Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Burning Child" is a poem by Amy Clampitt, an American poet born in 1920 and passed away in 1994. This poem was published in her 1983 collection "The Kingfisher".

Explanation:

The poem speaks about the fleeting and unpredictable nature of life. The burning child in the title refers to a momentary experience of brightness and intensity, quickly followed by the inevitable darkness and loss.

Poetic Elements:

• Form: Free verse
• Theme: Transience of life, the fleeting nature of existence
• Imagery: Fire, darkness, ashes
• Tone: Somber, reflective
• Sound: No consistent rhyme scheme, but there are repeated sounds and alliterations throughout the poem
• Language: Simple, yet poignant
• Figurative language: The burning child is a metaphor for the brief and bright moments in life
• Structure: Divided into five stanzas of varying length
• Symbolism: Fire represents the brief moments of intensity, while the darkness represents the inevitable end

Conclusion:

"Burning Child" is a powerful and moving poem that speaks to the fragility of life and the importance of cherishing the brief moments of brightness and intensity that we experience.

Poem Snippet::

• "Nothing is more visible than what’s / vanishing: / smoke streaming from a rooftop chimney / as the wind flings it."

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