It is very ironic that I am writing about this poem, due to the fact that I am watching Clash of the Titans, the Harry Hamlin version not the remake. Watching this movie, I am reminded that the Kraken was a force used by the gods, Hades especially, for obedience. In the poem, the reader see that the kraken has not been awaken for centuries and his slumber will never be disturbed. I cannot help but notice that his sleep will go unnoticed due to rise of christianity and the fall of polytheism. With the greek gods no longer being worshipped, the Kraken whose sole purpose was to fulfill the will of vengeful gods, no longer has a purpose.
The speaker in the last lines show that the Kraken will slumber until the end of the earth when he will rise but it will be for his own death.
I hadn't thought to look at it like that, and really didn't know what to do with the poem. But this is a really neat way to interpret this poem. Natural disasters are just natural disasters. They aren't punishments from above. So the people can worship out out of love more than they can out of fear. Thanks for the insight!
ReplyDeleteTony,
ReplyDeleteInteresting commentary on Tennyson's poem, but I am pretty sure Tennyson and the director of Clash of the Titans do not share this similar an understanding of the mythological sea creature. To support your thesis you would need more textual evidence from the poem of that religious context. You don't offer any textual evidence here.
I think this is an interesting take on the poem, and I do like that you made modern day connections with it. I agree that the Kraken in the poem has something to do with religion but I am still not exactly sure what the connection is.
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