What is the meaning of The Pylons by Stephen Spender?

Answer 1

THE PYLONS - stephen spender

The secret of these hills was stone, and cottages

Of that stone made,

And crumbling roads

That turned on sudden hidden villages

Now over these small hills, they have built the concrete

That trails black wire

Pylons, those pillars

Bare like nude giant girls that have no secret.

The valley with its gilt and evening look

And the green chestnut

Of customary root,

Are mocked dry like the parched bed of a brook.

But far above and far as sight endures

Like whips of anger

With lightning's danger

There runs the quick perspective of the future.

This dwarfs our emerald country by its trek

So tall with prophecy

Dreaming of cities

Where often clouds shall lean their swan-white neck.

THE POETRY ANALYSIS OF 'THE PYLONS',OR ANY OTHER POEMS OF SPENDER REVEALS HIS INTEREST'S IN ADDRESSING SOCIAL INJUSTICE AND TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES.HE ALSO ADVOCATES FREE THINKING AND STRESSES ON ON DEMOCRATIC VALUES.

THE POEM WAS S FAMOUS THAT IT GAVE BIRTH TO A NEW SCHOOL OF POETS NAMELY 'THE PYLON POETS' TO LABEL THE WORK OF SPENDER AND HIS ASSOCIATES. THE LITERAL MEANING OF 'PYLONS' POINT TO TALL METALLIC POST THAT HOLD ELECTRIC WIRES. THOUGH THEY APPEAR O BE THE CENTRAL POINT OF TRANSMITTED ELECTRICITY, SPENDER FEELS THAT THEY ARE AN INTRUSION INTO THE THE PEACEFUL COUNTRY SIDE. THE EMBLEM OF THE PYLONS POSSESS POWERFUL SYMBOLIC SIGNIFICANCE.THEY BEING TALL , SEEM TO HAVE A TOWER INFLUENCE ON OUR LIVES. SECONDLY, THOUGH THEY ARE STATIC , THEIR ENERGY IS KINETIC, AND THEREFORE SHOWS GREAT VITALITY.PYLONS BEING METALLIC, IT PROJECTS A PICTURE OF BEING FROZEN TO HUMAN EMOTIONS. BESIDES, PYLONS ARE UNIVERSAL,AS WE CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT ELECTRICITY AND IT IS THE EMBLEM OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY.

THE POET IN THE FIRST STANZA TALKS ABOUT THE BEAUTY OF THE VILLAGE AND GIVE A PICTURE OF THE RURALBACKGROUND. HE SAYS THAT THESE HILLS WERE FULL OF STORIES AND THE COTTAGES ON THAT HILLS WERE MADE OF STONES. THE ROADS WHICH WERE BROKEN FINALLY REACHED VILLAGES WHICH SPENDER REFERS AS 'HIDDEN VILLAGES'.

THE POET LAMENTS THAT ON THESE HILLS THEY HAVE BUILT 'THE PYLONS' WHICH HAS ELECTRIC WIRES , THESE PILLARS THE POET COMPARES TO NAKED GIANT GIRLS WHO HAD NOT HAVE ANY SECRETS.THE COMPARISON USED HERE IS SIMILE.

IN THE PAST, THE COUNTRY WAS GREEN AND WAS FULL OF CHESTNUT TREES WHICH GIVES US A PICTURE OF LIVELINESS OF THE VILLAGE BUT AT THE PRESENT THE COUNTRY HAS BECOME LIKE 'A DRY BROOK'

THE PYLONS IN THE STRUCTURE ITSELF IS VERY GIGANTIC AND IS VIEWED BY EVERYONE. IT SI PRESENTED BY THE POET AS IF IT IS VERY ANGRY AND THE POET FOCUSES THAT ITS LIGHTING IS DANGEROUS. THE PYLONS SHOWS THE DEVELOPMENT WHICH WILL TAKE BY IN THE FUTURE.

IN THE LAST STANZA, THE POET REFERS, THAT IS THE PYLONS ARE TALL IN STRUCTURE THEY MAKE THE COUNTRY APPEAR AS ALWAYS .THE PYLONS ALSO SEEM TO PROPHECY THE COUNTRY WILL CANGE IN FUTURE. IN THIS COUNTRY WERE ITS MODERNIZED, THE BUILDING WOULD BE VERY TALL AND IT WOULD APPEAR AS IF IT WOULD TOUCH THE CLOUD.

-Thahseen Nassar