PLACES, LOVED ONES Flashcards
(11 cards)
places, loved ones
clipped title emph society’s ideas on connection/merging people together when they become married - cliche idea of settling down
reflects the speaker’s own lack of belonging + separation from such idea
plural emph his rejection and lack of committment to notion of singular love and belonging to just ‘one’ place or person - his alienation
No, I have never found
the immediate negations emph his quick rejection of social customs on love - dismissive and pessimistic tone as he takes a more defensive stance
abstaining from such customs makes him feel empowered/prideful
The place where I could say/ This my proper ground/ Here I shall stay;
use of italics mocks social ideas and cliched sayings- emph speaker’s refusal to accept this idea of singular belonging + significance
determiner emph the certainty + fatalistic nature of social ideals in singular love = creates restrictions
endstop emph the speaker’s distance from ideas
nor met that special one/ who has an instant claim/ on everything I own/down to my name
enjambment emph how rs overruns his identity + emplaces restrictions
speaker mocks the fatalistic and momentuous idea of finding soulmates- actually just entraps + removes agency
half rhyme reflects the rejection and disbelief in the happiness this idea of love brings
to find such proves/ you want no choice in where to built, or whom to love;
dismissive tone of speaker- views himself as superior + better than those ideals
direct address creates a condescending tone - speaker as confident + defensive of his stance - views those who conform as lower
idea of self sabotage associated with conforming to social customs for rs
you ask them to bear/ you off irrevocably/ so that it’s not your fault/ should the town turn dreary/ the girl dolt
how we blame society for decisions to conform to these ideas - mocks the voice of society as purposefully trapping people in rs
imminency of underwhelming nature of complying to social ideas - removes the individual’s freewill and dignity as they are subjected to a restrictive life - have been deceived by social allusions of happiness + belonging
yet, having missed them,
volta- change in perspective - speaker begins to consider his own alienation and his missed opportunities for love
bound, none the less, to act
suggests the inevitable restrictions with decisions in rs- either become bound by loneliness or become restricted by marriage (cynical implications)
and wiser to keep away/ from thinking you might still trace
speaker encourages reader to not seek the social customs of singular love - pointless
or the speaker attempts to reassure and protect himself - missed opp
your person, your place
ambiguous end to poem - lack of conclusion
speaker doesn’t completely deny idea but he rejects the idea of engaging in social customs for himself - cements his own separation as he believes its too late - mourning his own loss?
speaker believes if he did actually have this idea of true love = he wouldn’t have such opinions - alienation has led to his defensive stance (deceiving himself too?)
perhaps there is some perceived freewill in choosing who you love or finding the ‘one’ even if its just complying to social customs in reality
ao3 places loved ones
breakdown of relationship with ruth bowman after he moved from belfast to hull
never married - rejection of conventions - Monica Jones 40 year long rs 1946-1985
