The ability to love is something that is unique to humans. From a very young age, we are taught that it is a key aspect of a happy and fulfilling life. The poems Advice to a Teenage Daughter by Isobel Thrilling and Twice Shy by Seamus Heaney explore how people of different ages and maturity approach finding love. Both authors make strong use of symbolism to ensure that the readers are able to further understand the ideas that they present.
In Advice to a Teenage Daughter, Thrilling uses various military symbols to show how the teenage daughter approaches love. The poem begins with “you have discovered the war game called love.” this oxymoron surprises the reader as it is an unusual comparison. War is something that is dangerous and causes …show more content…
Firstly, the author uses the simile, “dusk hung like a backcloth.” This theatre symbolism likens the characters in the poem to actors on the stage. This helps the reader to understand that both characters have rehearsed this individually and that there is potential for large amounts of stress to occur, just like with actors in live performances. This approach is similar to that of the teenage daughter as these characters are putting on personas, however, it is more mature as their persona is more than skin deep. The element of stress is further built upon with the imagery, “that shook where the swan swam.” This is symbolic of how the characters are behaving. To an observer, they appear calm, composed and dignified but beneath the surface, there is a multitude of thoughts rushing through their heads, much like the feet of a swan frantically paddling beneath the surface. By showing that the characters are experiencing some amount of stress, the author is able to portray them as more mature characters who are tentative about engaging in a relationship that could potentially leave them worse …show more content…
This is alluded to in the fourth stanza when Heaney says, “our juvenilia had taught us both to wait, not to publish feelings and regret it all too late.” This personification shows that both characters have had troubling experiences with their past relationships so are tentative about establishing another simply because they are afraid of the potential consequences. This is justified with the use of a non-romantic symbol of a mushroom to represent these past experiences. Heaney writes, “mushroom loves already had puffed and burst in hate.” This is an effective symbol of these negative experiences as mushrooms the polar opposite of a red rose. They quickly grow in dark, dingy places the explode, sending their spores flying. This is representative of how these “mushroom loves,” not only affect those involved in them but also people around them such as friends and family. It is these sorts of relationships that the mother in Advice to a Teenage Daughter and the characters in Twice Shy are wary of. With the influx of internet dating in today's society, these unhealthy, short-term relationships are becoming increasingly common. While the characters in Twice Shy have learnt from these experiences and now keep their cards to their chest during the courtship process, people today are able to retreat and hide behind an electronic facade of social media. This harms their communication skills and impairs their ability
In Advice to a Teenage Daughter, Thrilling uses various military symbols to show how the teenage daughter approaches love. The poem begins with “you have discovered the war game called love.” this oxymoron surprises the reader as it is an unusual comparison. War is something that is dangerous and causes …show more content…
Firstly, the author uses the simile, “dusk hung like a backcloth.” This theatre symbolism likens the characters in the poem to actors on the stage. This helps the reader to understand that both characters have rehearsed this individually and that there is potential for large amounts of stress to occur, just like with actors in live performances. This approach is similar to that of the teenage daughter as these characters are putting on personas, however, it is more mature as their persona is more than skin deep. The element of stress is further built upon with the imagery, “that shook where the swan swam.” This is symbolic of how the characters are behaving. To an observer, they appear calm, composed and dignified but beneath the surface, there is a multitude of thoughts rushing through their heads, much like the feet of a swan frantically paddling beneath the surface. By showing that the characters are experiencing some amount of stress, the author is able to portray them as more mature characters who are tentative about engaging in a relationship that could potentially leave them worse …show more content…
This is alluded to in the fourth stanza when Heaney says, “our juvenilia had taught us both to wait, not to publish feelings and regret it all too late.” This personification shows that both characters have had troubling experiences with their past relationships so are tentative about establishing another simply because they are afraid of the potential consequences. This is justified with the use of a non-romantic symbol of a mushroom to represent these past experiences. Heaney writes, “mushroom loves already had puffed and burst in hate.” This is an effective symbol of these negative experiences as mushrooms the polar opposite of a red rose. They quickly grow in dark, dingy places the explode, sending their spores flying. This is representative of how these “mushroom loves,” not only affect those involved in them but also people around them such as friends and family. It is these sorts of relationships that the mother in Advice to a Teenage Daughter and the characters in Twice Shy are wary of. With the influx of internet dating in today's society, these unhealthy, short-term relationships are becoming increasingly common. While the characters in Twice Shy have learnt from these experiences and now keep their cards to their chest during the courtship process, people today are able to retreat and hide behind an electronic facade of social media. This harms their communication skills and impairs their ability