analysis of "e;Skunk Hour"e; by Robert Lowell

Seminar paper from the year 2020 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1,3, University of Tubingen (Englisches Seminar), course: Seminar, language: English, abstract: Searching for couples in the middle of the night next to a graveyard is not the usual night out for everybody. The verses 27onwards in the poem "e;Skunk Hour"e; by Robert Lowell, written in 1957, mark a change, a volta, from a colourful scheme to a dark tone. The poem has elements of setting up three specific people who are characterized through loneliness, isolation and showiness against skunks. The "e;hermit heiress"e;, "e;summer millionaire"e; and the "e;fairy decorator"e; are introduced in different stanzas. The speaker gives a short and unique glimpse into their life. This unusual comparison and dramatic change of events will be further analysed in this essay.