The Violets and Father and Child

“THE VIOLETS” AND “FATHER AND CHILD”

There are various ways in which Gwen Harwood’s poems “The Violets” and “Father and Child” recreate and recapture the world of an only child. Gwen Harwood uses several techniques to give the audience the image of an only child. In both of these poems there is no mention of another child besides the persona, this builds on the imagery of recreating and recapturing the world of and only child. There are similarities between the poems such as, both deals with memories of a childhood, strong imagery, innocence, biblical references, death and the significance of time.

The technique of indentation is used in “The Violets” indicate that the persona is retelling a memory. “Into my father’s house we went, young parents and their restless child,” this quote indicates to the audience that she is the only child there at this time. Harwood uses “Young parents” to also support this idea of a memory as it describes her parents as younger instead of the present time. This technique effectively recreates and recaptures the world of an only child.

“Father and child” consists of two singular poems, “Barn owl” and “Nightfall” both represent the world of an only child. “A horny fiend, I crept out with my father’s gun. Let him dream of a child obedient, angel minded.” This quote displays that the persona is a child. The use of biblical allusion adds to the effect of recreating and recapturing the world of an only child as it uses the technique of juxtaposition of “horny fiend” and “angel minded.” In “Nightfall” the quote “Father and child, we stand” indicates to the audience that there is one child and not many. This effectively recreates and recaptures the world of an only child.

In summation both of these poems effectively recreates and recaptures the world of an only child.