Explication Of Sharon Olds Poem, Late Poem To My Father :: essays research papers

Sharon Olds poesy Late Poem to My Father exposes the intelligent core that small fryhoodtrauma can have on someone, dismantle in adulthood. The vocaliser of the verse form invokes sadness andpity in the reader by reflecting on the traumatic childhood of her stick, and establishes a causeand effect relationship between the abuse he endured as a child and the dependence he developson alcohol as an adult. The idea of excited retardation caused by childhood experiences is notuncommon, especially in our redbrick world of prevalent substance abuse, dysfunctional families,and child abuse. However, Olds poem is a moving testament to this tragic loss of innocence dueto the decent imagery she weaves throughout the first half of the poem. In addition, Oldsskillfully uses metonymical language and deliberate byplay breaks throughout the poem to develop the regretful sorrow her speaker feels while reflecting on the childhood of her father.The poem opens with the speaker experiencing an epiphany while contemplating on herfathers childhood, and later in the poem we learn that this contemplation is more specificallyfocused on the causes of her fathers dependence on alcohol. In the first seven lines of the poemshe uses descriptive details to establish a dark, foreboding image of the setting. For example, inlines two and three she describes the house with unlit rooms and a gamy fireplace. She goes onto portray her father as a male child of seven, helpless, smart,... which reinforces his innocence in thisimagery of darkness. It is interesting to note how the speaker distinguishes these details, notwithstanding inlines three and six, she refers to her fathers father only as the man. She intentionally refers tohim in this flat way so as to convey to the reader that he is unworthy of any photo. Shealso omits characterization in line six when she writes, there were things the man did near you, by design emphasizing things with no other explanation. This leads to the assumption that someactions are to a fault abominable to convey in words, thus leaving us with a vast array of uncomfortablepossibilities to consider. The description of the sweet apples picked at their peak...rotted androtted,in lines nine and ten establishes a comparison between her fathers loss of innocence, andthe ripe fruit being left to waste. In line eleven she writes, past the cellar door the brook ran andran which is a compare to the apples being trapped within the cellar (like the child in the house),and the creek being on the outside, where the idea of escape exists.