A Comparison Between the Poems `Toys`
and `Any Woman`
A reading of the poem 'Toys'definitely
makes me think of the poem 'Any Woman'by
Katharine Tynan. Why I feel so is because of the theme dealt within both poems
and of course for some other aspects found. There are similarities as well as
differences between them. For instance while analysing the theme /content, the
poem 'Any Woman'projects the
importance of woman/mother in a house. Thoughts strike to realise how important
is her presence for a healthy and
balanced state of family. She is the pillars, keystone, roof, walls and the
fire upon the hearth. 'The woman' is felt in the poem as a living energy in
everything whereas in the poem 'Toys'we
hear about 'the mother' who is no more. The father and the son in 'Toys'are affected in the absence of the
mother. Had there been the mother alive, things would have been easier for
them. It is the mother who makes a house a home. In that sense, both poems are
two ways of praising motherhood.
The poem 'Any Woman' is read
as a universal prayer to god while the poem 'Toys'is
in the form of a complaint and confession. In 'Any Woman'the mother/woman is the persona/speaker whereas in 'Toys'it is the father figure. The woman
in 'Any Woman'suffers for the sake of
her loving ones. She does never complain. But the father in 'Toys'finds it hard without his son's
mother. If we see a patient woman accepting all pains silently in 'Any Woman',
in 'Toys'we see a man weeping out of
extreme grief /pain. He is rather impatient
and struggles to deal with situations. It makes one wonder how can a man
be so emotional! Both poems have biblical allusions. For example we have the
picture of Holy Mother laying little Jesus in manger in 'Any Woman'. And in 'Toys',
numbers six and seven mentioned, the idea of man's creation out of clay, the
indication of merciful creator God/Father. Even though 'Toys'praises the unconditional love and care of God/Universal
Father, it deals with the conditional or changing love of man/father. But in 'Any Woman'the love and protective
powers of woman/mother is unconditional and it is even equal to that of God.
There are concrete images coming in both poems. 'Any Woman'contains visual (the hearth, the house), and tactile
(heat and cold) images. 'Toys'contains
visual (lashes, blue bells...),auditory (spoke, sobbing), and kinesthetic
(dismissed- the related movement in poem) images. Analysing the rhyme scheme 'Any Woman'follows abab pattern
except for the first stanza. But 'Toys'sets
an irregular pattern.
To sum up the analysis, 'Any
Woman'thinks of the possible ways of treating emotions in a very controlled
way whereas 'Toys'tries to liberate
emotions.
10 comments:
Toys referred in the poem are simple and ordinary things or knick knacks. The world of children is entirely different from the world of Elders....children and their logic must not be undermined -
SUNIL BABU.V
Chid spoke like a grown up person.that's why his father scolded and beat him.The toys and tears taught the father the world of children.
A good coparison
Is there is any steps for comparison that we should follow.
I like this comparison because it has all contents and is nice to study
By
Shan shaji,
MTHSS Venmony,
Po.chengannur
Good help ful
nice one .was useful for my CE work
this comparison was useful for my CE work
it was a good one and the style of writing is perfect.
It was good and helpfull to students like me
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