Comparing Jonah's Poem 'Jonah And The Whale'
Jonah and the Whale is largely based upon Christian conversion, and specifically the conversion of a culture or empire which is pre-Christian, suggested in the poem to be barbaric; a culture or force that has got by on instinct alone and suggestively is ignorant of its destructive nature. The image of enlightenment, the discovery of knowledge and the losing of ones innocence also tie in with the Christian theme.
A large and powerful force, ignorant of its own destructive nature, is the first image we perceive from reading the first stanza, the choice of dark words sets a scene of an unchanging entity, that dominates the world it lives in,
He sported round the watery world, his rich oil was a gloomy waveless lake,'
The depiction of …show more content…
His hunger cleared the sea. And where/he passed, the ocean's edge lifted its brim. /He skimmed the dim sea floor to find if there/Some garden had its harvest ripe for him,'
Much like a conquering barbarian horde, the whale moves from place to place stripping the world of its resources. But due to the whale's ignorance he cannot aspire to anything, he works on instinct and this is his weakness. But in his sluggish brain no thought ever arose. /His law was instinct blind,' this can also be interpreted as what the writer thought of less developed cultures as the words used are similar to that of an educated scholar describing a primitive society.
The next line is a clear indicator that the author is in favour of a Christian society and the power of conversion, Until one day sudden and strange/Half hints of knowledge burst unto his seeing,' much like a primitive culture being introduced to the concept of Christianity, they are suddenly less ignorant, and can now perceive the greater concepts in life beyond their own egocentrically based existence, glimpses of Time, and Space, and Change, /and something greater than his might;' this is a obvious acknowledgement to God, and his infinite
A large and powerful force, ignorant of its own destructive nature, is the first image we perceive from reading the first stanza, the choice of dark words sets a scene of an unchanging entity, that dominates the world it lives in,
He sported round the watery world, his rich oil was a gloomy waveless lake,'
The depiction of …show more content…
His hunger cleared the sea. And where/he passed, the ocean's edge lifted its brim. /He skimmed the dim sea floor to find if there/Some garden had its harvest ripe for him,'
Much like a conquering barbarian horde, the whale moves from place to place stripping the world of its resources. But due to the whale's ignorance he cannot aspire to anything, he works on instinct and this is his weakness. But in his sluggish brain no thought ever arose. /His law was instinct blind,' this can also be interpreted as what the writer thought of less developed cultures as the words used are similar to that of an educated scholar describing a primitive society.
The next line is a clear indicator that the author is in favour of a Christian society and the power of conversion, Until one day sudden and strange/Half hints of knowledge burst unto his seeing,' much like a primitive culture being introduced to the concept of Christianity, they are suddenly less ignorant, and can now perceive the greater concepts in life beyond their own egocentrically based existence, glimpses of Time, and Space, and Change, /and something greater than his might;' this is a obvious acknowledgement to God, and his infinite