Nirali vaghela's blog
Nirali vaghela's blog
Simon Armitage's poem 'Lockdown.' Review
Simon Armitage is a British poet, playwright, and translator. He was born in 1963 in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. Armitage is known for his witty and insightful poetry, which often explores themes of identity, community, and social justice. He has published numerous collections of poetry, including "Zoom!" and "Paper Aeroplane". Armitage has also written plays and translated the works of other poets, including Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. In 2019, he was appointed as the UK's Poet Laureate, succeeding Carol Ann Duffy.
Some of Armitage's notable works include:
- "Zoom!" (1989)
- "Paper Aeroplane" (1994)
- "The Universal Home Doctor" (2002)
- "The Blood Axe Poems" (2003)
- "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" (2007) - a translation of the medieval poem
- "The Death of King Arthur" (2012) - a translation of the medieval poem
Armitage's poetry is known for its accessibility, humor, and insight into contemporary life. He has been praised for his ability to capture the essence of modern Britain and for his innovative use of language. As Poet Laureate, Armitage has said he wants to use his platform to promote poetry and make it more accessible to a wider audience.
Lockdown.
And I couldn’t escape the waking dream
of infected fleas
in the warp and weft of soggy cloth
by the tailor’s hearth
in ye olde Eyam.
Then couldn’t un-see
the Boundary Stone,
that cock-eyed dice with its six dark holes,
thimbles brimming with vinegar wine
purging the plagued coins.
Which brought to mind the sorry story
of Emmott Syddall and Rowland Torre,
star-crossed lovers on either side
of the quarantine line
whose wordless courtship spanned the river
till she came no longer.
But slept again,
and dreamt this time
of the exiled yaksha sending word
to his lost wife on a passing cloud,
a cloud that followed an earthly map
of camel trails and cattle tracks,
streams like necklaces,
fan-tailed peacocks, painted elephants,
embroidered bedspreads
of meadows and hedges,
bamboo forests and snow-hatted peaks,
waterfalls, creeks,
the hieroglyphs of wide-winged cranes
and the glistening lotus flower after rain,
the air
hypnotically see-through, rare,
the journey a ponderous one at times, long and slow
but necessarily so.
Review
Simon Armitage's poem "Lockdown" explores several central themes, including:
1. Isolation and disconnection: The poem highlights the physical and emotional isolation experienced by individuals during the lockdown.
2. Inequality and privilege: Armitage touches on the disparities in people's experiences of lockdown, depending on their circumstances and resources.
3. Human connection and community: The poem emphasizes the importance of relationships and community in times of crisis.
Armitage uses language and imagery effectively to convey his message:
1. Vivid imagery: He employs vivid descriptions of nature and domestic scenes to contrast with the confinement and isolation.
2. Metaphor and simile: Armitage uses comparisons, such as "time is a trickle" and "days are dolls", to convey the distorted sense of time during lockdown.
3. Allusion: He references Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" to highlight the star-crossed lovers' separation, mirroring the lockdown experience.
The poem resonates with my own experiences and perspectives on lockdown, as it captures the complexities and emotions of that time. The poem relates to the ideas presented in the video and article, which discuss the impacts of lockdown on mental health, relationships, and society. Armitage's poem adds a personal and emotional dimension to these discussions, emphasizing the importance of human connection and community.
