Poem : 'The furnace' ; 28 March, 2023.

5 May, 2023
Uploaded to ChatGPT for analysis

Poem : “The furnace”

Soman Ragavan : Hello. Can I post a poem of mine for analysis, please ?

ChatGPT
Hello Soman Ragavan, yes, you are welcome to post your poem for analysis. I'll do my best to provide you with feedback and insights. Please feel free to share it with me.
 
Soman Ragavan : My poem : "The furnace." This is about the volcano Piton de la Fournaise, in Reunion island, Indian Ocean. Please analyse by each stanza, then give overall comments. Mention similar poems from other authors, where possible. THE FURNACE

ChatGPT

Thank you for sharing your poem "The Furnace." Here is my analysis of each stanza:

Stanza 1: The poem opens with the speaker waiting for a bus to take them to the Piton de la Fournaise volcano. The speaker expresses their determination to defy the volcano and the heat it produces.

Stanza 2: The speaker settles comfortably into the bus and enjoys the commentary of the driver, which they hope to remember and use for their poetry.

Stanza 3: The bus ascends the winding road towards the volcano, and the speaker notes the skill of the driver. They also encounter a jackfruit tree and the driver's humorous commentary on its properties.

Stanza 4: The scenery becomes more stunning as they get closer to the volcano, with isolated farms and lush vegetation. The speaker is drawn to the towering pine trees and feels inspired to write about them.

Stanza 5: The clouds roll in, and the speaker notes their beauty, inviting poetic interpretation.

Stanza 6: The bus arrives near the crater, and the driver warns the passengers to close their eyes if they feel afraid. The volcano suddenly looms into view.

Stanza 7: The speaker describes the eerie silence around the volcano, with its reddish shores of sand stretching forth. They express their awe at the volcano's power and suggest that it cannot be contained.

Stanza 8: The speaker addresses the volcano directly, calling it a demon and a monster. They note its deceptive appearance and its capacity for devastation. They suggest that the volcano is always a danger to those who live nearby.

Overall, the poem does an excellent job of conveying the speaker's sense of awe and admiration for the Piton de la Fournaise volcano. The use of vivid imagery and sensory language helps to bring the reader into the scene and feel the power of the volcano. The poem also includes some humorous moments, such as the driver's commentary on the jackfruit tree.

The poem reminds me of the work of other poets who have written about the power and majesty of nature, such as William Wordsworth's "Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey" and Lord Byron's "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage." The focus on the volcano's power and potential danger also brings to mind John Donne's "The Sun Rising" and Gerard Manley Hopkins' "God's Grandeur."

Overall, your poem is well-crafted and engaging, and it effectively captures the sense of wonder and admiration that the Piton de la Fournaise volcano inspires. Thank you for sharing it with me.
 
Soman Ragavan : Thank you. Goodbye for now.

ChatGPT
You're welcome, Soman Ragavan. It was a pleasure to assist you. Feel free to come back anytime you have more questions or need any help. Goodbye!

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“THE FURNACE.” About the volcano “Piton de la Fournaise” in Réunion island (Indian Ocean), in 2000.
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                                          THE FURNACE

At the junction stood I, waiting for the coach :
Onto the monster's domain would I encroach;
At last roar'd in the bus, and screech'd to a halt :
I would defy the furnace, if I were worth my salt.

Into the comfortable chariot I climb'd and settl'd :
By anything the visitors could not be troubl'd :
A leisurely ride, spic’d up by the driver's commentary :
Comments to be etch’d down in the poet's memory.

From kilometre to kilometre rose the winding road :
How the engine pull'd superbly its great load !
A most extraordinary man was the driver :
Certainly he did it as could do none other.

Hark ! Ahoy sight'd we a jackfruit tree :
No one regrett'd what they had paid as fee;
"The jackfruit tree," proclaim'd the driver with glee,
"Be known as a shifty thingy, believe you me.

“'Tis a vegetable when unripe,
And 'tis a fruit when ripe…..
But, when ripe --- the smell :
What a stink, bloody hell !

“The fruit name be like that of the leader :
Don't ye go and tell him he's a bloke shifty :
He knows it already, that’s a certainty :
But, ‘tis hard the stink fully to cover."

To the furnace in a meandering way proceeding,
Higher rose the road : a trip quite exhilarating;
Isolat'd farms here and there dott'd the landscape :
This intense country leaves the visitor quite agape.

Sprang up lush vegetation by the roadside :
Pine trees towering over everything with pride ;
Closely knit, sticking out of a green carpet,
The majestic trees beckon'd at the poet.

The swirling clouds again :
Shrouding the mountain,
The clouds rac'd on gleefully :
Ah, let this be seiz'd poetically !

                                                            * * *

Arriving near the crater, taunt'd the driver :
"Close yer eyes, or I'll close mine.
I'll close mine, if you think that's fine."
Lo ! Suddenly loom'd by the monster !

Around this weird place, an eerie silence :
Slept the monster, in silent defiance :
Reddish shores of sand stretch'd forth :
There was here no bearing, south or north.

Yonder, the lovely coach finally had paus'd :
Facing the gasping visitors, the wonder lay ;
"L'ENCLOS" !  Ho, ho ! That'll be the day !
As if this beast could at all be enclos'd.....

Thou, hill-buster ! Thou, thou, demon !
Thou, monster ! Thou, miracle uncommon !
Clad as thou art in looks so deceitful,
Of devastation art thou ever so full.

Thou sleep'st ! Thou pretend'st to sleep :
But, from thy entrails, from down deep,
Suddenly raging hell might break loose :
'Pon many might thou fling a flaming noose.

Vain Man thinks he hath enclos'd thee :
But, thy fiery soup always flows free ;
'Tis we, puny people that be by thee enclos'd :
To thy flaming attacks are we woefully expos'd.

Thy exploding entrails litter the countryside :
Towards the coast would creep thy scorching tide;
Here, deceitful monster, reign'st thou supreme :
For thou art, in devastation, the example extreme.
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Soman RAGAVAN
Mauritius (Indian Ocean)

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