Painting Back from Market, by Chardin: Structure & Language Techniques

Structure

“Painting Back from Market, by Chardin” follows a loose, free-verse structure, which mimics the casual observations one might make whilst studying a work of art.
The structure of the poem progresses from the specific to the general, starting with the immediate focus on the woman in the painting before trying to capture the essence of life outside the kitchen and concluding with wider reflections on domestic scenes and their significance in art.
Use of enjambment, seen in most lines of the poem, aids the flowing narrative style and allows Boland to weave multiple ideas and images together seamlessly.
Sharp contrast between short sentences and longer, more descriptive passages mirror the range of perception and detail that observing and interpreting art can include.

Boland employs sensory language, effectively painting a vivid picture of the scene. She uses words that evoke specific sounds (“bargain, banter, haggle”), smells (“leek-green, cabbage-rosy”), and feelings (the “heavy” load carried by the woman).
Metaphorical language is used to represent the woman as a symbol of everyday domestic life and of resilience (“a woman carrying her heavy load past the edge of a painted table”).
The poem makes use of alliteration and assonance in phrases such as “brightened haggle,” creating a musical quality to the verse that reflects the rhythm of everyday life.
Boland uses contrast as a technique to examine the juxtaposition between the bustling market place and the calm home space. This also serves to emphasise the woman’s transition from one space to another.
Boland’s personification of the painting (“the painted table”) helps to create a sense of intimacy between the artwork and the viewer, reflecting Boland’s own deeply personal engagement with the painting.