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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