Anaxagorou’s poem Text Message is about the changes in the contemporary world, more so those brought about by technology. The persona, who is living in the modern world, describes how things have transformed and the resultant effect on humans and the entire ecosystem. For instance, the use of information technologies as the primary medium of communication is a major change in the contemporary world. People are now more focused on trendy fashions, which they emulate from celebrities instead of having friends. The resultant effect is that the earth, including plants and animals, is endangered. In addition, diseases have emerged due to a sedentary lifestyle and the eating of fast food. Politics are characterized by corruption, and people have lost morals on matters of drugs and sexuality.
The conflict presented in the poem is that, on the one hand, there are advantages that people in the present age enjoy due to digitalization, iconic idols, fast food, and high economic status. On the other, the aversive consequences such as diseases, pollution, imprisonment, and loss of purpose make life meaningless. The main objective of this paper is to explicate and analyze the literary elements of Anaxagorou’s poem. The central theme indicates that although digitalization, economic progress, sedentary lifestyle, and fashion are important achievements in the current world, such changes have negative repercussions on human interaction, health, and the planet.
The speaker in the poem is an observer and a participant who wonders about the operations in contemporary society. One of the changes is reliance on telecommunication as the primary means of passing information. The persona states, “fail to see the story within fifteen seconds /& the whole event dies” (lines 1-2). Thus, people are expected to be up to date with the current event because there is a lot of information. For instance, a social media post may trend for a day or two, after which the people forget and start looking for some other emerging content. The statement thus symbolizes how quickly knowledge is being transferred and then dismissed in the present age. Further on, in the first stanza, the speaker describes the new advancement which makes it possible to “know exactly who it is” that is calling (4). The present-day audience can easily relate since they have used digital gadgets for video calling, which allows them to see each other despite the distance. In sum, the innovations in information technologies have defiled the physical gap and made it possible for people to get real-time information.
People have many activities that require their input, yet the time is limited, which creates pressure on individuals. The persona “keep needing to hurry over the news. /I worry hello will become extinct” (5-6). Skimming through the updates has become the new norm because people are busy. Moreover, humans no longer feel the need to interact and connect with each other, as evident in the forecited line six. Notably, even the kids have to cope, as evidenced by the ability of a little boy to count the globe in billions (8). In the consecutive stanza, the readers are informed that “your future is brokering a deal/ with the moon” (10-11). The implication is that humans have ceased appreciating the essence of the night (symbolized by the “moon”) as a time to rest. Therefore, people are increasingly demanded to engage in so many activities and understand massive content about the world.
In addition, the theme of other lifestyle changes, with regards to the kind of food consumed and the emergent health issues. The persona tells of his friend and the dilemma he has to either lift “cornflake out his beard” or “camphor over his knees” (14-15). Symbolically, the former is symbolic of the fast foods that the lover feeds on, whereas the latter the soothing and relaxing oil such as massaging. Either choice results in a sedentary pattern, both of which lead to grieving. The other issue that is common is prejudices that people are forced to live up to. Unlike the previous years when the speaker and other boys never trusted the dancers, the current generations are influenced by celebrities (17-18). Modern people are forced to live up to the expectations of others to be able to fit in.
There is a diversity of trendy fashion that the people in the contemporary world practice, most of which have devastating health impacts. For instance, lines 20 and 22 of the poem reads, “my tongue pierced. breath spinach steam/before heading to tell my doctor how I like/ my steak”. The meaning that can be derived from line 20 is that people of the current generation are willing to endure the pain of “tongue pierced” for beauty. In addition, “breathe steam” is a symbol of the people taking marijuana in a pot, like many people do today. As expected, such activities, though trendy, resulting in a weakened immunity or opportunistic disease. Amusingly, the persona is not ready to stop the negative lifestyle, as evidenced by him saying that “I like my steak”, which is junk food that is common in most fast-food restaurants of the current decade. Therefore, it is apparent that people are more focused on having lifestyles that are similar to that of the idols while compromising their health.
The other transformation that is evident in the contemporary world is sexual promiscuity, drug abuse, and an oblivion attitude toward rehabilitation. For instance, the statement “cruelty is spending your life beside/ the same flower” discourages people from having one sexual partner” (22-23). Noteworthy, the term “flower” denotes a woman, hence the interpretation. Moreover, there is fear of a person’s lover dying first, so people ensure that they are not committed to one person. The issue of sexual recklessness and drug abuse is also evident in the statement, “my MP digs burnt strawberries from out his/ neck bone” (24-25). Notably, “strawberries” is slang for people who exchange sexual favors for drugs. The political leaders who are supposed to show directions are also entangled in the same routine. Some people have become used to being detained and released from prison, as evidenced by the statement, “Athos is back in” (26). Thus, the world appears to be dominated by people who are immoral. With more evil increasing in society, there are other negative consequences that are bound to affect people.
Worse still, even going to prison is presumed to be a norm that forms part of a person’s dream. For instance, the speaker states that when visiting the cell, he may take a photo in remembrance of it being the toughest time of his dream (27-28). There is also conflict between economic advancement and environmental protection. The skin melts out of anything that the hand receive may be a representation of the ozone layer (29). Furthermore, the persona has “been pushing plastic into the/center of fish since the 80s” (29-30). The aquatic animals are victims of the industrial revolution in which polyethylene bags are commonly used for packages without minding the ecosystem. After all, the other animals have no capacity to air out their opinions, so humans make all the decisions (30). Notably, things like the plants, soil, and even the weather pattern are changed, thus causing an imbalance in the homeostasis. The central focus of humans has financial stability, so the negative repercussions are dismissed.
The result is that man is no longer rational but at loss and without the capacity to make sound judgment even when they have knowledge. For instance, the statement “experts reckon air moves through the larynx/ to produce a single human voice” shows that there is sufficient information (33-34). However, it is immediately contrasted with, “I don’t care/ about any of this” (34-35). The attitude is like that of a person who is not interested in doing what is right, not even for their wellbeing. No wonder the speaker is asking which way his life went (36-37). What is left of humans is simply a “private beast” that is in control (37). This final line in the poem registers the dissatisfaction that the contemporary person has with their decisions. Hence, a man appears to be the most miserable victim of his own making, not even knowing the path that his life is taking.
There are various poetic elements used in the poem to pass an indirect message, enhance a theme and make the write-up entertaining. With regards to diction, slang such as “strawberry” is used, which makes the audience, who are also people living in the present time, relate to what the persona is communicating (26). The term is evidently a figure of speech since its literal meaning is a fruit, but within the context described by the speaker, it is an exchange of sex for drugs. Moreover, vocabulary such as larynx is used to give emphasis the biological effects of pollution (33). Imagery is also evident in different parts of the poem, making it enjoyable. For instance, in the fifth stanza, the audience can picture a description of the persona with pierced tongue and breathing steam. The explanation to the doctor that he loves his steak adds humor to the metaphor. Worthy of note, a first-person narrator speaks directly to the audience.
The repetition of the pronoun “I” throughout the write-up creates emphasis. In addition, it is much easy to believe the persona because he is a participant in everything that he writes. The tone of the poem is informal and mostly pessimistic about the turn of events for the contemporary person. The reader feels that the changes in digitalization and advancement have brought about more misery to humans than the advantage. For example, the narrator states, “I’ve been bad for so/ long,” indicating that he is not proud of his character (31-32). Yet, he cannot change and start acting well because his enemies will take advantage (32). The other literary element that has been used in the poem is an allusion. For instance, the word “MP” is not defined, but it is expected that the reader will understand it alludes to a member of parliament (24). The use of repetition and allusions keep the audience entertained and provoked to think of the hidden meaning. The literary elements advance the theme of living in the contemporary world and the resultant repercussions.
Conclusively, the poem is set in the contemporary world, which is characterized by digitalization, economic development, and a sedentary lifestyle that has brought more misery to humans and the planet. Advancement in communication technology is threatening to eradicate in-person meetings. In addition, there is streaming of so much information which make the people only peruse through details without sufficient coverage. There is also the trend of dangerous fashion, consuming fast food, and drug abuse, which makes people frequent the hospital, and sometimes the jail. Pollution causing diseases and affecting air quality and aquatic animals is also one of the negative repercussions. In the end, despite the innovations, the man appears more miserable, as evident in the pessimistic tone of the poem.
Work Cited
Anaxagorou, Anthony. “Text Message”. 2020. Poetry, Web.