An Easy Passage Flashcards
Who is the poem “An easy passage” by
Julia Copus
“Once she is halfway up there”
—> In media res, connoting agility and youth
—> Begins with an adverb of time, indicating the beginning of a progressive sequence of events
—> Subordinate clause - creates tension as the reader waits for the main clause. Reveals that there is a story before the narrative, a moment in which the girl decides to take a big risk in climbing into the home, yet it is not revealed to the reader which illustrates that most of the time adults only know teenager’s actions rather than the justification.
–> “Halfway” -attributive adjective - acts as metaphor for the progression of life
–> In the delicate, liminal moment of girlhood and womanhood
“crouched in a bikini….. trembling”
–> The girl is exposed in a bikini, perhaps unaware of her vulnerability
–> verb “crouched” and later references of her chest close to her thighs is reminiscent of the fetal position, accentuating the teens vulnerability. The fact that she is trembling, which is an involuntary action, suggests her fragility as a young girl. She can’t help the trembling just like she cannot stop the relentless pursuit of time and aging. Poet could be suggesting society forces upon us the responsibilities of adulthood when we are too young to fully comprehend whats happening.
