This poem was first published in Harmonium (1919), in which the author collected some of his writtings. “Anecdote of the Jar” is the one which I intend to analyze, showing how the idea of circularity is present in this poem. When you read it, you can clearly realize the constant presence of the sound /r/. This presence is shown here with lines from different stanzas: “And sprawled around, no longer wild”, “The jar was round upon the ground”, “The jar was gray and bare”, “Surround that hill”. This constant repetition of a consonant sound is formally named alliteration. The way a person moves his mouth to pronounce this consonant suggests the idea of circularity. Moreover, it has a lot to do with the meaning of the text. The circle is a perfect geometric form, which is used in the poem as a comparison made between perfection and imperfection. This perfect circle is civilization, which puts order in nature that was previously disordered . By the time the jar (that is related to this circle) is put in the middle of the forest, our vision isn’t cut out to look at it as something disorganized. Instead, we start to see the enviroment completely in relation to this “circle”, creating order. So, the author often uses this sound during the poem, showing us modernity brings regularity to nature. Nevertheless, I should point that, based on the construction of the poem, the author doesn’t take any side. He just talks about nature and modernity wihtout being against or for each of them.
Students:
– Paulo Bruno Brito Sátiro
– Clemilda Nataly da Silva Resende
Literatura Inglesa 1 