Literary Analysis Of Tomas Hardy’s ‘The Convergence Of The Twain’
The Titanic sank in one hundred sixty minutes, ending the lives of one million five hundred passengers. Many thought the Titanic’s sinking was an accident. However, Thomas Hardy, the author of “The Convergence of the Twain,” believes it was fate. The elegy, “The Convergence of the Twain,” depicts the author’s thoughts using many languages to convey his beliefs to the reader. Hardy’s title and use of personification as well as imagery portray the grief of that day.
The title of the elegy describes the author’s tone. Hardy wants his readers to know what this poem is about before they even read it. “The Convergence of the Twain” is the union of two parts, the Titanic iceberg and the Titanic. The collision of the great ship with the iceberg resulted in the destruction of the largest ship built at this time and also the loss of thousands lives. You can see that the author was certain of the devastation. Thomas Hardy makes use of very specific imagery throughout his poem to explain the tone. He begins the poem with the words, “Steel Chambers, late her salamandrine fires, cool currents thrid and turn to rhythmic, tidal lyrics.” In this scene, the author shows the reader the red hot boilers that are churning across the ocean. Hardy later paints a picture that shows the ship lying on its stomach, with currents running through its cracked hull. This quote is Hardy’s sadness and remembrance theme of the Titanic. The fourth stanza is another illustration that illustrates the dark and depressing impact of Titanic. It shows the ship at the bottom. The passengers’ jewels and elegancies were once bright and shining, but they now look “…bleared. Thomas Hardy’s writing also includes a before/after technique. This allows the readers to see a clearer picture. This technique is used in the five first stanzas “The Convergence at the Twain” to help the reader visualize the glory of the ship, the elegancies that it had before it collided with an iceberg and then the destruction of the ship.
Hardy says that the Titanic is like an iceberg. Hardy views the ship’s fate as the catastrophe through the use of personification. The ninth and 10th stanzas can be used to describe the encounter between the ship, iceberg. They are both very different and look quite opposite, but they can be viewed together. The Titanic is praised for its human qualities. It is called “smart”, line twenty-two, and “her,” line twenty. Hardy prefigures the crash in the ninth verse by stating that although they may seem “alien” each other, their “intimate relationship” will soon take place. These words also serve as examples of personification within Hardy’s novel, The Convergence of the Twain.
Thomas Hardy was able, through his use of literary devices in “The Convergence of the Twain”, convey his sadness and reveal the fate of the Titanic. Hardy’s tone is conveyed to his readers through imagery and personification. The title serves as a description of the tragedy. Hardy uses imagery in his elegy “The Convergence of the Twain” to convey his voice. Many people will always remember the terrible disaster, even though it’s been more than 100 years since the Titanic sank.
