In The Park by Gwen Harwood

By Sonya Grbevski, Student

How does Gwen Harwood convey the impossibility of change in the woman's life in the poem?

An essay hosted at LiteratureClassics.com

In The Park by Gwen Harwood
How does Harwood convey the impossibility of change in the woman’s life in the poem?

In The Park by Gwen Harwood encompasses a number of poetic techniques which in turn coincide to highlight to the responder the main character’s realisation of the limitations and restrictions of her life, and with this the ultimate prospect of the impossibility of change. The poet deals with the main idea of the life anticipated versus the life the character received, and this is further enhanced by the use of terminology, structure, tone, and symbolism. It is through this that the poem can be seen as an interpretation of the woman’s new life with which she feels entrapped, and controlled, and this can be seen emphasised through the contrasting comparison made in relation to the life she expected as opposed to the life she ultimately is confronted with. Therefore it is as a result of all these elements that the poem In The Park is able to express to the responder the woman’s impossibility of change, and the nature of this restriction on her life.

The terminology conveyed within the poem In The Park is the most influential factor which can be seen to highlight to the responder the prospect of the character’s impossibility of change in her life now. This can be seen through the immense use of such words which can be directly related to time, especially signifying the past, and in return are able to highlight the prospect of a sense of loss of identity, freedom and self which the responder is bought to believe that the character once possessed so vibrantly in her previous lifestyle. It is through this idea of using the past with which the composer is able to produce a compare and contrast theme, where the responder is bought into the two worlds of the character, and in return shown the loss of identity of the woman through the idea of the anticipated life versus the life she got, and as a result of this her discontent with her present life. An example of this can be seen in the first Stanza, where the poem states ‘Her clothes are out of date’. It is through this quote that the responder is shown the representation of the clothes as symbolic of the woman’s attitude towards her life which is now seen as old, tired of life and worn out with her new lifestyle. She is almost interpreted as a character emersed in the past, dwelling on how she expected life to be and how she was then in contrast to how her life is now, and it is this use of contrast which is able to further highlight her discontent with her present life. Another example of this is the statement ‘someone she loved once passes by - too late’. This is a direct reference to the past where we can see the responder shown the restriction of the character’s life now, and it is in particular the words ‘too late’ which emphasise this idea that the chance to change and become the person she expected is lost, and it is through this reminder of the past by someone she once loved, that the realisation of the impossibility of change in the woman’s life can be further enforced to the responder. Therefore it can be seen that the reference to time through the specific use of terminology the composer adapts as a representation of the past, is used to emphasise the idea of the character’s anticipated life in contrast to the character’s life today, and ultimately the restrictions of this life, and it is this technique which in turn shows the woman’s impossibility of change.

The tone of the poem is an indication to the responder of the woman’s attitude towards life, and it is through this that the composer is able to present ideas about the discontentedness of her life, and in return the realisation of the restrictions of motherhood and the impossibility of change. The shift in tone throughout the poem is able to further highlight this idea to the responder through the use of a flat, insincere tone in contrast to the sardonic and sarcastic moments the poem suggests about motherhood. Take for example the first stanza, where the responder is confronted with a visual representation of the woman’s life as tired, worn-out and too late to change. This is drawn through to the responder in a flat and almost monogamous tone, in representation of the repetitive, monogamous and unchanging life of the character. Such words as ‘aimless’ can be seen as indicators of the significance of the woman’s attitude to life, she feels aimless as she doesn’t embrace life, only now realises she cannot change. This can then be seen contrasted to the sarcastic and scornful tone she is later seen to adapt in the poem. She is seen to put on a facade so as to pretend life is great, however through her Sarcasm the responder is shown that motherhood is not really what she expected and she becomes insincere. An example of this can be seen through the Hyperbole in the last stanza where the character states "They have eaten me alive". Through this deliberate exaggeration, the composer is able to highlight the woman’s exasperation and self pity towards her life. The hyperbole reflects the woman’s inability to change now that she is controlled by motherhood, and in return this technique is also able to emphasise her restricted life as there is no other aspect towards her life except motherhood, and when reminded of her past through this once loved person, she is able to highlight this discontent with life now and it’s unexpected values. Therefore it can be seen that through the use of tone in the poem, the responder is able to grasp the character’s main attitude towards life, and the restrictions which embrace her, and through this we are able to see the woman’s impossibility of change.

The use of dialogue in the poem is an indicator of the character’s mood and attitude towards life, and this is particular enhanced through the included dialogue of the past love which now re-enters her life briefly. The dialogue is able to support the flat and insincere tone of the character, but can also be a reference to mood and the character’s change into a restricted and controlled role of motherhood with which she unexpected and now has accepted as an impossibility of change. An example of where the dialogue is able to highlight this idea to the responder is in the second stanza where we see the main character state "Time holds great surprises". It is this use of volta which offers the poem a dramatic pause, to in return enhance the idea of moment and mood of the character at that particular stage of her life. As a result of this the responder is shown the character’s attitude towards life where through her sarcasm we are shown how the future is inevitable, yet to her it holds no surprises as she leads a monogamous life where she feels exasperated and exhausted, and nothing changes, and because of this the responder is enforced the idea of the impossibility of change in the woman’s life. Another example which further supports this is the dialogue of the once loved in her life who states "but for the grace of God..". It is through this statement that the responder is shown the noticeable change in the woman’s life in contrast to her past, he is able to identify to the woman’s past. The once loved shows the confrontation with change that the woman has to face and the realisation that she is now a mother and controlled by this factor, and can never be the person she expected to be. As a result of this the responder is shown the impossibility of change that the woman is faced with and through this her inevitable ageing and life which she didn’t anticipate yet now is forced to embrace as it is a controlling factor of her.

Therefore it can be seen that In The Park by Gwen Harwood incorporates poetic techniques which in turn coincide to act as a factor enabling the responder to grasp the main theme of the poem which is a reference to the impossibility of change which the main character is faced with in her life today. Harwood is able to further enhance this through the ability to show a compare/contrast method of the woman’s life of how she was and anticipated her life to be in comparison to the life she got, and it is through the Sonnet style structure of the poem that it is able to discuss the confrontation of a changed self and the realisation that the woman’s life is controlled by motherhood and cannot be changed. It is through this that Harwood conveys to the responder the impossibility of change in the woman’s life.