Interpretation of the poem "Prologue" by Don Paterson

Seminar paper from the year 2013 in the subject Didactics - English - Literature, Works, grade: 1,3, University of Frankfurt (Main), course: Introduction to Literary Studies, language: English, abstract: The poem ¿Prologue¿ by Don Paterson was published in 1997 in his book ¿God¿s Gift to Women¿. Hence, the poem can be classified to the postmodernism, which ¿is characterized by the self-conscious use of earlier styles and conventions¿ (Oxford Dictionary, np). The theme of this collection¿s opening poem is poetry itself and the importance of the lyric persona.

The poem can be roughly divided into an introduction (verse one to eight), a main part (verse nine to 18) and an end (verse 19 to 20). In the introduction the lyric persona rebukes the lyric thou in its behaviour. The main part is a foreshadowing of the upcoming poems of this collection. The poem ends with a demand for praying.