A Line Of Promises Essay Research Paper — страница 2

  • Просмотров 288
  • Скачиваний 12
  • Размер файла 15
    Кб

woman to finally let go of her ring she needs to somehow change it. Words of optimism are described as she writes, ?Could some artificer / beat into it bright stones, transform it / into dazzling circlet no one could take? (16-18). An artificer is some sort of trickster or wizard. The woman needs to use magic or trickery to transform her wedding ring to a circlet. She wants to change reality. This circlet holds a shape like a ring, for it is simple and round but it is no longer symbolic like a wedding ring. The woman does not want the sacred vows that the wedding ring brings; she wants to change the wedding ring into a more simple, round circlet. She wants to change this ring and by changing it she is also changing herself. The wedding ring represents her marriage. She wants to

create a new ring, a ring that will represent what she wants to become. The speaker also uses a violent verb to describe the action of transforming the ring into a circlet. The use of the word ?beat? suggests that it is going to take massive power and force to change this ring from what it was to something different. Previously in the poem, the woman uses another example of violent imagery in the phrase, ?nails waiting to be used and hammered? (7). The woman cannot undertake this transformation on her own. Instead, she uses violent, powerful words to show that an outside strength is needed to change herself and her wedding ring. For the woman to change herself inside, she wants to first change her relationship with the people around her. Marriage is a solemn vow between a man and

a woman with many constraints and restrictions. In Levertov?s poem, the speakers says in the last two lines, ?Change it / into a simple gift I could give in friendship? (20,21)? Again, she gives another notion of an alteration of her wedding ring. It is clearly important to the woman for this change to occur before she is able to start a new relationship. The phrase ?I could? shows that the woman is willing to try a new relationship, but she is cautious. ?I could? is the past conditional of I can. The speaker had a choice to choose between these two words, and choice of ?I could? gives reason to believe that she is hesitant to trying a new relationship. The woman does not think a new relationship would work for her unless certain conditions occur, like changing in her

relationship with people. She cannot change transform herself unless she changes the relationship she has with people around her. The speaker wants to ultimately redefine marriage as a friendship. The complexities of marriage have left her lonely, and empty inside. A simple friendship is what she now desires. The change inside of her must coincide with the change of the ring. She is unable to move on with her life until she can really let go of the past. There are many different perspectives that can change the value or meaning of an object. This poem shows the negative aspects of being unable to let go of the past. Since the wedding ring comes to be part of the protagonist, it holds her back from moving on with her life. A great change is needed with the relationships the woman

has with the people around her before she is able to change herself inside. The poem portrays the message that it is necessary to let go of the past in order to move on with one?s life. Bibliography paper on Wedding-Ring by Denise Levertov