Through A Glass Eye, Lightly By Carolyn Kizer: Poem Analysis

Modern poems tend to have their meanings appear clearer than older ones, for we can understand the language much easier. However this does not make an easy escape for our minds to see a modern’s poem content easier compared to an older poem. Each writer hides a secret message within their poems, however some making it much clearer than others. The title is a starting point to find the key behind the hidden message within a poem. "Through a Glass Eye, Lightly" by Carolyn Kizer is simply about a girl who lost her eye at a young age. The part of the title "Through a Glass Eye" is simply about how she had to get a glass eye, but the last part of the title is where the message of the poem is shown. The word "Lightly" was used because of the fact the little girl lost her eye at a very young age, yet she remains happy and cheerful like any other little girl would be, even though her mother expected the worse from her. The poem seems to remain focus on possibly two themes. One of the themes being that even …show more content…
With them wishing for this all the time they don’t enjoy the life they still have and appreciate what they had before, for they see this little four year old girl with the same sight as them at their elder age. The second theme is seen with the little girl remaining happy all the time and even at the age of four, almost five she remains happy. "The gas wore off, she found the hole in her face / (you know, it never bled?), / stayed happy, even when I went to pieces." ("Through a Glass Eye, Lightly" 28-30). With those verses it tells how a little girl was able to remain happy even though her eye was removed, and how the narrator was bothered by their eye removal with great emotion. The little girl knew that even though her eye was gone she was able to remain happy and that is what she did, giving this poem another strong theme behind