Question by Butters: Need poem experts to analyze this SHORT poem. 10 points for best answer!!!!?
The title of this poem is Hunted. It’s by French poet Paul Eluard. If it helps to know, he was a Surrealist poet whose major life events included tuberculosis, a marital crisis, getting into WWI and the French Revolution, and a premature death of his 2nd wife.
Poem:
A few grains of dust more or less
On ancient shoulders
Locks of weakness on weary foreheads
This theatre of honey and faded roses
Where incalculable flies
Reply to the black signs that misery makes to them
Despairing girders of a bridge
Thrown across space
Thrown across every street and every house
Heavy wandering madnesses
That we shall end by knowing by heart
Mechanical appetites and uncontrolled dances
That lead to the regret of hatred
Nostalgia of justice
Ok so I would just like to know what’s going on… Also, why do you think the poem is called Hunted?
Thanks very much. Again, 10 points for best answer.
Best answer:
Answer by TheUnknownChick
What a truly beautiful poem… I’ll give you my interpretation, I hope I help.
Overall I think it’s about an after effect of some type of war, maybe a real war or a physical one. Perhaps a mental one…
A few grains of dust more or less
On ancient shoulders
Locks of weakness on weary foreheads-I believe here he’s talking about the coming back from it, that sort of left over grit and ruble from a tough battle
This theatre of honey and faded roses
Where incalculable flies
Reply to the black signs that misery makes to them- Flies could suggest the things, thoughts or people who died, a significant number of them, black is dark, perhaps they died for replying or an order that they were given.
Despairing girders of a bridge
thrown across space
thrown across every street and every house-a girder is that steel beam used for building bridges, if they are in despair..maybe to leave across space and everywhere in between
Heavy wandering madnesses
That we shall end by knowing by heart
Mechanical appetites and uncontrolled dances
That lead to the regret of hatred- I think hear is where the solemn victory is, going away from the madness coming to an end, to have the apetite and joy filled dance of coming home, “That lead to the regret of hatred” after war it’s a terrible thing to kill someone, something, you can find regret in that
Nostalgia of justice-nostalgia is the feeling of home or something of the past the past wanting of justice, remembering that, remembering how you helped bring to that… That’s what I see in this poem but I’m sure everyone is different. It can be applied many ways, It’s very lovely. Did you know him and Dali were close? Finally, I think it’s called Hunted because appropriately in war you hunt out things you seek, and in turn you’re hunted… go more in depth with that.
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