A Fine Balance of Potential and Kinetic Energy Establishes Relationship
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2 word format
document in English
literature
school essay
published 30/08/2007
review : Completed
level : Expert
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Summary
In Dream Work, Mary Oliver’s poetry delivers a balance of potential and kinetic energy. One poem in particular, “Starfish,” demonstrates that establishing clear relationships within a poem lies in regulating both passive and active language. However, before establishing a relationship, the speaker and other personas of a poem must be characterized—there must be a development and understanding of each individual voice to comprehend the whole of the relationship. Through managing pronouns and employing concrete imagery, Mary Oliver heightens the tension of the underlying struggle of forging a relationship with nature and enjoying the daunting aspects of the world.
Table of Contents
- Through the descriptive language, Oliver presents the starfish as active personas. The use of the 'rocks' and 'stone' imagery (1-2) indicate the toughness and strength of the starfish
- Taking the passivity deeper, Oliver manipulates the energy by shortening the syntax at certain points
- The lightening image not only increases the kinetic energy, but also reflects the narrator's fear to approach the starfish
- The energy of the poem shifts as the speaker finally directly addresses her anxiety without language that is neither particularly flowery nor passive
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