BLOG #1: OUR LITERARY HERITAGE
16/02/2021THE MOON WATCHES
16/02/2021Our Planet's Pitiful Plight
My Plea to you Dear Reader
Let us acknowledge our planet’s pitiful plight,
identify our careless contribution to our global pollution, and
let us keep alive the hope we can set it right.
When we explore the outer realms of space in flight,
may unpolluted beauty arouse in us a sense of duty and
let us acknowledge our planet’s pitiful plight.
Our cityscape looks like a beacon of hope, flashing through the night,
but the darkness hides the concrete trunks and desolate drunks. Please . . .
let us keep alive the hope we can set it right.
Every dumping ground for our rubbish is an abominable sight.
Though we’re sorting and sifting our mindset needs shifting to
let us acknowledge our planet’s pitiful plight.
We must bravely hold our own contribution up to the light,
admitting we mindlessly defile with our lamentable lifestyle, and
let us keep alive the hope we can set it right.
Are we willing to put up a fight to eliminate this blight?
It will take great dedication to save our degraded nation so
let us acknowledge our planet’s pitiful plight.
Let us keep alive the hope we can set it right.
Julie Wright
Detailed Analysis of Poem
–inclusive pronoun placing the reader & writer in the same group
–alliteration drawing attention to the subject matter and the poet’s attitude towards it
-directly addresses the reader with a positive epithet and an appeal rather than a command
V1
-introduces the vilanelle structure which reinforces two important ideas: the problem and the hope of a solution to it (the first five verses are tercets and the final a quattrain)
-introduces a new feature into the vilanelle form i.e. internal rhyme in the middle lines
-invites the reader to join the poet (non-accusatory, inclusive language again)
-sets up the problem and the reader and writer’s shared role it it, helping to strike a less confrontational tone
-use of the imperative mood, but softened through polite language (Let us…)
-introduction of the strong verb of self-reflection: acknowledge which is also repeated throughout
V2
-in the vilanelle form, the first and last lines of the first stanza are used alternately as the last line of each stanza
–adjective to draw attention to the reason for the beauty and an inference that our presence on planet Earth has polluted it
-contrast between pristine outer space and Earth’s polluted environment
V3
-contrast between the colour and surface excitement of the city at night drawing our attention and the hidden reality of social dysfunction
-simile used to expose the contrast between the bright and exciting surface (‘like a beacon of hope’) and the reality
–polite language creating an imploring tone and connected to the positive language of ‘hope’ and ‘set it right’
-begins with an inclusive pronoun
V4
-inclusive language
-strong adjectives of quantity (every) and quality (abominable) that combine to demonstrate the extremity of the problem
–contrast between actions and attitudes reinforced by three rhyming words
–alliteration to reinforce the contrast and creating a sibilant effect helping to soften the criticism and make it more palatable
V5
-emphasis on inclusive language, so that both writer and reader are being urged to address the problem tohether, rather than the writer accusing the reader
-another strong verb of self-reflection: admitting
–strong adverb modifying the verb, ‘defile,’ emphasizing the
attitude of people
–strong adjective: ‘lamentable’ to reinforce the mindless defiling of the environment and make a value judgement upon the way our lifestyles impact on it
V6
-note that, in the vilanelle form, the first and last line of the first stanza are used as a rhyming couplet in the last stanza which is also a quattrain
–strong noun that infers a strong judgement in conjunction with a strong verb (‘eliminate’) to summarize the extent of the problem
-a rhetorical question is now posed to the reader after having presented four arguments to appeal to the reader to take action in each of the previous stanzas
–constrasting adjectives (‘great’ and ‘degraded’ helps to reinforce the final appeal to Australians as a whole to dedicate themselves to preserving our environment in order to retain the epithet ‘great’
-use of inclusive pronoun to continue the appeal to the reader and anaphora (‘let us’) in the use of the polite language to soften the imperative
Notes on Language
Language is inclusive and polite, but imperative and uncompromising in its assessment of our role in the state of our planet and our need to acknowledge that and take action to change it.
Notes on Internal Rhyme
-notice that the internal rhyme of each second line draws your
attention to the point being made and the connection between the two:
- we are contributing to the pollution
- we have a duty to be good stewards of our environment/our constructed environments affect our health and well-being
- we still have further to go than our currect recycling has taken us
- we all contribute to the problem through our lifestyle choices
- we must all make a concerted effort to change this.
Notes on Form
Using rhyming verse for a serious problem seems counter-intuitive. However, the vilanelle form enables the poet to reinforce the message through the repetition of the key lines. It also softens the criticism, in conjunction with the polite language and sounds.