Change By Kinister
The analyses I will be presenting today is of a poem called Change, written by the famous Canadian poet Raymond Knister, written in 1920. Analysing some of his other literary works, I have noticed that he is quite serious in his writing – he is direct and to the point, but does like to dance around with metaphors and similes. I have also noticed that he uses profound images of nature to express the thoughts that plague his mind. A strong man, he passed away at the ripe age of thirty-one on a sinking ship.
The format in which I will present this poem will be the following: first, a read-through of the poem. Then, a brief segment in which I will argue what the theme is based on certain lines. Finally, I will be giving a short technical analysis …show more content…
I would like to put forth the argument that the poem revolves around the dynamic relationships between people. After all, the poem’s name is “change.” And although there is seldom a mention of people, I would like to argue that the use of nature propagates this idea of relationships. Delving into the poem, the poet says that “Leaves change, and birds, flowers. And after, years are still the same.” From this, one can fairly argue that the poet suggests that though things may change, time itself never changes. It is eternally the same. One cannot conjoin time and the things that happen within it. This idea of separation between two things is also suggested by the poet when he says that “The sea's breast heaves in sighs to the moon, but they are moon and sea forever.” What the author suggests here is that though the moon and the seas may interact with each other – that is, the moon causing waves and tides – they are eternally separate. It is also important to note the personalisation the author gives to the moon and the sea. After all, since when did poets compare tides with breasts? It is for this reason that I would like to draw a connection between this and everyday couples. Though a husband and wife may argue, love, or even conquer the world together, they are still different. They have individual identities that though may work in conjunction with each other, as seen between the moon and the sea, they are still
The format in which I will present this poem will be the following: first, a read-through of the poem. Then, a brief segment in which I will argue what the theme is based on certain lines. Finally, I will be giving a short technical analysis …show more content…
I would like to put forth the argument that the poem revolves around the dynamic relationships between people. After all, the poem’s name is “change.” And although there is seldom a mention of people, I would like to argue that the use of nature propagates this idea of relationships. Delving into the poem, the poet says that “Leaves change, and birds, flowers. And after, years are still the same.” From this, one can fairly argue that the poet suggests that though things may change, time itself never changes. It is eternally the same. One cannot conjoin time and the things that happen within it. This idea of separation between two things is also suggested by the poet when he says that “The sea's breast heaves in sighs to the moon, but they are moon and sea forever.” What the author suggests here is that though the moon and the seas may interact with each other – that is, the moon causing waves and tides – they are eternally separate. It is also important to note the personalisation the author gives to the moon and the sea. After all, since when did poets compare tides with breasts? It is for this reason that I would like to draw a connection between this and everyday couples. Though a husband and wife may argue, love, or even conquer the world together, they are still different. They have individual identities that though may work in conjunction with each other, as seen between the moon and the sea, they are still