thickening and thinning" again contributes to a sense of uncertainty and fright of the impending events.The contrast also helps us effectively visualise the highs and lows of life and how they are interconnected.Subsequently it portrays nature's power in being able to change so rapidly.The last line wholly emphasises on nature's infinite power inducing a sense of curiosity in the reader's minds.Curnow introduces words such as "heavy wave","so late","sea floor shudders","slams","surge black fissure" in oder to elaborate on the unsettling atmosphere towards the end of the journey. Curnow's choice of diction and devices is a vital component of this poem as it reiterates the mysterious nature of the ideas presented to reflect the atmosphere present.The repetition of "hesitancy" conveys a sense of pause in life that remains unjustified.This could act as a metaphor to illustrate the short lived joys that come along the way of life's journey.The singularity of the manis highlighted by the poet when he says "down you go","down you go alone" hinting to how this journey is unique for everyone and we are unaware of the diverse routes however the final destination for everyone remains the same.This helps relieve the tension as there is comfort in knowing the end is shared by everyone but we still remain in the dark as to anything that happens post death.Lastly the diction along "wet metalled" along the path conveys handrails to provide support to anyone who embarks on the "last kilometre" which only ends in death.This is his method of explaining that even though death may seem desirable at times, we should refrain from voluntarily obtaining it as otherwise it is even more painful.This helps maintain the uncertainty that revolves around the atmosphere. Curnow efficiently helps convey the fundamental theme of the poem through the development of the mysterious atmosphere.The poet utilises many literary devices to put forth the atmosphere and his ideas to the readers, namely his choice of various imageries and diction.He embeds the themes of nature's power , death and uncertainty to portray the mysterious atmosphere.
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White sky, over the hemlocks bowed with snow,
Saw you not at the beginning of evening the antlered buck and his doe Standing in the apple-orchard? I saw them. I saw them suddenly go, Tails up, with long leaps lovely and slow, Over the stone-wall into the wood of hemlocks bowed with snow. Now lies he here, his wild blood scalding the snow. How strange a thing is death, bringing to his knees, bringing to his antlers The buck in the snow. How strange a thing,—a mile away by now, it may be, Under the heavy hemlocks that as the moments pass Shift their loads a little, letting fall a feather of snow-- Life, looking out attentive from the eyes of the doe. [Source: Songs of Ourselves Volume 2] Question: How does Millay make the suddenness of death so disturbing in the poem? “The Buck in the snow” by Edna St. Vincent Millay is a poignant description of the death of a buck. Millay makes the suddenness with which death strikes so utterly disturbing by juxtaposing life with death, by conveying the quick departure of death and the sentiments it evokes within spectators. Millay portrays the beauty of the buck and the life it withheld to make its abrupt death more poignant. In the line “long leaps lovely and slow”, she uses the lilting ‘l’ sound to bring out the lyrical moments of the Buck. The line mimics the grace and beauty with which the Buck moves. Further, the ‘o’ sounds in “over the stone…bowed with snow” reflect the pulse that the Buck vibrates with. Millay draws the readers’ attention to the Buck’s grace and energy and then disrupts the readers awe with the jarring line “Now lies he here, his wild blood scalding the snow”. The line breaks the rhythm of the poem, effectively conveying the abruptness of death. The phrase “wild blood” conveys to the reader the absolute, intense vigour the Buck was filled with, and the juxtaposition of the hot “blood” with the cold “snow” intensifies the undesirable and disturbing nature of death. The Bucks lifelessness is made all the more poignant because of how much liveliness and energy his existence contained. The abrupt departure of death after robbing the Buck of its life presents death as an inevitable and indifferent force, disturbing the readers further. Millay suggests that death may be “a mile away by now”, conveying its rampant movements and its nonchalance towards the victims it has left behind. The phrase “as the moments pass” convey the unstoppable passage of time irrespective of what has taken place. The leap of the Buck from one realm to another “over the stone wall” is symbolic of the quickness with which death transcends from one victim to the next. Death leaves the elements containing life helpless; the “hemlocks” are commonly recognised as a symbol of protectionism yet are “bowed with snow” - the burden of death. Even as death strikes, they merely spectate and gently “let fall a feather of snow”. The helplessness of these elements when faced with the unpredictable nature of death and its own callous tendency of moving from one victim to the next makes it seem utterly disturbing to readers. Millay stirs readers as she expresses the sentiments that the sudden strike of death has evoked within the doe and herself. The poem concludes on a moving note, as readers visualise a does, with “life, looking out attentive from [its] eyes”. The doe, upon witnessing the Buck’s abrupt death, is awakened and alert. It is as if she has come to the realisation that death can strike arbitrarily, and she too will one day be helpless in the face of death. The speaker herself broods over the absurdity of death and the tone turns rather contemplative. The repetition of “how strange a thing, how strange a thing” characterises her uncontrollable sentiments as she fails to structure them in a composed manner. The vision of death brings her to the state where her words are merely an outpour of emotions, effectively conveying how unprepared both she and the doe were, to spectate the arrival of death. Millay effectively conveys vivid visual images and uses the tone of the poem as a tool to convey the suddenness of death. She moves readers to the point where they are left contemplative and disturbed. this is achieved through the conveyance of the Buck’s liveliness and by a combination of philosophical muses - the abrupt departure of death and its lasting effect on whoever it brushed past. Q: In the poem ‘London Snow’, how does the poet express his awe and wonder for the snow?The poem ‘London Snow’, by Robert Bridges, beautifully describes in detail the effect of snowfall on the city of London and its people. The poet has very effectively portrayed his awe towards the snow through the very detailed description and its heavenly experience. The poem not only describes the beauty of the snow-filled landscape but also reflects the admiration of the people towards it.
The poet has dexterously showcased the movement of the snow through powerful imagery. The snow has been personified to show it to be moving ‘stealthily’ and ‘loosely lying’. By employing kinesthetic imagery , gives an impression that the snowfall was unexpected and unstoppable, which is shown through the use of the word ‘incessantly’. It is shown to be moving ‘lazily’ an continuously; ‘down and down’. The alliteration of the letter ‘d’ helps the readers visualise the impact of the unstoppable snow. The sibilance in ‘silently sifting’ and the metaphor in ‘veiling’ accompanied by the alliterative triad of hard sounding man-made objects, give a contrasting effect and play an important role in showcasing that the snow covers up the faults and irregularities, ‘making unevenness even’. These extravagant details about the snow are the poet’s way of showcasing his admiration for it. Another way the poet communicates his awe is by portraying it through the reaction of the people in the poem. The ‘unaccustomed brightness’ of the snow ‘marvelled’ the people with its ‘dazzling whiteness’, uplifting their spirits. The repetition of the word ‘marvelled’ stresses on the amazement experienced by the people. The sibilance and personification of air in ‘stillness of the solemn air’ creates a mystical atmosphere, showcasing the amazement of the people. This brings the audience’s attention to the central theme of the poem; humans are so burdened by their work and chores that they can admire the snow only for a little time, which makes this experience even more important and amazing. This divine and surreal experience of the snow gives joy to the people in the poem, which reflects the poet’s own feelings towards snow. Moreover, the experience of the snow has been displayed to be a heavenly one. The poet has described the snow to be falling directly from heaven, which makes the whole experience divine, majestic and surreal. The poet has used biblical reference to describe the snow to be ‘manna’, making the entire experience more magical, further connecting it to the heavens, giving an impression that this is God-sent. The personified sun shining its ‘sparkling beams’ by the ‘Paul’s high dome’ expresses the ‘beams’ to be the presence of God, which emphasises on the whole event being mystical through this use of imagery. The entire occurrence to be described in such a phenomenal way reflects the poet’s awe for the snow. The effect of the snow on the city of London is another way through which the poet conveys his wonder for the snow. He showcases the event of the snow to have made the town unusually quiet, the place to have become a ‘drowsy town’ with no noise of the ‘latest traffic’. The onomatopoeia in ‘hushing’ and the visual and aural imagery of ‘deadening, muffling, stifling its murmurs’ shows the lack of sound in the city because the snowfall has temporarily made the people unaware of the morning and the tasks that come with it. The poet appreciates the snow for covering up all the faults and differences in society, ‘making unevenness even’, so it can all seem perfect and equal for some time. The manner in which the snow has become a ‘veil’ for the town brings joy to the people which can be seen when the boys cry ‘O look at the trees!’ Their excitement for the ‘white mossed wonder’ covering the entire place represents the poet’s own astonishment for the snow. Furthermore, the poet has used contrasting words and ideas to bring out his fascination with the snow. The contrast in colour in ‘white flakes falling on city brown’, is set to show the difference before and after the snowfall. These colours are also used as symbols, white symbolises joy which is brought upon the dull gloomy ‘city brown’. Contrast can be noticed to portray the monotonous existence of humans who ‘tread long brown paths’ to the momentary illusion of the ‘sights of beauty that greets them’. The poet is also seen describing snow to be heavenly as well as having a ‘strange, unheavenly glare’, contradicting himself, conveying that settled snow seems unnatural, when it was falling, it was pure. The structure in which he has written this poem and the themes that he encloses within, illustrate his delight and wonder for the snow. The poem is considered to be a sensory feast to the readers through the excessive use of imagery, which amplifies the entire experience. The visual imagery used throughout the poem illustrates a perfect picture of snowfall in the town in London. Lots of figurative language has been used to capture the senses to help create a more effective picture. The entire poem is written in one long stanza, as it’s almost telling the ‘story’ of the way the unexpected snow has changed London life. The Longer final line acts to emphasise the final point that ‘real’ life intrudes to break the spell cast by the snow. The regular, yet somewhat unusual rhyme scheme captures the regular but unexpected nature of snow. The tone and mood of the poem creates a memorable impression of this mysterious, unusual snow-covered city landscape, capturing the different reactions to create a composite view of the impact the snow has. This makes the overall impression magical, marvellous and memorable. Therefore, through the efficient and striking description of the snow, its effect on the town and its people, the poet has done an outstanding job in effectively conveying his wonder for the snow. |