Underneath Stevie Smith’s simple words and humour lie deep questions and fierce criticism

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 “Underneath Stevie Smith’s simple words and humour lie deep          

                           questions and fierce criticism”                                                    

                                     

A rather eccentric individual was Stevie Smith as her poems reflect. Her unique personality shines though out her work, demonstrating special preference for the bizarre and absurd. Smith possessed the talent of grasping serious issues of society and cloaking them in humor, while still displaying a philosophical insight into the human nature. Criticism, sarcasm and acrimony underlined all of her works and even reached beyond the confinements of her writing to become exploited continuously during conversations with her numerous friends at tea.

The issue of the problematic nature of God runs throughout Smith’s work. During the 19th and 20th century, the importance of a heavenly being in the daily lives of people began to fade. While not many voiced their new viewpoint about God, their interpretations of him is explained with Stevie’s line of “What care I if good God be if he be not good to me” which is the preamble to the poem “Egocentric”. The individual issuing that statement in the said poem reflects the ideas of these people.  

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      On the first reading of this poem, the idea that Stevie Smith is an atheist begins to germinate. In fact, many critics of Smith’s religious beliefs use this poem to demonstrate their point. However, on further analysis of this poem one senses that Smith is being scornful and critical of any individual who displays such indifference when referring to God, as is demonstrated with her choice of title “Egocentric”. This may be interpreted that she criticizes the idea that people conveniently construct a deity to suit their own personal objectives and ego. To strengthen the argument that ...

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