Comment closely on the following poem Essay Example for Free

Comment closely on the following poem EssayThe Self-Unseeing portrays Hardy reminiscing oer his childhood bread and butter with his p bents. In the first stanza, the setting their old house is described in a way that conveys a sense of age and weariness, through such words and phrases as ancient (emphasizing the age), footworn and hollowed and thin (alluding to the emptiness which has overtaken it through the passage of time after it has been abandoned), former (revealing the extent of change in the house, eg. by the door no longer being there), and dead feet (those of his parents). At this point in the poem Hardy speaks in the present tense from the outside of the house, in order to convey its emptiness to the reader. The second stanza ignores these aspects of the house, instead focusing on his memories of his parents, which contrast with the first stanza by filling the house with life and action. A happier style is created here, through a sense of warmth created by the fir e, and his mothers smile, which, along with his fathers playing the violin ( arciform it higher(prenominal) and higher), shows the gladness he felt while living with his parents.The musical effect of the violin is in addition complemented by that of the smooth-flowing abab rhyme scheme. The present tense verbs smiling and bowing imply that these memories were vivid, as if by introducing the setting to the reader he is reliving them. Hardys reference to his parents using the pronouns she and he rather than their actual name transforms the personal tragedy of the death of his parents to a universal one to which the reader can more easily relate.However, this tragedy is buried beneath the warm, welcoming supposition established by the aforementioned use of language in this stanza. Hardy illuminates these memories in the final stanza with light imagery blessings (which tend to be associated with heaven and so light), day, glowed, gleam, which underscore the joyful feelings previou sly evoked. This use of light imagery serves as a metaphor to reveal how Hardy, childlike, danced in a dream, and overall, the diction shows that his memories had a dazzling and pensive quality.However, it can be seen from the concluding line, Yet we were looking away , that he feels remorseful for not to the full appreciating what he had at the time. It is this line which gives meaning to the poems title he (the self) was unseeing and could not see the true value of his life with his parents. This makes the light imagery all the more powerful, as Hardy uses it to show that he is now able to see what he was unable to in his childhood.His newfound appreciation for his memories is also evident in the first stanza, where here is and here was sorrowfully reveal the setting of which he is about to reminisce. Overall, Hardys memories are presented in this poem with both regret and happiness. The phrase hollowed and thin in the first stanza, in light of this regret, describes the likely state of his soul following the acquittance of his parents.The regret is subtle at first, but chokes much more apparent after reading the last line it is as if Hardy uses this line to have the reader to look back (as he had looked back on his past) and be filled with regret through this reflection. The past-tense verbs walked, sat, and stood, which are simply describing what once was, become tinged with regret (as if mourning) upon a second glance. In contrast, the passive verbs danced, emblazoned, and glowed preserve their cheerful connotations, which suggest that to Hardy, reminiscence is a bittersweet experience.This idea is supported by the social organization of the poem three quatrains with abab rhyme schemes although the rhyme scheme establishes a sense of reminiscence, there are emotions both positive and negative associated with it. The simple pattern of it also mirrors the simplicity and naivety of childhood. The structure, rhythm, and diction of the poem thus convey a powerful message that pleasant experiences will eventually become memories, carrying both the happiness of their past occurrence and the regret and sadness of knowing that their time is past.