Sewell's Diction In Circe, After His Departure
In her poem “Circe, After his Departure,” Sewell’s diction characterizes Circe’s desire as a feeling that occurs internally rather than directly relating to Odysseus.
Several of Sewell’s specific word choices repudiate the concept that Circe is passionately yearning for Odysseus. Sewell describes that Circe “still thinks of him,/ still gazes idly out at a horizon on which no vague blur/or bright spot [...] appears” (2-4). Sewell’s choice of the word “idly” (3) contradicts the intense emotional attachment Circe expresses throughout the rest of the poem, such as when she ruminates on “the possibility/of union, and the necessity of such promise and belief” (Sewell 21-22). The Oxford dictionary defines idly as “with no particular purpose, reason, or foundation” or “in an inactive or lazy way” ("Definition of Idly in English”). Sewell’s selection of the word “idly” portrays Circe’s search for Odysseus as lacking any sort of fervor. This …show more content…
Sewell is offering a play on words here. The word “heady” (2) implies that all of Circe’s desire is in her own head and is directed more towards the idea of Odysseus than the man himself. Sewell’s use of the conditional tense throughout the poem to convey Circe’s thoughts and feelings further supports the idea that her desire for Odysseus is all in her head. Circe confesses that “she would like to forget about [Odysseus]” (Sewell 13). The use of “would” implies that all of Circe’s thoughts and hopes exist in an imagined, hypothetical form. She later shares that “she would open him up and crawl back/ into [him] [...]/ if it would teach him the possibility/ of union” (Sewell 19-22). She repeats that “if she had the chance she would tell him” (Sewell 23). By writing about Circe’s desire in the conditional tense, Sewell characterizes it as existing internally in a hypothetical world and, therefore, demonstrates how Circe’s desire is not an external need for
Several of Sewell’s specific word choices repudiate the concept that Circe is passionately yearning for Odysseus. Sewell describes that Circe “still thinks of him,/ still gazes idly out at a horizon on which no vague blur/or bright spot [...] appears” (2-4). Sewell’s choice of the word “idly” (3) contradicts the intense emotional attachment Circe expresses throughout the rest of the poem, such as when she ruminates on “the possibility/of union, and the necessity of such promise and belief” (Sewell 21-22). The Oxford dictionary defines idly as “with no particular purpose, reason, or foundation” or “in an inactive or lazy way” ("Definition of Idly in English”). Sewell’s selection of the word “idly” portrays Circe’s search for Odysseus as lacking any sort of fervor. This …show more content…
Sewell is offering a play on words here. The word “heady” (2) implies that all of Circe’s desire is in her own head and is directed more towards the idea of Odysseus than the man himself. Sewell’s use of the conditional tense throughout the poem to convey Circe’s thoughts and feelings further supports the idea that her desire for Odysseus is all in her head. Circe confesses that “she would like to forget about [Odysseus]” (Sewell 13). The use of “would” implies that all of Circe’s thoughts and hopes exist in an imagined, hypothetical form. She later shares that “she would open him up and crawl back/ into [him] [...]/ if it would teach him the possibility/ of union” (Sewell 19-22). She repeats that “if she had the chance she would tell him” (Sewell 23). By writing about Circe’s desire in the conditional tense, Sewell characterizes it as existing internally in a hypothetical world and, therefore, demonstrates how Circe’s desire is not an external need for