The Use of Figure of Speech in Burns, Stevenson, and Dickinson Essay Example

the ultimate end of the world and his immense love, thereby amplifying the sentiment's grandiosity.

In her poem 'The Victory', Anne Stevenson delves into the roller coaster of emotions experienced by a new mother after birthing her infant son. She envisions him as her most profound accomplishment in life, viewing him as a work of art. However, she is taken aback by his authentic self; his perceived ugliness and selfishness repulse her. Despite her struggle to distance herself from her offspring, maternal instincts prevail and draw her into an irrevocable love for him. This deep-seated affection persists, even though she must now dedicate herself entirely to his wellbeing.

Anne Stevenson, born in 1933, was the progeny of an English cleric. She spent her childhood in New England and ultimately relocated back to England. Stevenson is renowned for employing domestic themes in her verses (Anne Stevenson, www. arlindo-correia. com). The composition consists of four blocks of four-line stanzas and utilizes several poetic techniques to transform the proclaimed "victory" into something significantly lesser. "The Victory" is crafted in a manner where the persona persistently communicates with her newborn, despite the fact that he will never be able to respond.

Straight off the bat, the rhymes adopt a bleak undertone when the protagonist declares, "I assumed you were my triumph/despite cutting me like a sharp blade" (1-2). There's an instant momentum towards torment, which intensifies as the verse extends to "when I ushered you from my body/into your existence" (3-4), the distress abruptly assumes a sacrificial aspect. The mother is surrendering a part of her to introduce her offspring into the globe; she perpetually believes that it is indebted to

her due to the actions she has performed on its behalf.

The character then refers to his offspring as a "small adversary" and depicts him as "bloodstained/blue like a contusion/the marks of your magnificence/ejected from my blood vessels" (5-8). This creates a slightly distorted image of the child, portraying him as an ghastly entity, barely thriving, with its mother's blood covering the most dramatic aspect of its birth. The character keeps referring to the child as more of an entity rather than a child by saying he is a "visionless object" with "empty bug-like eyes" (9-10).

The closing lines of the poem are two powerful rhetorical questions, amplifying the mother's sense of defeat and the child's triumph over her, "Why must I love you? How did you win?" (15-16). She is baffled as to how she could develop affection for such an unappealing child. Ultimately, "My Life Has Stood- a Loaded Gun" by Emily Dickinson is artfully constructed as a lengthy metaphor where the speaker visualizes themself to be a loaded gun. The poem describes how the gun anticipates its departure and finds pleasure in its deadly power once claimed. The weapon serves the individual with sustenance during daylight hours and offers protection during the night.

The poem additionally asserts that the power of the gun is solely dependent on its possessor. As soon as its owner passes away, the gun loses its value because it becomes useless. Emily Dickinson, known to be a secluded writer, resided in her childhood home until her departure in 1886. It's been speculated that Dickinson composed over 2,000 pieces of poetry throughout her literary career, but only about ten saw publication (Abyss

Has no Biography: Researching the Hidden Life of Emily Dickinson). The poem, which consists of six quatrains, primarily serves as a protracted metaphor, “My life has stood- a loaded gun.”

The character possesses the possibility of doing many things - for instance, with a firearm, she could lead a life of violence - but she is unable to achieve this potential without the impact of another person in her existence. The following verses delve into the contentment the character experiences when provided the chance to step into the world and realize her dreams: And now We stroll in sizable Forests- And now We pursue the Doe- And each time I am His speaker- The Mountains immediately respond- And when I beam, such genial illumination Kindles the Valley (lines 5-10). The character is endowed with power and influence thanks to her proprietor.

She has the power to dictate life and death and she can support his existence. Without him, she is simply an isolated weapon; without her, he lacks the ability to thrive as he otherwise would have. The last verse encompasses a paradox. The gun is capable of ending others' lives, yet it cannot fulfill its own death, “For I have but the power to kill,/ Without - the power to die-”. The utility of the gun only exists through its owner's life. The instant the owner passes away, the gun's power diminishes to nil; it turns into a loaded firearm lacking an agency to release the bullet.

"The Victory", "My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose", and "My Life Has Stood- a Loaded Gun" bear several resemblances. All three poems employ metaphoric language to emphasize their

primary themes. They are crafted using quatrains, giving each poem a ballad-like quality, irrespective of their romantic content. The poems imply different concepts: "My Love" hints at apocalyptic scenarios, "The Victory" slyly suggests an infant perceived as a powerful, yet unwanted alien life form, and "My Life Has Stood" suggests a person's latent capacities being unveiled by another.

Utilizing poetic tools, the primary emotions investigated in each poem are accentuated to form the central theme. Every poem also exudes a feeling of ultimate closure, be it love persisting amidst global devastation, or a mother embracing her child's birth despite her repulsion towards his looks and what he has caused to her physique.