"Tangi" By Hone Tuwhare
"Tangi" is a poem written by Hone Tuwhare and this poem is about how different cultures approach death and how they express their grief in them. in this poem Tuwhare attends two funerals, a European funeral and a traditional Maori funeral called a tangi. in each of these funerals Tuwhare expresses his feelings and grief differently.
The important idea in this poem is the contrast between the two different funerals that Tuwhare attends and how he expresses his feelings and grief in both of them. the author uses repetition of the negative words 'not' and 'nor' to show this. an example is when Tuwhare says "i did not meet her" and "nor detect her fragrance" while he was attending the European funeral. these quotes clearly show the frustration that Tuwhare has towards the European funeral as he cannot relate or fit in and express his grief. this also shows that Tuwhare is feeling out of place and different. this helps the reader to gain a better understanding of his emotions and how he feels at a European funeral.
in the last stanza Tuwhare shows his feelings towards a tangi with a comfortable and a connected feeling. An example of this is when Tuwhare says " i herd her in the wind" and "caught her beauty by the coffin". these quotes clearly show that Tuwhare is feeling connected with his emotions and is feeling a peace. he is also able to express his grief and express his emotions freely. these feelings that Tuwhare has clearly show that he is more comfortable at a tangi than a European funeral. This contrast clearly shows that different cultures express there feelings and grief towards death differently and that each culture has their own way of dealing with it.
Overall this poem has shown that different cultures express and deal with death in different ways. this idea is shown by the author with the contrast between his feelings at the European funeral and at the tangi, with a discomfort and disconnected feeling at the European funeral and a comfortable and connected feeling at a tangi.
The important idea in this poem is the contrast between the two different funerals that Tuwhare attends and how he expresses his feelings and grief in both of them. the author uses repetition of the negative words 'not' and 'nor' to show this. an example is when Tuwhare says "i did not meet her" and "nor detect her fragrance" while he was attending the European funeral. these quotes clearly show the frustration that Tuwhare has towards the European funeral as he cannot relate or fit in and express his grief. this also shows that Tuwhare is feeling out of place and different. this helps the reader to gain a better understanding of his emotions and how he feels at a European funeral.
in the last stanza Tuwhare shows his feelings towards a tangi with a comfortable and a connected feeling. An example of this is when Tuwhare says " i herd her in the wind" and "caught her beauty by the coffin". these quotes clearly show that Tuwhare is feeling connected with his emotions and is feeling a peace. he is also able to express his grief and express his emotions freely. these feelings that Tuwhare has clearly show that he is more comfortable at a tangi than a European funeral. This contrast clearly shows that different cultures express there feelings and grief towards death differently and that each culture has their own way of dealing with it.
Overall this poem has shown that different cultures express and deal with death in different ways. this idea is shown by the author with the contrast between his feelings at the European funeral and at the tangi, with a discomfort and disconnected feeling at the European funeral and a comfortable and connected feeling at a tangi.
"An examination of her body after death"
by Glen Colquhoun
The poem “An examination of her body after death” was
written by Glen Colquhoun. This poem is set in a morgue where the author is
examining the body of a loved one. When Colquhoun sees the body he goes through
denial and remembrance of his friend using metaphors and repetition of negative
words.
One of the important ideas in this poem is the denial and the author uses repetition of negative words to show this. An example is on the first stanza and on all the other stanza’s, Colquhoun uses the repetition of “you are not her…”This repetition clearly shows the author is in denial by the fact that the author doesn’t accept or believe that his friend has died and that he cant get his head around that he is examining the body of his friend.
Another idea in this poem is the remembrance of his friend and the author uses metaphors to show this. An example is when Colquhoun compares the eyes of his friend to broken headlights of a car with the metaphor “These are broken headlights on a car.” This metaphor shows that he see a pair of lifeless eyes in front of him compared to what they used to look like to him with the metaphor "The shining of the sun". These metaphors helps the reader to gain a better understanding of how the author remembers his friend before he passed away and what his friend looks like to him now. It also clearly shows that he misses his friend dearly by they fact that he is comparing his friends eyes to what they used to look like and what they look like now.
Overall this poem clearly shows that the author is in denial of his friends death and that he also in remembrance of him as well. The denial is shown by the repetition of negative words and the remembrance is shown by the use of metaphors. The techniques that the author uses in this poem has really made it that much more effective and made it that much easier to understand.
One of the important ideas in this poem is the denial and the author uses repetition of negative words to show this. An example is on the first stanza and on all the other stanza’s, Colquhoun uses the repetition of “you are not her…”This repetition clearly shows the author is in denial by the fact that the author doesn’t accept or believe that his friend has died and that he cant get his head around that he is examining the body of his friend.
Another idea in this poem is the remembrance of his friend and the author uses metaphors to show this. An example is when Colquhoun compares the eyes of his friend to broken headlights of a car with the metaphor “These are broken headlights on a car.” This metaphor shows that he see a pair of lifeless eyes in front of him compared to what they used to look like to him with the metaphor "The shining of the sun". These metaphors helps the reader to gain a better understanding of how the author remembers his friend before he passed away and what his friend looks like to him now. It also clearly shows that he misses his friend dearly by they fact that he is comparing his friends eyes to what they used to look like and what they look like now.
Overall this poem clearly shows that the author is in denial of his friends death and that he also in remembrance of him as well. The denial is shown by the repetition of negative words and the remembrance is shown by the use of metaphors. The techniques that the author uses in this poem has really made it that much more effective and made it that much easier to understand.