Theodore Roethke's Elegy For Jane

Theodore Roethke analyzes the complex attitude in an "Elegy for Jane." In the beginning the tone was reminiscent, heartfelt and warm bringing up cherishing moments between the speaker and Jane. However, the tone shifted as the piece developed going from a warm heartfelt poem to a dark sorrowing work. Roethke accomplishes this transition by using dominant literary devices throughout the work such as personification, similes, and imagery. These devices help us understand that the teacher loves and cares for Jane but is fearful of letting her go.

In "Elegy for Jane", Theodore Roethke uses personification by describing the way that the leaves, the wren, the branches and twigs, the shade and the mold all moved in some way or another. He gave them

life through his writing. He described things like how the leaves' whispers would turn into kissing. Through this Roethke also showed his love towards Jane. He did so through the way the objects would move when Jane sang and he showed his admiration of her in this as well. Roethke displayed his love for Jane throughout the poem using personification to do this. He loved the way when she smiled the twigs would move and he displayed this through saying the twigs would dance.
Besides personification, the speaker emphasizes some similes to show his predicament in loving Jane but having to let her go.

Roethke first addresses Jane by describing her, "neck curls, limp and damp as tendrils" to create this positive sense of who Jane is (line 1). In order for one to understand the comparison, we must know that a tendril is a branch of a growing plant. This simile allows to see that just as a plant, the teacher has seen Jane blossom and grow into the strong women she was before dying. The poem goes on to elaborate on the complexity of the tendrils stating how Jane no longer is, "waiting like a fern" out in the field. These two similes tie in well as tendrils are the beginning of life full of ambiance and excitement sprouting high becoming beautiful plants. While, ferns are dead sitting lonely in masses in a field waiting for the coming of a new day. We can see the speaker cares a great deal about Jane by describing such vivid imagery. The complexity of the relationship can further be analyzed showing what a blessing it was to have a passionate young women in the classroom and his life vibrant like a tendril, however, his life is gone and lonely like the ferns which gaze endlessly along the fields. The speaker is finding it unbearable to leave his memories of Jane behind for he truly loves and cares about

her.
Theodore Roethke adds elements of imagery throughout the poem eluding to the complex relationship between life with a lover and life without a lover (love and death). In lines one through three, he develops a sense of reminiscence. Using serene imagery of Jane with multiple metaphors dealing with nature, he recounts who she was and what made her so special. The admiration in this flows through depicting the physical traits of his former student. This incorporates the process of morning for the Elegy. The imagery presented in the first four lines describes who Jane was describing her neck as well as her smile. The audience gets a sense that Jane was a quiet girl but once her ideas started flowing she would blossom. The imagery helps develop Jane’s character in the first verse. The personal moments Roethke captures dealing with her glances, smile, and the comparison to a wren all develop a sense of admiration and love towards this girl. The author changed his view toward her when she was sad, a flaw of hers. He paints a picture that there is absolutely no helping her when she is at her lowest. Her usual bright elegance disappears and is depicted through a comparison to a sparrow. The imagery present in the piece depicts the loving admiration and longingness to recapture the emotions. Although he is not her father nor lover, he still paints a picture of caring for Jane.
Clearly, a complex relationship is developed through dominant literary devices: personification, similes, and imagery creating a complex relationship between Jane and the speaker. The complex relationship deals with love and sorrow in terms of loving Jane while she was here and wishing to be with her again.