Lies in Rossetti’s, Smith’s and Askew’s Poetry Essay

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Poetry is different from prose in that the former can express broad ideas in a limited number of words. Moreover, poems can use sophisticated rhyming, stylistic devices, and other approaches to convey the authors’ ideas precisely. The three pieces under analysis have different structures and seem to address various issues. Christina Rossetti’s “In an Artist’s Studio” depicts the painter’s favorite muse. Maggie Smith’s “Good Bones” describes a series of dangerous issues a child can encounter, but which, nevertheless, she keeps away from her children in order to make them feel safe and happy. Finally, Judith Askew’s “Bakery of Lies” presents a list of types of lies, each of them shaped and flavored differently, but all of them being shameless. Whereas the subjects of each poem look different, they are all united by the leitmotif of deception. Rosetti’s lie has the character of misinterpretation and fantasy, Smith’s has the form of concealment or white lies, and Askew’s is presented in the form of allegory to different kinds of desserts.

The topic uniting all three poems is lies in various interpretations. This theme is the least obvious in Rossetti’s piece, for only by the end of the poem can the reader guess that the girl does not exist in reality. The words “as she fills his dream” indicate that the girl that is described with so much love and tenderness is only the object of the artist’s imagination (Rossetti 14). And then, when rereading the poem once again, more and more hints that the girl is too good to be true become noticeable. She is “hidden” (Rossetti 3), “nameless” (6), and never “wan” or “dim” (12). In this poem, lies are not implied as a means of brutal deceit. Rather, the spirit of fantasy makes one feel how helpful the girl’s image has been in the painter’s career by serving as his inspiration for many years.

Unlike Rossetti’s romantic representation of fiction, Smith’s one is much harsher. The author emphasizes a variety of unpleasant things that one can encounter and says that she will not let her children know about them. The poet admits that “Life is short” (Smith 1), and the world is “at least fifty / percent terrible” (5-6), but she will not tell her children about it. She will not tell her children about the suffering and dangers that they may encounter. Smith compares herself to a “realtor” (14) whose job is to make people believe that they can “make this place beautiful” (17). Smith’s poem is much more dramatic than that by Rossetti. Smith sketches the world as it is, without making it seem more beautiful or friendly. However, there is one ‘but’ about this ugly truth: the author will never reveal it to her children. Therefore, the poet’s honesty is quite deficient, for she refuses to share it with the most precious people in her life.

Finally, Askew’s poem is the sincerest, bluntly enumerating the typology of lies. This piece is different from the previous two because it directly speaks about lies instead of concealing them. However, it is similar to Rossetti’s and Smith’s pieces due to covering the same broad theme. Askew’s shrewd and smart comparisons of lies to desserts are not only ironic but also harsh The poet speaks of “inflated” and “expanded” lies (Askew 2, 3), “long” and “well-packed” ones (4-5), “a little white lie” (7), and other ways of deceiving. Each of the metaphors used by Askew sounds funny at first, but within a moment, the reader realizes how bittersweet the whole idea is. While “cream puff” (Askew 1), “cannoli” (4), “macaroon” (7), “apple tart” (10), and “napoleon” (13) are commonly associated with something tasty, careless, and pleasant, they lose their taste when employed to describe untruthfulness. Askew makes it clear that some people try to wrap unpleasant things in a colorful and delightful cover. However, once the receiver unpacks it, he or she will not be able to avoid disappointment and sourness.

While each of the three poems has a different focus and representation, they are all united by the depiction of anguish that one will inevitably feel once the truth is uncovered. The artist from Rossetti’s poem will have to admit that his muse only exists in “his dream” (14). The children from Smith’s poem will grow up and see the world in all its ugliness. They will most likely question their mother as to why she has never told them what a “shithole” it was (Smith 15). As for Askew’s piece, the author urges people that their deceitful behavior will sooner or later be uncovered, no matter how much sugar they use to prepare their “dark deceit” (15).

The analysis of three poems allows concluding that the theme connecting them is dishonesty. The depiction starts with a comparatively light form of lies – fantasy – in Rossetti’s piece, then moves to concealment in Smith’s poem and further – to Askew’s blatant and honest typology of lies. Each of the authors selected a different approach to explain the role and meaning of deceit. However, all of them are equally persuasive in their attempt to portray lies as something that cannot remain concealed forever.

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IvyPanda. 2022. "Lies in Rossetti’s, Smith’s and Askew’s Poetry." February 13, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/lies-in-rossettis-smiths-and-askews-poetry/.

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IvyPanda. "Lies in Rossetti’s, Smith’s and Askew’s Poetry." February 13, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/lies-in-rossettis-smiths-and-askews-poetry/.

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