Analysis of Long Distance by Tony Harrison, I Shall Return and The Barrier by Claude McKay

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Analysis of Long Distance by Tony Harrison, I Shall Return and The Barrier by Claude McKay

These poems will be compared by the theme, Poetic devices and

structure of the poems.

Harrison's Long Distance explores the theme of death of loved ones

within a family triangle. Most of Harrison's poetry focuses on his

life, such as his working class childhood and family life.

Similarly, in Claude McKay's The Barrier, the theme of the poem is

love for another person, but here it is for someone of the opposite

race. The similarity between this poem and Harrison's Long Distance is

that both people in the poem cannot be with the person they want.

However, in I Shall Return the theme is, again of love but not for a

person, but for McKay's homeland. Claude McKay left Jamaica in 1912.

He moved to America to study farming but instead of studying farming,

he started to support Black working class movements. As a poet, he

became a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance.

The vast majority of Claude McKay's poetry is written in West Indian

dialect, he also wrote poems in English like 'I Shall Return'.

The themes for all three poems are about love. Long Distance, by Tony

Harrison portrays the love for lost ones within a family triangle.

This is expressed by Harrison when he describes his fathers actions

and how his father still carries out the daily routine even though his

wife is two years dead.

'Though my mother was already two years dead'.

This line shows the reader that this poem is based around the death of

a loved one. Harrison may have tried to portray that something

unordinary may be explained throughout the poem. The love is always...

... middle of paper ...

...ghts, which indicates that he,

ironically, has gained the same fault as his father.

In Claude McKays, the Barrier the poetic device expressed throughout

the poem is the passion for the opposite person. Throughout the poem

similes are used to achieve this, such as,

'Your eyes are dawning day...

fluting like a river reed...'

These poetic devices are used to highlight his passion for the other

person.

In I Shall Return, there is a lot of alliteration used throughout the

poem.

'To laugh and love and watch with wonder eyes...

blue-black smoke to sapphire skies...

That bathe the brown blades of the bending grasses...

fiddle and fife...

dances dear delicious...

long, long...'

The use of alliteration emphasises life in the country and creates a

stronger image in the readers mind.

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