lgaica
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- 2007
this was my gwen harwood hsc essay, it served me well, free for all of you to use!
The poetry of Gwen Harwood extends beyond her post WWII Australian context, allowing it to be appreciated in a variety of contexts. Her work contains various layers of meaning, as she draws on her textual integrity. Her works “The Glass Jar”, “Alter Ego” and “At Mornington” can be read through a variety of readings including C20th Psychoanalytical, Modernist and Biblical.
Harwood was intricately aware of the philosophy of Wittgenstein’s theories on the “power of poetry”. She deals with the metaphysical concerns of the human experience, including the quest for selfhood, life and death, love and friendship, allowing her work to resonate with the whole of humanity. Her recurring motifs of music and memory, along with her techniques, strict rhyming scheme all demonstrate that her body of work was the product of one mind, and hence is a powerful example of textual integrity.
“The Glass Jar” can be viewed from a C20th psychoanalytical interpretation. Here we see the persona of a young boy, who places faith in the universal symbol of the sun as he attempts to capture the “pulse of light” in a jar to protect himself at night. He is forced to face his fears along and learn from this bitter experience. The boy sees his “comforter” and “rival” in fast embrace “playing from a score no child could read or realize”. This musical allusion and alliteration all highlight the boys feelings that he has been excluded from the family’s nexus. The reason can be seen through the child’s “sidelong violence” – his secret wish to kill his father, as he displays the Freudian Oedipus Complex.
This poem also explores the Jungian notion of the process of individuation through childhood, characterized by a gradual state of awakening in which the individual slowly becomes more aware of the world and himself. The barrier between childhood and adulthood is seen through “the last clearing he dared not cross.” Harwood uses the musical motif, in the child’s dreams of his father “orchestrating the malignant ballet” of his nightmares. The personification of death as his father makes the responder well aware that the boy feels rejected, separated by his mother and displaying irrational fears.
Christian aspects of the poem such as sin and redemption can also be seen. The poem may be seen as a Christian allegory of the struggle between good and evil, as the child begins to lose faith, highlighted by the contrasting imagery of “pincer and claw” with “reeling sun” as well as “dream and darkness”. It may be seen that the child looses faith, as his hope in the glass jar is shown metaphorically “falling headlong from its eagle height”. However, faith and redemption come through with the reemergence of the sun. From a Christian perspective of faith, Harwood uses a pun on the word “sun”, allowing the sun to be “resurrected” as a Christ figure, bringing back faith to the child. The personification of “wink” and “laugh” allow one to believe that good will always prevail over evil and darkness, and faith has triumphed.
Harwood’s reflective poem “Alter Ego” can be viewed through a modernist and psychoanalytical interpretation. This initially can be seen as a moment of quiet contemplation for the persona. The personification of one “who stands beside me still…who goes sleepless and is not spent?” conveys the frustration of the persona for her “Alter Ego”, created by the conflict between her unconscious and conscious parts of the mind.
Modernism focused on the search for order, stability and knowledge. By beginning with a rhetorical question, a contemplative tone is developed. This is aided with the strict rhyming scheme, an ironic counterpoint to the seemingly free-flowing ideas of modernism.
The musical allusion to Mozart is presented as one who had connections with his “Alter Ego”, and was able “to hear a symphony complete” and this is representative of the modernist ideal of using the creative impulse to bring the gaps between the physical and emotive self.
Harwood metaphorically notes that life’s experiences will only bring about true knowledge, and that it is only through death “on paths of love and pain” that the persona will meet her other self, ending the poem with a reconciliation to the inevitability of mortality. In this light the poem can be viewed as a reminder to the very human notion that ultimately we are alone, and allowing for optimism and creativity to fill this existential void.
A C20th psychoanalytical reading may be seen, based on Freud’s theories, which Harwood felt strongly towards. We see the persona as one who suffers from conflicts between her conscious and unconscious parts of the mind. Harwood uses strong metaphors, imagery and alliteration to create a dreamlike state with “lights sidelong shift” and “times desolating drift”. Enjambment and flowing sentences allow for this moment of introspection. This relates to the Freudian idea that dreams allow for the bringing out of repressed memories.
It is in this dreamlike state when “music and thought reverse their flow” and the persona looks back to “that morning” in which “childhood’s steady air” learned to love “like a blown flame”. This simile represents the transformation from childhood into understanding, adulthood and sexual awakening, and is an example of Freud’s notion of psychosexual development, similar to the individuation of the young boy in The Glass Jar. Harwood once again demonstrates ideas of what it means to be human.
Harwood’s poem At Mornington offers a contemplation and acceptance of life, death and friendship. In a Christian sense, the “father” can be seen as a savior, rescuing the child and offering peace to the adult. Recurring symbols of water and light such as the “pitcher” only build on these beliefs. Within the final stanza, we now see that through faith, the persona has gained acceptance of what is to come. The simile and water imagery “like light on the face of the waters” is shown to be a symbol of faith the persona has in the redemptive and restoring powers of religion.
Another idea that comes forward is modernism. It presents the child and father relationship as one that desires order and stability from the chaos that surrounds the everyday. The pumpkin is used as a metaphor as “a parable of myself” of one who tries to transcend mortality trough memory. The poem closes with the words “the peace of this day will shine down forever”. We realize the restoring and redemptive nature of memory and the peace this is able to bring to the universal fear of death and its finality.
It becomes evident that through the many readings and interpretations of Harwood’s work, her textual integrity allows her poems to be valued in a variety of contexts. Her universal themes of the nature of self, life death, love and memory demonstrate, along with her techniques and motifs her profound ability to surpass her post WWII Australian context.
The poetry of Gwen Harwood extends beyond her post WWII Australian context, allowing it to be appreciated in a variety of contexts. Her work contains various layers of meaning, as she draws on her textual integrity. Her works “The Glass Jar”, “Alter Ego” and “At Mornington” can be read through a variety of readings including C20th Psychoanalytical, Modernist and Biblical.
Harwood was intricately aware of the philosophy of Wittgenstein’s theories on the “power of poetry”. She deals with the metaphysical concerns of the human experience, including the quest for selfhood, life and death, love and friendship, allowing her work to resonate with the whole of humanity. Her recurring motifs of music and memory, along with her techniques, strict rhyming scheme all demonstrate that her body of work was the product of one mind, and hence is a powerful example of textual integrity.
“The Glass Jar” can be viewed from a C20th psychoanalytical interpretation. Here we see the persona of a young boy, who places faith in the universal symbol of the sun as he attempts to capture the “pulse of light” in a jar to protect himself at night. He is forced to face his fears along and learn from this bitter experience. The boy sees his “comforter” and “rival” in fast embrace “playing from a score no child could read or realize”. This musical allusion and alliteration all highlight the boys feelings that he has been excluded from the family’s nexus. The reason can be seen through the child’s “sidelong violence” – his secret wish to kill his father, as he displays the Freudian Oedipus Complex.
This poem also explores the Jungian notion of the process of individuation through childhood, characterized by a gradual state of awakening in which the individual slowly becomes more aware of the world and himself. The barrier between childhood and adulthood is seen through “the last clearing he dared not cross.” Harwood uses the musical motif, in the child’s dreams of his father “orchestrating the malignant ballet” of his nightmares. The personification of death as his father makes the responder well aware that the boy feels rejected, separated by his mother and displaying irrational fears.
Christian aspects of the poem such as sin and redemption can also be seen. The poem may be seen as a Christian allegory of the struggle between good and evil, as the child begins to lose faith, highlighted by the contrasting imagery of “pincer and claw” with “reeling sun” as well as “dream and darkness”. It may be seen that the child looses faith, as his hope in the glass jar is shown metaphorically “falling headlong from its eagle height”. However, faith and redemption come through with the reemergence of the sun. From a Christian perspective of faith, Harwood uses a pun on the word “sun”, allowing the sun to be “resurrected” as a Christ figure, bringing back faith to the child. The personification of “wink” and “laugh” allow one to believe that good will always prevail over evil and darkness, and faith has triumphed.
Harwood’s reflective poem “Alter Ego” can be viewed through a modernist and psychoanalytical interpretation. This initially can be seen as a moment of quiet contemplation for the persona. The personification of one “who stands beside me still…who goes sleepless and is not spent?” conveys the frustration of the persona for her “Alter Ego”, created by the conflict between her unconscious and conscious parts of the mind.
Modernism focused on the search for order, stability and knowledge. By beginning with a rhetorical question, a contemplative tone is developed. This is aided with the strict rhyming scheme, an ironic counterpoint to the seemingly free-flowing ideas of modernism.
The musical allusion to Mozart is presented as one who had connections with his “Alter Ego”, and was able “to hear a symphony complete” and this is representative of the modernist ideal of using the creative impulse to bring the gaps between the physical and emotive self.
Harwood metaphorically notes that life’s experiences will only bring about true knowledge, and that it is only through death “on paths of love and pain” that the persona will meet her other self, ending the poem with a reconciliation to the inevitability of mortality. In this light the poem can be viewed as a reminder to the very human notion that ultimately we are alone, and allowing for optimism and creativity to fill this existential void.
A C20th psychoanalytical reading may be seen, based on Freud’s theories, which Harwood felt strongly towards. We see the persona as one who suffers from conflicts between her conscious and unconscious parts of the mind. Harwood uses strong metaphors, imagery and alliteration to create a dreamlike state with “lights sidelong shift” and “times desolating drift”. Enjambment and flowing sentences allow for this moment of introspection. This relates to the Freudian idea that dreams allow for the bringing out of repressed memories.
It is in this dreamlike state when “music and thought reverse their flow” and the persona looks back to “that morning” in which “childhood’s steady air” learned to love “like a blown flame”. This simile represents the transformation from childhood into understanding, adulthood and sexual awakening, and is an example of Freud’s notion of psychosexual development, similar to the individuation of the young boy in The Glass Jar. Harwood once again demonstrates ideas of what it means to be human.
Harwood’s poem At Mornington offers a contemplation and acceptance of life, death and friendship. In a Christian sense, the “father” can be seen as a savior, rescuing the child and offering peace to the adult. Recurring symbols of water and light such as the “pitcher” only build on these beliefs. Within the final stanza, we now see that through faith, the persona has gained acceptance of what is to come. The simile and water imagery “like light on the face of the waters” is shown to be a symbol of faith the persona has in the redemptive and restoring powers of religion.
Another idea that comes forward is modernism. It presents the child and father relationship as one that desires order and stability from the chaos that surrounds the everyday. The pumpkin is used as a metaphor as “a parable of myself” of one who tries to transcend mortality trough memory. The poem closes with the words “the peace of this day will shine down forever”. We realize the restoring and redemptive nature of memory and the peace this is able to bring to the universal fear of death and its finality.
It becomes evident that through the many readings and interpretations of Harwood’s work, her textual integrity allows her poems to be valued in a variety of contexts. Her universal themes of the nature of self, life death, love and memory demonstrate, along with her techniques and motifs her profound ability to surpass her post WWII Australian context.
