Analysis Of I Knew A Woman

The speaker in Theodore Roethke’s poem “I knew a woman” is a passionate lover who experiences the different levels of deep love, joy, and pain that comes throughout his journey as a beloved love. In this poem, the woman is first described as an object which every man desire, but also as beautiful as a “shape a bright container can contain.”(5) From the title of the poem, the word “knew” which is a past tense, symbolizes that the woman is no more with him or she is alive. This poem provides well organized combination of poetic devices which include connotation, rhyme, paradox, simile, and consonance. With the use of literary and imaginary devices, Roethke was able to provide the readers with a true image of a woman who the man truly admires, and falls for her beauty which was invisible to all but him. Although this poem is self-expressive, it is necessary to analyze the poetic devices Roethke uses in order to critically interpret the deep meaning and beauty of the poem. First, the poet uses a comparison of …show more content…
It is not only used to keep the reader engaged in a poem but also make it more enjoyable to read. The tone of “I Knew a Woman” is romantic and sensuous. In second stanza, when poet states, “Coming behind her for her pretty sake,” it can be taken in a sexual sense. For instance, it could mean that the speaker kept his sexual attractiveness under control until she was satisfied. On the other hand, the protagonist also seems genuine when he says, “I measure time by how a body sways” (25). He expresses that his aspiration for her is what makes him feel existing and youthful as he relates her to the pendulum of the clock by stating that when she was young she would quickly sway, but when she got old she would still sway slowly and firm. This reveals that no matter how old she would get, he would still love and adore