The poem, “The Deserted House” is an extended metaphor. But what is the metaphor? Explain the metaphor and identify specific parts of the poem to support your interpretation.
"The Deserted House" by Alfred Tennyson is indeed an extended metaphor where the deserted house represents the decay and abandonment of a human life. The poem reflects on the passage of time, the transience of life, and the inevitable fate of every individual.
In the first stanza, the metaphor begins to take shape as Tennyson uses vivid and detailed imagery to describe the house: "Life and thought have gone away / Side by side, / Leaving door and windows wide— / Careless tenants they!" Here, the house symbolizes the mind and the soul, while the deserted state represents the absence of life and consciousness.
Further emphasizing the metaphor, Tennyson describes the house as "broken tables, cups, and all / Moldy and unclean." This imagery signifies the decay and neglect that mirrors the physical decline of the individual. The abandoned rooms and halls within the house represent the vacant thoughts and memories that are left behind when life departs.
The poem also explores the concept of time and its impact on the human condition. Tennyson writes, "In this crumbling, ghostly glen, / Shaped so strangely overhead, / Shaped strangely beneath, / You shall find no coffin—nor empty bed." This indicates that within the deserted house there are neither bodies nor beds, reinforcing the image of time passing and leaving everything vacant.
Moreover, the poem's closing lines further support the metaphor by highlighting the inevitable fate that awaits every living being: "Life is gone, / Blood and breath have fled away / Blank and tenantless." Here, Tennyson suggests that life is transient and that ultimately death will prevail, rendering everyone's existence as empty and abandoned as the decaying house.
Overall, "The Deserted House" metaphorically captures the ephemeral nature of life and the inevitability of death, using the image of a forsaken, crumbling house to represent the decay and emptiness of an individual's existence.
To determine the metaphor in the poem "The Deserted House," we need to first understand what a metaphor is. A metaphor is a figure of speech that establishes a comparison between two seemingly unrelated things by stating that one thing is another. It goes beyond a simple comparison and creates a symbolic relationship to convey a deeper meaning.
Now let's analyze "The Deserted House" to identify the metaphor and specific parts that support our interpretation:
1. Begin by reading the poem thoroughly to grasp its overall theme and tone. Look for recurring imagery or symbols that might hint at a metaphorical comparison.
2. Determine the central idea or message of the poem. In "The Deserted House," the poem revolves around a house that is forsaken and dilapidated, representing abandonment, decay, and emptiness.
3. As we progress through the poem, the speaker vividly describes how the house has fallen into disrepair, stating that "the spider holds her sway" and "the roof is moss-grown." These lines suggest that nature has reclaimed the house, indicative of neglect and desolation.
4. Another key element comes in the form of personification. The poet attributes human qualities to the physical features of the house, such as the "rust-eaten nails," "broken panes," and "rotted floor." This personification enhances the metaphor by likening these deteriorating elements to the decay and disintegration of human life.
5. Pay attention to the emotions or feelings evoked by the poem. The deserted house elicits a sense of melancholy, sadness, and a feeling of the passage of time. These emotions align with the metaphorical aspect of the abandoned house representing a forgotten or neglected existence.
Taking all these factors into account, the extended metaphor in "The Deserted House" can be interpreted as the abandoned and decaying house symbolizing a person or life left behind, forgotten, and unfulfilled. The poet uses the dilapidated physical state of the house, personification, and the overall theme of abandonment to convey this metaphorical comparison.
Remember, interpreting metaphors can be subjective to a certain extent. As readers, we bring our own experiences and perspectives to the analysis. Therefore, it's crucial to support our interpretations with evidence from the text while considering the emotions and themes intertwined within the poem.
The poem "The Deserted House" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson is indeed an extended metaphor. The metaphor used in the poem is that of a "deserted house" representing a mind or a soul that has been abandoned or left empty due to grief or loss. This metaphor is explored throughout the poem, with various elements and descriptions pointing towards this interpretation. Let's look at specific parts of the poem to support this interpretation:
1. "Life and Thought have gone away / Side by side, / Leaving door and windows wide." These opening lines set the tone for the poem by establishing that both "Life" and "Thought" have departed from the speaker's mind. The metaphorical use of a deserted house conveys an emptiness and abandonment, suggesting that the speaker's mind is now vacant.
2. "None but we / Heard the door and bolted ring." This line implies that only the speaker and the departed inhabitants of the house, representing the memories or thoughts, were aware of their departure. This reinforces the idea that this deserted house symbolizes a deserted mind.
3. "Now on all sides is desert spread, / As far as the sight can roam." Here, the speaker describes the vastness of the desert surrounding the house, emphasizing the desolation and isolation they feel. This mirrors the emotional state of the speaker's mind, which has become devoid of any joy or liveliness.
4. "The darkened ceiling overhead / Shadows the ghostly loom." This imagery amplifies the feeling of gloom and despair present within the deserted mind. The "darkened ceiling" suggests a sense of melancholy, while the "ghostly loom" evokes a sense of haunting, echoing the lingering memories that now haunt the speaker's thoughts.
5. "Weird shadows they that fall and rise, / As night and day go by." This line further emphasizes the presence of haunting or ghostly remnants within the deserted mind. The shadows represent the memories and thoughts that come and go, much like the passing of night and day.
Throughout the poem, Tennyson consistently uses the imagery of a deserted house to symbolize an abandoned mind or soul. The emptiness, isolation, and haunting nature of the deserted house all contribute to the extended metaphor, reflecting the emotional state of the speaker who has experienced loss or grief.