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Tone Shifts Chart Myth

1) The document analyzes the shifts in tone throughout Eavan Boland's poem by examining specific lines and using examples from Greek mythology. 2) It notes that the opening establishes an ominous tone by comparing the speaker to the exiled Persephone, then shifts to a joyful tone in summer to represent the happiness of early motherhood. 3) The tone becomes one of grief with the abrupt mention of winter, alluding to Persephone's kidnapping and symbolic of a daughter's sudden maturity, and finally ends with acceptance, where the pomegranate symbolizes a daughter's inevitable adulthood.

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250 views2 pages

Tone Shifts Chart Myth

1) The document analyzes the shifts in tone throughout Eavan Boland's poem by examining specific lines and using examples from Greek mythology. 2) It notes that the opening establishes an ominous tone by comparing the speaker to the exiled Persephone, then shifts to a joyful tone in summer to represent the happiness of early motherhood. 3) The tone becomes one of grief with the abrupt mention of winter, alluding to Persephone's kidnapping and symbolic of a daughter's sudden maturity, and finally ends with acceptance, where the pomegranate symbolizes a daughter's inevitable adulthood.

Uploaded by

AJZ
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Tone Shifts Chart

Ashwin Rajgopal, Charlie Yu, Andrew Zhan, Gary Zhao


Myth Allusion Poetry Presentation
Opening Shot
Line 1-7
The only legend I have ever loved is
the story of a daughter lost in hell. (Line 1-2)
Ceres and Persephone the names. (Line 5)
The first seven lines of the poem is almost an introduction to the rest of the poem. The opening
shot introduces the myth (Persephone and Demeter) that she will be alluding to throughout the
course of the poem.
Line 8
Extended Metaphor
...I was
an exiled child(Line 11)
the stars blighted. (Line 12)
The tone established here is an omniscient tone. With dark diction choices such as blighted
and exiled Boland creates this tone in order to present the first part of the extended metaphor.
She compares herself to the exiled child (Persephone) to establish the first part of her journey.
She is a women just entering adulthood; the omniscient tone reflects the frightening and
unknown emotions that the initial separation from her childhood parents creates.
Line 13
Change in Setting
Later
I walked out in a summer twilight (Line 13-14)
I carried her back past whitebeams
and wasps and honey-scented buddleias.
From the dark, cold description of the underworld Boland transitions into a sweet, pleasant
summers night. This transitions symbolizes the progression of her initial stage of young
adulthood to the first stage of motherhood. This establishes a light-hearted and joyful tone. The
season of summer is often associated with the emotion of happiness. By using descriptive
imagery Boland captures the pleasantries of summer such as the honey-scented buddleias to
further reflect the happiness of the first stage of motherhood.
Line 24
Change in Syntax
Change in Setting
It is winter. (line 24)
On Line 24 the summer season changes into winter. By using a very short three word phrase It
is winter she creates an abrupt shift in season. This syntax choice reflects the final stage of the
authors motherhood. When her daughter is fully grown the change from childhood to adulthood
seems very sudden to the mother. In the myth that Eavan alludes to, winter is when Persephone

is torn from her mother as she is kidnapped into the underworld. Through this allusion a tone of
grief is established.
Line 42

Symbolism/Allusion
I will say nothing.
The tone of grief shifts into a tone of acceptance in the final lines. Boland uses the symbolism
of the pomegranate to establish this final tone. When eaten in the myth, the pomegranate seeds
trapped Persephone in the underworld for six months of the year. In the case of this poem,
when Bolands daughter eats the pomegranate it symbolizes her final transition to adulthood.
The line of the poem shows the inevitable nature of this process. Boland knows that there is
nothing she can do to stop this process and that she will not say anything.

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