Revelation

Stanza 1

In the poem 'Revelation', written by Liz Lochhead, the poet explores many themes throughout her poem. One of the main themes is danger. From the beginning to the dramatic close of the poem, the narrator travels on an emotional journey which impacts her to the point that she feels terrified describing her experiences to the reader. Lochhead merely describes her childhood fear to the reader, and the reader feels almost drawn in and a part of the memory. As Lochhead connects with the reader, I think that she gives hints and examples which symbolise both the male and female species, which makes the reader understand her knowledge of the hidden dangers throughout our everyday lives.

In the opening lines of stanza one, the atmosphere as a whole, is quite calm:

I remember once being shown the black bull when a child at the farm for eggs and milk.

As a reader, we assume that this is a harmless trip to a farm where the narrator will enjoy herself and make some happy and cheerful memories. However, we are proven wrong when we observe the lines of the stanza even closer. We notice the use of plosive alliteration and how the bull represents masculinity while the eggs and milk represent femininity. I also believe that the eggs represent fertility and life. But as we read on through the end of stanza one, the reader discovers the dangers that the speaker encounters:

.. he was immense: / his edges merging with the darkness, just / a big bulk and a roar to be really scared of...

The plosive alliteration used at the end of the stanza suggests that the bull is an unknown evil of some kind and it makes the reader assume that the bull is under a demonic possession by the end of the stanza. I believe that the bull also symbolic of men, men that are full of anger and rage.