Hi, On fifth reading, I think the title identifies the poem's speaker. Again, this is a poem that speaks in the voice of a non-human speaker, as does Revard's "The Birch Canoe." Also, K&G say that the poem is spoken by the flower.
K&G state: "No literary law decrees that the speaker in a poem even has to be human. Carter Revard's poem is spoken by a birch-bark canoe. Good poems have been uttered by clouds, pebbles, clocks, and cats. Here is a recent poem spoken by a flower, a dramatic monologue that expresses the thoughts and desires of a persona at a moment of particularly intense emotion--as the speaker faces death. The poem seems to be a sort of a prayer, but to whom is the prayer addressed?" The problematic question in the poem is whom the gold lily addresses. In other words, who is the "father and master" of line 8? An obvious answer is that the flower addresses the person who planted and tended it. But since the other dying flowers seem to doubt that this "father and master" does not see their situation, it might be possible that the gold lily speaker is actually addressing some other being-God, the sun, Nature, etc. As readers, we can make our own guesses, and as long as we are making a logical case, based on the poem, our guess is as good as anyone else's. Love, Dad -- The iMac List is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | - Epson Stylus Color 580 Printers - new at $69 | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> iMac List info: <http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/imac-list%40mail.maclaunch.com/> Using a Mac? Free email & more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com
