The Myth Of Innocence Analysis

The Modern Myth of Innocence The poem “The Myth of Innocence” by Louise Glück, is one that brilliantly transcends the test of time and holds a brilliant message that resonates with people in modern times. The main theme of this poem is maturing, and in Persephone’s case she is immediately thrown into the life of a woman rather than a girl. This poem was written as a metaphor for the process of growing up, and almost seems to expertly predict the future by metaphorically describing the behavior of teenagers’ years after this was written. Persephone’s readiness to grow up is evident from the beginning of the poem. As the narrator says, “She sees the same person, the horrible mantle/of daughterliness still clinging to her.” The mantle of daughterliness is just a symbol of her being young. She hates being young so bad that she goes as far as to call it horrible and say it is clinging to her. The connotations of these words aren’t usually positive. The word clinging recalls feelings of suffocation, an uncomfortable warmth, and an all-around un pleasant feeling. The author does an excellent job of conveying her strong feelings of disdain towards being a teenager. Persephone feels as if she is deprived of privacy, as many teenagers do. However, in the case of Persephone she literally had no privacy. She was the daughter of Demeter, who was a goddess, which meant that she was related to Gods. In Greek society varying Gods control everything in the world. She was literally …show more content…
This poem beautifully illustrates the importance of enjoying your adolescence, and to be careful with what you ask for. Glück draws an amazing parallel to the teenagers of today whether intentional or not. The message that this poem sends is an ever important one to cherish your youth and those close to you while you have them, as you never know if something will happen stripping these things from