Research Paper On Edwin Muir
23/10/14
Edwin Muir
Muir's poetry often deals with ideas of displacement and disorder caused by man. Discuss Muir's treatment of these themes in 3 or 4 of his poems.
Across his poetry a variety of Edwin Muir's work deals with the themes of displacement and disorder. This can be seen clearly in his war poetry, such as; The Wayside Station, The River, and The Refugees, from his 1943 collection The Narrow Place. These poems largely focus on the destruction of families and communities, and the areas and homes of these people. Through the use of literary techniques and overarching themes throughout these poems Muir eloquently reflects the ideas of destruction and disorder and their effects on Man.
The first poem to be looked …show more content…
at, The Wayside Station, has the most subtle undertones of war, with war being much more prominent in the rest of the poetry listed. There is a sombre, oppressive tone to this poem, with the speaker lamenting about the repetitive nature of life. This is made evident in the description of a farmer, as he wakes up to go about his day:
“The ploughboy stirs in the loft, the farmer groans and feels the day like a familiar ache
Deep in his body...”
This small section tells us many things, such as the farmer's displeasure at greeting the new day, usually seen as a positive sign of new life and beginnings, its image is reversed here to one of a bringer of pain and displeasure. The “familiar ache deep in his body” shows us that the pain of starting a new day is one that he has grown accustomed to, and one he has learned to accept. Further on into the poem Muir describes the effects the daylight bring on two lovers, as they must part, leaving the idyllic land of dreams for the ground of reality:
“Great and mysterious as deep hills of snow
An inaccessible land. The woods stand waiting
While the bright snare slips coil by coil around it
Dark silver on every branch...”
The world of dreams and night is described as magical, as an escape to the mundane routine of everyday life. However as we can see the “snare” of daytime begins to wrap itself around the woods. This metaphor creates a morbid image of the woods being choked, as if being hung by a noose as it is coiled around its “neck”. This clearly shows a major theme of the poem, that the world which has been corrupted and tainted by humans is inferior, resulting in people trying to escape to an Eden-like dream world. Muir goes into more detail of this throughout his war poetry. The ending of the poem further expands this idea and provides a direct link into the next poem The River:
“The lonely stream
That rode through the darkness leaps the gap of light,
Its voice grown loud, and starts its winding journey
Through the day and time and war and history.”
This is the first mentioning of “the stream”, it is being personified and described as beginning a journey. The stream is showing the constant struggling of man, his many worries and flaws. The repetition of “and” in the last line accentuates the reiterative nature of life, however it also introduces a new idea to the poem. That throughout all of the hardships of time and war that man refuses to change, people do not learn from their suffering and continue to make the same mistakes, leading to depression. This is shows the link between the poem and disorder caused by man, as man has lead to these circumstances, and is entirely to blame.
The next poem, The River, acts as almost a continuation of the ending of The Wayside Station. The poem is split into five separate sections, with the first four describing the river flowing through time and land, through growing amounts of destruction cause by man. We can see the beginnings of this in the first section:
“Her hand upon her grandson's shoulder. He,
A bundle of clouts creased with tribulations,
Bristling with spikes and spits and bolts of steel...”
The description is of a parting between a grandmother and grandson, it is described as “well practised” this shows that it has happened many times before, although perhaps with different people in the same situation.
We see here an example of the displacement of war on a close, personal level, the family is being separated as the young man is sent to fight. A very vivid depiction of the boy is created, as he appears completely ready for war, furthermore the use of sibilance, “Bristling with spikes and spits and bolts of steel...” creates a harsh and aggressive sound, as if the young man is ready to fight, turned into a machine of war. As we see “the stream flows on” to the next section, describing the effects of war on a small …show more content…
village:
“...shows a blackened field, a burning wood,
A bridge that stops half-way, a hill split open
With scraps of houses clinging to its sides...”
The continuous sentence structure used here emphasises the large list of places affected by the war, even on such a local scale its destruction is still wide spread. The mention of the bridge is of great significance, as while being a common target during wars to prevent the transport of supplies or soldiers, it has a deeper symbolic meaning. The destruction of the bridge may be used to represent the bonds within humanity being severed, this is a further example of disorder Muir shows in his work, the natural order of humanity is being threatened as people no longer see each other as humans, merely enemies. The first two sections of the poem serve to create a hopeless tone within the poem, hopeless for the fate of humanity. However one of the themes of the poem can be seen here, “among the grass and wild-flowers”. Whilst describing the destruction Muir acknowledges that some of nature has survived, that there may also be some shreds of humanity left, giving hope they can change. Further on in the poem, the river describes the destruction on a national scale, as it portrays Europe.
“Now thronged with dumb migrations , gods and altars
That travel towards no destination. Then
The disciplined soldiers come to conquer nothing...”
This section of the poem deals largely with the idea of displacement caused by war.
Refugees are described as they flee their homes, trying to bring their religion with them as it may no longer welcomed in their conquered homelands. However we see that it is in vain, as they have “no destination”; nowhere is safe from the sin of man, and the conflict he will bring with him. Ironically, all of the pain and suffering cause by the war is pointless, as the happiness and worth of the conquered lands has been sucked out by hardship: “...do not know why all is dead and life has hidden itself...” The last section of the poem may be seen as having a double meaning:
“The stream flows on into what land, what peace,
Far past the other side of the burning world?”
At first we see a pessimistic attitude, as it seems there is nowhere safe left on Earth, referring to it as a “burning world” also creates an idea of hell, as if Man's sin has manifested itself physically, and will punish all of humanity. However the fact that it is a question creates uncertainty, that things do not necessarily have to be this way, and could be different given the right circumstances, showing once again, hope for humanity. Additionally the fact that the stream continues to flow shows that it is not the end of the world, that time will pass and things may get better.
Another poem to deal with themes of displacement and disorder is The Refugees. The poem begins by illustrating the beginnings of danger and
unease within a community:
“A crack ran through our hearthstone long ago,
And from the fissure we watched gently grow
The tame domesticated danger,
Yet lived in comfort in our haunted rooms.”
This imagery shows us that destruction has begun to appear within their home, starting to tear it apart. A hearthstone is often seen as the centre of a home and represents family and safety, therefore a crack appearing in it would symbolise that safety being ripped away. However it goes further than this, while they had sensed the danger, they did nothing to try and stop it or prevent it, watching it grow and not intervening simply because it did not affect them. This idea is expanded on throughout the poem:
“We saw the homeless waiting in the street
Year after year,
The always homeless...”
The vivid illustration of the homeless is met with the statement: “We did not fear”. While witnessing the suffering of their fellow humans, not a single thing was done for them, once again because it was not affecting the speaker. This is a further example of Man's disorder and flaws being exposed, conforming to selfish beliefs, and denying other people any help they could offer. However eventually the speaker is in the same situation:
“Oh what these suffered in dumb animal patience,
That we now suffer...”
“Because we watched the wrong last too long
With non-committal faces.”
These lines make it clear that Man was willing to do nothing to help these people, and is now punished for it by being put through the same suffering. It is made obvious here that at this rate humanity has no chance of succeeding as they only have their own best interests at heart. Throughout the later sections of the poem it is stated that while many people may have done nothing to cause such unhappiness, they are punished regardless, we can see this through Muir's description of original sin:
“While the red fruit hung ripe upon the bough
And fell at last and rotted where it fell.”
Generations of humanity are to blame for the suffering that now exists, this shows that Man has sinned and done wrong long into the past, but it is up to the humans alive now to change this, to rectify the wrongs humans have wrought upon each other. The ending lines of the poem reflect this idea, stating:
“And where no counsel is what will be will be.
We must shape here a new philosophy.”
With these final lines Muir restates his previous beliefs throughout his poems in The Narrow Place that have been discussed, that there is still hope for humanity, if they can change to become more compassionate and understanding.
Muir's war poetry from The Narrow Place go into great detail of discussing ideas about displacement and disorder, specifically that which is caused by Man, and the effects it has on the human race. It achieves this through use of literary techniques such as metaphor, description of the suffering and destruction caused by war, and a common theme shared among the poems. His poetry reflects the belief that while man is responsible for the severe problems of disorder and displacement caused by war, there is also hope to change our ways, to live lives of peace and overcome these struggles.
Edwin Muir
Muir's poetry often deals with ideas of displacement and disorder caused by man. Discuss Muir's treatment of these themes in 3 or 4 of his poems.
Across his poetry a variety of Edwin Muir's work deals with the themes of displacement and disorder. This can be seen clearly in his war poetry, such as; The Wayside Station, The River, and The Refugees, from his 1943 collection The Narrow Place. These poems largely focus on the destruction of families and communities, and the areas and homes of these people. Through the use of literary techniques and overarching themes throughout these poems Muir eloquently reflects the ideas of destruction and disorder and their effects on Man.
The first poem to be looked …show more content…
at, The Wayside Station, has the most subtle undertones of war, with war being much more prominent in the rest of the poetry listed. There is a sombre, oppressive tone to this poem, with the speaker lamenting about the repetitive nature of life. This is made evident in the description of a farmer, as he wakes up to go about his day:
“The ploughboy stirs in the loft, the farmer groans and feels the day like a familiar ache
Deep in his body...”
This small section tells us many things, such as the farmer's displeasure at greeting the new day, usually seen as a positive sign of new life and beginnings, its image is reversed here to one of a bringer of pain and displeasure. The “familiar ache deep in his body” shows us that the pain of starting a new day is one that he has grown accustomed to, and one he has learned to accept. Further on into the poem Muir describes the effects the daylight bring on two lovers, as they must part, leaving the idyllic land of dreams for the ground of reality:
“Great and mysterious as deep hills of snow
An inaccessible land. The woods stand waiting
While the bright snare slips coil by coil around it
Dark silver on every branch...”
The world of dreams and night is described as magical, as an escape to the mundane routine of everyday life. However as we can see the “snare” of daytime begins to wrap itself around the woods. This metaphor creates a morbid image of the woods being choked, as if being hung by a noose as it is coiled around its “neck”. This clearly shows a major theme of the poem, that the world which has been corrupted and tainted by humans is inferior, resulting in people trying to escape to an Eden-like dream world. Muir goes into more detail of this throughout his war poetry. The ending of the poem further expands this idea and provides a direct link into the next poem The River:
“The lonely stream
That rode through the darkness leaps the gap of light,
Its voice grown loud, and starts its winding journey
Through the day and time and war and history.”
This is the first mentioning of “the stream”, it is being personified and described as beginning a journey. The stream is showing the constant struggling of man, his many worries and flaws. The repetition of “and” in the last line accentuates the reiterative nature of life, however it also introduces a new idea to the poem. That throughout all of the hardships of time and war that man refuses to change, people do not learn from their suffering and continue to make the same mistakes, leading to depression. This is shows the link between the poem and disorder caused by man, as man has lead to these circumstances, and is entirely to blame.
The next poem, The River, acts as almost a continuation of the ending of The Wayside Station. The poem is split into five separate sections, with the first four describing the river flowing through time and land, through growing amounts of destruction cause by man. We can see the beginnings of this in the first section:
“Her hand upon her grandson's shoulder. He,
A bundle of clouts creased with tribulations,
Bristling with spikes and spits and bolts of steel...”
The description is of a parting between a grandmother and grandson, it is described as “well practised” this shows that it has happened many times before, although perhaps with different people in the same situation.
We see here an example of the displacement of war on a close, personal level, the family is being separated as the young man is sent to fight. A very vivid depiction of the boy is created, as he appears completely ready for war, furthermore the use of sibilance, “Bristling with spikes and spits and bolts of steel...” creates a harsh and aggressive sound, as if the young man is ready to fight, turned into a machine of war. As we see “the stream flows on” to the next section, describing the effects of war on a small …show more content…
village:
“...shows a blackened field, a burning wood,
A bridge that stops half-way, a hill split open
With scraps of houses clinging to its sides...”
The continuous sentence structure used here emphasises the large list of places affected by the war, even on such a local scale its destruction is still wide spread. The mention of the bridge is of great significance, as while being a common target during wars to prevent the transport of supplies or soldiers, it has a deeper symbolic meaning. The destruction of the bridge may be used to represent the bonds within humanity being severed, this is a further example of disorder Muir shows in his work, the natural order of humanity is being threatened as people no longer see each other as humans, merely enemies. The first two sections of the poem serve to create a hopeless tone within the poem, hopeless for the fate of humanity. However one of the themes of the poem can be seen here, “among the grass and wild-flowers”. Whilst describing the destruction Muir acknowledges that some of nature has survived, that there may also be some shreds of humanity left, giving hope they can change. Further on in the poem, the river describes the destruction on a national scale, as it portrays Europe.
“Now thronged with dumb migrations , gods and altars
That travel towards no destination. Then
The disciplined soldiers come to conquer nothing...”
This section of the poem deals largely with the idea of displacement caused by war.
Refugees are described as they flee their homes, trying to bring their religion with them as it may no longer welcomed in their conquered homelands. However we see that it is in vain, as they have “no destination”; nowhere is safe from the sin of man, and the conflict he will bring with him. Ironically, all of the pain and suffering cause by the war is pointless, as the happiness and worth of the conquered lands has been sucked out by hardship: “...do not know why all is dead and life has hidden itself...” The last section of the poem may be seen as having a double meaning:
“The stream flows on into what land, what peace,
Far past the other side of the burning world?”
At first we see a pessimistic attitude, as it seems there is nowhere safe left on Earth, referring to it as a “burning world” also creates an idea of hell, as if Man's sin has manifested itself physically, and will punish all of humanity. However the fact that it is a question creates uncertainty, that things do not necessarily have to be this way, and could be different given the right circumstances, showing once again, hope for humanity. Additionally the fact that the stream continues to flow shows that it is not the end of the world, that time will pass and things may get better.
Another poem to deal with themes of displacement and disorder is The Refugees. The poem begins by illustrating the beginnings of danger and
unease within a community:
“A crack ran through our hearthstone long ago,
And from the fissure we watched gently grow
The tame domesticated danger,
Yet lived in comfort in our haunted rooms.”
This imagery shows us that destruction has begun to appear within their home, starting to tear it apart. A hearthstone is often seen as the centre of a home and represents family and safety, therefore a crack appearing in it would symbolise that safety being ripped away. However it goes further than this, while they had sensed the danger, they did nothing to try and stop it or prevent it, watching it grow and not intervening simply because it did not affect them. This idea is expanded on throughout the poem:
“We saw the homeless waiting in the street
Year after year,
The always homeless...”
The vivid illustration of the homeless is met with the statement: “We did not fear”. While witnessing the suffering of their fellow humans, not a single thing was done for them, once again because it was not affecting the speaker. This is a further example of Man's disorder and flaws being exposed, conforming to selfish beliefs, and denying other people any help they could offer. However eventually the speaker is in the same situation:
“Oh what these suffered in dumb animal patience,
That we now suffer...”
“Because we watched the wrong last too long
With non-committal faces.”
These lines make it clear that Man was willing to do nothing to help these people, and is now punished for it by being put through the same suffering. It is made obvious here that at this rate humanity has no chance of succeeding as they only have their own best interests at heart. Throughout the later sections of the poem it is stated that while many people may have done nothing to cause such unhappiness, they are punished regardless, we can see this through Muir's description of original sin:
“While the red fruit hung ripe upon the bough
And fell at last and rotted where it fell.”
Generations of humanity are to blame for the suffering that now exists, this shows that Man has sinned and done wrong long into the past, but it is up to the humans alive now to change this, to rectify the wrongs humans have wrought upon each other. The ending lines of the poem reflect this idea, stating:
“And where no counsel is what will be will be.
We must shape here a new philosophy.”
With these final lines Muir restates his previous beliefs throughout his poems in The Narrow Place that have been discussed, that there is still hope for humanity, if they can change to become more compassionate and understanding.
Muir's war poetry from The Narrow Place go into great detail of discussing ideas about displacement and disorder, specifically that which is caused by Man, and the effects it has on the human race. It achieves this through use of literary techniques such as metaphor, description of the suffering and destruction caused by war, and a common theme shared among the poems. His poetry reflects the belief that while man is responsible for the severe problems of disorder and displacement caused by war, there is also hope to change our ways, to live lives of peace and overcome these struggles.