Identity Memory Essay
2. Memory
Slessor presents memorable ideas through his exploration of memories, their ability to temporarily transcend time, their relation to death and the finality of death. In his poems ‘Five Bells’, and ‘Five Visions of Captain Cook’, Slessor provides the reader insight into his prominent thematic concern of memory's ability to temporarily suspend time and the strength and potent nature of these memories. Slessor also explores concepts of one’s memories of the deceased creating a false immortality, and the finality of death, through his poems “Elegy in Botanic Gardens” and “Five Bells”. These create insight for the reader regarding Slessor’s feelings towards the effects of memories, their elegiac nature and his acceptance of human mortality.
Throughout his poems “Five Bells” and ‘Five Visions of Captain Cook’ Slessor conveys the ability of memories to temporarily transcend and halt time’s inexorable passage. The persona in ‘Five Bells’ explores his memories of his friend Joe between the ringing of the Five Bells, during the literal time span of only a few minutes the persona is able to explore years of memories surrounding his friend. Slessor utilises water imagery once again to describe this as ‘memory, the flood that does not flow’ thus showing memories ability to hold and distort time. ‘Five Visions of Captain Cook’ explores perspectives on the life of Captain Cook and conveys the ability of memories to transport the persona in the fifth stanza, Alexander Home from his current diminished state to ‘the powder days’ through memories ability to suspend time. In section five of the poem Alexander Home, utilises his memories of Cook to suspend time, escaping to a more favourable situation, Slessor coveys this through his use of colour and the juxtaposition of the ‘air soaked with blue... and water diamond green’ of sea life compared to the ‘yellow sea.. chairs... with rubbed nails, and leather glazed’ of Berwickshire. Slessor also utilises the recurring
Slessor presents memorable ideas through his exploration of memories, their ability to temporarily transcend time, their relation to death and the finality of death. In his poems ‘Five Bells’, and ‘Five Visions of Captain Cook’, Slessor provides the reader insight into his prominent thematic concern of memory's ability to temporarily suspend time and the strength and potent nature of these memories. Slessor also explores concepts of one’s memories of the deceased creating a false immortality, and the finality of death, through his poems “Elegy in Botanic Gardens” and “Five Bells”. These create insight for the reader regarding Slessor’s feelings towards the effects of memories, their elegiac nature and his acceptance of human mortality.
Throughout his poems “Five Bells” and ‘Five Visions of Captain Cook’ Slessor conveys the ability of memories to temporarily transcend and halt time’s inexorable passage. The persona in ‘Five Bells’ explores his memories of his friend Joe between the ringing of the Five Bells, during the literal time span of only a few minutes the persona is able to explore years of memories surrounding his friend. Slessor utilises water imagery once again to describe this as ‘memory, the flood that does not flow’ thus showing memories ability to hold and distort time. ‘Five Visions of Captain Cook’ explores perspectives on the life of Captain Cook and conveys the ability of memories to transport the persona in the fifth stanza, Alexander Home from his current diminished state to ‘the powder days’ through memories ability to suspend time. In section five of the poem Alexander Home, utilises his memories of Cook to suspend time, escaping to a more favourable situation, Slessor coveys this through his use of colour and the juxtaposition of the ‘air soaked with blue... and water diamond green’ of sea life compared to the ‘yellow sea.. chairs... with rubbed nails, and leather glazed’ of Berwickshire. Slessor also utilises the recurring