Turtles Hatching :: essays research papers

Turtles Hatching The poem Mark O’Connor wrote â€Å"Turtles Hatching† at a time in his life when was closely studying nature. In this poem Mark O’Connor closely observes turtles hatching and contemplates the ritual that turtles share with the beach. This poem also has close connotations to life cycle and family. Mark O’Connor begins the poem with one single line which emphasis the information that he is giving the reader. The continuation of this line from the rest of the poem to the next without a pause creates an urgency, which is used to emphasis the situation. In the second stanza Mark O’Connor sets the scene as the turtles, â€Å"break through to twilight.† The poet uses imperatives and personification of the elements in the line, â€Å"Downhill, fast; when you hit water, swim.† This technique is used to let the reader into the turtle’s head so they can feel the instinct that is overcoming them. The poet uses lining in this poem to create stresses on words at the beginning of lines such as, ‘last, will be picked’. Creating a new line between last and will creates a tone of finality, which is associated with last. In the second stanza Mark O’Connor sums up the odds for the turtles notifying the reader of the terrible fact that only one in a hundred will survive. This is used as a shock treatment towards the reader, which makes this figure stand out even more. Mark O’Connor uses an extended metaphor that begins in the second stanza and returns again in the fourth. This technique is used to create a special prominence on the line â€Å"high-revving toys†. In the forth stanza the poet uses hyperboles like â€Å"castles and every hole an abyss,† to create vivid visual imagery emphasising the peril of the turtles situation. â€Å"Scrambling, sand, scrabbling, slime, sculling and sand pools† are examples of alliteration, which slows down the line when spoken. In this poem there are military contexts like â€Å"death lane† which portray through visual imagery images such as trench fighting. In the sixth stanza Mark O’Connor creates contrast between reality and the minds of the turtles, the line, â€Å"Caught in cracks† shows how they think they’re safe when really they’re not. Throughout this poem Mark O’Connor reinforces a biological imperative, which is shown through words such as, oceans, limbs and nature. This is used to create a friendly and informative tone. The seventh stanza is suddenly written as though a human voice has suddenly taken over and began reading the poem.