Guest Posted 21 years ago
Human Condtion By Thom Gunn
0 Hi 02 br
02 br
00 I was wondering if you guys can help with analyzing this poem. 02 br
00 I need help finding the literary devices theme and the speaker. 02 br
02 br
00 Thanks alot in advance! 02 br
02 br
00 Here is the Poem: HUMAN CONDITION 02 br
02 br
00 Now it is fog. I walk 02 br
00 Contained within my coat; 02 br
00 No castle more cut off 02 br
00 By reason of its moat: 02 br
00 Only the sentry's cough, 02 br
00 The mercenaries' talk. 02 br
02 br
00 The street lamps, visible, 02 br
00 Drop no light on the ground, 02 br
00 But press beams painfully 02 br
00 In a yard of fog around. 02 br
00 I am condemned to be 02 br
00 An individual. 02 br
02 br
00 In the established border 02 br
00 There balances a mere 02 br
00 Pinpoint of consciousness. 02 br
00 I stay, or start from, here: 02 br
00 No fog makes more or less 02 br
00 The neighboring disorder. 02 br
02 br
00 Particular, I must 02 br
00 Find out the limitation 02 br
00 Of mind and universe. 02 br
00 To pick thought and sensation 02 br
00 And turn to my own use 02 br
00 Disordered hate or lust. 02 br
02 br
00 I seek, to break, my span. 02 br
00 I am my one touchstone. 02 br
00 This is a test more hard 02 br
00 Than any ever known. 02 br
00 And thus I keep my guard 02 br
00 On that which makes me man. 02 br
02 br
00 Much is unknowable. 02 br
00 No problem shall be faced 02 br
00 Until the problem is; 02 br
00 I, born to fog, to waste, 02 br
00 Walk through hypothesis, 02 br
00 An individual. 0-
02 br
00 I was wondering if you guys can help with analyzing this poem. 02 br
00 I need help finding the literary devices theme and the speaker. 02 br
02 br
00 Thanks alot in advance! 02 br
02 br
00 Here is the Poem: HUMAN CONDITION 02 br
02 br
00 Now it is fog. I walk 02 br
00 Contained within my coat; 02 br
00 No castle more cut off 02 br
00 By reason of its moat: 02 br
00 Only the sentry's cough, 02 br
00 The mercenaries' talk. 02 br
02 br
00 The street lamps, visible, 02 br
00 Drop no light on the ground, 02 br
00 But press beams painfully 02 br
00 In a yard of fog around. 02 br
00 I am condemned to be 02 br
00 An individual. 02 br
02 br
00 In the established border 02 br
00 There balances a mere 02 br
00 Pinpoint of consciousness. 02 br
00 I stay, or start from, here: 02 br
00 No fog makes more or less 02 br
00 The neighboring disorder. 02 br
02 br
00 Particular, I must 02 br
00 Find out the limitation 02 br
00 Of mind and universe. 02 br
00 To pick thought and sensation 02 br
00 And turn to my own use 02 br
00 Disordered hate or lust. 02 br
02 br
00 I seek, to break, my span. 02 br
00 I am my one touchstone. 02 br
00 This is a test more hard 02 br
00 Than any ever known. 02 br
00 And thus I keep my guard 02 br
00 On that which makes me man. 02 br
02 br
00 Much is unknowable. 02 br
00 No problem shall be faced 02 br
00 Until the problem is; 02 br
00 I, born to fog, to waste, 02 br
00 Walk through hypothesis, 02 br
00 An individual. 0-
Top answer
by Thom Gunn
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I took away from this poem about a man who has isolated himself and is fearful now of breaking free. there is also chaos inside himself and fear. At the end of the poem he is supposing and full of conjecture about leaving behind his individuality. What do you think?
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This seems to be a condemnation of individuality. The general consensus seems to be that individuality is something good and something that one needs to achieve. But here the poet seems to condemn it as like being alone in a fog ("I am condemned to be an individual." "I, born to fog, to waste...an individual." - he literally spits out the word "individual," like it's the word "leper").
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