English Modernist Women Poets

Question: Discuss about theEnglishfor Modernist Women Poets. Answer: Introduction No Swan So Fine is one of the greatest, and yet most intricate poems, written by the beloved American poet Marianne Moore. A free verse poem, written in fourteen lines, No Swan So Fine, is apparently a poem dealing with the commonplace theme of conflict between nature and artifice, reminiscent of Keats Ode to the Grecian Urn. The poem sets out a draw a comparison between the silences of water found in a man-made fountain, as opposed to the sound of flowing water in real life. Though the china swan, as an artificial swan, can easily engross and fascinate the viewer, it does lack the vitality of life force, detected in a real bird. It should be noted here, that as the poet seeks out to compare the liveliness and vitality of the real objects, against the everlasting beauty of the artifacts, the poetess does not employ the theme of indictment of the stasis and artifice. Although the poet admits that the china swan, referred to as the Chintz, is indeed not a real one, devoid of the warmth of real life, yet the artifact is indeed a beautiful bird, tainted with multiple colors. Despite being a mere imitation of the real bird, the artifact has managed to assume the appearance of a precious object, with its fawn brown eyes (Laurence 32). However, as and when the reader intends to affirm the superiority of art over life, his easily drawn conclusion is immediately questioned and challenged by the poetess. Moore instantly asserts that the living swan enjoys independence of action, without being subject to the ownership and authority of any third party. While the living swan is free to skim across the water, the china swan does not enjoy freedom of movement or action, as it is tied by the toothed gold collar. It s not free, but possessed by the owner, having no existence of its own (Ransom, Dillon and Brooks 265). Although the real swan is being juxtaposed with the artificial one, the existence of the one essentially contradicts the existence of the other. The living swan with its real gondoliering legs, does mock and deride at the lordly ownership of the ornamental bird. The conflict and prevailing tension between real life and artificial world, persists not only in the context of the swan, but also against the backdrop of Versailles. Versailles, as a place, has always managed to remain a seat of power and glory, a place where some of the most crucial treaties of the world got signed (Jesse 56). Yet it was being noticed that some of the most efficient and competent rulers of Versailles have died, because The king is dead. Despite the evanescence of real life, the everlasting immortality of the artifacts is being traced, as the artifacts, such as the crafted objects, remains to last forever. The beauty of such objects, is yet unspoiled by nature. Although the artifice does not cease inspiring awe in the mind of the beholder, the poetess is mindful of the fact, that the importance of its beauty is reduced by static potential. Yet again, in the last stanza, the poetess reminds the readers of how the china swan, has successfully replaced the actual swan, the king. While the death of the king shows the ephemeral nature of human life, a sense of timelessness can be traced in the everlasting beauty and perfection of the china swan . However, the poem also reminds the reader how even the living forms cease to live forever, its uniqueness inspires art (Taffy 79). The king has died, and yet despite his death, he will be remembered, and his death will be cherished through the beauty and brilliance of the sculpted artifacts of the historical court of the king (Hickman 266). The king of the poem as well as the swan share a fate, as both cease to live and yet the existence of each inspires the creation of the art. The life form and the art form of the object both complement and contrast with each other. Although the artificial swan impresses the poetess or any beholder, in this case, with its perfection, unrivalled beauty and elegance, the poetess reminds the readers that it is lifeless, devoid of the vitality of life. Thus, the continual paradox and contradiction over the argument revolving around the superiority of art or life force, ultimately shows the dialectical progress of the mind. Reference List: Crowe Ransom, George Dillon, and Cleanth Brooks. "THREE books on Marianne Moore's poetry are primarily in."Marianne Moore: The Poet's Advance(2015): 265. Gordon, Lauren.Reading Marianne Moore: Using Dialogism to Understand Marianne Moore's Anti-war Poem'In Distrust of Merits'. Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 2013. Hickman, Miranda. "Modernist Women Poets."A Companion to Modernist Poetry(2014): 256-266. Martin, Taffy.Marianne Moore, subversive modernist. University of Texas Press, 2012. Stapleton, Laurence.Marianne Moore: The Poet's Advance. Princeton University Press, 2015. Zuba, Jesse.The First Book: Twentieth-century Poetic Careers in America. Princeton University Press, 2015.