Environmental Poetry
Environmental poetry expresses emotions and ideas about the surroundings and conditions to the readers and listeners. Three different landscapes are illustrated, by poets of different eras, with the use of sensual imagery, sound techniques and allusions. Robert Gray presents a post apocalyptic future of the impact of cities, through the didactic poem “Flames and Dangling Wire”. A subjective view of the environment is conveyed in “William Street”, Kenneth Slessor reveals that beauty lies within. In contrast to both poems, Henry Kendall’s “Bell-Birds” demonstrates the beauty and comfort of nature and how powerful it is to people. Thus, the environment and surroundings of a person can be viewed differently and have been conveyed in poems for centuries.
“Flames and Dangling Wire” is an edifying poem that warns humanity of the destruction of their disposable society and the impact of city life. Robert Gray conveys a post-apocalyptic landscape that is the future by using strong sensory images. Visual imagery is on sense used through all the poem. In the second stanza, “driven like stakes into the earth,” is a line that makes readers question the impact of the city life. Additionally, “like fingers spread and dragged through smudge,” is a line that exemplifies the desperation in the need of help. Gray also uses olfactory imagery to portray the landscape. The air is personified in the line, “The smell is huge,” in stanza nine. This animates the sense of smell and emphasises the thick polluted air; along with the metaphor, “A sour smoke.” Robert Gray has illustrated the ugliness of city life through the use of sensual imagery.
Another way Gray illustrates the consequence of change is through the use of allusions. In his poem, he continues to compare hell and the city wreckage; in particular “As in hell the devils might pick about through our souls, for vestiges.” As well as the line, “for a moment he seems that demon with the long barge pole,” Gray refers to
“Flames and Dangling Wire” is an edifying poem that warns humanity of the destruction of their disposable society and the impact of city life. Robert Gray conveys a post-apocalyptic landscape that is the future by using strong sensory images. Visual imagery is on sense used through all the poem. In the second stanza, “driven like stakes into the earth,” is a line that makes readers question the impact of the city life. Additionally, “like fingers spread and dragged through smudge,” is a line that exemplifies the desperation in the need of help. Gray also uses olfactory imagery to portray the landscape. The air is personified in the line, “The smell is huge,” in stanza nine. This animates the sense of smell and emphasises the thick polluted air; along with the metaphor, “A sour smoke.” Robert Gray has illustrated the ugliness of city life through the use of sensual imagery.
Another way Gray illustrates the consequence of change is through the use of allusions. In his poem, he continues to compare hell and the city wreckage; in particular “As in hell the devils might pick about through our souls, for vestiges.” As well as the line, “for a moment he seems that demon with the long barge pole,” Gray refers to