6 word memoir

~ In this rollercoaster world, she smiles


~ Projecting a smile to the pessimists

Transformations Question #13

13. In "Iron Hans," Sexton lists a  number of names: "Clifford [Beers], Vincent [Van Gogh], Friedrich [Nietzsche]" and "Zelda [Fitzgerald], Hannah [Green], Renee Vivien." Who are these people, and why does Sexton allude to them?

     As stated in the lecture notes, Sexton battled with postpartum depression and went to Westwood Lodge, a neuropsychiatric hospital, for help more than once. Poetry was suggested to her and was what helped her live life for as long as she did.  She alludes to these people because they all suffered similar mental instabilities. 

Clifford Beers attempted suicide due to a bipolar disorder. He also was a founder of a mental hygiene movement as a former patient.

Vincent Van Gogh suffered from post traumatic stress disorder and committed suicide. His paintings were an expression of his inner struggles.

Friedrich Nietzsche was a philosopher who experienced a mental breakdown and never returned to full sanity.

Zelda Fitzgerald was a writer who suffered mental illness as well.

Hannah Green or Joanne Greenberg wrote  I Never Promised You a Rose Garden to describe mental illness. She underwent psychoanalytic treatment.

Renee Vivien or Pauline Tarn was a lesbian poet who attempted suicide more than once. She grew more and more depressed about her failed relationship.

 

Anne Sexton's interpretation of Grimm's Fairy Tales

      I think Anne Sexton chose The Godfather Death to show that no one can cheat death. It also seems to go along with the rest of the stories in that everyone seems to get what they deserve in the end. 

More thought on my earlier post about "Auguries of Innocence"

A skylark wounded in the wing,
A cherubim does cease to sing.
The game-cock clipt and arm'd for fight
Does the rising sun affright.

Since the skylark is known for its song. It represents the song of freedom and hope. It represents our path of religious faith. The cherubim represents our innocence, sense of good and faith in all that is good or God-like. Our freedom, hope and innocence all go together. As the game-cock(soldier of evil and hatred) wounds our hope, it in turn wounds our innocence. Wounded innocence and wounded hope leads to wounded faith. The game-cock is always there to attack our faith. 

Blake uses parallelism in this stanza to show that evil is there to attack good. He expresses the constant struggle between good and evil.

William Blake's "Auguries of Innocence"

1.  What does the stanza mean?  2.  How does Blake use a literary device to convey that meaning?

The wild deer, wand'ring here and there,
Keeps the human soul from care.
The lamb misus'd breeds public strife,
And yet forgives the butcher's knife.

Perhaps Blake is using the wild deer to represent us human beings and we are keeping the human soul from care. We are straying the human soul away from innocence.

He uses the lamb as a symbol for Jesus/innocence/gentleness. The "misused lamb" creates public conflict. He is killed/sacrificed or butchered and forgives us for killing him. He forgives our sins.

A skylark wounded in the wing,
A cherubim does cease to sing.
The game-cock clipt and arm'd for fight
Does the rising sun affright.

I'm not sure about the first half of this one. A skylark is known for its song and a cherubim is an angel-like being or a winged creature who supports God. Maybe the skylark is seen as a supporter or creature of God and when it is wounded it no longer sings it's angel-like song. 

"The game-cock clipt and arm'd for fight" 

In this he uses the vicious inhumanity of cock-fighting to symbolize war. The cock is the soldier who is clipt(head shaven) and armed for war. 

The rise of a new day of war is frightening to the soldier. 

Augurs are soothsayers/prophets.

Auguries are practices of an augur. 

Blake uses symbolism to show that we are not prophets of innocence at all.