There is a hidden war underneath the clever surface battles of "The Anecdote of the Jar." The poem employs rhythm breaks, imagery, symbols, metaphors, and a rich soundscape to help the reader decipher the true conflict. This seemingly simple poem unveils a tumultuously disturbing noise in the symphony of humankind. The conformed mass of society versus the creative, free, and open individuals make up the hidden war in this poem.
"The Anecdote of the Jar" lives up to its title by guiding the reader through a story that has much deeper implications than what's seen on the surface. An anecdote is usually a short, simple story about an event or person. However, "The Anecdote of the Jar" develops into an observation of creativity and imagination in the human experience. "Jar", the other keyword in the title, can have two meanings. First, a jar is a simple, ordinary, and man-made container, which is relatable to almost all of humanity. Second, jar in its verb form means to shock suddenly. Playing these dual roles, the jar provides a third person view of one aspect of the human experience: imagination.
[...] These sounds reflect the poem's appeal to the visual and tactile senses regarding the smoothness of the jar. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the word A sound that produces much more friction, reflects how out of place the container is in the wilderness and its jarring effect on its surroundings. The smoothness and the bareness of the jar are ultimately what connect it to the conformed masses of humanity. What is more uniform and even than the surface of a tall, glass jar? [...]
[...] The jar isn't worried that it cannot “give of bird or bush” because the masses flock to it regardless. The jar's only mission is to continue having “dominion everywhere” The wilderness, representative of imagination, doesn't unconditionally pledge allegiance to conformity, rather it continues to grow and sprawl until a worthy force commands it. Works Cited Burns, Allan. "Nature." Thematic Guide to American Poetry. N.p.: Greenwood, n.d Print. Stevens, Wallace. "The Anecdote of the Jar." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Shorter 8th Edition ed. Vol New York [u.a.: Norton Print. [...]
[...] The unkempt and untidy wilderness interrupts the round jar's existence just as the word “slovenly” interrupts the smoothness of the man-made poem. Line ten is also an interruption to the rhythm. jar was gray and bare” breaks away from the order of the surrounding lines to emphasize and remind the reader of just how ordinary and plain the jar is. By paying attention to the rhythm and the breaks of the poem, a theme regarding a conflict within man can be deciphered. [...]
[...] The first image the reader comes across is also the only mention of the speaker. The fact that the poem begins with placed”, a human action, sets in motion the succeeding consequences. The jar that the speaker places is so ordinary that it seems insignificant. is repeated when referring to the jar and the hill that it's placed on. Since it is placed on a hill, above the surrounding environment, it must have some sort of importance about it; or it is placed there just because of the fact that it is man-made which means it should be elevated in the presence of the wilderness. [...]
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