Divya
06-03-2017, 01:51 PM
"Passion" by Kathleen Raine is a poem written in free verse.
Review
"Passion" is a poem that tells the readers the poet's own story; about how she felt, making it a somewhat personal poem. It highlights the feelings of desire and love and uses nature as an image for descriptions. It starts off with the poet feeling very low; as if in a dark phase and ends with her feeling revived; thanks to nature seemingly "speaking" to her.
Analysis
This poem is about the sorrow and anguish the poet felt when she had been forsaken by a loved one. She longed for some communication but none was forthcoming. While so depressed, she '‘hears'’ the sky speaking to her saying; she was one with the universal spirit; the eternal mountains, the clouds and the oceans were part of her and the love she bore for them was more important than the unrequited love that was troubling her.
Analysis and Annotation
Full of desire I lay, the sky wounding me, - The poet was burning with desire as she lay under the sky that seemed to hurt her. – Oxymoron with “desire” and “lay” as they contradict each other as people often desire to lay next to their beloved. It shows both the feeling of energy and inactivity. Personification with “The sky” being able to physically hurt her.
Each cloud a ship without me sailing, each tree - The clouds that were sailing across the sky seemed impersonal to her. Even the trees. – Personification with the clouds and trees being able to sail. Also presents imagery.
Possessing what my soul lacked, tranquillity. - Her soul lacked calm and tranquillity.There was turmoil and chaos within her.
Waiting for the longed-for voice to speak - She was waiting to hear the voice of a loved one.
Through the mute telephone, my body grew weak - She wanted the phone to ring but it was silent. While so waiting she felt her body go weak. The absence of her beloved’s company caused her to feel physically weak.
With the well-known and mortal death, heartbreak. - She seemed close to dying of heartbreak caused by unrequited love – Metaphor comparing her feelings to death and physical pain demonstrating the power of her emotion.
The language I knew best, my human speech - What the narrator was most familiar with was the language of human speech.
Forsook my fingers, and out of reach - This language abandoned her fingers and stayed beyond reach. Personification of language being able to abandon her.
Were Homer’s ghosts, the savage conches of the beach. - It was like the ghosts of Homer’s Odyssey that lay like conches on the beach. – Metaphor proving that she attempted to persuade her significant other, Meanwhile, the word “savage” merely reiterates the brutality of the feeling of abandonment.
Then the sky spoke to me in language clear, - At this point, the sky spoke to her unequivocally – Personification with the sky being able to speak.
Familiar as the heart, than love more near. - This was as common as the heart and more familiar than the love that she was pining for.
The sky said to my soul, `You have what you desire. - Speaking to her soul, the sky told her that she already had what she was pining for - Personification with the sky being able to speak. Anthropomorphism is used, creating an ethereal sense with the word “soul”
`Know now that you are born along with these - The same spirit that permeates nature is also part of her.
Clouds, winds, and stars, and ever-moving seas - She is one with the clouds, stars, the wind and the restless sea - Imagery.
And forest dwellers. This your nature is. - Like the hermits in the forest, she is one with nature.
Lift up your heart again without fear - She can regain her spirit and be without fear.
'Sleep in the tomb, or breathe the living air, - It does not matter whether she sleeps in a tomb or is alive and breathing.
This world you with the flower and with the tiger share.’ - The same universal spirit that lives in a flower and the tiger is in her too – Paradox with her feeling both immortal and mortal.
Then I saw every visible substance turn - At these words she saw all that was visible. Metaphor and allegory used to show a voice that tells her to move on.
Into immortal, every cell new born - Turn eternal, with every cell that was on earth. . Metaphor and allegory used to show a voice that tells her to move on.
Burned with the holy fire of passion - Permeated with the sacred fire of passion - Anthropomorphism is used, creating an ethereal sense with the word “holy” Imagery showing that new things in life were full of love.
This world I saw as on her judgment day - Her view of the world was as it would be on the Day of Judgment.
When the war ends, and the sky rolls away, - When all strife would be at an end and the sky is clear - Imagery.
And all is light, love and eternity - And the world is filled with everlasting love and brightness. Anthropomorphism is used, creating an ethereal sense with the word “eternity.
Review
"Passion" is a poem that tells the readers the poet's own story; about how she felt, making it a somewhat personal poem. It highlights the feelings of desire and love and uses nature as an image for descriptions. It starts off with the poet feeling very low; as if in a dark phase and ends with her feeling revived; thanks to nature seemingly "speaking" to her.
Analysis
This poem is about the sorrow and anguish the poet felt when she had been forsaken by a loved one. She longed for some communication but none was forthcoming. While so depressed, she '‘hears'’ the sky speaking to her saying; she was one with the universal spirit; the eternal mountains, the clouds and the oceans were part of her and the love she bore for them was more important than the unrequited love that was troubling her.
Analysis and Annotation
Full of desire I lay, the sky wounding me, - The poet was burning with desire as she lay under the sky that seemed to hurt her. – Oxymoron with “desire” and “lay” as they contradict each other as people often desire to lay next to their beloved. It shows both the feeling of energy and inactivity. Personification with “The sky” being able to physically hurt her.
Each cloud a ship without me sailing, each tree - The clouds that were sailing across the sky seemed impersonal to her. Even the trees. – Personification with the clouds and trees being able to sail. Also presents imagery.
Possessing what my soul lacked, tranquillity. - Her soul lacked calm and tranquillity.There was turmoil and chaos within her.
Waiting for the longed-for voice to speak - She was waiting to hear the voice of a loved one.
Through the mute telephone, my body grew weak - She wanted the phone to ring but it was silent. While so waiting she felt her body go weak. The absence of her beloved’s company caused her to feel physically weak.
With the well-known and mortal death, heartbreak. - She seemed close to dying of heartbreak caused by unrequited love – Metaphor comparing her feelings to death and physical pain demonstrating the power of her emotion.
The language I knew best, my human speech - What the narrator was most familiar with was the language of human speech.
Forsook my fingers, and out of reach - This language abandoned her fingers and stayed beyond reach. Personification of language being able to abandon her.
Were Homer’s ghosts, the savage conches of the beach. - It was like the ghosts of Homer’s Odyssey that lay like conches on the beach. – Metaphor proving that she attempted to persuade her significant other, Meanwhile, the word “savage” merely reiterates the brutality of the feeling of abandonment.
Then the sky spoke to me in language clear, - At this point, the sky spoke to her unequivocally – Personification with the sky being able to speak.
Familiar as the heart, than love more near. - This was as common as the heart and more familiar than the love that she was pining for.
The sky said to my soul, `You have what you desire. - Speaking to her soul, the sky told her that she already had what she was pining for - Personification with the sky being able to speak. Anthropomorphism is used, creating an ethereal sense with the word “soul”
`Know now that you are born along with these - The same spirit that permeates nature is also part of her.
Clouds, winds, and stars, and ever-moving seas - She is one with the clouds, stars, the wind and the restless sea - Imagery.
And forest dwellers. This your nature is. - Like the hermits in the forest, she is one with nature.
Lift up your heart again without fear - She can regain her spirit and be without fear.
'Sleep in the tomb, or breathe the living air, - It does not matter whether she sleeps in a tomb or is alive and breathing.
This world you with the flower and with the tiger share.’ - The same universal spirit that lives in a flower and the tiger is in her too – Paradox with her feeling both immortal and mortal.
Then I saw every visible substance turn - At these words she saw all that was visible. Metaphor and allegory used to show a voice that tells her to move on.
Into immortal, every cell new born - Turn eternal, with every cell that was on earth. . Metaphor and allegory used to show a voice that tells her to move on.
Burned with the holy fire of passion - Permeated with the sacred fire of passion - Anthropomorphism is used, creating an ethereal sense with the word “holy” Imagery showing that new things in life were full of love.
This world I saw as on her judgment day - Her view of the world was as it would be on the Day of Judgment.
When the war ends, and the sky rolls away, - When all strife would be at an end and the sky is clear - Imagery.
And all is light, love and eternity - And the world is filled with everlasting love and brightness. Anthropomorphism is used, creating an ethereal sense with the word “eternity.