INTRODUCTION

Why did we choose to do identity?

We decided to use identity as our theme we find it interesting about how people view identity and how it is portrayed in poems be it religion or their thoughts.
We find that different poets have different view about their own identity. Some of them might be lost and unsure of where they are suppose go towards or what they are suppose to be doing. Some are very clear about the things they are heading for. But yet, some are like us, searching for our own identity,

But what exactly is identity?

Future Walk

FUTURE WALK

A flash of white light blinded me,
I let out one long and piercing scream.
As I took my first breath of air,
I felt a sense of relief.
As many coo-ed and aww-ed over me,
I felt myself drift into sleep.

I woke up to my blue white walls,
As I stumbled out and walked.
My feet padded lightly on the floors,
And I spot my mother,
Standing with a mop.

As I put on my uniform,
Dad came into my room.
Saying Son, it is time for school.

I left the room, a heavy heart,
Clutching on to my books.

Repeated motion everyday,
The upcoming exams overweigh.
Effort put into test,
Praying that it would be worth the rest.
Sixteen years of hard work,
Sixteen years of grit,
Finally came to end,
As I threw the square hat to the air.

Rest never came,
Business suits and formal ties,
I grabbed my briefcase, with a sigh.
New job, new top.
To do that one thing,
My parents taught.

One more thing I really dread,
the day of my marriage.
Not the woman that I love,
Not the one I chose at first.
I knew my path already set,
Living life with many regrets.
I had to follow the decisions
Of my parents.

Nothing every goes my way
From the start till the end.
To the decision of
Way of life
Education
Career
Love
All decided before I ever knew.

Today,
This age and time,
Nobody in arranged marriage
There I was with a girl
I never met, I never chose,
Bracing myself for the worst
I got married to the one I love
Or was it?

One child
After another,
Chasing money,
Reason untold
I wish
I knew
How to
Grow Up
In freedom.

Day after day,
Week after week,
Year after year.

And after slogging and working
all these while,
I was all alone in my big old house,
Thinking of how my life has become.
As I felt my time come to pass,
Let myself drift away,
As a flash of white light blinded me once again.



- Literature Group 3

This Is a Photograph of Me by Margaret Atwood

It was taken some time ago
At first it seems to be
a smeared
print: blurred lines and grey flecks
blended with the paper;

then, as you scan
it, you can see something in the left-hand corner
a thing that is like a branch: part of a tree
(balsam or spruce) emerging
and, to the right, halfway up
what ought to be a gentle
slope, a small frame house.

In the background there is a lake,
and beyond that, some low hills.

(The photograph was taken
the day after I drowned.

I am in the lake, in the center
of the picture, just under the surface.

It is difficult to say where
precisely, or to say
how large or how small I am:
the effect of water
on light is a distortion.

but if you look long enough
eventually
you will see me.)

Analysis:
Margaret Atwood did her further studies in Harvard University. Back in those days, Harvard was filled with very conservative people. This was what developed Atwood's extremely feminist views. This poem was part of her very first published collection of beautiful poems, 'The Circle Game'. Margaret Atwood's poems are very honest and that is what makes her famous. 

The poem begins with a title that is a critical part of the text. Unlike many poems, where the title has little effect on the work’s meaning, here the title is significant to a total understanding of the whole piece. The title, in fact, sets the tone of the poem in many ways. Like the rest of the poem, the title seems to be simple, clear, and straightforward, both in syntax and in diction. The simplicity in the title implies (falsely, as it turns out) that the poem itself will be simple. Not until much later in this lyric do we discover two of its essential paradoxes: that the speaker who seems so alive is actually dead, and that the clear visual depiction of the speaker, which the title seems to promise, is never actually presented.

The poem is written as if the poet is directly addressing the reader and is, perhaps, showing either the reader or another person a picture of herself. Atwood not only shows the photo but explains how it should be viewed and interpreted. In short, the poet tells us how to make sense of a photograph we never really see, and she does so as part of a poem that seems to defy rational explanations in various other ways. In both of these senses, then, the poem is additionally paradoxical.

Further paradox results from the fact that the poet describes, with great precision, the details of a photograph we cannot actually view. She shows, then, the power of words to create images in our minds even when no actual images appear before our eyes. She implies and demonstrates the power of poetry to be both precise and suggestive, both accurate and full of mysterious implications. The poem implies that photographs allow us to see things clearly, and yet her description of the photograph shows the limits of mere photographic realism.

In patriarchy, males are creating women’s stories. The photograph was taken some time ago. She has not specified the time. The photograph is not clear, lines are blurred, and the light of the photograph has become dim. The photograph stands for her history which is not clear; light stands for the creativity of women. She expresses that if a woman does some important work in the society, it is shadowed. Patriarchy ignores the contribution of female. In the left hand corner, there are branches of a tree. These branches of the tree have emerged to right hand side. On the right hand side there is a frame house. This can be seen if you see the photograph minutely. Here the right hand side (frame House) stands for male and left hand side (branches) stands for female. She may imply that in the patriarchy, a woman is treated as left hand and man is treated as right hand. 

Woman is placed on the left hand with simply associated with branches which have no roots and man is placed on the right hand side. Left hand is normally weaker than right hand. Females are treated inferrer to males. By giving her left position she has been shown as passive. Lake stands for the society. Beyond the society, there are low hills. Hills and lakes keep the woman in shadow. Hills and lakes are the causes that distort her history.

Margaret is trying to show the small frame houses are not responsible for the exploitations of women. As a whole background society or the lake/ hills are responsible behind what happens to women. The speaker is not taken out of the lake. She is dipped and left in the lake. She could not get her identity. As per Christian culture one is dipped and taken out to name but here in her case it does not happen. Here she is showing identity crisis. She is left in the lake she can’t come out of lake that society is to revolt. She is center for domestic work and she is marginal for social, political and economic work. In patriarchy, women are taken forward in domestic roles but in the social roles male come ahead. In the final stanza there is a shift in tone. 

If you look carefully, you will be able to see me. Photograph is dim, its true but I am there. They have dimmed my photograph, undermined my work but my presence is there. Patriarchy cannot negate me completely. The last line is revolutionary. Despite all the discrimination I am there. They can destroy my photograph but cannot destroy my existence. Time is not clear it means that when the domination started it was not clear. Woman has been exploited since time immemorial. Therefore the speaker does not like to historicize the time. 

(Chinmai)

I'm Nobody, Who Are You? by Emily Dickinson

I'm nobody! Who are you?
Are you a nobody, too?
Then there's a pair of us - don't tell!
They'd banish us, you know.

How dreary to be somebody!
How public, like a frog
To tell your name the longlive day
To an admiring bog!

Emily Dickinson

The poet, Emily Dickinson

Analysis
In general, this poem questions the theme of identity. The identity of the reader, either rudely or politely.
The structure of this poem has an unclear rhyme scheme, and the rhythm is deliberately vague and inconsistent. It has different sentence length, different spots of punctuations, giving weird pauses. This can be tied to the fact, as though the poet was like a child, who haven't found her identity.
This links to the tone of the poem. The tone is light-hearted and child-like. Seemingly as an effect to garner support from people around her, and an ability to be able to speak her mind and get away with things, like an inoffensive tone. Despite the rudeness, it is covered up by the tone that is throughout the entire poem. She can be seen as "overly-excited" with the placements of exclamation marks, yet a "hurry" as though she's on a run to be a critic to the popular people, and on a run of how her thoughts were flowing.
This is also explored by how being someone of a low profile, a "nobody" is a luxury. Like how the rich or famous people are compared to "frogs", making known to the people around them with their unique "croaks" recognisable by people. The people who admired those rich and famous were similarly compared to "bog", as mud and dirt, seemingly as though they would "stick" and "follow" the person anywhere.
The title itself, is supposedly left blank. And that is suitable to the entire theme of the poem, which is to represent the missing identity of this poem. It is enforcing the point of the meaning of this poem, which is to have no identity. Bringing the pros and cons of being a "nobody" or a "somebody".

Metho Drinker by Judith Wright

Metho Drinker

Judith Wright, the poet of this poem.

Under the death of winter's leaves he lies
who cried to Nothing and the terrible night
to be his home and bread. "O take from me
the weight and waterfall ceaseless Time
that batters down my weakness; the knives of light
whose thrust I cannot turn; the cruelty

of human eyes that dare not touch nor pity."

Under the worn leaves of the winter city

safe in the house of Nothing now he lies.

His white and burning girl, his woman of fire,
creeps to his heart and sets a candle there

to melt away the flesh that hides from bone,

to eat the nerve that tethers him in time.

He will lie warm until the bone is bare

and on a dead dark moon he wakes alone.
It was for Death he took her; death is but this;
and yet he is uneasy under her kiss

and winces from that acid of her desire

Analysis:

This poem is talking about a story with this person who is very addicted to a certain spirit, that will eventually take away his life. This special spirit or belief can be seen from him praying for Time, light and the cruelty of human eyes. When he said about the cruelty of human eyes that dare not touch nor pity, he means that people has seen him suffer but they are not willing to give him a helping hand, and ignore him instead, this shows why he wrote this line. In the house of nothing means that he does not regard his house properly, as his own property. His white and burning girl, his woman of fire,creeps to his heart and sets a candle there might mean about his wife, that calms him and encourages him. Then later he depicts the scene as a dead dark moon he wakes alone means the death of the certain someone that gave him comfort from the first 3 lines of the second stanza, he later felt sad about her leaving him and winces from that acid of her desire might mean that he regret about being addicted to the spirit that it which took away someone so important to him.
In conclusion, the author Judith Wright wrote this poem to portray the effect that a certain spirit is able to take away someone close to him, and the next victim may be himself. She also refrains from telling the person's identity to further the point that it could be anyone, not revealing its true identity.

                                              

(Yi Neng)

Disabled by Wilfred Owen

Disabled - Wilfred Owen

(shows how he is now, how he is feeling)

He sat in a wheeled chair, waiting for dark,

And shivered in his ghastly suit of grey,

Legless, sewn short at elbow. Through the park

Voices of boys rang saddening like a hymn,

Voices of play and pleasure after day, -> something that he would never gain back. 

Till gathering sleep had mothered them from him.

About this time Town used to swing so gay -> Once happy
When glow-lamps budded in the light-blue trees
And girls glanced lovelier as the air grew dim,
— In the old times, before he threw away his knees.
Now he will never feel again how slim
Girls' waists are, or how warm their subtle hands,
All of them touch him like some queer disease. -> Lost his love life

There was an artist silly for his face, -> deformed face

For it was younger than his youth, last year.

Now he is old; his back will never brace;

He's lost his colour very far from here,

Poured it down shell-holes till the veins ran dry, -> lost his will, personality, and all that was in him due to war

And half his lifetime lapsed in the hot race, -> "race" Thought he was running towards honour and glory, but was actually losing out even moreAnd leap of purple spurted from his thigh.

(reason for joining war)

One time he liked a blood-smear down his leg,

After the matches carried shoulder-high.

It was after football, when he'd drunk a peg,

He thought he'd better join. He wonders why . . .

Someone had said he'd look a god in kilts. -> probably well-liked, and egoistic. Attracted to the things people said about him, therefore was interested to join in to fight the war.

That's why; and maybe, too, to please his Meg,

Aye, that was it, to please the giddy jilts,

He asked to join. He didn't have to beg;

Smiling they wrote his lie; aged nineteen years. -> they needed men, and he ran into the army with a misconception that "army/going to war = honour, glory, attractiveness"

((War))

Germans he scarcely thought of; all their guilt,
And Austria's, did not move him. And no fears -> expected war to be something easy, was underestimating their opponents.

Of Fear came yet. He drought of jewelled hilts

For daggers in plaid socks; of smart salutes;

And care of arms; and leave; and pay arrears;

Esprit de corps; and hints for young recruits.-> a form of propaganda?

And soon, he was drafted out with drums and cheers. -> thought that he would be able to gain the best out of army, the glory and the admirations.. Thinking that whatever he did, he would come back with everyone celebrating over him, and people would crown around him with admiration.

(after war, back to now)

Some cheered him home, but not as crowds cheer Goal.

Only a solemn man who brought him fruits -> nobody except one man, appreciated him.

Thanked him; and then inquired about his soul.

Now, he will spend a few sick years in Institutes,

And do what things the rules consider wise,

And take whatever pity they may dole.

To-night he noticed how the women's eyes

Passed from him to the strong men that were whole. -> instead of the attractiveness and admiration he thought he would get, all he got was pity, and women, looking pass him, because he has lost himself. ("whole" as in physical form? spirituality? character?)

How cold and late it is! Why don't they come

And put him into bed? Why don't they come? -> rather die, and go than to live and suffer, and watch people one after another pity him.

Analysis:

The poem was written by Wilfred Owen after a war period. 

This poem had deeply shown how the poet had seemingly shown the contrast between what he thought he would get before and after a war. It also evoked sympathy with constant repetition of lament, seemingly frustrated, and filled with regrets. 

The poem has many punctuations, to show the slow pace, and the effect created a sense of sadness, and lets the reader take in everything that he wanted to express. He also used imagery, such as similes and metaphor in the poem to create an image of destruction of his identity from the beginning compared to the ending. He emphasises a lot on the points of how he had changed, from his appearance, to his mindset, by constantly repeating them.

The poet draws a lot of self pity for himself, by making himself look like he is in a bad position, such as “only a solemn man…inquired about his soul”, showing that barely anyone cared for him. “saddening like a hymn”, showing how even the best things, like children having fun, was hurtful and a pain to the poet, at the same time showing his jealousy, because he’ll never go back to the way he was before. It can be inferred, that the poet was very influenced by the way people looked at him, or the comments people made of him, that at the same time affected the things he decided to do.  “Someone had said he'd look a god in kilts” was one of the reason that he joined the fight, and it led to him thinking that it’d bring him the love of his life, “to please his Meg,

Aye, that was it, to please the giddy jilts”. 

Lastly, the title itself is “Disabled”, showing how it describe his appearance, on the outside, and on the inside, broken, and lost the parts that belongs and was a part of him that people recognised. It is coherent to a literary device, searched to be known as pararhyme that Owen is known to use. Showing a broken half of a word that rhymes, seemingly to show a comparison of his current life along with the poem.

This poem shows how he lost himself, in the mind and in personality because of war, that had claimed everything away from him -- Looks, woman, pride which was built up by himself.

Identity to him here, was made up of what people thought of him, how people treated him. 

The poet: Wilfred Owen

The things, people label you with, making you make certain decisions,
or even the way you look at things/yourself.

(kaiying)

The Philosopher by Emily Bronte

THE PHILOSOPHER - Emily Bronte
Enough of thought, philosopher!
Too long hast thou been dreaming
Unlightened, in this chamber drear,
While summer’s sun is beaming!
Space-sweeping soul, what sad refrain
Concludes thy musings once again?
“Oh, for the time when I shall sleep
Without identity.
And never care how rain may steep,
Or snow may cover me!
No promised heaven, these wild desires
Could all, or half fulfil;
No threatened hell, with quenchless fires,
Subdue this quenchless will!”
“So said I, and still say the same;
Still, to my death, will say—
Three gods, within this little frame,
Are warring night; and day;
Heaven could not hold them all, and yet
They all are held in me;
And must be mine till I forget

My present entity!
Oh, for the time, when in my breast
Their struggles will be o’er!
Oh, for the day, when I shall rest,
And never suffer more!”
“I saw a spirit, standing, man,
Where thou dost stand—an hour ago,
And round his feet three rivers ran,
Of equal depth, and equal flow—
A golden stream—and one like blood;
And one like sapphire seemed to be;
But, where they joined their triple flood
It tumbled in an inky sea
The spirit sent his dazzling gaze
Down through that ocean’s gloomy night;
Then, kindling all, with sudden blaze,
The glad deep sparkled wide and bright—
White as the sun, far, far more fair
Than its divided sources were!”
“And even for that spirit, seer,
I’ve watched and sought my life-time long;
Sought him in heaven, hell, earth, and air,
An endless search, and always wrong.
Had I but seen his glorious eye
ONCE light the clouds that wilder me;
I ne’er had raised this coward cry
To cease to think, and cease to be;
I ne’er had called oblivion blest,
Nor stretching eager hands to death,
Implored to change for senseless rest
This sentient soul, this living breath—
Oh, let me die—that power and will
Their cruel strife may close;
And conquered good, and conquering ill
Be lost in one repose!”

Analysis 

This poem is somewhat incoherent to people. But if it is compared to other of her poems it is actually on of the most well thought poem in the sense that it answers the most distinctly the dominant questions which concerns about her identity. She is obviously confused of what her identity is. This poem also significantly reveals the intellectual tragedy of her life which can be seen through her words. “for the time when I shall sleep without identity” shows that even when she sleeps she has an identity that no matter what happens it will all be held in her till the day she dies.

The stanza “ Had I but seen his glorious eye ONCE light the clouds that wilder me; I ne’er had raised this coward cry To cease to think, and cease to be; I ne’er had called oblivion blest, Nor stretching eager hands to death, Implored to change for senseless rest This sentient soul, this living breath— Oh, let me die—that power and will Their cruel strife may close; And conquered good, and conquering ill Be lost in one repose!” is actually one of the most significant paragraph as it shows most about what she is feeling at that point in time. The sentence “conquered good and conquering ill” shows that she wishes that she could conquer both yet it is impossible to achieve a balance between good and evil. Furthermore, “Lost in one repose” shows that when evil triumphs good is a natural outcome.

Death is also one of the themes that were showed in this poem. From “To cease to think, and cease to be; I ne’er had called oblivion blest, Nor stretching eager hands to death, Implored to change for senseless rest This sentient soul, this living breath— Oh, let me die—that power and will Their cruel strife may close” we can see that the poet seeks death as a way to end everything and the cruelness of people around her that might be hurting her.

Her punctuations was jumbled everywhere thus showing that her emotions might be messed up making it impossible for her to put proper punctuations to signalize that her thoughts was phrased and put correctly so that others can read it better.

The poet.

(Tresa)