The Door -Analysis
Miroslav Holub's poem, "The Door", is a piece designed to provoke the reader into finding the courage to take a fresh look at his or her life. Holub effectively puts forward this message through usage of metaphors, symbolism and images. The "Door" itself is a metaphor for the barrier that stops a person from seeing "what's out there" in life, or, in a more internal sense, what is inside your heart. It is a barrier that can only be broken if a person takes the initiative to take a chance and "open" it. The door also represents the barrier that stands in the way of CHANGE.
The poem begins with the imperative command "Go and Open the Door" which is repeated 5 times within it. The words "Go" and "Open" in this command are verbs that suggest that you have to initiate the change. Each stanza has its own mood and images.
In stanza one, Holub paints a very fantasy-like image of what is "outside" waiting for you behind the door. Nouns like "tree", "wood", "garden" and "magic city" put together imply a very innocent, magical image. The mood is even mystical. By reading this paragraph, the reader is quite enticed and would be encouraged to "open the door" and make a change for the better.
The mood of stanza two is an extreme contrast to that of stanza one: it is sinister, dark and menacing. Here, the symbol of the "eye" is menacing and sinister. It creates the same image/feeling as JRR Tolkein's "All-seeing eye" of Sauron in The Lord of the Rings. The image of just one eye instead of twp is unnatural and grotesque. The noun "face" actually serves as a connotation of ugliness. The image of a dog rummaging through the...
Very interesting!
After reading your essay, I was so interested that I went and found a copy of the poem. Good work, you really analysed it well.
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