The Kea speaks from Dunedin Botanical Gardens

In “The Kea speaks from Dunedin Botanical Gardens” written by Janet Frame, an idea worth learning about is how people, including the readers, will not or do not reach their full potential due to being “trapped” or restricted. By using the kea in the text, Frame is able to show the significance of the idea as the Kea compares the life of the readers to itself. Frame portrayed the importance of this idea through the use of connotative language, metaphors and contrasting language.

Frame shows how people, including the readers, will not or do not reach their full potential due to being “trapped” or restricted is an important idea through connotative language. Connotative language was used in the text to portray and enhance the negative meanings and ignorance within the text. Connotative language is used throughout the poem but a specific example of it's use may be found within the sentence: "While the peach-faced lovebirds huddle together close to the earth". In this sentence, the words with connotations are "huddled" and "close". The word “huddled” refers to the contact between the two birds and “close” to the distance or space between those birds and the earth. In context, the words may seem positive, but are negative because the initial meaning is of how people solely stay nearby each other and will only keep notice of, as well as keep close to, the ground. Through deeper meaning, this means that even though people may be trapped, they have chosen to, pretended to, or do not notice themselves being “imprisoned” and will tolerate the conditions they are in. Their ignorance is what limits and encages them, whether or not they are aware. Negative connotations used within the text may also be found in the first stanza as “while my neighbour three cages away cries, Woe O Woe”. This example consists of connotative words, including “cages”, “cries” and “woe”. All these words have negative meanings attached to them as “cages” imply imprisonment and restrictions,