The ancient greek myth of Thetis:
- she was a sea goddess
- she was destined to bear a son bigger than his father
- Zeus made her merry a mortal, Peleus (originally Zeus and Posseidon wanted to marry her, but the prophecy prevented them from it)
- She could shapeshift, and tried to escape from the arranged life/marriage, but Peleus had to hold her tight and prevented from it
- at the end, she married Peleus, and their wedding was one of the causes of the war of Troja (golden apple + who is the most beautiful story)
- they had a son, called Achilles (who she wanted to make immortal by dipping him into the river Styx, although she did it by she was holding his heel) -> her fate/ destiny was set to her
Transformation:
- at the beginning of each stanza, she transforms into something different, and at the end of each stanza, we can see her being hunted down
- she has no control over her freedom, always being pursued
- in the ses she seems to be herself (-> her sea goddess nature?)
- giving birth at the very end:
- does the pursuit end?
- are women expected to conformate social expectations if they do not, are they pursued?
- 3 interpretations:
- She had a child -> she was “desexualised”
- The metamorphosis was freedom to her
- This last metamorphosis bring freedom to her
- Is it possible that she only became dominated when she becomes a mother?
- Allusions:
- Albatros: seabird ->The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
- The Crucifixion of Christ
Elliptic: not complete
One of the main topics: power & powernesless -> various metaphors represent the ways she would like to maintain freedom
Succumbing to social pressure
Structure:
- Free verse, using a variety of punctuation and enjambment
- Structured free verse:
- irregular lines -> the length of the lines is not the same
- 6 lines -> sestets
- Rhyme <-> pararhyme:
- emphasise certain ideas
- all about the sound
- links stanzas
- Polysyndeton and asyndeton