Stanley Kunitz Feelings for his Father in his Poems - Essay Example

Therefore, a reflective analysis of the language, imagery, and tone of “Father and Son” and “The Portrait” suggests that Kunitz expresses his feelings for his father and he confronts his traumas more deeply in these poems than in his earlier verse.

In the poem “Father and Son”, there are several instances and evidence which suggest the poet’s feelings for his father, and the language, imagery, and tone of the poem substantiate this view. The language of the poem is so powerful that it reveals the poet’s great feelings for his father. The poet calls his father ‘the secret master of my blood’ and expresses his desire to follow the paths of his father. The language and the tone of the poem also suggest the poet’s great bond to his father who kept him in chains through his indomitable love. “Mile after mile I followed, with skimming feet, / After the secret master of my blood, / Him, steeped in the odor of ponds, whose indomitable love / Kept me in chains.” (Father and Son, lines 6-9) The stunning imagery used in the poem also helps the poet convey his great bond to his father and images such as ‘a a load of ripeness’, ‘secret master of my blood’, ‘odor of ponds’, ‘indomitable love’ etc are some examples.

Similarly, Kunitz also draws an essential portrait of his father in his poem “The Portrait” with the sheer merit of his words, language, imagery, and tone. The poet specifies how his mother was contemptible about the way and time his father killed himself. Through the convincing portrayal of the mother’s feelings for his father, the poet hints at how poignant his personal story has been. The poet is at his best when he expresses how “She locked his name / in her deepest cabinet / and would not let him out, / though I could hear him thumping.” (The Portrait, lines 7-10) The tone of the poem also points to the poet’s deep sense of loss at the death of his father, though he was yet to be born. He also hints at his close bond through the portrayal of him as a close resemblance to his father. Images such as ‘deepest cabinet’, ‘the attic’, ‘pastel portrait’ etc suggest the power of the language used by the poet to express his experience with his father.

Therefore, Kunitz’s poems such as “Father and Son” and “The Portrait” is greatly revealing about the poet’s personal experiences and they express his feelings for his father. Whereas the former gives extensive images and hints about the poet’s bond with his father, along with some significant suggestions of his father’s love for him, the latter poem significantly provides a convincing portrait of the father. The underlying theme of both the poems is connected with the poet’s feelings for his father and they remain as the best illustrations of the poet’s skill in the use of language, imagery, and tone to suggest his traumas.

In conclusion, a reflective analysis of the poems “Father and Son” and “The Portrait” by Stanley Kunitz reveals that the poet expresses his s well as his feelings for his father in a compelling way. Through these poems, Kunitz also suggests the influence of his father on him as well as his great bond with his father. The poet greatly made use of his skill in the use of language, imagery, and tone to ideas to his readers.