105174
Piano
- The speaker in "Piano" is proud to be a full
grown man, yet he loves remembering his
happy childhood; his nostalgic attitude causes
him to feel guilty as if he had betrayed his
present state of being.
- Through effective
imagery, Lawrence is able
(to describe an image) to
help the reader understand
the speaker's nostalgic
attitude.
- The diction and tone used in this poem reveal the
speaker's struggle as his feelings mix between his desire
to be a man and his desire to return to his childhood.
- The rhyme and structure of the poem
keep the reader in tune with the flow
of the poem
- In this poem a man struggles to remain a man while fighting off his
memories of the past, which he feels would be uncharacteristic of his
present maturity.
- The imagery in this poem helps to describe a
picture in the reader's mind so that the reader
can sympathize with the speaker during his
journeys into the past.
- In the first stanza, in the first line, the first image is of a woman. In the fourth line the reader learns that this
woman is the speaker's mother. The third line shows an image of a "child sitting under the piano . . . pressing
the small, poised feet of a mother who smiles." This image gives the reader an image, perhaps of a parlor
room, of a child about three or four years of age enjoying the music produced by his mother.
- in the second stanza, the contrasting image of a cold, snowy
night in the winter and the cozy parlor causes the "hymns" to
seem doubly warm. This represents the traditional image of a
grand family sitting around a warm, crackling fire; they sing
carols together and just enjoy each other's company.
- The piano in the first and second stanza is described as "tingling strings" and "tinkling piano" respectively.
These light sounds help support the warm cheery atmosphere during that time. These memories are what
cause the grown man to be nostalgic for his past.
- The diction and tone of the poem also show the
author's mixed feelings in the poem.
- The poem begins with the line, "softly in the dusk" to
open the poem with a light, airy image. "Vista of
years," are words used to show his nostalgia as he
walks down memory lane.
- He remembers the "boom" of the piano,
which would seem loud to a child who is
four-years-old. In the second stanza, he is a
little more negative about his memories
- The song he is listening to "betrays me back." He feels
that these memories should not be felt with such emotion
because they cause him to "weep" as he reluctantly returns
to his past.
- The last line of the poem is also negative as
the speaker breaks down and goes "down the
flood of remembrance." He again flows down
the flood reluctantly into the past.
- He is happy to remember his past, but he feels his "manhood is cast down."
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