The Poetic image: imagery and the poetry cluster THE BIG QUESTION: WHY IS IMAGERY SO IMPORTANT TO POETRY?

WHAT IS IMAGERY? At its most simplistic, it is the use of vocabulary to evoke an image. But we can not, must not, dismiss it as “creating a picture in the reader’s head”. This tells us, or the examiner, nothing. No, as real students of literature, we need to not only identify the imagery, but also the connotations of the image and the intentions behind the author’s use of the image. Magritte: surrealist painter: what meaning can we read into this painting?

imagery and the cluster Power and conflict

What makes this such a powerful image?

“And the hapless Soldier's sigh Runs in blood down Palace walls.”

“And the hapless Soldier's sigh Runs in blood down Palace walls.” I saw this in 2014. It was a profound experience. The image of each poppy representing a soldier that died was shocking and overwhelming. But it also evoked Blake’s ‘London’ poem to mind. Much like Blake, this installation not only commemorates the suffering of the soldiers, but perhaps places the blame for their death on those who were in power. Why are the poppies flowing from the Tower of London? The imagery of the sea of red flowing from the “palace walls” and filling the moat doesn’t just show the enormity of the loss, but also the sense of who is to blame – those in power who make decisions to go to war. “Blood Swept Land And Seas Of Red” Poppy installation 2014. 888,246 poppies One for each soldier who died.

imagery and the power and conflict cluster Unsurprisingly, the power and conflict cluster offers us a vast array of startling imagery. By conveying the hard-hitting ideas of power and conflict, the poets reach for some startling, jarring and at times shocking images. Consider the poet’s intentions behind the following images: “Blood shadow” “Bandage up me eye… Blind me…” “Spits like a tame cat turned savage.” “…running children in a nightmare heat.” “runs like blood down palace walls.” This imagery is graphic. It’s violent. It’s visceral. It’s loaded with intent – like a gun – and perhaps desires the same shocking impact.

A Closer look – ‘checking out me history’ In my opinion, ‘Checking Out me History’ is an underrated poem. Dismissed as simplistic by some, lacking in depth by others, I hope to change your minds by exploring two examples of imagery that occasionally are overlooked.

“Bandage up me eye with me own history/blind me to me own identity” On your desk is a bandage. One between two. Nominate one person to have their eyes bandaged. The other one is doing the bandaging. As you do this, consider the following: who has the power here? how does the person being bandaged feel?

“Bandage up me eye with me own history/blind me to me own identity” The first image is an interesting one. the image of a bandage” evokes the idea of a wound. More startlingly, the bandage is on “the eye”. The persona is stripped of their sight and, as such, is made to feel vulnerable. One might assume that the act of bandaging is a compassionate one, designed to help heal the person. This might be a reference to how those in authority see their actions: that by educating the speaker with a Eurocentric history syllabus, they are actually helping the speaker. However, they are not. They are stopping the speaker (presumably the poet) from accessing the rich tapestry of history that makes up their identity. This history is so defiantly celebrated later in the poem. In fact, the imagery of bandaging up an eye may also evoke the idea of captivity; the speaker in the poem is being subjugated (controlled/oppressed) by this white, Eurocentric teaching of history. This is not just an issue of education, but of control and freedom to learn about one’s identity and not have one version of history dominate. Notice the persona’s lack of agency. The imperative verbs “Bandage” and “Blind” are being done to the speaker. The speaker is the object of the sentence, not the subject. The graphic imagery of being blinded shows how damaging this is; the poet has used the imagery of a wound to conjure the powerful impact this white, Eurocentric approach to teaching has had on the speaker. The imagery leaves us in no doubt how passionate the poet feels about this.

“I carving out me identity” And now we reach the last line of the poem. The poet leaves us with another interesting image, that of the persona “carving out” their identity. There is something tactile about this image as the persona as a sculptor. The imagery of “carving” indicates the idea of making a permanent mark and also of creating something lasting. One might argue that “carving” is not just a creative act, but a violent one. Perhaps akin to carving a mark into a tree or graffiti onto a desk! The speaker wants a sense of permanence – to let people know about “me identity” – and that it should not be lost. Notice the subtle change in grammar too. The speaker has become the subject of the line. They are now imbued with agency – with the power to take control – which contrasts with the passivity and vulnerability of the opening of the poem. The speaker is rebelling against the institutions of authority that seek to control and marginalise their identity.

“I carving out me identity” “Bandage up me eye with me own history/blind me to me own identity” “I carving out me identity”

agency/defiance/rebellion/ reclaiming a sense of self passivity/vulnerability/controlled/oppressed/victim And so, through the close reading of imagery, we can follow the development of the poem. The first, striking and startling image that we come across in the poem is of bandaged eyes and being blinded by an oppressive force. The choice of imagery “bandage me” and “blind me” suggest someone being attacked or wounded, or controlled and oppressed. By the end of the poem, the poet leaves us with an image of “carving” out an identity. The imagery is associated with permanence – a lasting monument to the speaker’s identity – but also of action. The speaker now has agency – they are able to “make their mark” and have their sense of self acknowledged. agency/defiance/rebellion/ reclaiming a sense of self

Final Task In front of you is an envelope with 14 poems from the cluster. Open it and, in pairs, find one or two images that you feel are particularly powerful. On your cards, explain why you chose it. What are the connotations behind the imagery and what were the poet’s intentions? Extension: are there any poems that are rich in a particular type of imagery? For example, sound imagery? Natural imagery? Violent imagery? Blood imagery? Olfactory imagery? Weather imagery?

THE BIG QUESTION: WHY IS IMAGERY SO IMPORTANT TO POETRY? Because poetry IS imagery! Well, that might be a sweeping generalisation, but one of the skills of a poet is to conjure thoughts, feelings and responses from a single image, or collection of images. They can cut to the heart of a matter with a two word image. Consider “Blood shadow” from ‘Remains’. It takes us to the central point of the poem, that inescapable guilt (symbolised by the “shadow”) caused by the violent act of murder (symbolised by “blood”). You simply cannot discuss poetry without exploring imagery, because imagery is as central to poetry as theme, tone, narrative voice, structure, rhythm or rhyme. In fact, I would argue it is the most important element of poetry.