Dramatic Poems
Poems where a character speaks to other characters, themselves, or the reader
Examples:
The Seven Ages of Man
Lord Randal
The poem employs an extended metaphor
• World IS stage
• Men/Women ARE players (actors)
• Roles, costumes, actions, playing parts: links theatre stage and life stages
• Entrances to stage =
• Exit from stage=
Judge (maturity/middle aged)
• Fair round belly, lined with chicken
• Severe eyes, formal beard
• Full of familiar sayings and trite examples
Old Man #1 (trying to look young)
• Wearing pantaloons, tight fitting trousers
• Old man but trying to look young
• Big manly voice turning again toward sounding childish
Old Man #2 (Senile/mental & physical losses)
• Second childishness:
• How is being old like being a child again?
Second Childishness
• Can’t take care of yourself
• Dependent on others
• Frail
• Possible reduction in mental capacity
• Trouble speaking
Mere Oblivion
• Forgetfulness, Senility• Reduced to Nothingness
• Sans (Without)
sans Teeth (fall out)
sans Eyes (go blind)
sans Taste (Dulled senses)
sans Everything---reduced to nothing
Timeless
• Shakespeare revered for his “timelessness”
• Outside of time
• His observations on human nature are Universal and Accurate
• Stand test of time
Format
• Each stanza opens with a question, question repeated (Mother)
• Seems reluctant to answer (Son/LR)
Clues• LR tired & weary
• Saw dogs die
• He fed them same food as himself
• Who dined with? Who fed food?