the use of setting in Judith Beveridges Wolf Notes

Exsanguination
Dawn
The River

How does Judith Beveridge use setting to convey meaning?

Wolf Notes, an anthology of Judith Beveridge’s, transcends the literal meaning of its writing through the emphasis placed on scenery. Beveridge formulates her poems on the concept of specific and detailed settings, conveying reason and meaning in a way that cannot be done otherwise. Several of her poems particularly sponsor this idea: Dawn, quite simply is a observation of nature, hence uses nature to express it; The River, is a written representation of restriction and awareness of which is depicted by natures movement, and its similarities to people; and lastly Exsanguination illustrates suffering and the understanding of vulnerability and karma through a marshes flora and fauna.

Beveridge’s Dawn is a poem regarding awareness conveyed through the very simple features of nature. Setting is a commonly chosen subject when dealing with awareness or meditation due to its trait of always being present, arising from its lack of consciousness. Just by identifying briefly yet acutely the happenings of Siddhartha’s location, ‘the rolling smoke’ or ‘the vulture’, and by the previously associated trait one must come to the realisation that a being, it this case the Prince, is observing his setting. This notion correlates to the entirety of the poem, but especially the seconds and third stanzas: “I sit settling into my breath, thoughts calming, heightening distant plateaux of dust, and the angle of the southward opening plain. The first vulture circles,” the basic movement of nature and its counterpart create a very serene mood once again embracing the idea of awareness. The diction used to express the setting is also very specific and relevant: ‘opening’ and ‘circles’ are both endless concepts, pursuing the lack of hindrance one must feel whilst mediating. Dawn is an emulation of Siddhartha pausing on his journey towards enlightenment, to observe and meditate, and this can only be captured through the nature that encapsulates the landscape of Sothern Nepal. In this, we are made to presume that without the setting playing the predominant feature it plays, the poem would not translate with the superlative meaning that it does.

In a slightly more allegoric way, The River, as Dawn, is an observation of nature. Though still interpreting the movements of the flora and fauna, The River does not directly correlate to awareness or meditation, as made evident in the style of writing, but rather is a didactic text, informing the reader of an idea within. This is a perfect example of Beveridge’s ability to transcend literal meaning through the emphasis of setting. As previously mentioned, The River’s concealed meaning is illustrated partially through Beveridge’s style of writing, being written predominantly in third person. Third person text distances the observer from the happenings of the poem, hinting to a vague meaning that is unapparent on first read. The third sentence of the poem illustrates this notion precisely; it reads, “Here, no cadence lifts tem through a tightening sky; but they seem to watch the scansion lines fish make when they mouth the surface.” Whilst on firstly, this sentence might sound rather literal, but it actually infers to vacancy that is made from the detachment of characters. An even simpler addition to create uncertainty, is the conjunction of ‘but’. ‘But’, in its definition ‘introduces proposition1’, ergo conveys meaning. Though unquestionably this demonstrate Beveridge’s use of setting to convey meaning, the meaning that is expressed because of the writing style displays the notion even more obviously. Through investigation of the diction used to describe the setting; ‘jurisprudence’, ‘cadence’ (though being the lack of it), ‘tightening’, ‘solicitous’ and ‘strenuous’ a common pattern can be made: there is a reoccurring theme of constraint and limitation, rather ironically as the poems title is The River. This concept can be appropriately associated with the Buddhist idea of the constant toil, effort and sacrifice necessary to reach enlightenment. Justifiably by the fact that this can arise simply due to the adverbs and adjectives describing the setting of the poem, it is remarkably clear that Beveridge, with the use of setting, in this case through writing technique and diction, can convey meaning.

The final and probably most complicated poem is Exsanguination. It occupies itself on primarily the fauna of the setting, being the marsh, and the thoughts that coincide with the specific species. Written rather differently, it features four larger stanzas each holding Beveridge’s signature enjambment, making a large poetic text, theoretically an anecdote. But the most peculiar aspect to the poem in comparison to the rest of the anthology is the tone in which it involves, most accurately defined as nefarious. Beveridge begins by referencing to some of the more repulsing animals of the scenery being ants, gnats, and most especially snakes, but places them as forgiving.: ‘Ants we can forgive; even gnats swarming allegiance… even snakes flooding confessions into the grass, we can forgive them too’ This immediately inspires a thought into the mind of the reader, how could such notoriously abhorred creatures be considered as ‘forgiving’, and if they are, then what abomination must they be in comparison to. As the poem divulges into the description of this creature we begin to contemplate what it may be. To dilate the animals perception Beveridge describes every aspect of its nature using comparisons in the form of similes; ‘(he might of) toyed with him like the ganglia of an occult jewellery.’ By not uttering the name of the creature, as most would now understand as a mosquito the reader distends the image in their head forging an unrealistic expectation. This forced, unending delve into the imagination of the readers mind is a very particular technique, and illustrates quite clearly Beveridge’s emphasis on creating a meaningful, and fulfilling poem, even without evaluating the connotation of the poem we can see how the setting is used to convey meaning.