"The plumtree is white today with masses of flowers." "The Widow's Lament in Springtime
I chose this poem because I feel it is the best test of Perrine's guidelines which I feel so obligated to employ. After reading, I knew that unlike a number of the poems in this unit, the "Widow's Lament" used many symbols, which Perrine described as meaning more than their literal interpretation, unlike metaphors. The challenging aspect was coming up with a non-contradictory or assumption-heavy explanation. Obviously color plays a major role in the exposition of this poem. White is life, new beginnings; yellow and red are fire and passion; dark symbolizes the unknown. My interpretation is that this is the first time the widow has endured a new beginning like spring without her husband. She had a passionate and personally fulfilling relationship with him. Now she, prompted by her son, is pondering a new, equally exploratory but promising life-this is the unknown, the "heavy woods." She wonders if she immerses herself in this curious new life, maybe she can find the right meaning for her altered fate. The reason I placed the plumtree quote above is that it is the most puzzling but important symbol in the poem. I believe it may symbolize their marriage. It has just come out of hibernation. Instead of dying off altogether, it has endured the winter and is producing flowers of a new season: a journey they are both still living even though he is gone.
No comments:
Post a Comment