Gwen Harwood’s poetry show’s change in self through a particular situation, and is enhanced by symbols and images. In her three poems ‘In the Park’, ‘Prize Giving’ and ‘The Glass Jar’, Harwood places the central individual in circumstances that amount to change. These circumstances act as a catalyst for the change in self that occurs. Harwood also adopts the use of symbols and imagery to reveal and emphasise the experiences of the individuals. This, paired with the use of several poetic techniques allows for change in self to occur. Harwood’s ‘In the Park’ outlines a particular incident in a woman’s life and is complemented by the use of symbols and images.
In the poem the woman is in the park with her three children when she encounters an ex-lover. This ex-lover is a symbol of the woman’s past and can be seen through the interest and vibrancy of the conversation that takes place. ‘It’s so sweet / to hear their chatter, I watch them grow and thrive’. This light positive manner contrasts greatly with the thoughts of the woman in her present situation. Short sentences as well as content reveal this cynical, negative attitude. “From his neat head unquestionably rises / a small balloon…
.’ But for the grace of God… .’ ” The symbol of the man representing the woman’s past allows for contrast and reveals the change that has taken place since the woman has given birth to her children. A second change is portrayed in the poem and is a result of the situation the woman is put in. Her life is somewhat drab and dull and can be seen with Harwood’s assonance of the ‘I’s ound in the first stanza, ‘whine and bicker, tug her skirt’. The woman, obviously embarrassed by the situation, ‘too late to feign indifference to that casual nod’, is forced into circumstances where she must face her reality. She is confronted by her ex-lover and is made to recognise and come to the fact that she is no longer the centre of her life, her children are.
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She also comes to the conclusion that her children have engulfed her life, ‘they have eaten me alive’. It is only when the woman is placed in this situation that she can have this realisation and be forced to change. Harwood’s poem ‘Prize Giving’ illustrates change in self through placing Professor Eisenbart in a confronting situation. This incident is enhanced through the symbols and images used to emphasise and reveal change.
In the first three stanza’s Harwood presents the responder with a proud, arrogant old man. Harwood does not only do this through the content of her poem, but also through word choice, alliteration and contrast. Harwood’s choice of the word “insect” in the line, ‘whirred with an insect nervousness’s hows the insignificance and inferiority of the school students. This consequently shows the Professor to be important and superior. As well as supporting this image, the following quote, ‘head in humbler black flapped round and steered / her guest, superb silk and fur, with pride” also demonstrates how Harwood has used alliteration to give the Professor a sense of dominance.
The alliteration of the ‘h’s ound when describing the headmistress, Harwood creates a softer, less distinguished description of what proves to be an inferior individual. Harwood’s description of the Professor evokes a more obvious, distinguished sense with the alliteration of the ‘s’s ound. This alliteration allows for a contrast to be made and consequently shows Professor Eisenbart to be clearly superior. This early image of Eisenbart allows for a greater scope of change and reveals and emphasizes the change that takes place. The situation in which Harwood places Eisenbart in the poem ‘Prize Giving’, allows for change in self to occur. Eisenbart’s initial aloof attitude, when he ‘rudely declined’ the invitation, is challenged by the girl with the titian hair.
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This is illustrated when the girl is mocking Professor Eisenbart’s pose, ‘her hand bent / under her chin in mockery of his own’. Following this the Professor dutifully congratulates the girl by shaking her hand and receives a “voltage fling.” It is at this moment that the Professor is forced to deal with the challenge that the girl is issuing. From this moment the Professor become reserved and is replaced in the spotlight, both literally and symbolically, by the girl while she is playing Mozart. It is at this point that Professor Eisenbart’s dominant position in the proceedings is subdued and he is forced to personally change as a result. The Professor final point of change occurs however at the conclusion of the performance, when it appears that he has been upstaged by the girl. Professor Eisenbart realizes this and this is symbolically shown when he ‘peered into a trophy which suspended / his image upside down: a sage fool trapped / by music in a copper net of hair.’ it is this image of the Professor being trapped and changed in the girls glory and victory that forces the Professor to change from arrogant and egotistical to reserved and inferior.
This change in self is a distinct result of the situation in which Harwood places Professor Eisenbart and is enhanced and uncovered through images and symbols. In ‘The Glass Jar’ Harwood again presents a change in self through the images and symbol that reveal and emphasise a situation. In the poem the young boy is seen as a symbol of innocence, purity and naivety. This symbol is shown by Harwood through rhyme, alliteration and narrative.
The a, b, b, a, c, c pattern which the poem follows initially produces a light enthusiastic atmosphere associated with youth and vibrancy. Alliteration in the first stanza has the same effect with the repetition of the ‘d’ and ‘b’s ound in the line ‘in dream of darkness from his passion fled, / this host, this pulse of light beside his bed.’ this quote also demonstrates the narrative nature of the poem that is associated with simplified children’s stories, emphasizing the symbol of innocence and purity. Similarly these techniques emphasise the symbol of hope in the poem, being light. The light in the jar was hope for the boy and it ‘stood / ready to bless, to exorcise, / monsters’, as with ‘Prize Giving’ the development of these symbols and images allows for greater scope of change in self as well as revealing and emphasizing the changes that take place. After revealing that there is no light in the jar, Harwood exposes the child to a situation where he is forced to change.
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Harwood places the boy in a situation where he needs comforting, however he is reluctant to seek this from his parents. ‘Through the dark house he ran, sobbing his loss / to the last clearing he dared not cross’. Despite this the boy enters the room where he is confronted by the image of his parents having sex. Feeling betrayed by his ‘comforter’ mother, the boy is forced to deal with this new knowledge himself. Through this the boy not only changes in terms of acquiring knowledge, but also in his ability to deal with a situation by himself. It is through this situation that Harwood places the young boy in, that he can have a significant change in self that is emphasized and revealed through images and symbols.
Gwen Harwood’s poems ‘In the Park’, ‘Prize Giving’ and ‘The Glass Jar’ all use symbols and images to reveal and emphasise the change in self that occurs within the individual. Harwood successfully does this through using a variety of poetic techniques. The construction of a confronting conversation in which the central individual’s have to deal with, is the main catalyst for change in self in Gwen Harwood’s poetry.
