“Death of a Young Son by Drowning” by Margaret Atwood tells the very vivid story of a mother’s son’s death. The tone used by the author was reflective, happy, and yet still sorrowful. Atwood sort of describes the son’s death as an adventure, giving the poem a happy and optimistic tone. She uses words that make it seem almost like a journey, for instance in line 4 she uses “voyage,” in line 25 “long trip,” and line 13 “reckless adventurer,” that make it seem almost exciting. There is also a shift in tone in lines 16-18 when she says, “There was an accident; the air locked, he was hung in the river like a heart. They retrieved the swamped body.” It changes from adventurous and happy to sorrowful. The mother’s future hopes and plans for him are
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In lines 28-29 she says “I planted him in this country like a flag.” When I read these lines I feel like the mother is saying even though he was not here on earth for very long he left a mark, went on this unfortunate journey, but nevertheless it was a heroic journey, and he won’t be forgotten. Which is where the tone shifts gears from sorrowful to happy again. Another example of a simile is in line 17, “he was hung in the river like a heart.” Another literary device used is symbolism. She uses the river to symbolize how quick death can occur yet the peacefulness it holds. Life can be peaceful one moment then suddenly change and become hard to handle, just as a river can suddenly change its current to choppy/wavy from mellow, still, and quiet. She also uses enjambment, for instance in lines 7-10, “His feet slid on the bank, the current took him; he swirled with ice and trees in the swollen water and plunged into distant regions.” By narrating the poem in short, separated lines it forces you to keep reading and you feel like you’re there and it’s happening in front of your eyes so fast that you can’t do anything. Another literary device used are metaphors. In lines 1-3 she says “He, who navigated with success the dangerous journey of his own birth once more set forth.” Here Atwood is comparing the birth of her son to a dangerous journey. She also says in lines 12-14 “his head a bathysphere; through his eyes’ thin glass bubbles he looked out,” this comparison tells readers he didn’t float and was sucked under from the currents of the
In lines 28-29 she says “I planted him in this country like a flag.” When I read these lines I feel like the mother is saying even though he was not here on earth for very long he left a mark, went on this unfortunate journey, but nevertheless it was a heroic journey, and he won’t be forgotten. Which is where the tone shifts gears from sorrowful to happy again. Another example of a simile is in line 17, “he was hung in the river like a heart.” Another literary device used is symbolism. She uses the river to symbolize how quick death can occur yet the peacefulness it holds. Life can be peaceful one moment then suddenly change and become hard to handle, just as a river can suddenly change its current to choppy/wavy from mellow, still, and quiet. She also uses enjambment, for instance in lines 7-10, “His feet slid on the bank, the current took him; he swirled with ice and trees in the swollen water and plunged into distant regions.” By narrating the poem in short, separated lines it forces you to keep reading and you feel like you’re there and it’s happening in front of your eyes so fast that you can’t do anything. Another literary device used are metaphors. In lines 1-3 she says “He, who navigated with success the dangerous journey of his own birth once more set forth.” Here Atwood is comparing the birth of her son to a dangerous journey. She also says in lines 12-14 “his head a bathysphere; through his eyes’ thin glass bubbles he looked out,” this comparison tells readers he didn’t float and was sucked under from the currents of the