Sleep_Analysis

English – Sleep analysis We as individuals experience the possessiveness of sleep every night and we feel helpless and soothed by it. We feel calm and relaxed by it but we can also feel a sense of sexual satisfaction from it. Kenneth Slessor’s poem “Sleep”, written in the 1920s, explores these themes and the theme of creating life/birth and conception. This poem illustrates the connection that we as humans have with procreation and with sleep, whether it is sexually, physically or spiritually. It also possesses an enduring quality, as the themes that are touched upon are relevant in the past and today. The title “Sleep” adds meaning to the meaning of the poem as everybody interprets the words in different ways. It can be seen as the calming, soothing, physical type sleep, the sexual type sleep and the spiritual type sleep. We see that the poem addresses all 3 of these themes and it shows us the purpose and the positive side to life and illustrates to us the variety of different and special emotions that we as humans can experience in life. While an individual may feel that the sexual idea of sleep is important, the spiritual and physical idea of sleep is equally essential. Slessor presents a Christian interpretation through the concept of sleep and birth as it is illustrating the spiritual and physical connection that an individual has with it. The repetition and assonance of the word “body” in the quote “body or no-body” is used to illustrate this interpretation as it embraces the physical and non physical world, making it seem simple, child-like and utterly trustworthy. The sleeper must be able to trust the sleep. This Christian interpretation is also evident with the theme of procreation and childbirth through the extended metaphor “in the huge cave, my belly, love you” where the words “my belly” are portrayed as a source of life, but also as a vulnerable part of the body as it continues this image of a baby going through its journey of creation. This can be a metaphorical image of sleep or a literal image of pregnancy or it can even be seen as a metaphor of sexual union, all of which suggests safety. This is contrasted to the poem “Out of time” as the constant movement of time creates a nihilistic attitude that reflects the idea that there is no real meaning behind life and that death is the end. This is portrayed through the imagery of “the gulls go down, the body dies and rots” which provides an image of the tragic end of life that everyone faces in an extreme and pointless way. Sleep is also portrayed as being possessive with the rhetorical question in the quote “do you give yourself” where the word “give” in this context means “surrender”. The sleeper is utterly giving himself or herself to sleep, on his or her own free will. This is compared to “Out of time” as individuals usually surrender themselves to time as they have no control over it just like we have no control over sleep. The use of alliteration in the quote “times takes me, drills me” illustrate the limitations that individuals have towards time. The language used influences my response as well as other’s response to the poem as it gives extended and metaphorical meanings to certain words that make us think more deeply about it and help us to make a proper judgement on it. This poem possesses an enduring quality as it is relevant to today and in the past through the spiritual and physical connection that people have with it. In life, an individual is constantly searching for a special connection with another person in the hopes of creating a relationship or a special bond with them. This often leads to people expressing their love in a sexual and physical way. In the poem “Sleep”, Slessor portrays the illusions and expressions of love with sexual images and he represents a sacred connection that a couple share with each other. This is represented through the repetition of “you” and the sexual connotations in the quote “take you and receive you”. Both these words are positive in nature and it has a sexual image to it as it is in a way “demanding/urging” or “controlling” the partner through sexuality as the man “takes you” and the women “receives you”. The same effect occurs with the words “consume you, engulf you” as it is about surrounding yourself and becoming one with your partner. The sexual illusion that Slessor portrays in his poem is effective as it illustrates the power of love and sex between couples. This is also shown through the metaphor and sexual connotation of “delve in my flesh, dissolved and bedded” as it represents a “bed” being a place of rest, where sleep is succumbed to and where the lover reaches climax and enters the deepest form of sleep. This illusion can be compared to the poem “Out of time” where the constant movement of time eventually turns things into distant memories that can never be taken back and are seen as illusions. The personification “leave this lovely moment at your back” emphasises this messege of memories turning into illusions and leaving them behind you as you move forward constantly with time. This influences people’s responses to it at as it makes them realize that they do not have much time left and that they should worship every moment they have no matter what. We see the enduring quality in this as Slessor tries to make us realize that life is short and that we should live for every moment even though he has his own frustrations at our limited control of it. Childbirth and conception are the most intense, joyous and wonderful experiences of somebody’s life as they are creating a new life and bringing a new person into the world. This is explored in depth in the poem “Sleep” where childbirth and conception are portrayed as mysterious joys of life. The rhyme used in the quote “burial mysteriously” refers to the child in the womb, which is sometimes referred to in the past as the “great mystery of birth”. It is about the child being precious and having a sacred relationship with the mother, as everyone awaits its departure from the womb. The sacred bond that a mother has with her child is represented using the rhyme “carry you, and ferry you”. These are both very protective phrases, like a mother comforting her child and caring for it deeply, and it has a very personal approach as each verb is involving the reader more - “you”. Slessor goes into depth when showing the sacred and special connection that a mother has with her unborn child, making it seem as if they are “one”. The imagery used in the quote “embodied” is showing the real meaning of conception where flesh is given and traded into substance, or in other words, having such a deep sleep that it almost becomes a substance. The child grows towards being born as a full child or the conception of the child from sex cells to zygote to embryo etc. This can be compared to “Out of time” as it illustrates the movement of time also being a positive thing where time moving forward means babies will be born and new life will be created even though time catches up to everybody else and results in death. The metaphor “birth to be flesh” emphasises this joy of giving birth and creating another life and it also illustrates this deep connection a mother has with her child and how it grows as time moves on. Slessor teaches and influences us through this procreation and special connection ideas that make us have a certain response to it. It makes us feel greatful for what we have and teaches us that through time, we all grow together as people. The philosophical nature of life is that it is harsh and remorseless once you wake up or are born, or are away from the fantasy of being with a lover, then you are subject to reality and time and it shows the sacred and special bonds that a baby has with its Mother. It also has an enduring quality through the portrayal of the themes and the meanings behind each theme by Slessor. We learn that sleep is something that is embraced physically, sexually and spiritually and we learn about the special bond that mothers have with their newborn babies and we see this relevance of motherhood and the movement of time throughout history.