The Old Woman by joseph Campbell Critical note

The Old Women by Joseph Campbell

◆Joseph Campbell◆
     

     "The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek."

Joseph Campbell was born on 26th March 1904. He was an Ameriacan author mostly famous as Mythologist, Writer, Lecturer.

His work is vast, it covers many aspects of the human experience. His philosophy is often summarised as by his phrase:-

       

         "Follow your Bliss"

       

He had published most of his work not by his real name Campbell but he used his pan name "Gaelic" for his literary work. Campbell is best known for his work in...

• Comparative Mythology
• Comparative Religion

     

          Campbell always says about the religion that:-

   "All religions are true

       but,  

         none are literal."

                       
◆The Old Woman◆
        

The poem "The Old Woman" is very small but simple and realistic in nature. Campbell gives a simple description of  "Old Lady" by comparison. By poem we get idea of campbell's treatment with an Old Beauty.

It is real and natural to see beauty in young woman but it is great understanding to describe the beauty of old woman. Here, is a great imagination of campbell to see beauty in old age.

Poets of all ages and languages praised  the beauty of young woman in all possible ways. During the Elizabethan age scores of poets used to write poems which singing the glory of woman's beauty.

Shakespeare was one of those poets who protested against the contemporary trend of singing women's beauty in lyrics and sonnets. He wrote:-

"My mystress' eyes are

            nothing like the sun;

Coral is far more red

             than her lips...

If heir bires, black wires

              grow on her head...

Here, in the poem "The Old Woman" Campbell challenges the established belief that only young woman are charming. Every age has it's own charm. He symbolises old age as:-

• Peace
• Purity
• Rest

In this poem Cambell had described the journey of an Old Woman. It is not journey of one to another place but he gives the idea of old woman's condition. There is journey from bright age to the end of life.

◆Summary of the Poem◆

             "The Old Woman" is a small lyrical poem by Joseph Campbell. In the poem, the poet skillfully presents the old woman's beauty by comparing her with natural elements. So we realize that an element of comparison which is one of the figures of speech is perfectly seen through the poem.
       
       "As a White Candle
        In a Holy place
        So is the beauty
        Of an aged face."

         The beginning line of the poem is deceptively simple. It is highly pregnant with meaning. The old woman is compared with "A white candle" in a holy place. They both are moving towards the end of life. They both are close to God.
               Second meaning we can get from this line that as white candle in the holy place and temple gives light and guidance to person who comes there...Likewise the old lady's face is shines like candle and that old lady guides other around her by the true experiences of her life.

       "As the spent radience
       of the winter sun,
       So is a woman
       with her travel done."

        The second stanza of the poem begins in the same way as the first stanza. The old woman is compared with "the spent radience of the winter sun."
            The woman is old and tired by the hardwork in her entire life, while the sun in winter season look faint and dull and spent his radience already, So both look exhausted.
             The last line of the stanza throws  more light on the meaning of satnza. It says that the old woman has already lived most of her life and the experience she had gained has turned her into a person who is pleasant as the winter sun.

    "Her brood gone from her
     And her thoughts as still
     As the water
     Under a ruined mill."

        Now the poem brings different picture which has a tragic effect on us. She is pictured as a lonely woman who resembles a lonely bird in a nest which has no more moments of chirps and twitters. Her life has come to a standstill like a mill which no more serves the purpose. She still lives in the thoughts about her past life.
           The old woman is close to her grave and almost without brood or wishes. Her thoughts are passive and still like  the water under a ruined mill. It means....
     
    "Man is defeated but he
     cannot remove her                   
     thoughts from her mind."

         So, at last we can say that the old woman is like a ruined house which still preserves the old memories of "Joy and Sorrow."

◆Conclusion◆

            To sum up, we can naturally realize that the poet has truely presented the naturalistic way of comparison of the lady with three elements which are...
      ●White Candle
      ●Winter's Sun
      ●Water of Ruined Mill
       Imaginary beauty of old lady is seen throughout the whole poem.

◆Critical Note◆

●Title of the Poem●
         
            The entire poem is dedicated to the old inevitable stage of human life.In the poem the poet describe some facts about old age. So the title of the poem "The Old Woman" is apt  and appropriateor for the poem.

●Simile●
       
As a white candle
in a holy place.

As the spent radience
Of the winter sun.

As the waters
Under a ruined mill.

●Rhymes●

            Still-Mill
            Place-Face
            Sun-Done

●Rhyme-Scheme●
       
             The Rhyme-scheme of the poem is....ABCB.

●Language●

              The language of this poem is so easy and descent in a way, At a surface level it needs only one look to understand but contains and very deep and real meaning of life.