SPECS AND SLIMS. on "Colour"

“Colour” by Dorethea Mackellar is a poem describing a blind woman’s perspective on colour. It shows and describes many different natural habitats throughout Australia and in vivid rich detail and colour; this makes it [Australia] in vivid rich detail and colour, and makes it seem more striking than it actually is – as this woman is blond and cam only imagine the colours. She is drawing upon the time before her blindness to seek out the colours and feelings that she acquired with them “with scarlet flame” or “coolest lilac, float on my soothed eyes.”
The purpose and theme of this poem is to show gratitude and appreciation of the world and all it’s beautiful colours. It also teaches the readers not to take them [colours] for granted as one day they may disappear and you shall only have your memories to recall upon.

There were many emotions portrayed through this poem. Mackellar managed to express empathy and blissfulness, as the reader goes through the poem. The imagery created really brings out a calm, serene and peaceful feeling as you read it, “nights of blue and pearl, and long smooth beaches” or “misty and azure-stained...” The use of word choice also makes the poem seem more realistic and catches the readers eye, “their soft dyes have steeped my soul in colour”.

This poem uses enjambment in its form, but otherwise remains to be a free verse. It may feel like a ballad with a song swing to it, but it’s not. Personal Pronouns are also used throughout the poem and are often paired with descriptive word choices. There has been a wide vocabulary used within this poem, “steeped” another word for engrained, “larkspur” a vivid purple plant instead of bright purple, “unearthly” instead of abnormal. “Sunset hearted,” “gorgeous” and “stricken” are also prime examples of word choice. The above words are very ecstatic, bright, symbolic and happy which creates meaningful and plenty of imagery in the readers head. There were only a few techniques that created imagery and support the theme, “yellow as sunburnt wheat” This was really good as it gives a comparison for the reader to compare with, in this case a visual of yellow sunburnt wheat. This realistic comparison helps the reader realise how important colours are in our every day life. They rhythm is very “perky” but smooth. Adding to the perky affect is rhyme with the stanza’s following: abcbdefegihijklkmnonpqrqstutvwxw, which eventually leads off to the next stanza low key and therefore well. There is one example of onomatepia, which helps with the imagery in the poem, “foam that creams and hisses” there is also assonance with “es” and “s” and alliteration “saffron sunset” and “dream and dawn”.

This poem was very interesting, and managed to successfully portray the themes of gratatude, appreceiation and not taking anything for granted. This was protrayed through various poetic techniques, all of which made the poem enjoyable and realistic. The main technique that made the poem as great as it was, was the word choice, as this in turn created many visual accompanyments and was one of the highlights of Mackellar's poem.

SPECS && SLIMS - Variations On The Word Love

Variations on the Word Love
Poet: Margaret Atwood

Variations on the Word love describes 'love' and all the variations on this singular word. It shows that the fantasized description of Love isn't always what it is made out to be. It's also about the experience of love, and how it doesn't always run smooth. Examples of this include; in stanza 1 "This is a word we use to plug holes with" Showing how love as a word can be used carelessley and used to fill blanks in without as much meaning.
The themes and purposes of the poem is romance and to describe and reflect on love. It shows how overrated it is, and also how it can be good and can be the cause of many things that humans undertake in "..You can cook with it too" one of the few examples given, of how someone can cook with love and passion, and that love is not always related to being with somebody, "It's a single vowel in this metallic scilence"
There are many contradicting emotions protrayed during this poem. They include reflectiveness "Then there's the two of us." Spitefulness "is a word we use to plug holes with". Confusion"..that comes with no instructions" Regret and fear "It's not love we dont wish to fall into, but that fear" and ultimatums "you can hold on or let go."
This peice is a freeverse peom. It uses Peresonal Pronouns and enjabment to create imagery. Atwood has a great vocabulary throughout this poem. She has excellent word choice in using "vacancies" instead of spaces, 'debauncheries' 'glittering' 'deep bare vacuums between the stars' which makes the space seem much more magnatising and grander than it actually is; and 'it's a single vowel in this metallic silence" which also creaters imagery. By choosing her words carefully (as discussed previously) the poet has been able to sucessfully portray imagery into the readers head. There weren't many poetic techniques used during this poem, but some possible examples of personification - 'This is a word we use to plug holes with" as you cant really plug a hole with love, let alone the word. This poem was read in 2/4 time, although it doesn't carry much rhythm, repetition or rhyme, though there was one example of repetition "Love, Love". This poem does use assonance though, for greater emphasis and effect on the phrases it's matched with. Atwood has used Peresonal pro-nouns through the whole poem which capture the readers interest and mind, to form imagery and more realistic emotions as the poem is beleived to be directed at them.
Overall this poem was not able to udentufy and show it's purpose or any of the techniques discussed above openly and without evaluation. The impact of this piece was confusing, love, boring, lame and extremely lousy. It was felt that this poem - had it been structured differently could have triggered more posotive remarks.

:) Did you like it? For those of you who dont know ... SPECS and SLIMS are a form of poetry analysis

S- subject matter
P- purpose
E- emotion
C- craftsman ship (go to slims now)
S- summary

S- structure
L- language
I- Imagery
M- movement
S- sound

Poetry Analysis - The Surfer by Judith Wright

The Surfer by Judith Wright describes a surfers enjoyment and experience through surfing. It also describes how through the different stages of the day the sea can change, from being a calm enjoyable ride to being something as violent as a *wolf*.

There are many themes and messages the poet (Judith Wright) is trying to get across, some of them are: the pleasures and experience of surfing; also, the regret of having to go back home and leave the ocean as it becomes rougher as the day progresses. It also shows that through the day the moods of the ocean can change and can become really scary. The protagonist is the surfer, the man (that is assumed) who is enjoying the surf and is taking risks as the oceans become more dangerous. Some prime examples of the above ^^^ are in Stanza 1 "he thrust his joy against the weight of the sea" (for the surfers enjoyment) "Turn home, the sun goes down, swimmer turn home" (as the ocean's mood & sun sets/starts to change) and "The last leaf of gold vanishes from the sea curve. and lastly to show how the sea went from being beautiful, to being dangerous is - "For on the sand the grey wolf sea lies, snarling, cold twilight winds splits the waves hair and shows the bones they worry in their wolf teeth.

The persona is that from the view of an onlooker watching the surfer out at sea, but it also changes for a bit to the surfers view of the ocean.

With this poem the mood shifts from one of joy at the surf "as he is water, with delight" to caution " turn home ** last leaf of gold vanishes*. As the poem progresses to an end it becomes much more sombre compared to that of the beginning and illustrates the danger of the ocean "grey wolf sea lies, snarling".

The structure of the poem is a three stanza free verse. This best conveys the change in mood from one of joy and closeness with the sea to that of caution and danger. The poets choice of words are very vivid and striking, they always conjure up meaning and imagery depending on the mood or context, such as once gain for the surfers joy "thurst his joy" or for the ocean when it's at it's peak - "through the hollow and coil' or as it becomes more daunting and dangerous - "on the sand the grey wolf sea lies, snarling." for the beach it's - "it's whitened pebbles and shells". There are many poetic techniques used, those including personification, metaphor, similie and symbolism. A prime example of personification is "thrust his joy" and 'muscle of water' or 'the grey-wolf sea lies, snarling, cold twilight winds, the waves hair and shows the bones they worry in their wolf teeth. O, wind blows". For a Metaphor: "his brown strengh" and "gold vanishes from the sea curve". Similie - "like a gull diving" and symbolism - "green through wiers of water," or "brown strenght" or "gold vanishes" or "cold twilight winds". This poem is read in 3/4 time, it's pace changes from a slow steady beat at the beginning and end to that of a faster pace during the middle. The poem only rhymes in some places, eg 'curve ** serve" or "shows & blows" There are also many notecible sound features, such as allieration, onomatopiea and assonance, enjabment and repetition. eg. "of water, of water" and moral masterful, snarling fawing, last leaf, speed and serve, which also creates imagery.

Overall this poem was very enjoyable due to the vast range of tecnhiques used. The poet was also able to convey the theme of the surfer surfing and his enjoyment and the changing moods of the ocean sucessfully.

Please ignore the spelling mistakes! I was tying very fast!

:)