Zheng Jiayin (10) 5E

Analysis of The Door The Door, by Czech poet Miroslav Holub, focuses on the idea of the change of ones perspective and also conveys a veiled political statement. The themes of the poem are expressed in rational terms, and the poet adopts free verse in The Door, as opposed to traditional poetic lyricism. The lack of rhythm, rhyme and conventional structure provides a conversational tone for the poem. A persuasive and insistent tone is used in the poem to effectively encourage the reader to embrace change and open the door to a new world, which leads to the re-creation of oneself. The Door can be interpreted on several levels. In the poem, the poet seems to be commenting in implicit terms on the constraints of the totalitarian system and on another level, the unsatisfactoriness of the human condition in general. This proto-political poem by Miroslav Holub was part of the effort of Czech intellectuals who were attempting to liberalise the communist system from within by using free cultural expression to spark a change in the mindsets of people. On another level, the target audience of The Door is not simply limited to the Czechs of the time period in which the poem was written. Instead, the poem is relevant to everyone, and it is designed to provoke the reader into mustering courage to approach the idea of change and take a fresh look at ones life. The door can be seen as a metaphor for our minds and inner selves; the act of opening the door is an extended metaphor that symbolises change. By opening the door, one is willing to look beyond his or her own narrow existence and experience other worlds and lives which can provide a new perspective of ones life. The door opens inwards to reveal our deepest needs and highest aspirations, and when one opens the door, one takes the first step towards self-transcendence, re-becoming and re-creation of oneself. The Door opens with the line Go and open the door, which is also used to begin the following three stanzas. The repetition of the phrase Go and open the door is effectual in creating an imperative tone and conveys a pressing sense of necessity. It also provides the reader with the strong presence of the poet in the lines

of the poem as he urges change. Hence, the poets message to the reader is able to transcend the boundaries of time and structure through the words of the poem. The Door also provides the reader with the realm of possibilities which change can bring about in the first two stanzas. The vast possibilities, ranging from the most simple and commonplace (tree, wood in the first stanza) to the most divine and fantastical (magic city in the first stanza), show that regardless of what the consequences of change are, one is unable to know what to expect, but once one has opened the door, one will experience change. These possibilities are presented in the form of vivid visual imageries, which cover various aspects of life, like nature, living creatures and their movements (a dogs rummaging in the second stanza), people and objects (picture in the second stanza). Furthermore, the word Maybe is repeated in the first and second stanzas, to suggest that one will never know what is behind the door unless he or she opens it, and to further emphasise the need to open the door. The visual imageries of nature in the first stanza are used by the poet as connotations of positive elements of change, while the imageries of obscurity and darkness in the third and fourth stanzas signify the fear of change. In the third stanza, the fog is a metaphor; it is a visual manifestation of our problems, difficulties and uncertainties when approaching change. However, the poet assures the reader that the fog will clear, hence dispelling all doubts and reaffirming the idea that change is necessary. In the fourth stanza, darkness is symbolic of an unknown or negative factor of change, and its ticking, which is laced with onomatopoeic overtones, presents an aural imagery to the reader. However, the word ticking usually conjures the image of time, so if darkness is ticking, one can interpret it as flitting, like time. Also, hollow wind, which provides an eerie atmosphere for the stanza, is constantly moving from place to place, thus making it impermanent as well. Hence, the poet may be reinstating that any negative aspects of change will not last forever, and continues to urge change. Also, the poet is proclaiming that unpleasant experiences are beneficial for personal growth and have long term advantages, as the process undertaken by the individual to look into the darkness and nothingness is a

valuable learning experience that will change them. These positive connotations are effective in giving an optimistic perspective to the fourth stanza. The last stanza, At least therell be a draught. shows in an optimistic tone that there will always be a change, regardless of how big or small, as long as one is willing to take the first step by attempting to open the door. The poet has, by the end of the poem, used a persuasive and almost pleading tone to encourage the reader to take an action despite of the risks in doing so, as ones perspective of life would never change if one does not make a conscious effort to open the door and experience new worlds. The last stanza also suggests that after opening our minds to the possibilities outside our narrow lives, we should revisit our own worlds and recreate ourselves.