Rationale

My final project explores transformation by considering the following question about change: How does an dramatic event cause someone's life to change and to transform over time? My project’s response to this question is that the change has been shown through the transition of the ideas of the four poems. She begins thinking she won’t forgive herself but later accepts what happened, ‘I’m who I wanted to be’. The use of tones and imagery of the poems show her feelings and her transformation as a person. It shows that she lets go of the past.

I was inspired by the short story, ‘Getting Closer’ which is written by Steven Millhauser. This is evident as I have compared the theme of Getting Closer with my theme of transforming and letting go of fears. I have portrayed this by using my poems to show the idea of fear holding you back. I expanded on my theme by doing the following:

1. The use of different tones highlight the idea letting go of her fears. The tone changes every poem indicating the progress of leaving her worry behind her, showing the reader she has accepted what happened.

2. My use of setting changes each poem and underlines my theme by showing the ages the character is at. The change of theme and the imagery show the importance of the setting as the setting represents the stages of her life. It shows her transforming as a person both mentally and physically.

3. The use of imagery intends to make the audience think about what has happened in her life. The imagery represents the trouble she has gone through but it also shows the setting of the poems. By using auditory and visual imagery, for example ‘the fun tumbled down the stairs’, readers should feel the heartache the girl is going through in the first poem. However, their feelings should change as the girl has accepted herself.

My understanding of tone and imagery are influenced by Steven Millhauser and Doris Lessing. This is evident when you consider the use of different types of imagery in my poems and multiple tones I have used. This helped me to show the importance of ideas and portray the theme of the poems. The description and atmosphere I have used in the poems helped to create a strong tone, imagery and theme for the poems.

The three most important creative decisions I made when designing this work are:

1. Showing the theme throughout the poems. My poems use different types of imagery, which helped show the idea of time passing and transformation. By using the same character, I have shown the idea of changing mentally and physically.

2. How to show her transforming as a person. My poems use ideas from the other poems to influence her opinions and decisions. I wanted the poems to reflect what had happened in her past and how she has changed since then. Also, by using images, I was able to show the transition in a more detailed way. The transition shown was both mentally and physically.

3. How make the four poems flow together: I have made the four poems flow by linking them with the same ideas. By referring back to past poems, the readers are able to understand that it is the same person. The atmosphere of the poems gradually get happier and using figurative language, I was able to connect every poem together.

This decisions were instrumental in developing my theme because it helps to connect the poems and show the reason for creating the poems. This helps the audience to realise the importance a dramatic event can have on a person. Also, it helps to show the character transforming both mentally and physically by using the same ideas throughout the poems. It reinforces the ideas of the poems and shows the change she has gone through. I wanted my readers to think about how a person changes. This helps to emphasise the theme and tones of the poems and helped to show the development of the character. The readers are supposed to get a better understanding of how an event can have an effect on a person.

Literary devices work together towards a common goal. I have made sure to weave together the use of literary devices. The way I created the poems, I was able to capture the essence of change by using imagery and description. For example, this quote ‘I turn away and face my future’, shows the idea of moving on and not looking back. Additionally, by using figurative language, I showed the change the character went through. I was able to connect my ideas by reflecting back on the poems. Throughout the poems, I achieved different tones, such as somber and harmony, which helped highlight the theme.