Journeys

“Both the positive and negative aspects of a journey are explored in One Section   and Time of Life”. Discuss with reference to language techniques.

Through out the history of English literature, poetry has often reflected the positive and negative aspects of a journey. The two poets, Rosemary Dobson and Elizabeth Riddell embark upon two different aspects of journeys within their poetry.           Rosemary Dobson, composer of the poem- One Section, explores positive aspects   in the course of her poem. Some of the positive aspects within the poem include: innocence and purity of a child, the vibrant and affectionate stage of   adolescence   and the submission to new life or a new journey. This positivity is achieved through the literary technique symbolism. In contrary, Elizabeth Riddell,           composer of the poem- The Time of Life, explores negative aspects in the course of her poem. Some of the negative aspects within the poem include: loss of youth and the emotional response towards ageing, the tedious process of ageing and the       depletion of beauty and age. This negativity is achieved through the literary             techniques: metaphor, negative imagery, juxtaposition and strong word choice.

Rosemary Dobson profoundly explores the positive aspects of a journey through her use of the literary tool symbolism. Dobson encompasses the symbolic words ‘child’ and ‘held carefully’ within her poem to aid her in the representation of the positive aspect: innocence and purity of a child. The symbolism of the child,       “…...a child with a jug held carefully, ” suggests that the protagonist is within their initial section or first stage of life hence denoting the perception of childhood and youth. Further more, the representation of the jug held carefully symbolises the   innocence and purity of a child as it depicts the protagonist’s earnest sensitivity   towards life and also represents them taking great caution and vigilance with their subsistence. Through the...