Remind yourself of the passage in Tony harrison’s poem Essay Example

finality and quickness of existence. A classmate interpreted this as imagery of death. The word 'blank' emphasizes the lack of fulfillment and incompleteness of the narrator's life. Harrison returns to his parents' cemetery to find it has been vandalized with graffiti and beer cans by football supporting youths.

In this text, Harrison portrays a moment in English history during the miner's strike of 1984-85. As a result of the strike, entire communities are left unemployed and deprived, with frustrated youths lacking prospects, jobs, and respect. The youths express their aggression and frustration by spray-painting four lettered obscenities and the symbol 'v' on graves. Harrison explores the different verses of society, including classes, gender, races, and language. By utilizing the 'v' symbol, Harrison connects back to pre-war attitudes of the nation and youth when jobs were scarce and morality was at an all-time low. This theme is also present in Harrison's other works, such as Allotments. The similarity of hardships and feelings between the two periods is apparent. Despite everything, Harrison suggests leaving that behind.

In the final passage of the poem, Harrison reflects on the symbolic nature of the letter "v", which has different connotations in times of war versus times of victory and hope. Despite its association with conflict and football during wartime, Harrison expresses optimism that "v" could once again represent positivity. The word "UNITED" is also inscribed on Harrison's parents' graves, leading him to ponder its various meanings. He suggests that in death, his parents may finally be united, and he too may eventually join them in unity despite their past differences. Even though Harrison's relationship with his father was strained, as shown

in his other works like "A Good Read," death may bring reconciliation and bind them together for eternity.

'Hawthorn tree, no matter if the boys boot their ball all day, cling to their blossoms and won't shake free.' This symbolizes the desire for unity in Harrison, extending beyond his family to encompass the entirety of society's various divisions. A related motif previously employed in the poem ('the hawthorn that's one post and petals fall') evokes the fragmented nature of society, but with this repetition, Harrison infuses hope that 'UNITED' may someday represent more than a football chant and actually reflect the state of the nation. In the final 7 stanzas of the poem, Harrison envisions his own grave, bearing the same graffiti; he implores readers to take action against the inevitable vandalism and foolishness wrought by youthful ignorance and recommends leaving only a small 'v' alongside 'UNITED', stressing its potential for victory rather than division.

Using the repetition of the first line in a poem is a common technique to bring it to a conclusion. In "v," this strategy not only signifies the ending of the poem but also brings us back to the initial concerns introduced at the beginning. Consequently, "Next millennium you'll have to search quite hard to find..." is both a closure and a reminder of those themes.

At the start of the poem, Harrison highlights how his education and status as a poet have caused a divide between himself and his family, a theme that recurs in his other works such as 'Bringing up' and 'Book Ends.' Harrison vividly imagines where his place on the family plot will be, or if he will

have one at all, highlighting the isolation he feels. His uncles epitomize everyday jobs with their 'beef, beer and bread,' which contrasts with Harrison's poet occupation that set him apart and put him in a higher class than his middle-class family. The repetition of the 'b' sound emphasizes the uncle's unity against Harrison. In contrast, the poem ends with Harrison's grave located on the family plot, which unites him with his family and links him to them through the 'b' alliteration.

Despite differences in occupation, social class, race and politics in life, death marks equality amongst all individuals. Harrison's poem v. caused controversy when aired on channel 4 due to the use of words such as 'FUCK' and 'CUNT'. Some members of the public and MPs considered it obscene and overlooked the underlying messages Harrison intended to convey. Critic John Simon claimed that if Jackson Pollock was considered a great painter, anyone could paint, and if junk was accepted as sculpture, anyone could be a sculptor.

. "The riff raff take over" is a phrase used to describe the impact of V, which was not immediately popular due to its controversial language. Despite this, Harrison was not dismayed and considered any type of discussion, positive or negative, to be a success. As Harrison said, "If love of art, or love, gives you affront."

The author suggests that Harrison may have anticipated the reaction his poem would incite and defended his poetic form within the piece. The line in question, located in the 5th from last stanza, implies that the author may want to remove offensive language. Harrison recognizes that traditional ideas about "art" can be unyielding, requiring a

jolt to change them. The author agrees with the MPs about the poem being shocking, although not solely because of its language.

The Independent article quoted a person who understood Tony Harrison's goal in creating v, stating that it effectively portrays the realities of a divided society and gives physical form to abstract concepts such as unemployment, racial tension, inequality, and deprivation. Despite initial criticism, some defenders of the poem's significance have emerged, such as Richard Eyre, who directed the channel 4 film version of v. He believes the poem should be required reading in all schools across the country, but acknowledges that if such a society existed, the poem may not have been necessary. Ultimately, the revolutionary nature of v by Tony Harrison has been recognized as a work of art.