Commentary: “A Sad Child”

In the poem “A Sad Child” by Margaret Atwood, the author implies that sadness, or the state of, can be overcame by the likes of the individual. The author also suggests that clenching to sadness can be perilous for anyone and can result in superfluous outcomes. Atwood lacks literary structure throughout the poem, thus, leaving thoughts clustered together in stanzas. Despite the poem obtaining little to no structure, it consists of literary techniques in which enhance the poem, such as connotations to various other meanings, imagery, and the use of punctuation and diction simultaneously.
The title “A Sad Child” appears as contradictory to itself due to the connotations of the words ‘sad’ and ‘child’. The word ‘sad’ brings forth the thought of guilt, betrayal, or simply whatever puts one in a depressing mood. The word ‘child’ tends to represent innocence and can be portrayed as uplifting and joyous. With the poem possessing no real structure, this allows Atwood to say as she feels without the concern for following a certain pattern. The word choice or diction in combination with the punctuation she utilizes provides imagery to the poem, such as when she says “burning car” in the fourth stanza or “ice-cream smear” as stated in the third stanza.
As the poem may refer to the childhood of a female in her youth, it can be seen from the perspective of anyone. Not only does this poem relate to that of the female gender, but the male’s as well. Atwood stresses the fact that keeping a tight grasp on your sorrow is not the wisest of decisions. Doing so can be harmful to oneself, and others as well. As Atwood states, “Go see a shrink or take a pill” but do whatever it takes to overcome your sadness and not dwell upon it.

"Follower"

“Follower” by Seamus Heaney

In the poem “Follower” by Seamus Heaney, Heaney expresses the love and bond between that of a father and son. The speaker, or the son in this case, looks up to his father and admires the work he does, as well as the way he goes about accomplishing the tasks his father set out for himself. Not only does the son articulate his love for his father and his work, but the father shows his love and care for the son, as a father should. As the son followed in his father’s footsteps all his life, the irony kicks as the child ages, leaving the father to trail the likes of his own son. With imagery as such utilized in the poem, one can vividly envision the author’s work and grasp a better understanding of what the poem has to offer.
The son had seen his father as a very strong individual with the ability to do so much, especially when it came to his father’s job, which was farming. He claimed his father “an expert” and always seen himself growing up to, one day, do as his father did, as well as how he did it. Although the son felt as if he was a nuisance to his father at times, the father expressed his love for his son despite the fact. What seems to be the paradox in the poem happens to be the last two lines of the play. The speaker conveys how it is his father who follows behind him now, and appears that he will not go away, thus, seeing his father as a nuisance as he claims he was to his father. Why he sees his father as a bother could ensue reasons as to why this is. The elderly state of the father could have played a role in him being a nuisance, or the father could have simply done or could be doing something unpleasant in the son’s eyes that resulted in the father becoming unworthy of looking up to anymore, leaving the son on top to care of his father now.
With such word choice as “stumbling” to describe his father’s action when the son figuratively becomes the authority emphasizes how much he has fallen off from the son’s perspective. The image of this can vividly be envisaged with such diction used, not only in this aspect, but throughout the entire poem. Heaney’s imagery in combination with his diction helps one to clearly comprehend a given situation in his poems. Overall, the poem “Follower” displays a sense of how what is on top does not always remain and that all greats come to an end eventually. This poem gives off the wisdom that one can make their way to the top, leaving them in charge and having others to follow what they do.

Punishment

The poem “Punishment” by Seamus Heaney, just like the bulk of his other works, consist of multiple counts of vivid imagery throughout the entire poem. As for Heaney poems go, it is if he tells stories, maybe even personal life experiences through the means of poetry, just as in “Punishment”. This poem uses an abundant amount of similes and metaphors to add emphasis on the imagery utilized. Heaney also does not include any rhyme scheme and structures this poem the way it is, perhaps, for a reasonable cause.
The imagery in this poem can be clearly seen or pictured in one’s head. From the nudity processed within the first two stanzas of the female in which the entire poem talks about, to the aftermath of the damage done to this female in the third through sixth stanza, to the sheer beauty she possessed in the seventh stanza, Heaney make it realistic as a poet and adds a storyline, not only to this poem, but to the likes of most of his plays in general. With the usage of the similes and metaphors also helps enhances the image that Heaney tries to portray.
This poem does not include a rhyme scheme whatsoever. Reasons for which I feel there is no rhyme scheme are because without one, it makes one focus on the poem as a whole. Most times rhythm and rhyme schemes puts emphasis on certain sections and brings to light some aspects of the poem in which the author may find more valuable than the rest of the text, but since Heaney chose not to incorporate any rhyme at all, I believe he wants us to gear our focus on the entire poem. This would mean that no one point in the poem is more important than the other.
Overall, this poem shows the death, or murder for that matter, of a beautiful young woman that happened to be an adulteress and sought pleasure by doing what others felt was not right. Her death could have aroused as a result of jealousy from the women in which tortured this young lady, or simply by the means of her wrong doings. This, I feel Heaney left to the reader’s interpretation. But, the fact that the speaker has grave affection for the lost of this woman and that he calls her a ‘scapegoat’ in the seventh stanzas stimulates the question of whether or not the young woman was guilty.