The spirit is too blunt an instrument analysis

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Tanvi Dattani

IB Yr 11

Commentary on “The Spirit is too Blunt an Instrument” by Ann Stevenson

           The poem ‘The Spirit is too Blunt an Instrument’ by Ann Stevenson, portrays the viewpoint of a parent, looking upon her child. The poet throws light upon the idea that the body isn’t the creation of the mind. It not only tries to epitomize the true feelings of a parent when they first see their child, but also tries to encapsulate the idea that maybe, humans are unreliable. It also gives prominence to the poets wonder at the creation of new life, it’s complexity and perfection. Through the use of literary techniques such as enjambment and word choice, the poet has tried to accentuate the main themes of this poem. The tone of this poem plays a major role in conveying the emotions of felt by the poet, who is the protagonist in the poem. Ann’s specific focus on intricate details of the baby portrays the amusement she feels when she wonder’s about the irony of something so unreliable, being able to produce something so elegant and beautiful. The parent, in this case, the poet, seems to wonder as to how humans could be responsible for creating such a wonderful creature like a baby.

       The title of the poem and the choice of words used, impersonates the sentiments of the poet in an extremely unique angle. The word “spirit” is used to indicate human nature and the word “blunt” is used to denote a cruel, dull and ineffective persona that is given to the human by the poet. Both these words paint a picture that humans are too abominable to have created such a beautiful and perfect thing like a baby.

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      The poet, from the first line itself emphasizes on the main theme of the poem that humans are unreliable and are not capable of producing such a alluring thing like a baby. This also further stresses about how she herself is insecure about her ability as a parent. The use of the word ‘unskillful’ to depict human emotions renders the raw and uncultured emotions felt by humans. The great detail given to the baby paints complex ideas of the baby, moreover, reinforcing the idea of the title. The details also pose as a method to depict the ...

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