Textural Integrity in Gwen Harwood - 1572 Words

EXTENDED RESPONSE: Gwen Harwood â€Å"In your view, how has textural integrity been achieved in Harwood’s works. Support your view with detailed reference to at least two of the poems set for study, evaluating the structure and poetic techniques† Through the mastery of the unique structure, style, and coherent textural integrity of her work, Gwen Harwood is widely acknowledged as a ______ poet. Harwood engages the audience personally though the highly personal, yet detached tone and language, thus enabling alternate reading and responses by an individual possible. The personal experiences depicted within some of her works humanises her verse, thus giving it a tangible context, relatable to the responder. A number of aspects prevalent in†¦show more content†¦In stanza four, â€Å"there is still some water left over† alludes that the friendship of the persona and their company will endure and the strength of it will be enough to â€Å"refresh them†, even though their time is limited. Harwood comments on the use of the water motif in â€Å"Lamplit presences†; â€Å"In â€Å"At Mornington†, elements of the past, present and future are used in images of water†¦the first source of the flu x of life: the water of the infinity of death†. The concept of the water motif alludes to the ________ of death and rebirth, and of the transitional stages of life. At the beginning of the poem, water represents the innocence of childhood, toying with the childish belief that life is infinite, displaying the persona as a child being saved by her father and tossed amongst the waves; â€Å"†¦and was caught by a wave and rolled/ like a doll among rattling shells/ and I seem to remember my father/ fully clothed, still streaming of water/half comforting, half angry†. Towards the end of the poem, the water is seen as a method of redemption and death, depicting the persona introspectively alluding to their acceptance of death; â€Å"†¦and when I am seized at last/ and rolled in one grinding race/ of dreams, pain, memories, love and grief/ from which no hand will save me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This central motif of water, and its