Poetic Analysis of "Divorces" in Contemporary Poetry Term Paper

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Poetic Analysis of "Divorces"

In contemporary poetry in American literature, conventional themes about the deconstruction of the family institution through the emergence of divorce as a legal marital practice have become prevalent. Legally, divorce as a legal issue is already accepted by the American society, but in the highly rigid and conservative society in America, divorce as a social phenomenon is not widely accepted especially when put into moralistic standards. As a social phenomenon, divorce is a topic commonly discussed in American literature, particularly poetry.

The theme of the constructive norm of marriage and its anti-thesis, divorce, is the main idea expressed in the poem, "Divorces." The poem, which will be the unit of analysis of this paper, will be studied through the themes of the following ideas: (1) description of the process of marriage; (2) divorce as an unpopular practice in the society; and (3) the subjective point-of-view of the poet/Speaker about marriage and divorce. Aside from these themes, the poetic analysis will include a discussion of the elements used in the poem such as imagery, simile, symbolism, and speaker and tone. These poetic elements are used in conducting a textual analysis of the poem, while a structural analysis of the poem is also included, which provides a study of the ordering of the Speaker's moods and themes found in the poem. Thus, through an analysis of the text, structure, and meaning of the poem "Divorces," this paper will provide a study of the poem in order to extend to the audiences the issue of the convention of marriage and divorce as it relates to the contemporary American society and literature.

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The use of poetic elements in "Divorces" such as imagery, simile, symbolism, speaker, and tone creates vivid description that the poet uses in order to extend the underlying message of divorce and marriage. The poem is rich in details, especially imagery, in portraying the different moods the Speaker takes in the poem. Imagery is evident in the lines, "when your ears were just / as sure as your silversweet tongue / was sure that the soup was oversalted" and "you always were / really sensitive really / tongue ears nose fingers almost / everything." These lines show how the body's senses are used to illustrate the character of the main character in the poem, who is described as a resolute (first line) and sensitive (second line) individual. Noticeably, these two characteristics are used to illustrate the normal characteristics people have to go through in the process of marriage and divorce. The first characteristic, which is being resolute, are evident in individuals when they go through the process of undergoing the process of….....

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