Gwen Harwood English Poem Evaluation

Gwen Harwood’s poetry has withstood the test of time to become a collection of very relevant, engaging poetry. Her underlying themes, particularly in At Mornington and The Violets, have ensured the longevity of her work. Harwood’s poems, on a very simplistic level, are about change and time and the impact on the persona. The reader recognizes this theme because it is an essential part of every person’s life. By doing this, Harwood engages the reader with an initial personal interest in her poetry. When delving deeper into a more critical aspect of her works it is evident that whilst change and time are central themes, Harwood’s extensive use of literary techniques offer a much more diverse range of ideas including universal experiences of memory, emotions and relationships which relate to every reader.   This element of personal identification is central to an appreciation of Harwood’s poetry.
The Violets is a poem that simple narrates experiences in the personas childhood. The Violets presents memories in an introspective view illustrating the journey through time, beginning with of memory towards discovery and understanding. It does this through anecdotes in a narrative form. The use of this form ensures the accessibility of the meaning to the poem to every reader. In The Violets, the poem connects the past and the present, and illustrates the view that while time will change many things, memories are always personal and untouchable. This poem rests on the view that memories and the effect of time on people reflect mortality and the inevitable passing of time. The acceptance of time passing is a major issue when addressing the poem At Mornington by Gwen Harwood. The poem begins with the belief that the child can walk on water (“I could walk on water”) and then as the child has grown and changed, the initial belief is the same. The persona still believes that time cannot change her (“in airy defiance of nature.”) This line is in relation to the pumpkins on the...