"The Violets" and “At Mornigton”: How Harwood Creates Meaning Through the Exploration of Human Experience Anonymous 11th Grade

The human experience is dependent on the memories that allow the understanding of time and the transition from youth to maturation, inevitably ending in death. Gwen Harwood’s poem ‘The Violets’ provides an understanding of life’s association with innocence and memories depicting their relationship with mortality through the similarities of the past and present. Similarly, “At Mornington” reflects the nature of existence due to the transition from ignorance to wisdom, depicting the value of memories and how accentuating the value of life can suppress the thought of death. Thus, Hardwood's works prove relevant to themes of humanity by portraying the power of reminiscences which distract from the dwindling of time; her verse communicates the complexity of past experiences retains a contemplative power that allows humans to resonate their meaning of life.

Hardwood’s use of light as a metaphor of memory and enlightenment portrays the cyclical nature of life. This is evident in her work, “Years can’t move, nor death’s disorienting scale distort those lamp lit presences.” This motif allows an understanding that memories are a transient being that are present even in the moment of death. Hardwood outlines the importance of these...