Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Resentment" by Richard Aldington is a defiant and powerful poem that uses vivid imagery to convey a sense of resilience and strength in the face of overwhelming adversity. The poem reflects Aldington's ability to use striking metaphors and intense emotion to explore themes of struggle, resistance, and the enduring human spirit.

The poem opens with a rhetorical question that sets a confrontational tone: "Why should you try to crush me? / Am I so Christ-like?" This comparison to Christ suggests a sense of being persecuted or unjustly attacked, while also implying a certain nobility or righteousness in enduring such trials.

The speaker describes the forces arrayed against them as "Immense waves, filthy with refuse," a metaphor that conveys both the power and the malevolence of these adversarial forces. The imagery of waves suggests something relentless and overwhelming, while the description of them being "filthy with refuse" adds a sense of insult or degradation to the assault.

Despite this, the speaker compares themselves to "the last upright of a smashed break-water," indicating a sense of resilience and steadfastness even in the face of destruction. This metaphor portrays the speaker as the last remnant of defense against a relentless, eroding force.

The defiance of the speaker is further emphasized in the lines "But you shall not crush me / Though you bury me in foaming slime / And hiss your hatred about me." This declaration of resistance in the face of being overwhelmed and submerged speaks to an indomitable will and an unyielding spirit.

The poem reaches a climax as the speaker describes how they are overwhelmed by the adversarial forces: "You break over me, cover me; / I shudder at the contact." This moment of contact and the resulting shudder convey a visceral response to the assault, emphasizing the speaker's vulnerability.

Yet, the concluding lines of the poem reveal the speaker's triumph and resilience: "Yet I pierce through you / And stand up, torn, dripping, shaken, / But whole and fierce." Despite being battered and worn by the struggle, the speaker emerges not only intact but also with a renewed sense of fierceness and determination.

In summary, "Resentment" by Richard Aldington is a compelling exploration of the theme of resistance against overwhelming odds. Through the use of vivid maritime imagery and a tone of defiance, Aldington captures the essence of resilience and the unbreakable human spirit. The poem is a testament to the capacity to withstand, endure, and ultimately assert oneself in the face of adversity.

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