Journey to the Interior - Irony

[Nullz]

Im trying to figure out the irony in the first line of the last stanza: "What ever i do i must keep my head". Atwood knows that the sun, compass or pointless words can not help her, and realises that it is easier to lose herself in this journey than any other..but i still cannot find the irony in this :S

[xx__savannah]

Hm, I've never thought there was irony in the poem, did your teacher say there was, because interpretation is very different from people to people.
The only thing I could think of is to "keep (one's) head", they must first have it, and the Journey to the Interior is about finding it in the first place?

I don't know Personally, I think it's an inspirational feminist work, to an extent, as Atwood is finding herself as a woman, mentally, comparing it to the man's physical place in the world

[Nullz]

yeah well i cant see the irony either :S...we have a booklet full of questions, and one was to state the irony of that particular line.. So far, all i have is that Atwood writes that there is nothing that well guide or direct you "compass useless", and then she contradicts herself by saying that she will keep her head..which doesnt even sound like a contradiction..okay im way off ....o.O

[xx__savannah]

I've gotta agree with you on the 'way off' bit, that sounds a bit wrong.
Just ask your teacher -- they're there for a reason. Can you get the other questions, or are they all weird and difficult like that?

[shortie_89]

i did this text...
the irony is that the 'journey to the interior' is a journey inside Atwood's 'head' or inner self - i.e. its an inner or imaginative journey; so the idea of 'keeping her head' is ironic because she is IN her head
thats the only irony i can think of... and its not really ironic more kinda pissweak ah well but this is a good text lots of good things 2 talk about.. i used it in the HSC to reasonable effect

[xx__savannah]

Originally Posted by shortie_89

i did this text...
ah well but this is a good text lots of good things 2 talk about.. i used it in the HSC to reasonable effect

What were your Related Materials, did 'Journey' influence them at all?

And what you said makes more sense than anything I can think of

[Nullz]

thanks very much shorty

[shortie_89]

well at least i can say wot i learnt in english actually came in handy... pfft

[Wackedupwacko]

The irony is in that her poem deals with the dangers of losing yourself internally through your struggles, the dangers presented and that each journey is unique (thus making it more dangerous) yet with this first line shes basically saying she must keep her head, she must not lose herself... and thus the irony...

i also did this text but .... trust me... you dun wanna read what i pulled outa it.. its so.... abstract now that i read it again....

[shez woz]

yeah, im studying it now. as shortie said. the irony is that she's trying to understand the psyche and depression. "keep my head" meaning stay calm and concentrate, being ironic to not losing your mind.

[glitterfairy]

Originally Posted by Nullz

Im trying to figure out the irony in the first line of the last stanza: "What ever i do i must keep my head". Atwood knows that the sun, compass or pointless words can not help her, and realises that it is easier to lose herself in this journey than any other..but i still cannot find the irony in this :S

As someone mentioned above, I'd interpret the "irony" as the fact that we're assuming she's already trekking through a world "in her head".

However I wouldn't beat yourself up about something so trivial for too long - there's so many other meatier things in Journey to the Interior to sink your teeth into

[goldendawn]

Originally Posted by Nullz

Im trying to figure out the irony in the first line of the last stanza: "What ever i do i must keep my head". Atwood knows that the sun, compass or pointless words can not help her, and realises that it is easier to lose herself in this journey than any other..but i still cannot find the irony in this :S

I interpret "whatever I do I must keep my head" as symbolically linking landscape and psyche - it relates the idea of one needing to maintain their common sense on a literal journey into new territory, with the need to maintain ones conscious 'sense of self', of time, and of identity, in the landscape of the psyche. There's almost the feeling that getting lost in this landscape would mean being subsumed by a jumble of images, emotions and events, and slipping into a state of metaphorical 'madness'. The irony is that the statement also suggests a mind within a mind - that she is "keeping her head" when she is already inside "her head". This might even represent the dualism between the conscious, organising mind and the vast, uncharted subconscious mind - where the latter represents the source of both inspiration and of madness.

[Magister]

Hey goldendawn!

That was a great analysis of the poem and it's pivotal idea. I'm sure it will be helpful to others.
Fantastic stuff!!!

[bobby2004]

This looks very similar to what i remember reading in 2004. Be sure to change this into your own words! If i noticed the SIMILARITY then it is very likely that a supervisor who has read 1000s of papers has also. Your mark is in jeoprady- paraphrase all work!!!! You probably have'nt even noticed what you have done!



Cheers,

Bobby 2004.

Originally Posted by goldendawn

I interpret "whatever I do I must keep my head" as symbolically linking landscape and psyche - it relates the idea of one needing to maintain their common sense on a literal journey into new territory, with the need to maintain ones conscious 'sense of self', of time, and of identity, in the landscape of the psyche. There's almost the feeling that getting lost in this landscape would mean being subsumed by a jumble of images, emotions and events, and slipping into a state of metaphorical 'madness'. The irony is that the statement also suggests a mind within a mind - that she is "keeping her head" when she is already inside "her head". This might even represent the dualism between the conscious, organising mind and the vast, uncharted subconscious mind - where the latter represents the source of both inspiration and of madness.

[bobby2004]

Well done! You have the key idea of the emotional journey there SHEZ WOZ. If you are studying emotional journey's use this in your response. If you are studying physical or imaginative journeys, be sure to link it back to that particular study area. Good work!


Bobby 2004.

Originally Posted by shez woz

yeah, im studying it now. as shortie said. the irony is that she's trying to understand the psyche and depression. "keep my head" meaning stay calm and concentrate, being ironic to not losing your mind.