Word Poem and Poetry Questions

Word Poem


A few interesting words...

purblind
sunder
squall
carnage
plexus
recumbent
clay
quaff
pukka
vitriolic

His vitriolic gaze was obvious, even by his profile.
He seemed to be purblind in his rage and nothing else existed.
She remained recumbent in the corner behind him.
Her fear was pukka and she was powerless to hide it.
Each of them could see the squall ahead and sunder was the only way out.


and my questions...

Page 748
"The Victory" by Anne Stevenson
1. The speaker describes her son like a regret or a downfall she has. She sounds like she resents him. It almost appears that she had hoped to live her life's dreams through her child, "I thought you were my victory," but he possibly let her down or caused her pain in some way, "you cut me like a knife." I think she sounds bitter about his accomplishments, "The stains of your cloud of glory bled from my veins."

2. The speaker might call him "antagonist" because in her mind, he is her opponent; they work against each other. He could be in the way of making her dreams a reality in that he doesn't turn out the way she had hoped he would. The two could be competing for something; glory, power, love or affection.

3. This could be called "The Victory" because the child was supposed to be that for his mother. It could also be a insincere title, like he is the supposed "victory" of her, one that never worked out. It seems to have a sarcastic tone.

4. The mention of the knife as she "brought you out of my body into your life" suggests the baby was born by cesarean. As a not-so-literal meaning, I think it says she resents him and his needing her when she says the "bladed cries." The knife symbolizes the pain the boy has caused her.