Question

Children of light poem analysis

Answer 1

Explanation:

This poem almost reminds me of lyrics to a song because of its rhythmic meter. All in all, I think this poem could be interpreted as a sorrowful and desperate thought of an unloved wife, who has to deal with an unfaithful husband. With this poem, Lowell doesn’t beat around the bush, but uses explicit and straightforward language to describe the woe that comes with marriage. Instead of the lovely and affectionate vibe that we expect from relationships, the tone of this poem could be described as desperate and dejected. Because Lowell was known for his dark and critical tone, it is evident in this poem that he employed such stylistic value to express the hardship and adversity that comes with marriage. 

Unlike the previous poem, Lowell employs a strict rhyme scheme that creates a rhythm for the poem. He also uses various allusions to Puritan elements like “pilgrims” and “the blood of Cain” to allude to a religious meaning that may be hard to decipher for some. The reason I decided to analyze this poem was because it reminded me of “Children of Eden”, a musical that we performed last year. I’m not sure if I completely understand the poem because it contains many elements that are unfamiliar to me. However, stylistic-wise, the symbolism and diction add a level of sophistication and significance to the poem that only Lowell can produce. 

themes of death, corruption and evil in a sophisticated yet explicit way. In this poem, he talks about how history fumbles to record the things that happened, clutching at the time that is slipping away. He uses allusions to the Bible again to describe the nature of history. The words he uses such as “gruesome”, “mist-drunken hunter” and “silver salvage” to explain how death is always lingering near us, and how history tries to salvage us at the same time. Most of his poems have a dark, heavy tone, as if each word was chosen carefully to not waste a single space on the poem. It’s full of rich symbolism and allusion that sometimes makes the poem hard to decipher.