What does Harwood say about change in her poems

             What does Harwood say about change and changing self in her poems "In the Park", "Prize-giving" and "The Glass Jar"? How does she communicate her ideas?
             Change is just and ordinary event that every individual encounters many times over throughout their life's journey. Whether this change is as dramatic as adjusting to a death, or a general change in your lifestyle, career, family or friends, changing self is a vital part of the learning process and life's path that should not be dismissed. By using her poems "In the Park", "Prize-giving" and "The Glass Jar" as a basis, and combining these with various poetic devices such as symbolism, juxtaposition, aural imagery and strong descriptive language, Gwen Harwood communicates her ideas on the various forms of change and changing self. Her poems make the reader aware of the fact that change can happen at any time, at any age and point of our lives, and on occasions when we least expect.
             "In the Park" is a sonnet who's title sets the scene for the poem by indicating the simple and boring life the woman leads and echoes the isolating existence of suburban life. Harwood tells the story of a woman, a mother who is so caught up with bringing up her children that she has given up on looking after herself which is indicated in the line "Her clothes are out of date." The aural imagery in the first stanza "whine and bicker, tug her skirt" gives the reader the impression that this mother has been drained of her individuality and energy by her children and lifestyle. The woman is left anonymous and unidentified through the use of "She" throughout the poem, which gives it a universal theme. She has had so much drained from her life that even a man whom "she loved once", makes her feel worthless and embarrassed, knowing that he is so successful and untouched by life's de...

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What does Harwood say about change in her poems. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 04:08, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/94750.html