You Cannot Do This Gwendolyn MacEwen

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You Cannot Do ThisGwendolyn MacEwen
"Poetry has nothing to do with poetry. Poetry is
how the air goes green before thunder. Is the
sound you make when you come, and why you live
and how you bleed, and the sound you make or
don't make when you die."

• By Hazell F.

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You Cannot Do This Gwendolyn
MacEwenyou cannot do this to them, these are my
peopleI am not speaking of poetry, I am not
speaking of art.you cannot do this to them,
these are my people.you cannot hack away the
horizon in front of their eyes.the tomb,
articulate, will record your doingI will record
it also, this is not art.this is a kind of
science, a kind of hobby, a kind of personal
vice like coin collecting.it has something to
do with horsesand signet rings and school
trophiesit has something to do with pride of
the loinsit has something to do with good food
and music,and something to do with power, and
dancing.you cannot do this to them, these are my
people.
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Words you might not know

• Articulate Clearly express (an idea or feeling)
• Vice Habit regarded as a weakness in someones
  character
• Signet rings A small finger ring containing a
  small seal (ones initials or the like)
• Loins The womb or a euphemism for the
  reproductive organs.

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Gwendolyn MacEwen

• Born in Toronto 1941
• Died in Toronto 1987
• Dropped out of high school to become a writer.
• Became famous in the world of Canadian
  literature.
• Mother was in and out of mental hospital and her
  father was an alcoholic.
• She also became an alcoholic and it is thought to
  be the cause of her death.

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Ideas

• What are your own ideas? There are many
  different interpretations of this poem none of
  them write or wrong. I will focus on two of these
  1. As a poem on aristocracy
• 2. As a war poem
• (You might also want to check out this website
  which has an interesting view on the poem
  http//readingchildrensbooks.blogspot.com/2011/03/
  you-cannot-do-this-by-gwendolyn-macewen.html )

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Aristocracy Being Overturned

• One idea is that this poem is about the upper
  classes being challenged by the lower classes and
  an uprising occurring.
• Voice The narrator in the poem is maybe a queen
  or someone high up in society and is speaking out
  to the people who are committing the atrocitys
  against her people.

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• Tone The tone is challenging and defending and
  also kind of shocked how can you do this?
• Structure The poem is split into three stanzas.
  The first is her standing up and declaring you
  cannot do this. The second is explaining how
  this is not just a poem but a record of what is
  happening. The third (which is longer than the
  others) is describing their lives and how they
  should be. It is in free verse representing the
  freedom they once enjoyed and deserve to keep.

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• Imagery One of the most striking images in this
  poem is in the metaphor you cannot hack away the
  horizon in front of their eyes the horizon
  represents the sunrise and a new day, so
  symbolizes the taking away of their future and
  their hope. The word hack is also very brutal and
  suggests violence. The only other negative image
  in the poem is the metaphor of the tomb,
  articulate, will record your doing a tomb cant
  literally speak but it will show the generations
  after what has happened and will serve as a
  record so no one is able to forget and all will
  know about the deaths that occurred.

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• The last stanza contains a lot of imagery and
  gives us an insight into what their culture and
  lives were like. The horses symbolize grandeur
  and nobility, also note wild horses symbolize
  freedom something which is trying to be taken
  from them. The signet rings are a symbol of
  power and usually engraved the coat of arms and
  was passed down the generations so represent
  family history and tradition. The pride of the
  loins is the pride felt for the descendents and
  children which links with the school trophies
  representing all their accomplishments and
  achievements.

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• The good food and music creates an image of
  feasts and celebrations along with the dancing
  which gives a sense of enjoyment and happiness.
• Diction The poem starts with the word you
  which is in 2nd person and is very direct and
  helps to create the challenging tone in the poem
  and is almost accusatory. The word my also
  gives a real sense of maternal protectiveness
  like she is trying to shield them. It portrays
  the real sense of grief and hurt she must be
  feeling.

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• Punctuation The fact that there are no capital
  letters at the start of sentences means that all
  the letters are in the same case maybe
  representing the fact that the divisions between
  the social classes is being removed and the upper
  classes are being stripped of their status, power
  and money. Interestingly the only capital letter
  in the poem is the I which shows how the
  narrator is still standing up and trying to do
  something to stop what is happening.
• Mood Is defiant, bold and strong.

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A Womans Experience of War

• Another idea is that this poem is about the
  experience of war from a womans perspective and
  how it effects not just the soldiers but the
  community and women left behind.
• Voice The narrator in this poem is that of a
  woman during war time who is trying to stop the
  war and who is forced to stay and watch as all
  the young men are taken away to war.

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• Tone Is challenging and protective but also in a
  sense futile and despondent.
• Structure The first stanza is about her standing
  up against the war and speaking out against it.
  The second stanza is about how this is a record
  of what is happening and being done just like the
  tombs of the soldiers never to return. The third
  stanza is describing all the things that they
  will miss out on. The poem is in free verse which
  contrasts the lack of freedom the soldiers and
  everyone else has on what happens. Interesting as
  arent they meant to be fighting for freedom?

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• Imagery The most powerful, vivid image in this
  poem comes from the metaphor you cannot hack
  away the horizon in front of their eyes which is
  a very brutal and violent image representing the
  taking away of their lives and futures and
  through that the future hopes of the women and
  community left behind. The fact it is in front of
  their eyes creates a sense of sadness as there
  was no escape it was right in front of them.

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• The metaphor the tomb, articulate, will record
  your doing shows how although the tombs cant
  speak they will tell of the deaths, what happened
  and what you caused so no one is able to forget
  and future generations will know. The school
  trophies represent the childhood they missed out
  on and all the triumphs they never got to
  experience. The pride of the loins represent
  the children and families they will never have.
  The good food and music and dancing show the
  parties and good times they would have enjoyed.

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• Diction The poem starts with a sudden challenge
  as you is used as if directly to the reader.
  The suddenness shows how war can suddenly come
  upon you and take away everything, the only life
  you have ever known will suddenly be totally
  changed forever. Also the use of my is very
  inclusive and is non-judgmental she is standing
  up for everyone who is affected by war.
• Repetition The repeated you cannot do this to
  them, these are my people is like a drill and is
  ironic as it using war/training techniques to try
  and stop the war.

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• Punctuation There are no capital letters after
  full stops or at the beginning of the lines which
  doesnt follow the normal rules representing how
  there are no rules in war. The only capital
  letter is I showing her standing up to the
  authority against war even if she has to do it
  all alone.
• Mood It is defiant and courageous but is
  uncertain and ambiguous and the lack of
  specificity shows the uncertainty about war and
  how know one is sure of what is going to happen
  or what the future will hold.

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Poems to Compare With

• Cambodia-James Fenton
• Attack-Siegfried Sassoon
• Anthem For A Doomed Youth-Wilfred Owen
• My Dreams Are Of A Field Afar-A.E Houseman
• For Heidi With Blue Hair-Fleur Adcock

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• Hopefully this has helped your understanding of
  the poem You Cannot Do This and given you some
  ideas and different approaches you can work off.