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Critical Analysis #1
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suze
New Member
since 1999-10-07
Posts 2
durban, South Africa

0 posted 1999-10-07 04:43 AM



Through eons of time we have
trudged and
trudged
Through forest and spear
Through mountains of fear.
We have fought against time
and skin
and smiled, through bloody cracks.
We have parted our limbs
for countries and died,
always the sun would shine on
our upward turned faces
and blind us.
We have been pursued and
thrown aside,
Our limbs, our eyes, our
secret places
have always been our peril, and our strength.
Through cities of hatred
and lights that never allow us to
really
see.
We have only each other
and are always at war.

We are women
We are strength
We are life

We are women
FREE US!

© Copyright 1999 suze - All Rights Reserved
rachana.s
Member
since 1999-09-16
Posts 55
madras,tamil nadu,India
1 posted 1999-10-07 09:34 AM


suze,

first the good part.

We have only each other
and are always at war

how true this is. This is the most beautiful line. I totally agree with that. I also like the way this poem is written,

but... (O.K. here comes the bad bit - only my opinion)

I do not agree with the last two lines on 2 counts

We are women
FREE US!

1. Your words were going in the right direction till these two lines indicating the strength in women then why thes partial plea? I contradicts the very essence of the poem. It demeans what ever you have said before. Some how poetically it does not fit.

2. This is more on the distaste I personally have against the concept of women asking to be free. It somehow shows that women are inferior and in bondage? Are we?

Why ask? The freedom is your's. Take it. If you can take anything else then you can also take freedom which is your birth right. I think we all also know that freedom is never something which is given. It has to be taken.

Sorry, there I go again into my philoshpy modes. Any way there.. I'm glad it's off my chest.

rachi



merlynh
Member
since 1999-09-26
Posts 411
deer park, wa
2 posted 1999-10-09 01:03 AM


Well? How about a male's point of view? I thought is was a nice poem. I thought the last two lines pulled it all together. Some true ideas that both men and women don't want to look upon. Lots of men don't think of women as equal beings. So the last two lines does have a message to the rest of the poem. But what do I know? Am a nobody.
rachana.s
Member
since 1999-09-16
Posts 55
madras,tamil nadu,India
3 posted 1999-10-09 03:50 AM


hey suze,

sorry I came across too strong there. When I read it now, it does look soo womens lib. Actually did not mean for it to be so. What I actually mean rather is that those last few lines did not do much justice to the strength that you projected of women in the rest of the line.

I do agree that most men do not consider women to be their equals but that is not the point here. When I said that freedom is not to be given by someone but to be taken by you, it was just not a question of men or women, it is the same with any race, relegion or minority. In any quest for freedom, it has to be taken - it is never given. That is the way of the world.

rachi


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