Revelation: Theme; Loss of Innocence

Revelation: Theme; Loss of Innocence

“Revelation”: Theme; Loss of Innocence

Background and Setting

  • The poem “Revelation” by Liz Lochhead is written in a first-person narrative from the perspective of a younger Lochhead, recounting her encounter with a bull for the first time.
  • This encounter is significant as it signifies a revelation and marks the transition from childhood innocence to the harsh realities of the world.

Symbolism

  • Lochhead employs the use of a bull as a symbol to mark the end of the speaker’s innocence. The bull, with its sheer physicality and Icarus-inspired metaphor, is indicative of a dangerous, unexplored adult world.
  • The “small calves” are symbolic of the speaker’s childhood innocence, a stage she is forced to leave behind after her encounter with the bull.

Tone and Mood

  • The tone of the poem turns darker as the speaker embarks on her journey of understanding - the underlying fear and apprehension is contrasted with the earlier innocence and naivety.
  • The mood of the poem follows a similar trajectory as the speaker grapples with her changing world view, resulting in an air of unease and tension.

Use of Language and Imagery

  • Lochhead’s use of vivid and expressive language aids in the stark depiction of the bull - a looming, terrifying creature representing the loss of innocence.
  • The “fire of his heart and shoulders were beautiful” paints a daunting image of the bull, invoking both fear and fascination in the reader, mirroring the speaker’s own emotions in her confrontational moment.

Interpretation

  • “Revelation” serves as an allegory for the painful process of growing up. The speaker’s revelation represents the universal experience of coming to terms with the loss of childhood innocence.
  • Lochhead artfully conveys the complex emotions surrounding this rite of passage, making this poem an important study for understanding its universal applicability.

Understanding the use of symbolism, imagery and language in conveying the theme of loss of innocence in “Revelation” not only offers an analysis of the poem, but an introspection into the universal process of growing up.