Slessor Themes

One of the themes that dominate Slessors poem, Sleep, is the idea that the stage of ease is totally overlooked as a beauteous daily act and the cleansing affect it has on the mind, body and soul. The first stanza is constructed as a rhetorical question asking the audience if they give give themselves wholly to the unconscious act of sleep. The answer yes short is italicised to show that a second component part is present. Whilst this second voice may seem unnecessary it start outs to the audience how one essential be fully consensual in surrendering themselves to the hands of sleep. The engage of alliteration, blindly and bitterly, assonance, carry you and ferry you, and the repetition of the treatment you throughout the poem enforces a hypnotic beat which symbolises the potent beat of the human heart as a individual sleeps. The poem relies largely on extended metaphor to rent the idea of sleep as a tenuous and sightly act. Throughout the poem many of the lines allude to pregnancy and childbirth through the imagery utilise, …slumber there in that boring chamber, beat with my bloods beat. This extended metaphor of childbirth and in the altogether life which is often considered a beautiful and miraculous phenomenon emphasises the marvellously act of sleep.



The use of emotive language, dumb and blindly, spotlight to the audience the true vulnerability of a person who is slumbrous much like a newborn baby. The dissonance used in the last stanza, riving and driving forth help to convey the violent and negative imagery, expulsion… remorseless… pangs and betrayal of gravelly birth, which emphasises how pure and perfect sleep is in likeness to the harsh realities one must face in their consciousness. The weewee imagery throughout the poem, estuary… lave you, suggests the cleansing effect of sleep on the mind body or soul. Water is usually associated with cleanliness however it also alludes to holy water which is used to backwash away ones sins giving peace of mine and a reborn, pure soul. This emphasises the...If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: Ordercustompaper.com



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