Literature Review (Critique) of Diving Into the Wreck (Article Critique Sample)

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A Radical Analysis of Diving into the Wreck
The poem explores the persona’s quest to discover what caused the ship to sink as well as salvage of all the valuables that remained in it. Before preparing to dive, the woman was reading a book called Book of Myths to get an insight into the process as well as guidance on diving. She, however, does not take the book with her since she desires to obtain knowledge directly from the environment rather than relying on history documented therein. She is setting out on this journey alone since, unlike Jacques Cousteau, a French explorer with many helpers, the woman believes her journey is unique and, therefore, has to work in solitude: “I am having to do this not like Cousteau with his assiduous team aboard the sun-flooded schooner but here alone” (12).
The poem is rich in metaphors and uses this artistic device to tell the story of the persona who goes on a journey of self-discovery, which is in the ocean. The wreck is her life that has been hit by various problems and tribulations. When she reaches the wreck in the ocean is when this woman discovers herself, and she is transformed into a new being. She then realizes that the myth that she had at the beginning of her journey was not complete and did not offer enough information on her real situation consequently, she has to go back and tell her own story.
Literary Features
The poem is rich in metaphors. Thus, the diving escapade signifies the persona’s quest to know more about herself. Her journey into the deep seas in search of knowledge transforms her into a new being, and the equipment she uses while at sea shows her preparedness to take on the challenges that are in front of her. As she embarks on the journey, she becomes an insect and crawls down the ladder. This process is similar to reversing the whole process of evolution. In this case, the sea represents the source of life.
When she finally leaves the wreckage, she learns her identity and becomes transformed into a mermaid and a merman, that is a man and woman. Consequently, she assumes the role of both genders. In this new role she gets to discover her immense power and, thus, can perform duties of both male and female. The poet utilizes symbolism in the poem. The dive, as well as the shipwreck, symbolizes her journey back to the past. It enables her to figure what might have gone wrong in her life, thus necessitating the need to know where she went wrong and lost track of her life. To successfully do it she has to go into the ocean in search of the wreck. Furthermore, the water is dark, which means that her journey is full of fear. In the same light, she has to use a ladder to enter into the water, which is in like most cases where people just jump into the water. This episode shows that she is hesitant
When the persona is descending into the water, she is required to face the boat, which indicates that she is not sure of what she is getting herself into, in this way indicating the fear of the unknown. She says, “I crawl like an insect down the ladder and there is no one to tell me when the ocean will begin” (line 41, 42). The ladder symbolizes her hope in the process because she could have decided to give up and quit the journey. On the other hand, buoyancy is created in water, which is why she is forced to hold on and go down into the unknown. So, despite the difficulties of the journey, the woman thinks that there is hope at the end of the tunnel.
In line 1 and line 92, the poet refers to theBook of Myths, which is needed for diving. Based on this aspect, the book can be said to symbolize history that ignores the voice of the persona or other people who find themselves in a situation like hers. The image of the persona preparing a camera shows the need for her to capture the whole truth, which will enable her proof the truth about her experiences. Next, the woman uses a knife, which indicates that the persona knows of the dangers lying ahead of her and is, , preparing herself to face these problems head-on. Moreover, she is willing to go on this risky journey provided that she achieves the ultimate goal of self-discovery.
The poet also utilizes imagery, where the androgynous mermaid describes a time period when feminists used to fight for liberation. Another instance of the same is the scene with a log and a co...