A poem is considered to be beautiful and an expressive form of literature. Some poems are made to be expressive and more poignant, which can have a more depth feeling. In doing this however, every stanza must be well structured and every word and punctuation point must serve a purpose. The poet Anthony Lawrence demonstrated this depth and structure in his poem The Keeper and The Kept (QUP 20020. This written analysis will clearly show how by using these types if writing techniques, the reader can create a personal view for each reader.
The poet created this poem to show how captivity affects wild animals, which in this case is a Sumatran Tiger. This gives a perspective other than our own, which can change the meaning of ‘captivity’ completely. This makes the subject matter more intense and shows reality of what can happen. Because of this, the reader can understand that the subject matter is about the human impact to animals.
Lawrence created The Keeper and The Kept for a number of reasons. The first reason that can be identified is that to help people raise awareness of animals in captivity. This can include how the animals could be feeling and how they are being treated. Another purpose that can be identified is the vast cultural differences between Indonesia and Australia.
Lawrence decided to make this poem predominantly more sad and sympathetic. When reading about the tiger and the other animals you begin to feel their desire to be wild and free. The mood of the poem changes within every chapter of the poem to more intense and it is easy to see the tigers built up anger.
The Essay on Animals In Captivity 3
In 2008 at the Singapore Zoo, three white Bengal tigers attacked and mauled a zoo cleaner, Nordin bin Mondongto, to death after the man walked through a moat surrounding their enclosure. Researchers asked themselves what would be the cause of these vicious behaviors being reported from many zoos across the globe, the answer being the harsh environment zoo animals are surrounded by. Many people are ...
The structure of this poem makes it more intriguing to read. Lawrence had made it a successful poem by following the SLIMS technique (structure, language, imagery, movement or rhythm and sounds).
He structured the poem with three chapters, which separated different time frames. Lawrence also has broken the poem up into 18 stanzas, with approximately 4 lines every stanza, using both chapters and stanzas made this poem easier to read which lets the reader concentrate on the language which is more intriguing.
Lawrence has created The Keeper and The Kept with a striking use of words. It can be also read as predictable because you understand that the tiger is angrier and is going to ‘blow’ sooner rather than later. However, his use of language is appropriate to the subject matter because the reader can understand the tiger. Examples of these words includes: emerging, cultivating and inviolate.
