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Analysis Of Dismantling The House By Stephen Dunn

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The speaker in “Dismantling the House” by Stephen Dunn reflects on the demolition of this house with respect to the memories he has of it along with the loss he feels. By speaking directly to the reader he is actually talking himself through how his house will be demolished and what it means to himself. By discussing his house and the demolition of the symbol of a prized memory, the speaker reveals the impossibility of distancing oneself from something whose symbolism is so important; this is important because it reveals the complexities that arise from the loss acquired through the demolition of the house and the ways one tries to drive this loss towards something positive. The speaker utilizes the second person narrative to speak to himself …show more content…

The passage of time indicated by the short sentence “It’s over.” (16) gives and abrupt shift in topic. The loss that has occurred has not left him, but he want to turn it into something positive. “It’s time for loss to build its tower in the yard where you are merely a spectator now” (16-17). On one level the loss is the physically demolished house whose remains are piled in the yard. One a different level, the personification of the loss demonstrates it has a mind of its own that the speaker cannot control as he is forced to idle watch by. The complexity of the loss leads to the desire for the narrator to bring life back into something damaged beyond repair. The loss of the house and the loss the narrator feels switches creates a desire within the narrator to make use out of something terrible that has happened to him. The juxtaposition of harsh d sounds in “discarded or damaged” (20) paired with the positive and airy “lift” (21) reveals the large shift the narrator would have to make to achieve his dream. The specification of “even gone” (20) by the speaker indicates he recognizes the absurdity of his

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