The poem “A Kite is a Victim” by Leonard Cohen contains several literary devices. According to my own research, the author’s main topic is life. Cohen discusses our connections and achievements as we go through life. I believe that the kite is a metaphor for life itself, in terms of its essence . Each of the four stanzas begins with a trope. In every instance, the tenor will be the kite. These tropes will be examined in relation to the poem’s main theme. The first tenor can be found in line one of the first stanza.
The kite is described as “hungry for the wind.” The wind in this context can be seen as a metaphor for life experiences and the opportunities that they bring. The kite is eager to experience life and all that it has to offer. Cohen also uses the phrase “fighting for the string” which emphasizes the effort that is required to live a full life. It is not easy to maintain our grip on life and we must continually fight for it. The second line of the first stanza introduces the theme of relationships with the phrase “tied to a child’s hand.” A child’s hand can be seen as a metaphor for our human connection with others.
We are all tied together by our relationships and our interactions with others. The third line introduces the theme of time with the phrase “soaring through the sky.” This line emphasizes the fleeting nature of life. We only have a limited amount of time to experience all that life has to offer. The fourth line introduces the theme of mortality with the phrase “dying in the sun.” This line highlights the fact that we all die and that life is finite.
The second stanza introduces the theme of sacrifice with the phrase “giving up its freedom.” A kite can be seen as a symbol for freedom. However, in order for a kite to fly high, it must be tethered to a string. This line represents the sacrifices that we make in order to live a full life. We give up some of our freedom in order to have relationships and experiences. The third stanza introduces the theme of hope with the phrase “hoping for a miracle.”
This line emphasizes the fact that we all hope for something better in life. We hope for miracles, but sometimes they don’t come. The fourth stanza introduces the theme of regret with the phrase “knowing it will never come.” This line represents the fact that we all have regrets in life. We may not get what we want or even what we deserve.
Leonard Cohen uses these tropes to discuss the central theme of life. He highlights the relationships, experiences, and emotions that we all go through. The kite is a metaphor for the human experience. We are all tethered to something, whether it be our relationships or our mortality. We all have a limited amount of time to experience life and we must make the most of it.
“A kite is a victim you are confident in,” according to Cohen. This is personification. Leonard Cohen employs a human quality “victim” to describe an inanimate object. The tenor would be the kits, and the vehicle is clearly the victim. Life and love are described in the first stanza. The kite is a victim, just as life may be a sacrifice or occasionally an unavoidable pain. Because we have joy, we must also endure sadness and suffering. You’re sure of it because it’s part of everyday life for you. You know that experiencing these hard times is necessary if you want to move forward…
The second stanza talks about how love is just as much a victim. It is often something that we give our hearts to and it can be easily broken. A person can be hurt in love and it can leave us feeling empty and alone. Cohen asks “Can you see the kite dancer turning?” This could be interpreted as asking if we can see the beauty in the midst of all the pain.
There is always something to appreciate, even when life and love feels like it’s dragging us down. In the end, Cohen leaves us with this message: “Life is brief but love is long”. No matter how hard life gets, we should always remember that love is worth fighting for. It may not be easy, but it is worth it.
Leonard Cohen’s poem “A Kite is a victim” personifies the kite as a victim and uses this to explore the themes of life, love, and pain. He writes that we are all victims in some way or another, whether it be from life itself or from love. Even though times may be tough, we should always remember that love is worth fighting for.
The tug of the attraction of life is what Seneca refers to when he says that it is tempting because it draws. Life is fascinating since you don’t have total control over it. There are highs and lows, just like a kite in the wind. The following tenors I will identify can be found in the first stanza of lines three and four. Both of these lines feature personification, with the tenor being the kite and the entire phrases representing the vehicle.
Cohen is hinting that the kite may be a victim, but also that we as people can be victims to life’s circumstances. The kite cannot control the wind, just as we cannot always control what happens to us in life. The poem speaks to the human condition and our need for understanding and acceptance of the things we cannot change.
A drawer is a place where one puts things to be hidden away or forgotten. This line is saying that in order to keep the kite, and by extension, your life, you must put it away and forget about it. The second stanza begins with a new image, that of a “dog on a leash. ”
This image represents the way society tells us how to live our lives. We are given just enough freedom to make us think we are free, but in reality, we are controlled by others. The dog is also representative of our innocence. We start out life pure and good, but as we grow older, we learn to be selfish and mean. In the last line of the stanza, Cohen says “and you can always pull it back. ”
This line represents the fact that we can always go back to the way things were before we learned about society and its expectations. The third and final stanza returns to the image of the kite. Cohen says that the kite is a victim because it is “forced to fly so high. ” It is forced to go against its nature in order to please those who are holding it down. The kite is also a victim because it is “always in danger of breaking free.”
It is never safe from those who want to control it, and it can never truly be free. In the last line of the poem, Cohen says “but at least it has a chance. ” This line is saying that even though the kite is a victim, it still has a chance to be free. It may never be able to escape from those who are controlling it, but at least it has a chance.
