“…an enchanted elixir
poured out upon the stressed out soul
of those who are of romantic bent,
freeing the mind of daily drudgery,
giving license to dream the dreams of the heart.”
-Richard Ellis
AMENDS
ADRIENNE RICH
Literature Project
“Moonlight echoes sweet sounds of wonder
Step within my shadows of beauty
Glass flowers twinkle on the walkway”
-Gwendolyn Golden
Group Members:
-Amna Ahmad
-Ayesha Jamal
AMENDS
Nights like this: on the cold apple-bough
a white star, then another
exploding out of the bark:
on the ground, moonlight picking at small stones
as it picks at greater stones as it rises with the surf
laying its cheek for moments on the sand
as it licks the broken ledge, as it flows up the cliffs,
as it flicks across the tracks
as it unavailing pours into gash
of the sand-and-gravel quarry
as it leans across the hangared fuselage
of the crop dusting plane
as it soaks through cracks into trailers
tremulous with sleep
as it dwells upon the eyelids of sleepers
INTRODUCTION
The poem Amends, is written by Adrienne Rich, an
American poet and is 80 years old.
It is basically about the relationship between the
moonlight and the humans. The moonlight wishes
to make amends, because it sympathizes with the
lives of the sleepers. As night heals up, it also
helps the sleepers to get away with bad memories.
The moon feels sorry for the sleeping people
because it wishes that the people will release their
bad memories while they sleep.
1.To change for the better; improve
2. To remove the faults or errors in; correct.
3. To alter (a legislative measure, for example)
formally by adding, deleting, or rephrasing.
4. To enrich (soil), especially by mixing in organic
matter or sand.
AMENDS
imagery:
metaphor
-cold apple bough
-exploding out of the
bark
-pours into the gash
-tremulous with sleep
Lot of
alliteration
The tone of the
poem is quite sad,
melancholy and
observant.
repetition of 'as it"--precedes
description of the moonlights
actions ....but finally 'as if"
use of 'l' and ‘s’
contributes to
musical quality.
ANALYSIS OF THE POEM
The mood of the poem
is quite imaginary and
dreamy
No specific rhyme or
rhythm detected.
Theme of childhood discussed
(moonlight given attributes of
children..
trying to please the
troubled…wandering and roaming
around)
Personification of
moonlight (eg.)
-picking up small
stones
-rises with the surf
-laying its cheek for
moments on the sand
FIRST STANZA
•
The first stanza is about how at night in the dark it is very cold with stars
showing up, lighting up every single piece of ground that is visible to make the
night better than day for people. It explains well enough already that the
moonlight and humans have a relationship.
•
'nights like this' + 'cold' apple bough: time of night: darkness, absence of
light (sun)...possibly the moonlight tries to make amends (tries to act as
substitute for the absence of the sun's light) and tries to soothe the people
who have been disturbed by the events of the day
Moonlight is sympathic towards the human who cannot achieve peaceful sleep.
The moonlight wants the humans to relax and shows them an end towards the
conflicts,a new beginning.
•
SECOND STANZA
• moonlight rises with the 'surf"- the poet creates a perfect picture of
harmony- the moonlight is trying to create peace-that can be tried to be
achieved in the night, if not during the day
• laying its cheek for "moments" on the sand---its busy but is slightly
touching everything...depicting cautiousness...the moonlight wants to taste
everything feel everything explore, become part of the motion in the
world.. the perfect harmonious picture the poet creates
• the moonlight tries to touch encompass everything "cliffs" etc. ... but it
spreads slowly, sneaks, "flows" "licks" "flicks" "rises"... with these
descriptive words the poet tries to create an image of the moonlight as a
person...giving it human characteristics, mostly of children
• shows the beauty of the night, it starts showing more and more, and then
rests on the sand, as it reaches the broken ledge, it lights up the high cliffs
THIRD STANZA
• unavailing" ...efforts or actions of the moonlight are futile ...useless...they
have no significance...they cannot act as a substitute for the absence of
light…no matter what the moonlight aims at-it can never be an equal, or
even a worthy enough substitute for the sunlight that is present during the
day
• Describing nightly beauty and also trying to release the disturbing and
conflicting thoughts in peoples minds over the night.
FOURTH STANZA
• ‘as if to make amends’: maybe the poet is mocking the efforts of the
moonlight or the poet also appears to be doubting the moonlight’s true
intention by the words “As if ”…night is the time of darkness and
deceit…and the light in the dark can also appear deceptive.
• ‘dwells upon the eyelids of sleepers’: attempts to wash away the
troubles of the day, wishes for the people to be at ease.
• the moonlight feels as though during the night it has to give peace to
humans and creatures alike. It feels sorry that the humans have negative
energy throughout the day and hopes to help by making positive energy …
hence amending for all the wrongs that occur during the day