Immediately suggests it's a dark setting 'dark and the cold' Darkness is emphasised 'dark beyond darkness' to suggest that it is relentless and that even in the daytime there is little light 'days more gray'. 'Glaucoma' is used as a metaphor to represent this dimming but it could also be interpreted as representing the extinction of human life/morals as people become more and more desperate to survive as highlighted in 'precious breath'. The 'stinking robes' gives the idea of uncleanliness or suffering. This could also be suggestive of the end of civilised society as they no longer have the option to clean the robes or change them as they would otherwise. 'Tolling in the silence the minutes of the earth' suggests that time is limited but drawn out as 'tolling' suggests a long and slow beat which helps to illustrate the idea of prolonged suffering. The minutes belonging to the 'earth' is suggestive of an apocalypse but that also the earth that people knew and survive on will soon perish. In the man's dream the 'creature' signifies that nowhere is safe and gives the impression that they are being watched or hunted. It could also be symbolic of what people have become, that they have become animalistic as a result of their instinct to survive as well as that the danger that they face is 'soundless'. This combined gives the impression that they are in a dark, dangerous place where their time is running out but it's not clear exactly when.
Plot progression-They will be 'moving south' which gives the direction of their journey but could also symbolise the gradual deterioration of their journey.
No comments:
Post a Comment