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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 creation and never-ending delays are comparable, and that the death of Christ was just but the birth of a religion. These are just a few examples that bring out this important theme. Even the movement of the characters and the whole development of the play is very repetitive. Hamm always moves back to the centre, Clov looking into the telescope and moving in and out of the room, and likewise for Nagg and Nell, who appear and hide back in their ashbins over and over again.

Next, moving onto the mood of the poem. It is rather bleak and minimalist, also pessimistic yet can be rather comical, but most importantly, there is the feeling of being empty, lonely, and Lost.

Not too many images are used, and not so much flowery language is used. The poem is also rather short, and even few literary devices are used. The meaning is also very simple, not something very hard to decipher.

Firstly, the use of "it" shows how this thing has no identity. It is just it, nothing else. In the beginning of the poem, "it" is lost. "It" is at afraid, and unable to walk. Moving on, "it"s environment is explained, harsh and unable to control, and that causes "it" to be weary, again. "It" is also reluctant and unsure whether to move, and where to move, and therefore is tired. Adding to the misery, "It" is also blind, this inability to see makes "it" confused. Finally, "it" decides to move, yet is back again, and "it" ends at where "it" began.

Also,