Gwen Harwood “Father and Child” Essay

Categories: King Lear

The verse form “Father and Child” by Gwen Harwood shows Harwood’s male parent learning her the construct of life and decease. from when she is a immature kid in “Barn Owl” up to when she is about 40 at the clip of his decease in “Nightfall” . coming to accept the thought that life is non ceaseless. In portion one called “Barn Owl” ; she has learnt to accept decease as a constituent of life. The character of the verse form experiences a loss of artlessness with the find of the calamity of decease.

Before hiting the bird of Minerva. the kid believes they are the “master of life and decease. ” with the noun. “master. ” reflecting the power that the kid feels and the ignorance that the kid has about the nature of decease. This description of the kid is subsequently contrasted in the 4th stanza. “I watched. afraid by the fallen gun. a alone kid who believed decease clean and concluding. non this obscene package of material.

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” The affectional term. “afraid. ” represents the alteration in the persona’s attitude after being exposed to the harsh world that is mortality.

However. the rime and last line “what sorrows in the terminal. no words. no cryings can mend” releases an component of unexpressible unhappiness that she has towards the decease of her male parent screening that although she accepts decease. it still upsets her as it did in “Barn Owl” . Father and Child” Nightfall” is more metaphorical and symbolic proposing a more mature character like an grownup.

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The verse form represents a human’s journey over clip of larning to maturate and accept decease. The verse form “Father and Child” explores the change by reversaling functions of male parents and children’s functions as clip goes on. Nightfall” is more metaphorical and symbolic proposing a more mature character like an grownup. and is about a kid grown to adult age disbursement clip with her male parent before he dies.

The symbolism of the imagination presented through the verse form is of the passing of clip. this is shown in words like “temporal” . “transience” . “late” . “night and day” . “grown” and “ancient” . this represents the ripening of the male parent and kid and emphasises how they have grown both physically and mentally. The usage of the word “angel” in “Barn Owl” suggests the intimacy of the father-daughter relationship. Besides the line “I leaned my caput upon my father’s arm. and wept. ” shows the lovingness and soothing nature of the male parent. However. “Nightfall” shows the infantile nature towards her male parent starts to vanish and that she has developed great regard for her male parent. This is first implied through the phrase “Father and kid. we stand in time’s long promised land” which shows they have a united forepart confronting decease together.

This is farther emphasised through the rhetorical inquiry of “Who can be what you were? ” demoing the grasp for her male parent. as she recalls her father’s “marvellous journey” . Besides. the usage of direct address from the male parent inquiring. “Be your cryings wet? ” is an allusion to Shakespeare’s play “King Lear” . where King Lear asks this same inquiry to his disquieted girl Cordelia on his decease bed. this is where King Lear discovers that Cordelia was the lone kid that genuinely cared for him. proposing that the character has been faithful in caring for her male parent up until his decease. “Old king” is a similar allusion once more connoting that the character appreciates her father’s life believing it was great and it needs to be treasured. “Nightfall” is proposing that although loved 1s base on balls. it is of import to keep the memories shared near ; so spiritually. they are ne'er truly gone even though physically they have passed.

Updated: Nov 01, 2022
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Gwen Harwood “Father and Child” Essay. (2020, Jun 02). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/gwen-harwood-father-and-child-new-essay

Gwen Harwood “Father and Child” Essay essay
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