Post by 2Climdejun18 on Apr 17, 2008 9:34:28 GMT -5
taken from www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-poems-charity.htm
Charity
by D.H. Lawrence
Embankment at Night, before the War: Charity
By the river
In the black wet night as the furtive rain slinks down,
Dropping and starting from sleep
Alone on a seat
A woman crouches.
I must go back to her.
I want to give her
Some money. Her hand slips out of the breast of her gown
Asleep. My fingers creep
Carefully over the sweet
Thumb-mound, into the palm’s deep pouches.
So, the gift!
God, how she starts!
And looks at me, and looks in the palm of her hand!
And again at me!
I turn and run
Down the Embankment, run for my life.
But why?—why?
Because of my heart’s
Beating like sobs, I come to myself, and stand
In the street spilled over splendidly
With wet, flat lights. What I’ve done
I know not, my soul is in strife.
The touch was on the quick. I want to forget.
-----
Making things simple :
Subject Matter
Describing about a woman living in poverty in torn and tattered dress, the main lead gives money to the woman
Purpose
Describes poverty as scary and thus "The touch was on the quick. I want to forget." CERTAINLY tells us that poverty is a scary thing and that we must help those who are in need like the sense of "responsibility" and pride that the persona carries in the Second Stanza when "I must go back to her. I want to give her Some money. " states clearly of the persona's motive. and that he grieves for the woman who is suffering such a terrible fate thus he runs away with his heart "Beating like sobs"
Charity
by D.H. Lawrence
Embankment at Night, before the War: Charity
By the river
In the black wet night as the furtive rain slinks down,
Dropping and starting from sleep
Alone on a seat
A woman crouches.
I must go back to her.
I want to give her
Some money. Her hand slips out of the breast of her gown
Asleep. My fingers creep
Carefully over the sweet
Thumb-mound, into the palm’s deep pouches.
So, the gift!
God, how she starts!
And looks at me, and looks in the palm of her hand!
And again at me!
I turn and run
Down the Embankment, run for my life.
But why?—why?
Because of my heart’s
Beating like sobs, I come to myself, and stand
In the street spilled over splendidly
With wet, flat lights. What I’ve done
I know not, my soul is in strife.
The touch was on the quick. I want to forget.
-----
Making things simple :
Subject Matter
Describing about a woman living in poverty in torn and tattered dress, the main lead gives money to the woman
Purpose
Describes poverty as scary and thus "The touch was on the quick. I want to forget." CERTAINLY tells us that poverty is a scary thing and that we must help those who are in need like the sense of "responsibility" and pride that the persona carries in the Second Stanza when "I must go back to her. I want to give her Some money. " states clearly of the persona's motive. and that he grieves for the woman who is suffering such a terrible fate thus he runs away with his heart "Beating like sobs"
