What were they like poem. What Were They Like? by Denise Levertov 2019-02-15
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What Were They Like? by Denise Levertov
Did they use bone and ivory, jade and silver, for ornament? About Denise Levertov is well-recognized to combine her own personal experience with historical facts. This shows how the war turned people with a light heated nature to stone. In building up a unique inscape of experience in each poem, Levertov enables readers perceive the reality of the poem as an extension of the real world that can be approached from different perspectives. It is not remembered whether in gardens stone gardens illumined pleasant ways. .
Denise Levertovâs âWhat Were They Like?â and âLife at Warâ
Denise was educated entirely at home, and claimed to have decided to become a writer at the age of five. It is a simple statement, but this contributes to the power of the point: many people are dead, a culture has been destroyed. The poem, What Were They Like? The constant movement reflects also the oscillation of human nature between evil and benevolent deeds. The readers are provided with quite contrasting images of ruin after war. Sir, laughter is bitter to the burned mouth. Just like breathing never ceases in a living creature, so does the ongoing horror of war which seems to be incessantly intertwined with human existence. Did they hold ceremoniesto reverence the opening of buds? What follows further down in the poem is the distortion of memory.
There is a note of exasperation in the voice of the native speaker and replies to the questions are bitter. The questioner could be a reporter, an army officer, a tourist, an or any number of other people. Descriptive writing here contrasts the effects of the war. Did they use bone and ivory, jade and silver, for ornament? Did the people of Viet Nam use lanterns of stone? And, this poem is not of anger but of suffering and anguish. There is an echo yetof their speech which was like a song.
And the only way to get change to come about is to take action and speak up about it. Had they an epic poem? Students learn through a logical and step-by-step learning journey, including: -Exploring the historical concept of the Vietnam War; -Understanding key information about Denise Levertov and her life; -Reading and interpreting the poem; -Understanding the poem, with a particular emphasis upon the content, language, and structural features; -Writing an extended analysis piece based upon how Levertov gets across her feelings about war in the poem, through the use of language and structure; -Peer assessing each other's learning attempts. Similarly to the pebbles rolling, this is how disasters occur, in an intermittent manner which makes it difficult for the mind to understand and contextualize them. Ever feel like protesting, Shmoopers? The bitter feeling is something that she cannot get rid of and so does the speaker. A strong sense of injustice is created by this reminder that superpowers used their might against 'peasants'.
The structure of the poem was written in questions then answers as she wanted us to think about the questions then look at the answers after. However, it is imperative to know that both sides are knowledgeable about Vietnam. In the poem, the active interaction of an interview is totally missing, because both the interviewer and the interviewee do not engage in dialogue, but they are restricted in providing only a list with their questions and answers with each one working independently from the other. The material seems to be almost primitive and traditional. It was reported their singing resembled the flight of moths in moonlight.
Denise Levertovâs âWhat Were They Like?â and âLife at Warâ
Yet, the immediacy of the Vietnam War in these poems cannot be dismissed, and the sharp visual images capture the violence and the human indifference to the ravishment of the human body and soul. Denise Levertov: The Poetry of Engagement. Had they an epic poem? Loss, regret and even anger also run subtly throughout the poem. Like the Odyssey, a huge poem with culture at the center. These protests came to define. The second speaker seems to speak from experience and is probably Vietnamese.
One is struck by the reportorial voice of the first six questions contrasted with the graphic images and the poignancy of the final lines. Switch in attitude of the poem. It highlights how vultures, humans, good and evil all connect together, just like the stanzas of the poem. Were they inclined to quiet laughter? However, the crystallization or experience and its intertwining with the intellect is often endowed with irony and sarcasm which are also part of the poetic inscape. Denise Levertov was born in Ilford, Essex, England, on October 24, 1923. Now there is screams all around. The paralysis effect mentioned here may be the result either of fear or terror, but either way, the victims were unable to save themselves.
Levertov tells us that they were quiet, who loved nature. In the starting six verses of the poem, most of the questions are about the culture of the people of Vietnam. Now, we're not just wondering if you've ever considered marching around with a sign. And the fact that all the bones were charred means quite simply that fire perhaps through bombing destroyed any hope of creating joyful things. The poet might have used this style to make her readers think back, and know what they did in the past. Conclusion Levertov once again shows us that the people of Vietnam were happy. The poem begins with numbered questions: making it seem more like a school exam than a poem.
Analysis of What Were They Like? By Denise Levertov
The speaker replies with figurative language and vivid images, suggesting a richer imagination than that of the reporter. What are the dangers of this? Were they inclined to quiet laughter? He is gathering information and could be some kind of American journalist. Remember, most were peasants; their life was in rice and bamboo. Sir, laughter is bitter to the burned mouth. All their folklore and ceremonies have been completely smashed by the American army. Try reading the poem using different combinations of tone to get this effect.
Analysis of What Were They Like? By Denise Levertov
The poem 'What Were They Like' is written in past and present tense. Were they inclined to quiet laughter? When bombs smashed those mirrors there was time only to scream. Conclusion To conclude, I believe the message of this poem is to raise awareness and insight into what life was like before, during and after the Vietnam War. Through the questions, poet wants to make her readers think about and then look for the answers. Insofar as poetry has a social function it is to awaken sleepers by other means than shock.
