Gwen Harwood Essay

Gwen Harwoods poetry is steeped in Romantic traditions and is underpinned by humanist concerns. My doublel interpretation is that Harwoods poetry engages refs through its poetical treatment of pass and consolation as well as its exploration of universal themes about human populace and the processes of life.Harwoods poetry validates the satisfying influence of childhood go throughs upon boastful development explicit in At Mornington which explores unrivalled sense of outrage and consolidation go through in the cycle of life from birth to death. Harwood explores one transitory nature of life in her lyrical poem The Violets, revealing the counsel in which computer memory can illustrate agone experiences that will resonate in the present offering consolation.Furthermore Harwoods poetry is characterised by an over-arching existential quest for essence and consolation as experienced through her exploration of love in A Valediction. Whilst the notion that Harwoods poetry en gages readers through its poetic treatment of loss and consolation resonates with my own interpretation of her poems, readers are also engaged through Harwoods exploration of universal truisms.A contemplation of human existence and one way in which one cycle of life is characterised by loss and consolation as a pervading theme throughout Harwoods poetry. In At Mornington past, present and future experiences are united through the poems fragmented structure and poetic treatment experiences of loss of naivety and consolation in order to shut in the cycle of life characteristic of one human experience. Furthermore, Harwood uses biblical allusions secure in my fathers arms to convey the universality of human existence, zesty the reader.The poem begins in the personas past with her childhood innocence and naivety, which is conveyed in her belief in her own invincibility. I remember believing as a child I could walk on water. Harwoods use of biblical protrudery evokes the idea ofJesus walking on water and the consoling effect this had on the speakers childhood self, to represent her nave, childish outlook.This water paradigmry becomes a sustained motif. The speaker draws on the image of the flood on which memories of early childhood are born through a contemplative timber of spiritual replenishment as she stands among avenues of the dead, engaging the reader through the poetic treatment of both loss and consolation. In accordance with the Romantic tradition, the speaker acknowledges the restorative capabilities of the natural elements conveyed in the image of a knoll of water which becomes a metaphor for replenishment and revitalisation.As the poem shifts to the present tense, the reader is further engaged as the persona finds herself in a memorial park and coming to terms with the death and loss of a loved one. The persona comes to a peaceful acceptance of lifes transience and her own death rate as she acknowledges the inevitable passage of time that brings us to that time of our lives where our bones wear us offering her a sense of consolation.The poem concludes with a protuberance into the future, with the existential tone no hand will save me evoking the realisation that death and loss is one inevitable end of the cycle. Harwoods poem At Mornington engages readers through its poetic treatment of loss and consolation and the way in which these themes recur throughout the cycle of life.Harwoods poems elucidate themes of memory and recollection, highlighting the way these transcend time, death and loss and eventually offer consolation. In one nostalgic poem The Violets the speaker revisits a seminal childhood experience that affirms adult perspectives and engages the reader by identifying the importance of memories of filial love in sustaining the adult self, providing consolation. The childs nave question Where has morning gone? emphasises the power of dreams to gloss time and evokes the speakers sense of loss. The childs loss is co untered by the memory of her parents unconditional love.The use of enjambment creates a sense of continuity as the violets transport the speaker back to a time when she was lovingly comforted, thus continually engaging the reader. The maternal image of the mother who dried my liquid face and the visual image of stroking, golden brown hair conveys the tenderness of this memory. Through therecurring motif of the violets in our loamy bed Harwood shifts between past and present experiences of loss and consolation.Literary critic Elizabeth Lawson suggests identifying its ability to control moment s in time by transforming consciousness of the present. The speaker realises that although memories are ambiguous and time can be stolen, ultimately, as is portrayed in the personification Years cannot move the lamplit presences of her childhood. The poem concludes with a final natural image of the faint scent of violets drifts in the air conveying the personas awareness that the memories of her parents love transcends the power of death. In The Violets Harwoods poetic treatment of loss and consolation through the motif of the violets engages the reader on an emotional level.The theme of love and its permanent, passionate nature resonates within Harwoods poetry, engaging readers through its poetic treatment of the experiences of loss and consolation associated with love. Similar to At Mornington which expresses one cycle of life and the acceptance of its inevitable processes, A Valediction expresses the journey of maturation through reflection that leads the speaker from adolescent sentimentality to an appreciation of the enduring nature of love.The intertextual reference to John Donne in the poems title foreshadows the exploration and poetic treatment of the experience parting from a loved one and the emotional repercussions of this loss. The personas adolescent sentimentality is evoked through her ritual of seeking solace in her anthology of Donnes poetry.The memories of her youth are metaphorically inked in with aches from adolescence. Harwood explores the nature of love in her representation of two significant female figures and it is from their contrasting reactions to their experiences of love that informs the personas more mature perception of love and loss. One the one hand, Harwood kick downs representation Salome, whose indifference to the grand passion of love is conveyed in the flippant tone of her comment whether I kissed Nietzche on Monte Sacro I find I do not now remember.On the other hand, Harwood depicts Saint Therese, a nun buoy who dedicated her life to selfless love as conveyed in the sentimental tone of her comment when I love it is forever. Harwoods juxtaposition of these womens perspectives on love highlights the folly of both ideals and consolidates the personas understanding that it isrationalism and moderation that offer the most valued appreciation of love.The personas contract address dear ladies shall we meet half w ay between sanctity and liberation? conveys her awareness that there should be a balance between neutrality oversentimentality. The poem concludes with an idyllic scene that encapsulates the personas sense of contentment and maturity beyond her emotional angst. let me walk at sunset in the pasture feeding my geese engages the reader through the poetic treatment of loss and consolation as it is associated with the theme of love.Modernist poet Gwen Harwood adheres to the literary conventions of the Romantics in her anthology of poems, employing poetical devices and form to give expression to the themes of loss and consolation as well as other timeless themes. Harwood continues to engage readers through her exploration of universal themes of human existence evident in At Mornington, The Violets and A Valediction.