Flames_and_Dangling_Wire

In ‘Flames and Dangling Wire’ Robert Gray takes you on a journey on how he believes the world is going to change and take a turn for the worse. It tells us that we are going to come face to face with a world that hasn’t forgiven the deeds of those past inhabitants. In the poem, Gray makes heavy use of allusion, symbolism and imagery, but also uses irony and personification to bring his warning to life. These techniques allow the reader to realise the severity of the subject and brings the writings into the room with the reader. This poem takes the reader through time, warning them that the world is heading for a massive catastrophe if we do not start to take better care of it. Robert Gray presents a very harsh image of human change. He looks at the human race and its self destructive nature that is leading this earth into the ground. He speaks of the theory that all actions have consequences and the consequences of our actions; living in this materialistic world; not taking care of the environment and our surroundings, are going to be severe and unforgiving. To present these views, he uses many techniques to pass over a very strong argument. The most influential technique would have to be the use of imagery. The city is described as being 'driven like stakes into the ground', symbolising the cruel and brutal nuisance of humans on their world. We are the ones gifted with these things, yet we are the ones who are taking these things for granted and watching the earth disintegrate in front of us; it’s not the fact that we’re watching but the fact that we’re the ones causing it. Every day we are watching and acting without even a thought of what may become of the world in the future. This is the point Robert Gray is trying to prove with the image of the Dump. The imagery of the dump provides the reality that one day, we may be living in a dump and that we are watching this form in front of our very eyes. The people who are forking through the trash symbolise what we might be facing in the future. Another technique Robert Gray has used to present his case is the use of allusion. He refers to ‘The Raft of the Medusa’ which shows survivors of a shipwreck pulling them together and salvaging their remains. This symbolises the human race and the survivors of a wreck that is the Earth and how we are going to be putting together the pieces of what is left of society. Another use of Allusion is the reference to Charon, the 'demon with the long barge pole', the mythological boatman of the river Styx. In doing this, Gray warns that the constant change to a more and more materialistic society will have dire consequences. The use of perspective is a very strong technique as you can understand the emptiness and angry point of view of the author. He realises that our future is a wasteland 'made of things that worked'. He makes the reader feel horrified and scared of what lies ahead in the future. He presents this very well though the unique way he has used perspective. Robert Gray presents a poem that really gets the reader thinking about their place in society. He writes that no-one is excepted when it comes to the consequences we face as a race, not even he, the persona. He uses strong techniques to pass on his message and really makes you think; how can we change the world now so not to face the dump we are heading for in the future.