Interpretation and identification of various metaphors, symbols and images from modernist poetry

             

                                                                                                           1: The Embankment by T.E. Hulme

Once, in finesse of fiddles found I ecstasy,

In a flash of gold heels on the hard pavement.

Now see I

That warmth’s the very stuff of poesy.

Oh, God, make small

The old star-eaten blanket of the sky,

That I may fold it round me and in comfort lie.

                              In this poem, there is some symbols like Gold heels on the hard pavement and the old star- eaten blanket of the sky. This poems spoken by a man fallen in hard time or fallen on a old butter night.  The words like hard pavement and star- eaten blanket shows the very bed condition of life from which poet may be passed. Star is used here in a negative meaning.

2: 'Darkness' by Joseph Campbell

        I stop to watch a star shine

        in the bog hole -

        A star no longer, but a silver

         ribbon of light.

        I look at it and pass on.

                           When we  read the title Darkness, we feel something negative or the feeling of downfall.  Stars is symbol of brightness and success, but the silver ribbon of light which is suggest broken stars,means success or brightness may be not stay for long time. And it will pass suddenly.  So, the title Darkness symbolize many things. Here we find modernist metaphors like star shine in big hole and  silver ribbon etc.

3: ' Image' by Edward storer

     Forsaken lovers,

       Burning to a chaste white moon

       Upon strange Pyres of loneliness and

       drought.

                     The title itself present the image of modern people and their life style, and also present the people of civilization. Here is the word forsaken lovers, burning to chaste, strange etc. are the modernist metaphor used by poet. white moon used as a symbol.

4: 'In a Station of the Metro' by Ezra Pound

The apparition of these faces in the Crowd;

  Petals on a wet, black bough

                      Metro station is the modernist metaphor. In this poem poet also show the relationship between people and machines. it also show the way of living life of modern people. petals, black bough etc. the words are used as a symbols.

5: 'The Pool' by Hilda Doolittle

  Are you alive?

       I touch you

       You quiver trembling like a sea-fish

       I cover you with my net

       What are you- banded one?

                      The words the pool and sea- fish are symbolized or gives us an image of water. The pool shows the modernity, because it is not natural, it artificial and in natural water like sea or in river has life but pool has not. ......because it is not natural but artificial and it shows the modernity. Net, banded one, sea -fish etc. are the metaphors used by poet in this poem.

6: 'Insouciance' by Richard Aldington

  In and out of the dreary trenches

       Trudging cheerily under the stars

       I make for myself little poems

       Delicate as a flock of doves

       They fly away like white-winged

        Doves.

                        In this poem poet used metaphors like dreary trenches, trudging cheerily, little poem, flock of doves etc. In this poem poet want to free from his responsibility and thats why he used the metaphor like white winged doves.

7: 'Morning at the window' by T.S. Eliot

They are rattling breakfast plates in basement kitchens,

And along the trampled edges of the street

I am aware of the damp souls of housemaid

Sprouting despondently at area gates.

The brown waves of fog toss up to me

Twisted faces from the bottom of the street,

And tear from a passer-by with muddy skirts

An aimless smile that hovers in the air

 And vanishes along the level of the roofs.

    

                       In this poem poet present the image of the people who work full day, means till morning to night. In this poem poet used some symbols, but in the negative sense, that is like dumb soul, fog, twisted face, muddy skirts and aimless smile. This poem talk about the workers who work restlessly but till they gives aimless smile.

8: 'The Red Wheelbarrow' by William Carlos Williams

so much depends

 upon

a red wheel

barrow

 glazed with rain

water

beside the white

chicken.

                           Wheelbarrow is typically used for carrying loads in building work or grad.but poet used this word in a different meaning.  In this poem poet used the metaphor like 'rain' and 'water'. In this poem poet used many dual symbols like 'red- white' , 'rain- water' and 'wheelbarrow.  The word 'white chicken' may be used for a child.

9: 'Anecdote of the Jar' by Wallace Stevens

I placed a jar in Tennessee,    

And round it was, upon a hill.  

It made the slovenly wilderness  

Surround that hill.

The wilderness rose up to it,

And sprawled around, no longer wild.  

The jar was round upon the ground  

And tall and of a port in air.

It took dominion everywhere.  

The jar was gray and bare.

It did not give of bird or bush,  

Like nothing else in Tennessee.

                             This poem is about the state 'Tennessee' in united states of America. In this poem poet used such a metaphors like title - Anecdote of Jar, other like the jar cover hill, it was great and bare, bird or bush etc.  This poem talk about the superiority between art or man-made things and nature. Art may sometime be more beautiful than nature but it cannot be as creative as the nature.

10: 'I' (a'- E.E.Cummings)

l(a

le

af

fa

ll

s)

one

l

iness

                 

                            This poem is very short but in one line it say many things.  The falling last leaf is a symbol for loneliness. This short poem is also an symbol of modernist way of writing. The word fall also symbolize the loss of hope.  In one line poet said many things.  The last leaf is also symbolizes inevitable death.