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    Stevenson examines concepts of existence, creation, and possibility in "The Spirit is too Blunt an Instrument." The speaker is referring to the possibilities in life by highlighting the amazing process that goes into creating the human body and its beauty. She portrays the human body as existing botRead more

    Stevenson examines concepts of existence, creation, and possibility in “The Spirit is too Blunt an Instrument.” The speaker is referring to the possibilities in life by highlighting the amazing process that goes into creating the human body and its beauty. She portrays the human body as existing both well inside and nearly outside of our power to create. Our genes are hardwired with habit and instinct, which is what drives the process. The poet thinks of existence as something lovely, worthy of respect and admiration.

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    The poem is written in free verse, meaning it does not have a rhyme scheme. The Spirit Is Too Blunt an Instrument Summary

    The poem is written in free verse, meaning it does not have a rhyme scheme.

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    The main theme of Anne Stevenson's "The Spirit is Too Blunt an Instrument" is finding a way to reconcile the intricate and beautiful aspects of human existence with the biological processes that seem to be an impersonal mechanism of creation. The speaker expresses amazement at the baby's sophisticatRead more

    The main theme of Anne Stevenson’s “The Spirit is Too Blunt an Instrument” is finding a way to reconcile the intricate and beautiful aspects of human existence with the biological processes that seem to be an impersonal mechanism of creation. The speaker expresses amazement at the baby’s sophisticated bodily systems, implying that the “blunt” and emotional “spirit” could not have created them since they are too exact and sophisticated. This main theme asks us to consider the wonders of the material and spiritual worlds, as well as to recognize the complexity of existence beyond easy answers.

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    Metaphor- A metaphor is a figure of speech that draws a comparison between two unrelated ideas. It's a means of metaphorically transferring one thing's attributes to another. In the poem's fundamental metaphor, the "spirit" is compared to a "blunt instrument," implying that it is insufficient to creRead more

    • Metaphor- A metaphor is a figure of speech that draws a comparison between two unrelated ideas. It’s a means of metaphorically transferring one thing’s attributes to another. In the poem’s fundamental metaphor, the “spirit” is compared to a “blunt instrument,” implying that it is insufficient to create the baby’s complex perfection. This comparison does a good job of highlighting the differences between the body’s exact physical processes and the spirit’s raw emotions and abstract thinking
    • Enjambment- The poem makes extensive use of enjambment, in which phrases flow seamlessly between line breaks. As a result, there is a sense of movement and flow that resembles the smoothness of the baby’s biological functions. Additionally, it invites the reader to read the poem straight through, mirroring the body’s systems’ continuous activity.
    • Irony- A figure of speech known as irony entails a contradiction in the words and expressions used. Subtle sarcasm is used in the poem when it says the infant was made “out of mere habit” and “ignorant precision.” The poem’s underlying examination of the intricate relationship between intention and result is highlighted by the contrast between these terms, which on the surface seem negative, and the baby’s miraculous nature.
    • Imagery- The use of words or figures of speech by a writer or speaker to evoke a strong mental image or visceral feeling is known as imagery. Stevenson emphasizes the intricacy of the baby’s physical features by illuminating them with vibrant images. Phrases such as “shell-like complexity,” “distinct eyelashes and sharp crescent fingernails,” and “fine meshings of ganglia and vertebrae” highlight the “bluntness” of the spirit by bringing the baby’s physicality to life.

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