THE COD HEADEmily G.Joe O.Alex N.

Class 1B

Unknown Vocabulary

• Firmament- sky/heaven• Midges- disease carrying bugs• Mottle- odd arrangement of colors• Fathom- measurement used for deep water (1 fathom= 6 feet)

• Churn- move rigorously• Vitreous- glass/see through

Overall Interpretation• Thesis: Williams uses the smaller, less significant beauties of the ocean to demonstrate the fragility of life

• The beauty of the ocean and the fragility of life are portrayed throughout the poem.

“a severed cod—head between twogreen stones” (Lines 27-29)

“four fathom— the bottom skidsa mottle of greensands backwards—amorphous waver-ing rocks” (lines 15-20)

(Beauty of the ocean)

(Fragility of life)

Overall Interpretation Cont.• The fragility of life is portrayed through references to medical symbols.

“but by dayflaccidmoons in whose discs sometimes a red cross lives” Lines (11-15)

“and now a lulling liftand fall—red stars— a severed cod—” (lines 24-27)

These references to medical symbols (red crosses & red stars) show Williams’s connections to be a doctor. They also represent the fragility of life, because they are mentioned in turn with the death of the fish and the disease carrying flies.

Sense: Meaning and LanguageKey Terms:Archetype: Red Cross- a medical symbol

Mood: Depressing, short stanzas and very short phrases with pauses making it sound very monotone.

Point of View: Third Person

Diction: large words add to the sad/depressing mood

Repetition: red is repeated twice in reference to two different medical symbols. As well as the word fathom, to give the reader something to visualize as well as a feeling of suffocation.

“miscellaneous weed strands, stems, debris—firmamentto fishes—” (lines1-4)

“amorphous waver-ing rocks— three fathomthe vitreousbody through which—” (lines 19- 22)

“flaccidmoons in whosediscs sometimes a red crosslives—” (lines 12-15) “and

now a lulling liftand fall—red stars— a severed cod—” (lines 24-27)

Senses: ImagerySight: throughout the whole poem you can imagine seeing what is happening.Smell: If you visualize yourself on shore, you can imagine the smell of the salt water in the air.Taste: you can taste the salt water.Touch: you can imagine having your feet in the sand and the rocks, as well as the water against your skin, or mist coming off of the water.Sound: you can imagine the

sound of the waves crashing against the shore, the oars slapping the water, and the gulls on the sand.

Ex. Miscellaneous weedstrands, stems, debris—firmament

to fishes—where the yellow feetof gulls dabble

oars whipships churn to bubbles—(lines 1-8)

Senses: SymbolsRed: the color red is mentioned twice as a reference to a health issue;• Red Crosses: over the eyes of

disease carrying flies, symbolizing their death.

• Red Stars: mentioned right after we discover that the cod has been severed, this symbol if in reference to the little red stars that float overhead like when a cartoon character gets knocked out.

—but by dayFlaccid

Moons in whose Discs sometimes a red crossLives—(lines 11-15)

“and now a lulling liftand fall—red stars— a severed cod—” (lines 24-27)

Sense: Meaning and Language Cont.

What is your interpretation of the meaning of the poem?

My interpretation is that the poem is about feeling like you are trapped somewhere in life. You feel like you are stuck there and you can’t get out. And you are forced to watch the beauty of life pass you by, because you are stuck in this bad place and cannot escape.

How does the poet’s language communicate meaning?

Williams uses pauses and breaks in between stanzas to make it seem depressing. Places where a thought/phrase is continued into another stanza helps this. He also has very small phrases consisting of only 2-3 words.

Style• Metaphor

Lines 1-4: The ocean is being compared to heaven “firmament to fishes”

Lines 15-16: The eyes of the midges are being compared to moons

• JuxtapositionLines 21-22: Williams puts amorphous, wavering, and rocks next to each other to show the beauty of the ocean.

• PersonificationLines: 21-23: The idea of the red cross and healing the sick is said to “live” in the moons (eyes) of the midges.

Structure: form, organization, and pattern

End Stopped: several lines and sentences in the poem end with—and then begin another phrase.

Enjambment: Williams loves this because about 99% of the sentences in the poem go from one like to the next without any punctuation, or break.Pattern: The second line of each stanza is longer than the other two to make the poem look like waves when you turn it.

Repetition: the word red is repeated in reference to medical issues, to show his experience with death. Also, the word “fathom” is repeated to give the reader a feeling of being far from the surface.

—four

fathom—the bottom skidsa mottle of greensands backward—

amorphous waver-ing rocks—three fathomthe vitreous

body through which—(lines 15-22)

Sound• When read aloud, it resembles the motion of wave by alternating higher and lower inflections.

• Lines 5-6 higher inflection, lines 7-8 lower inflection.

• Alliteration• Lines 1-2: Miscellaneous, strands, stems• Line 23: Small scuddling

• Assonance• Lines 7-8: Whip, ship

• Consonance• Lines 3-4: Firmament to fishes, feet

• Onomatopoeia• Line 7: Whip

• End Rhyme• Lines 6, 8: Dabble, bubbles

Connection to Other Poems• This poem was written as part of his collection of poems from 1921-1931 and was published in 1934.

• Nature as a main theme• The Widow’s Lament in Springtime• Spring and All• The Bitter World of Spring• Seafarer

• Disease/Death• Williams was a doctor

• Landscape with the fall of Icarus• Parable of the blind

Activity!

Get into your groups and discuss the following questions (we will be

discussing them with the whole class afterwards):

Question One:

When you think of the ocean, what sort of mood does it put you in?

Why?What sort of memories does it

evoke?

How does this differ from your classmates?

Question Two:

Why do you think Williams chose to have the cod’s head cut off,

instead of killing it in some other way?

Question Three:

Like the cod head, have you ever felt like you were stuck

somewhere in life?Metaphorically or literally?

(either is fine)