Lady Lazarus The Theme Of Violence example essay topic

"A Far Cry From Africa' And "Lady"A Far Cry From Africa' And "Lady Lazarus' The theme of Violence in "A far Cry from Africa' and "Lady Lazarus' Through out both poems, "Lady Lazarus' and a'A Far Cry from Africa', both Sylvia Plath and Derek Walcott use violence as the backdrop for their narration. Both poems have a intense feeling of intimacy with each writer, and each focuses on both internal and external violence. The poems concentrate on both writers personal experiences. The use of violence as a central theme in both poems gives the reader an insight into the real and the personal dilemmas of two characters in two different situations. As both of these poems are written in the same era; the reader is able to compare the two poems even closer and gain a glimpse of two different perspectives in the same time period. Although both poems focus on violence, the causes of the violence are very different.

In "A Far Cry from Africa', the poet Derek Walcott examines his loyalty to the countries of Africa and Britain. He depicts these nations in the standard role of the vanquished and the conqueror. When the poem begins, although in a beautiful region of the planet, the setting is one of horror. There has been a slaughter of the African Tribesman and the "corpses are scattered through a paradise. ' (4) The tone for the poem is set in the first stanza when one of the British cries "Waste no compassion on these separate dead!'.

Even though he portrays the English as cruel and imperialistic, he manages to do so without creating sympathy for the African tribesmen that have been slaughtered. The violence was brought about by the colonization of Africa is justified because "Statistics justify and scholars seize the salients of the colonial policy. ' (7) The violence seen in "A Far Cry from Africa' is external violence brought on by the attempted colonization of a country, while the violence in "Lady Lazarus' is very different. In Sylvia Plath's "Lady Lazarus', a quite different type of violence is seen. This poem is no doubt about Plath's third attempt at suicide and her subsequent resurrection. The speaker gives clues that this is her third suicide attempt, yet she casually talks about it as if it were nothing.

She says "I have done it again. One year in every ten [she manages] it. ' (1-2) We know this is her third time because she compares herself to a "cat' with "nine lives to die. ' (21) She goes on to say "this is number three. ' (22) The beginning of the poem is also where Plath first uses the metaphor of the nazi death camps. She compares herself to "a sort of walking miracle, [her] skin as bright as a nazi lampshade' (4-5), an obvious reference to the products made from Jewish prisoners in world war two.

This is not the last time this metaphor is used in this poem. Through out the first few stanzas, Plath concentrates on the violence she causes upon herself by attempting suicide. In "A Far Cry from Africa', Walcott characterizes the African Kikuyu in a negative light. He compares them to "flies' who are "batten upon the bloodstream of the veldt. ' (3) He goes on to compare the struggle between the two cultures as a "gorilla [that] wrestles with superman. ' (25) Obviously Walcott could see the futility of the Africans attempts to battle with the English.

Although he is aware of the blatant slaughter by the British, he tries to remain steadfast in his belief that the colonization is for the good of humanity, even if humanity must suffer in order to accomplish it. He comments on the nature of violence itself and brings to question his alliances when he concludes "The violence of beast on beast is read as natural law, but upright man seeks his divinity by inflicting pain. ' (15-16) This comment sparks a change in the kind of violence he faces, the change from the external battle with the Africans to the internal battle that Walcott has with himself over his involvement in the slaughter. Much of the remaining violence happening in "Lady Lazarus' are Plath's recollections of her most recent suicide attempt. She begins to characterize her doctors as Nazi's trying to execute her, when in fact they are trying to save her life.

She refers to them as "herr doktor' (63) and "herr enemy' (66), very cruel terms for the people trying to save her life from her own self inflicted injuries. It seems obvious that her real conflict is with herself. The violence she portrays that is happening to her, is actually her rebellion against life. She even goes so far as to characterize her caregivers as "herr lucifer' (79), a rather strong title, but this gives insight into the writers desire to die. She is fighting against life, and she sees the doctors saving her as her "enemy' (66) for their part in her resurrection.

She explains that she has tried to kill herself three times, the first time being an "accident'. (36) The second time, she explains, she tried to kill herself and "to last it out and not come back at all. ' (38) Her second attempt was obviously thwarted, and this causes her to hold even more resentment towards the doctors. When finally revived, she becomes even more bitter.

She comes back to "the same place, the same face, the same brute. ' (53) It is obvious that she is not happy about feeling like "ash' (73) while the doctors "poke and stir. ' (74) The real violence in "Lady Lazarus' is the violation of Plath's personal wishes to just be left to die, her true "theatrical' (51) performance. The internal violence encountered in "A Far Cry from Africa' deals more with Walcott's internal struggle with himself over the slaughter. He is "poisoned with the blood of both' (24) people, the British and the Africans. He is at war with himself over his alliances, and where his loyalty should be.

He questions himself, and asks "where shall I turn, divided to the vein?' (27) Walcott's internal conflict continues through out the last stanza, when he mocks himself for his hyprocracy. He has "cursed the drunken officer of British rule' and now must "choose between this Africa and the English tongue [he loves]. ' (30) Although he has tried to remain objective about the situation that he finds himself in, he asks himself "how can [he] face such a slaughter and be cool?' (32) The weight of his actions, and the actions of his fellow British, makes him wonder if he should just "betray them both. ' (31) It is obvious that Walcott has witnessed something he will never forget, and the internal battle he faces makes him wonder if he can "turn from Africa and live. ' (33) The internal violence is as disturbing to him as the external violence he witnessed is, and he wonders how he will ever be able to live with himself after this incident.

Through out both poems, the reader is presented a insight into two unique, yet parallel types of violence. Both writers experience the turmoil of both internal and external types of violence. Although the circumstances surrounding their despair are totally different, many of the feelings felt through out the poems are encountered by both authors. The feelings of despair when violence is encountered is a common theme in both works, and both have a feeling of intimacy with the narrator.

Both Sylvia Path and Derek Walcott use the theme of violence in both poems to give the reader insight into the lives and situations of both of the characters, and the unique ways they handle their despair.