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This poem “Persephone Falling” by Rita Dove is about when Persephone first gets taken down to Hades’ Underworld to be his wife. This story is used as a warning for children to stay away from molesters and other dangers, and to stay in groups. It is said that Dove wrote this for her daughter.
Persephone is lured by a beautiful flower, “one narcissus among the ordinary”(1), and Hades takes this moment to take her away and “[claim] his due”(6). This represents a child being lured by promises of a stranger, such as candy or other nice things, and then they are at the mercy of this stranger, just as Persephone was at Hades’.
Dove presents her point first through the story of Persephone, but then goes on to explain it in a modern way.
“Remember: go straight to school. This is important, stop fooling around! Don't answer to strangers. Stick with your playmates. Keep your eyes down”(9-12).
This means literally what it states. That if you stick with your friends and don’t talk to strangers, the age old safety cliché of our childhood, then you will be safe.
Like Dove, Bolan is also using the story of Persephone to tell us something about her daughter. She is using it to explain her daughters fleeing childhood, and how she is becoming a woman. She is herself is Ceres, and is “ready to make any bargain to keep [her daughter]”(16) because her daughter is growing up and leaving home. Just like Ceres mourned when her daughter Persephone was taken away from her to the underworld to be Hades wife. The mother wonders if she should “warn her”, but decides against it, because just as Ceres had to allow Persephone to make her own choice and eat the pomegranate in the underworld, the mother in this poem must let her daughter make the decision to taste danger and make her own decisions, as that is a part of growing up.
Both these poets use the story of Persephone to illustrate a meaning about life, and about their daughters. They do it effectively with great word choice, well chosen breaks and both use free verse. They are both excellent poems, and convey their messages very clearly.
Persephone is lured by a beautiful flower, “one narcissus among the ordinary”(1), and Hades takes this moment to take her away and “[claim] his due”(6). This represents a child being lured by promises of a stranger, such as candy or other nice things, and then they are at the mercy of this stranger, just as Persephone was at Hades’.
Dove presents her point first through the story of Persephone, but then goes on to explain it in a modern way.
“Remember: go straight to school. This is important, stop fooling around! Don't answer to strangers. Stick with your playmates. Keep your eyes down”(9-12).
This means literally what it states. That if you stick with your friends and don’t talk to strangers, the age old safety cliché of our childhood, then you will be safe.
Like Dove, Bolan is also using the story of Persephone to tell us something about her daughter. She is using it to explain her daughters fleeing childhood, and how she is becoming a woman. She is herself is Ceres, and is “ready to make any bargain to keep [her daughter]”(16) because her daughter is growing up and leaving home. Just like Ceres mourned when her daughter Persephone was taken away from her to the underworld to be Hades wife. The mother wonders if she should “warn her”, but decides against it, because just as Ceres had to allow Persephone to make her own choice and eat the pomegranate in the underworld, the mother in this poem must let her daughter make the decision to taste danger and make her own decisions, as that is a part of growing up.
Both these poets use the story of Persephone to illustrate a meaning about life, and about their daughters. They do it effectively with great word choice, well chosen breaks and both use free verse. They are both excellent poems, and convey their messages very clearly.
