In the poem The White Horse, Gwendolyn MacEwen uses imagery, contrast, and symbolism to bring out the ideas of her work

In the second stanza, imagery, contrast, and punctuation are used to emphasize the unpleasantness of “wars” to intensify the longing for peace. The rare punctuation in this stanza gives the reader a quickened pace, which emphasizes the chaos in the world. In comparison, the first stanza aforementioned had many commas, allowing pauses to accentuate the brilliance and heavenliness. This suggests change in the tone of the poem; from heavenly to infernal. Words in the text such as “shrapnel, wars, invaded, bombs, limbs, broken countries” create imagery of hostility and destruction; far from attaining harmony in the world. “Broken countries” such as “Ireland and Lebanon” may be “broken” because they are countries that do not have faith in Christ, God. This can be explained with the quotation “the universe where this horse has never been”; spiritually, Christ Jesus has never been to those nations. It is as if the only way to gain peace is through the horse, or figuratively, Jesus. The haplessness of this stanza creates a great yearning for peace; without peace, there is no hope.

The next body of the poem concentrates on the divine nature of the “white horse” and its connection to peace. Imagery and symbolism develop a clearer interpretation of this section. The first line of the stanza says “you reach out your hand to touch it”. “You” can be described as in a faithful believer and “it” as the white horse, or in other words, Jesus; the way to peace. The person’s effort in reaching for “it” permits “for the first time”, an experience of things they have never before – perhaps a taste of serenity. The five senses touch, sight, smell, taste, and sound are used to demonstrate the proximity of peace when near the horse. This explains the religious idea of when being spiritually close with God, one will have hope discovering peace.

The last two stanzas acknowledge the greatness of the white horse by applying the use of imagery. “But hasn’t the brilliant end come, you wonder…” relates to the common belief that good things always come to an end, therefore the person is wondering “[shouldn’t] the world [be] still burning?”. On the other hand, there is a demand to announce “it is morning”; a new start, a new beginning.  The image of divinity and purity is again illustrated by the horse and the “colour of seafoam”. Again, it states tat the horse is “the first horse that the world has ever seen”. The repetition of this line in the first and last stanza may suggest that this horse is the only horse in the world.  This adds to the religious idea of there being only one almighty Jesus, God.  “[Christ] which stands now watching you across the field of endless sunlight”. The faith in him will grant “endless” peace and paradise.

Through the use of imagery, symbolism, contrast, punctuation, and religious reference from the Bible, Gwendolyn MacEwen suggests that even in a troubling world like this, there is always a hope for eternal peace and harmony.