“Death of a Young Son by Drowning”
Margaret Atwood’s earthy poem, “Death of a Young Son by Drowning,” perfectly captures the life-
altering heartache that comes after the loss of a child. Atwood’s words are abundant in texture, and
her similes are bitingly accurate. The extracted stanza, clearly emphasizes the message of “Death of
a Young Son by Drowning”: Even after intense, heart-shattering grief, life goes on. In the passage,
we clearly see the struggle between the life cycle and death. And in a larger sense, we also see the
struggle between motherhood and personhood. Although the child is gone, life continues. Similarly,
although the narrator is now a bereaved mother, her life still extends beyond that role.
Ecocritism can be used to examine the poem. Ecocritism takes an interdisciplinary point of view by
analysing the works of authors, researchers, and poets in the context of environmental issues
and nature. Atwood’s first two stanzas refer largely to the cycle of life and the order in which a family
is, Atwood would argue, supposed to die. The first lines, “He, who navigated with success / the
dangerous river of his own birth / once more set forth,” immediately allude to an archetypal crossing
that is literally a symbol of his birth. It is logical that a second crossing of this river, the first of which is
into life, would be back into death. The narrator herself thought, before her son’s death, that she was
closer to death, and thus “floating on” but not “touching” the land on the opposite side of the river to
which her son is now traveling. There is also a distinct shift in tone and in topic between the seventh and
eighth stanzas. The mention of spring indications that he prior events happened in the winter, as does
reference to ice, a season typically associated with hardship and understood as daunting. Conversely,
the section that is set in spring represents growth. That although the narrator is now a bereaved
mother, her life still extends beyond that role.
References
Margaret Atwood, “Death of a Young Son by Drowning” from The Journals of
Susanna Moodie (Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press, 1969). Copyright ©
1969 by Margaret Atwood. Reprinted by permission of O. W. Toad Ltd.
“Musée des Beaux Arts”
Musee des Beaux Arts is an informal commentary on the bizarre human situations that arise in certain
older paintings, notably one, The Fall of Icarus, which is now in the Musees Royaux des Beaux Arts in
Brussels. The extractaed passage reinforces the idea of separateness, of people at work, at play, whilst
the disaster, the suffering, goes on elsewhere. Is it apathy that takes over? Are people consciously
looking the other way to avoid involvement? There is an irony in this and the speaker captures it in a
subtle, matter of fact fashion. As Icarus dramatically falls into the sea the event for one man was not an
important failure; it made no impression on a passing ship with somewhere to get to; there is no
reaction.
Auden's poem, through the extracted pasage, explores the idea that, as humans, we knowingly
carry on with our familiar and mundane duties as long as we can, even if we know someone may be
suffering.
In the poem, “Musée des Beaux Arts,”the poet appears to write about human suffering, tragedy and
pain by contrasting the lives of those who suffer and those who do not. The vehicle by which this is
achieved is the world of painting, in particular the work of the old masters. Tha poet takes action of
explaining why someons can ignore the cries fr help from those experinecung torture and pain. The
paintings the speaker is studying are equivalent to today's T.V. reportage. How many times have we
watched horrific and disturbing images from some remote place in the world, knowing that, not too far
away, normal lives are being lived? These references highlight the strange, contrasting human
experiences that are part of the fabric of life – one person suffers terribly, another carries on regardless
with some mundane activity.Psychological criticism permits a mindful analysis of literary text messaging
through the use of principles in psychology. It basically attempts to get a more thorough understanding
of text messages as far as the readers, authors as well as the literary pieces themselves are worried. All
in all, a persons unconscious plays an important role in internal criticism. Thus, in this poem, people
need routine, fear distraction, and don't like being shocked out of their little lives too often. Suffering
will always happen and there's not much the average person can do about it. Auden through the
speaker detests complacency and irresponsibility in human behaviors thus his ultimate
goal is to present them negatively to invoke change. The responsibility for suffering can
only be achieved through this change.
reference
Eagleton, Terry. How to Read a Poem. London: Blackwell, 2007. Print.
“Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers”
Adrienne Rich uses the passage to depict women roles in the society. The passage explains that
the marriage of Aunt Jennifer is becoming strained. She seems to deal with her emotions by sewing,
which evokes gender roles in society. The heavy ring on her finger makes the reader feel as though
she wishes to take it off. She cannot, however, and even in death her hands will not lie still and calm.
She seems to be trapped in her gender roles as wife and caretaker and is unable to roam free like
the tigers she sews into her cloth.
Using gender criticism to examine the poem, “Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" sounds like a ball
of good times, or at least some big cat-themed excitement. In reality, though,
it's about a woman whose life has been restricted by the patriarchal (male-
dominated) society in which she lives. Now, the poem doesn't give us any
facts about this—it doesn't tell us, for example, that Aunt Jennifer wasn't
allowed to go college, or that Aunt Jennifer's husband didn't give her any say
in financial matters. But the poem does strongly suggest that Aunt J's
opportunities in life have been limited by her gender, and also by her
marriage, which left her "terrified." Bad times. Her wedding band's "massive
weight," the ordeals that mastered her—Aunt J has suffered because of her
gender.
Reference
Rich, A., Gelpi, B. C., & Gelpi, A. (1975). Adrienne Richs poetry: texts of the poems: