Topic - The Cockroach by Kevin Halligan
(First PEEP)
(First PEEP)
Firstly, Halligan has used a lot of time
phrases to create an image of a journey of life from birth to death. These
constant uses of time phrases also represent the continuous change of
perceptions in a human mind deepening into the dilemma of a human mind and soul
helping to lay parallels with the poet and the cockroach. The poet has used ‘at
first’ to create an image of a newborn baby starting to walk onto the path of
life available to him. Halligan then uses ‘but soon’ to depict the teenage
years of a human and the increase of maturity of the cockroach. The use of the
phrase ‘but’ is very striking here because it foreshadows the fact that there
might be a change in perceptions of the cockroach or the poet. Indeed, The poet
becomes greedier and supposedly runs behind the dirty attachments in life, not
realizing that this is the beginning of his dilemma. The poet then uses the
phrase ‘after a while’ to depict the image of an adult. Here, it is quite
humorous to find that even after being at the peak of it’s maturity, the
cockroach does not know where to go and is still confused with the fact of the
difference between what it has achieved and what it yet has to achieve. The
intelligent use of time phrases, give jerks to the poem symbolizing the fact
that life is not a very smooth journey and there will be a lot of obstacles in
your way, so instead of avoiding the obstacles you will have to face them.
Thus, laying parallels between the cockroach and the poet.
Good attempt. B answer
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Secondly, the poet has also cleverly depicted the fickleness of a character and the greed of a personality over time, through the efficient use of irony. When the cockroach is his early years, he seems to be ‘satisfied’ by ‘tracing’ the way between the paneling of the door and the ‘door’. This showcases the fact that the cockroach is contended with trivial achievements. However, when he matures and climbs an ‘open shelf’ he is jaundiced and unpleased even when he has reached the pinnacles of success. Due to witty use of irony here, readers can notice that a persona in childhood does not remain the same, as it grows older. This depicts the greed of a character, as the cockroach wanted more even though that’s the most he could achieve and the temporary persona of the poet that changes, as he grows older, once again laying parallels between the cockroach and the poet.
The poem, cockroach provides an insight into the whizzing , repenting and guilty thoughts of Halligan. The movements of the cockroach act as a personification of Halligan's reactions to the past and aftermath of an event that has caused him great agony. He falls into a trance as he scrutinizes the 'giant cockroach' who seems 'satisfied to trace' and whose'crooked' 'jog' compels Halligan to go down memory lane . The cockroach acts as a manifestation of Halligan and it seems to shock Halligan at the way an insignificant insect such as a cockroach ,can teach him a valuable lesson of life .All the more, I feel that the hyperbole, giant is used to equate the cockroach to a human and the term crooked is used to refer to the disposition of Halligan's reactions during the event.
ReplyDeleteThe poem, cockroach provides an insight into the whizzing , repenting and guilty thoughts of Halligan. The movements of the cockroach act as a personification of Halligan's reactions to the past and aftermath of an event that has caused him great agony. He falls into a trance as he scrutinizes the 'giant cockroach' who seems 'satisfied to trace' and whose'crooked' 'jog' compels Halligan to go down memory lane . The cockroach acts as a manifestation of Halligan and it seems to shock Halligan at the way an insignificant insect such as a cockroach ,can teach him a valuable lesson of life .All the more, I feel that the hyperbole, giant is used to equate the cockroach to a human and the term crooked is used to refer to the disposition of Halligan's reactions during the event.
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