Sir
Play Chosen: Endgame by Samuel Beckett
Poem
A journey
Standing hairs on the nape of that neck,
Sitting on a wheelchair staring out.
It is lost,
Again.
Rays of scorching sunlight beat down,
Gusts of freezing winds brush past.
It is weary,
Again.
Wanting to move on, yet,
Reluctant to persevere on.
It is tired,
Again.
Blinded during the day,
Unable to see by night.
It is confused,
Again.
Finally,
Beginning to move
Around.
It is back,
Again.
Standing hairs on the nape of that neck,
Sitting on a wheelchair staring out.
It is lost,
Again.
Defense
On the first reading of the poem, one can immediately sense the repetitiveness of the poem, aided by the use of word "again", which is used at the end of each stanza. A lot of emphasis is placed on that word, trying to drive through the point of a cyclical idea.
Besides that, the way the poem is shaped, and how the first stanza is repeated at the end also serve to impress this idea onto readers. The physical shape of the poem, as can be seen, starts as a long line before shortening gradually, and ends back again in the exact same position. This creates a looping sensation through the appearance of the poem. Likewise, the poem is repeated at the ending to create a similar mood.
This idea of repetition, which is much emphasised and repeated, is also one of the crucial aspects of the play. In the play, there is the main idea that beginnings and endings are just cyclical in nature: A beginning leads to an end to another beginning and so on. This idea is scattered throughout the play, especially through the two main protagonists Hamm, and his servant Clov. It can be seen through the story of the tailor, where the conceit of...
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