POETRY OF DEPARTURES Flashcards
(17 cards)
sometimes you hear fifth -hand/ as epitaph
immediate unreliable and second hand nature of societal idea/story - has been repeatedly told = doubt the truth of the promises of freedom
epitaph= words spoken at a funeral - unfulfillment of conforming
he chucked up everything/ and just cleared off
mocks dramaticised superficial image of change - views them as being careless/reckless due to their inexperience which makes them naive
the fact that the story is coming from the voice of someone else removes the individuality+ freedom of the image
certain you approve
speaker is irritated at the complacency to such blatantly superificial ideals - blind obedience is emph by direct address
this audacious, purifying, elemental move
enj and tricolon emph the significance of change that social ideals project - false hope + appears momentuous when in reality everyone else has done it
and they are right I think.
speaker is just as oblivious and unsure as those who do conform on the ideas of freedom
doubts the idea that conformity brings happiness
we all hate home
plural noun - speaker’s critique of himself + the shared idea of life becoming boring which incentivises an innate desire for change
inherent unfulfillment + greed society to always want more
It’s specially chosen junk
juxtaposition emph how items that were once valued now are viewed as boring + discarded - emph the fleeting nature of happiness and passion as humanity always desires more
the good books, the good bed
monosyllable emph the lack of ‘good’ and the repetitive monotony of change
objects that were once significant become worthless
and my life, in perfect order
life being regimented and monotonous = desire for change
he walked out on the whole crowd
societal voice emph in italics - pushes people to conform to ideal of dramatic change + hope
in reality lacks uniqueness + appears performative
leaves me flushed and stirred, like then he undid her dress/ or take that you bastard;
speaker mocks societal rebellion being associated with change - overdramatic - just another form of conformity
endstop emph the speaker’s separation and rejection of such misleading ideals
surely I can, if he did?
speaker’s own temptations to the fantasy of change and its promises being exemplified by such allusions
sober and industrious
speaker questions the nature of these ideals - respectable since it encourages people to be hardworking but is inevitably undermined by the superficial nature of ambitions they work towards
yes swagger the nuts strewn roads/ crouch in the focsle
cliche idea of becoming carefree after change - actually just conforming
such a deliberate step backwards
life inevitably becomes boring - change + conformity = self sabotage - will always return to the monotony and patterns of the old life
the happiness obtained from conforming as non permanent - speaker has been deceived
to create an object/ books; china; a life
image of crafting + creativity being undermined by the social conformity - speaker creates the same objects + product of change = no actual uniqueness and value will depreciate overtime and will be discarded as worthless
structurally parallels image of boredom associated with meaningless objects in stanza 2
use of listing of objects emph the monotony + cyclical nature of unfulfillment
reprehensibly perfect
oxymoronic - speaker rejects the idea that happiness can be obtained through conforming to such fantasies of freedom and the idea of a perfect life - impossible
