Snaith// Nature Poems

Nature poems 

Living Space – Imtiaz Dharker

C) This poem focuses on the disjointedness of an Indian slum. However, the poem uses setting to represent a clear political view. For example, "nothing is flat or parallel. This highlights the corrupt class system as society is not equal. 

A) "eggs in a wire basket". In this case, the eggs represent purity in life. Pure underserving children are plunged into a cage where they are trapped.

M+E) Vanishing optimism, "hung over dark edges". The adjective "dark" has negative connotations as it is often associated with death. This, therefore, implies that the people are almost dead men walking. 

Resourcefulness, "squeezed" people must make the most out of what they have. 

L) Lines are varied in length reflecting the chaotic slum. There are some instances of rhyme in the poem. In these cases, the rhyme acts as a way of holding the poem together almost like the people in the slum. 

"thin walls of faith". Metaphor "walls" prevents the people from the harsh realities of life and "faith' indicates people still grasp onto their hope.

S) Saddening, that people are trapped in a desperate cycle of poverty 

Links: London, Ozymandias, Afternoons, Hawk Roosting

London – William Blake 

C) This poem uses London as an extended metaphor to depict the impact of society on the poor and how the negative semantic field envelops the citizens in a cycle of poverty. 

A) "charter'd street" this depicts that the government ultimately caters for themselves and essentially choose who is poor. "blackening church appals" the corruption of the religious system results in more money being spent on a "blackening" institution than the poor. 

M+E) hopelessness, "everyman", the repetition of "every" illustrates that poverty is all. 

Despair, "blood runs down palace walls", the palace's influence results in death. The unequal balance of power is almost causing human words to fall down the walls. Perhaps the violent tone reflects a change of the structure of society offering radical hope, however, turning into violent disillusion

L) "youthful Harlot's curse", the capitalisation of "H" shows that all prostitutes are too young for sex. A curse one can't escape dictates that the curse of pregnancy continues prostitution causing heightened destitution of the poor.

"mind forg'd manacles", poverty vaporises trapping mothers, fathers and children in a vicious cycle. Does Blakes social comment pose a relevance today?

This poem is tightly structured has Blake done this to perform irony in comparison the uncertainty or human life or has he shows that these people live in the tight recurring structure of poverty. 

S) I believe this poem points the finger at us, how we hinder ourselves, how we ‘manacle' ourselves and cause our own restrictions, but also, points it at the church, at the King and Government, at the prostitutes and promiscuous women. This carefully crafted poem almost persuades me to take a stand against poverty. 

Links: Afternoons/ Living space (welfare and living conditions). Hawk roosting and Ozymandias (power and control)

Death…