Revelation: Theme; Evil

“Revelation: Theme - Evil”

“Revelation” by Liz Lochhead is an intense poem that expresses the speaker’s childhood fear and fascination of evil, represented by an encounter with a bull.

The bull is a symbol of evil in the poem, first introduced as a ‘beast’ that terrifies the speaker.
The speaker’s initial view of evil is shaped by her religious upbringing and her understanding centres around traditionally ‘evil’ creatures like the devil.
The choice of the bull as the representative of evil is significant as Lochhead draws on the biblical imagery of the Golden Calf, an idol worshipped in defiance of God.

The poem uses foreign terms, such as ‘fiend’ and ‘diablo’, to create a universalised image of evil.
Lochhead frequently uses the motif of ‘fire’ in relation to the bull, referencing the ‘fire-breathed’, ‘fiery furnace’ and ‘Bible-black dusk’. This imagery reinforces the characterisation of the bull, and by extension evil, as dangerous and destructive.
The ‘roses’ that are ‘growing out of bulls horn’ towards the end of the poem creates a stark contrast between beauty and danger, symbolising the complexity of evil and possibly suggesting that evil can be deceptive.

Fear is emphasised through language such as ‘horror-stricken’ and ‘trembling terror’. The use of alliteration in these phrases heightens the drama and allows readers to empathise with the speaker’s feelings of dread.
The description of the bull ‘in the terrifying flesh’ emphasises its physical, real world presence, making the evil more immediate and more threatening.

By the end of the poem, the speaker begins to realise that evil is not as straightforward as she had been taught, symbolised by ‘real roses growing out of the bulls horn’. This suggests a growth in understanding, as she recognises that evil is intricate and often intertwined with goodness, contradicting her childhood beliefs.

The theme of evil creates a dramatic tension and suspense in the poem, leading to a thoughtful exploration of fear, religion, and the complexities of good and evil.
Lochhead’s exploration of evil is accessible to readers as it is rooted in real world images and experiences, allowing them to engage deeply with the poem’s themes and ideas.