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Patterns - Symbolism - Papers

Patterns - Symbolism

Symbolism in Patterns by Amy Lowell
Breaking the "Patterned" Mold
When one hears the words, " I sink on a seat in the shade," they will most likely form a visual image in their head, such as a person sitting under a tree. Amy Lowell, an imagist, uses sharp images, precise wording, and figurative speech as a means of poetic expression to arouse the senses of the reader. In "Patterns," Amy Lowell explores the hopeful liberty of women in the early 20th century through a central theme. A woman’s dream of escaping the boundaries that society has placed on her dissipates when she learns of her lover’s untimely death. Of the many images in this poem, the constant ...

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creates a sense of freedom and flexibility. The woman in the poem, presumably Amy, wishes to be like the moving flowers, carefree and jaunty. In the second stanza of the poem, the woman begins to describe the water in the marble fountain. The, "…plashing of waterdrops," (28) and, "…plopping of the waterdrops," (54) describe liquid in motion. The fact that she notices such little details in a fountain shows how intent the woman is on being free and able to move about as she pleases. The unconstrained movement of the flowers and the water manifest a way of life that the woman would like to live. What is keeping her from the liberation that she longs for?
The images in the poem name the binding dress as the culprit, but upon reading deeper into the signs of the imagery, one will find that there is a more complicated reason for her misery. The "…stiff, brocaded gown"(5) is mentioned many times throughout the poem. Of course, back in that time, the ...

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Patterns - Symbolism. (2007, December 13). Retrieved April 3, 2026, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Patterns-Symbolism/75756

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 12/13/2007 03:19:25 PM
Category: English
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 1093
Pages: 4

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