Similarities Between Those Who Trespass Against Us And Lament

The creation of my poems Those Who Trespass Against Us and Danforth’s Lament was prompted by the events that unfolded in Salem during the infamous witch trials, an inspiration that was sparked by my engagement with Arthur Miller's timeless drama, The Crucible. This play skillfully served as an allegory to reflect the societal tensions present during the Red Scare, an era notable for the rampant fear of communism and the consequential absence of trust among the community, leading to a prevalent atmosphere of mass hysteria. In developing my poems, I sought to weave similar thematic concerns and allegorical techniques that mirror the finesse displayed by Miller, showcased through two contrasting perspectives that highlight the nature of different

Traditionally, a villanelle follows a rigid structure wherein two lines from the initial stanza echo throughout the poem, which is representative of the Puritan’s stringent lifestyle in the seventeenth century. However, I have made the artistic decision to deliberately employ just one repeating line. This accentuates the gravity of the situation by underscoring the fact that this part of our human history is a fracture within our past because it broke away from a typical structure. This poem takes on a wrongly convicted victim’s perspective who is embittered after comprehending the true nature of humankind, correlating them to various invasive species. Each stanza focuses on a different species, aided by the ABA rhyme scheme which puts emphasis on their actions, such as the fox’s “sly tricks”, the toad’s “slippery kicks” and the hare’s “brutal conflicts”. Throughout the poem, the descriptors used are imagery for the sins of Salem’s community. The first stanza compares humans and toads, detailing their “disdainful warts” to brandish their ugly and impure attributes, which contests the definition that the Puritans believed themselves to embody. The second stanza uses alliteration, classifying humans as “foxes” who are “feigning fidelity” to further illustrate the deceitful essence of homo sapiens, exemplified by Abigail’s character. Her constant lies, “She made me do it!” and “Why do you come yellow

“The morning sun”, “candle” burning, and “fireplace” were intimated at their scene’s beginning to establish a particular ambience and foreshadow the ensuing events; for instance, making us expect justice when “sunlight” is “pouring through” the windows of the courtroom. My decision to set the scene in the poem’s opening through the “dim lustre” emulates Miller’s expertise with imagery and renders how Danforth’s ‘light’ is fading due to his remorseful feelings. Danforth’s Lament also humanises Danforth through the application of symbolism to explore the Judge’s dilemma. The poem also uses symbolism in the “scales of justice” to reveal the internal struggle between judgement and mercy, and are described as being “equipped” as if a weapon, alluding to the way Danforth is depicted as prejudiced and controlling in The Crucible because he utilises his religious beliefs as an armament. As a result, he catalyses the hysterical circumstances and reminds the audience about the false pretences of religion that should not govern how one lives. This intolerable behaviour caused “ten thousand” to “hang”, castigating readers who enforce their religious beliefs on others with this connotation. These poems serve as compelling reminders to contemporary audiences about the importance of truthfulness and righteous judgement, and discerning the