Poetry of Departures Flashcards
Good for Comparisons
What is Poetry of Departures about?
- Speaker is mesmirised/enticed by abandoning the societal expectations that define him.
- Also views this though as cliche, unrealistic and impractical.
Key Themes of Poetry of Departures:
- Freedom, identity, future, aspirations, societal expectations.
‘Sometimes you hear, fifth-hand, As epitaph’
- Emphasised via parenthesis.
- Stories of those departing society, deemed significant, seem to be vague, distant, untrue rumours (a far-fetched idea)
‘He chucked up everything And just cleared off’
Acknowledges this rebellious abandonment of societal expectations.
‘And always the voice will sound
Certain you approve
This audacious, purifying,
Element move.’
- Sarcastic tone - intends to mock.
- Triplet of hyperbolic adjectives - such stories are delivered in sensational/dramatic ways for these people to seem daring, powerful and rebellious. Speaker resents this assumed approval/agreement.
‘And they are right, I think.
We all hate home’
- Caesura / end stop emphasises the doubt for his own ideas - acknowledges the truth that he too hates his boring, mundane life.
- Includes himself in society - apart of those who dream of becoming something else. Suggests it is a universal experience for all of us to perceive home as restrictive.
‘It’s specially-chosen junk,
The good books, the good bed’
‘my life, in perfect order’
- Oxymoron. Carefully craft our lives via material possession that reflect who we want to be.
- Repeats monosyllabic adjective ‘good’ - his life is mediocre, meaningless, bleak/structured.
- Escaping this dull existence is appealing.
‘He walked out on the whole crowd
Leaves me flushed and stirred’
Inspired/motivated - intense/exhilarating emotions for possibility to escape, gain freedom/independence.
‘Sober and industrious.
But, I ‘d go today,’
- Despite being mesmirised by freedom, the idea of it being possible is enough and more powerful than the reality/actually being done.
'’swagger the nut-strewn roads’
‘if, It weren’t so artificial’
- Comical sense to rebellion - idea of freedom is silly/immature and fake. Departing form society is another form of social construction and illusion.
‘Books; china; a life’
- Listing: If not careful, life itself can become a meaningless construct - a mere commodity.
‘Reprehensibly perfect’
- Oxymoron - a perfect life doesn’t exist, fundamentally flawed.
