BEAUTY AND TIARAS
Take the crown
Off the Troll Queen’s head,
Bow down, as low as you can
And give respect to the White Queen
Who now rules over our heads.
Drunk off Tiaras and Perfect Blue high,
May the darkness creep in
Ever so slowly,
As insanity begins to reside.
Through the green-eyed snake
As darkness consumes the light,
The White Swan has been tainted,
And has fallen without the grace of Mercy’s
Call.
Devoured for the price of Beauty and Tiaras,
We await the arrival
Of a new Swan to lead us through this rhyme
One more time.
COMMENTARY
The second inspiration for the poem is the movie, the Swan Queen. I had watched the animated movie when I was younger and am fairly aware of the storyline. However, after watching the movie (or at least an in-depth review of the movie), it completely threw me into a renewed frenzy to explore the theme of insanity/madness. As I am a lover of dark themes, I found it deeply fascinating to explore the downward spiral of a young woman into madness as a result of her own vanity and was happy to find out that the movie was heavily inspired by an anime called Perfect Blue, another story I love and will explore further in another poem.
So this is an attempt to contribute my own piece to the theme of madness/insanity.
THE CENTRAL MESSAGE
PROGRESSIVE THEMES IN THE POEM
This poem does not need much explanation as its context (insanity) is already rooted in popular literature and does not require an in-depth exploration of the concept itself. I think the best way to experience this poem is the enjoy the shock value as the narrative unfolds progressively and in my opinion, this form of tragedy (madness) is best left unexplained as the sense of instability helps contribute to the reception of the poem.
However, it is important to discuss the character of the narrator as he is an external element introduced to serve as the symbol for a group of people, possibly a cult, close to the position of power (the Throne). They are a prevalent part of the narrative as they perpetrate the cycle of tragedy seen throughout the poem. They are the ones who chose the Queen, feed her obsession, watch her spiral into her own destruction and ultimately find another person to take her place, almost like a ritual sacrifice that is never-ending.
I find this character interesting because he serves as the icon for this group and is the only person who interacts with the reader despite the sinister motive that he oozes throughout the poem. As he is the reader’s only source of information about the main character, they are forced to witness a tragedy unfold throughout the duration of the poem without any relief from the intensity of the story. The crescendo further heightens as the reader witnesses the demise of the young lady and are faced with the realization that this is recurring cycle in the final moments of the poem.
The presence/character of the narrator builds tension and anxiety that helps heighten the emotional stakes of the story. I will admit that not much is given to be invested in the main character but that is intentional as the reader is witnessing the events through the eyes of the perpetrator who sees the Queen as the means to a never-ending goal.
IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS
In the first stanza, we are introduced to the narrative by the narrator, who details the deposition of the old Queen, described as a troll and the introduction of a new ruler.
01-Take the crown: the symbol of authority
02-Off the Troll Queen’s head: the old ruler
03-Bow down, as low as you can: a sign of respect to the throne
04-And give respect to the White Queen: the new ruler and next sacrifice
05-Who now rule over our heads: a reference to the Alice in Wonderland
This is an interesting start that serves as a subtle foreshowing for the rest of the poem. In lines 01-02, the crown is being removed from the old ruler, who is described as a Troll Queen (which in fairy-tales usually means an evil looking or unwanted person) and given to the new Queen. However, it should be noted that at this point, her fate is not explained but at the end of the poem, various theories can be made regarding what happened to her.
The lines 03-04 depicts the induction of a new ruler with reference to bowing as low as you can and giving respect but in the last line 05, there is a subtle reference the Evil Queen in Alice in Wonderland. This is a based on the famous phrase “off with your head” but now is being used to refer to the new Queen in a slightly cynical way. So the first stanza introduces the basic elements of the story with an eerie twist in its tone.
In the second stanza, it depicts a progressive timeline where the main character, the Queen, is slowly losing herself and the impending danger that waits at the end of the poem.
06-Drunk off Tiaras and Perfect Blue high: a reference to her growing obsession
07-May the darkness creep in: a looming threat of danger
08-Ever so slowly: an extension of the previous intent
09-As insanity begins to reside: the central objective of the poem.
The narrator has now taken the role of a story teller in lines 06-08, telling the reader the she is progressively indulging in her self-worth and her imminent destruction, even seeming to goad her on. In line 09, there is a direct intent to cause harm to the main character even to the point of wishing insanity upon her. This is where the “cult mentality” (in this case refers to the presence of a cult) comes to play. This stanza hints that there is a need for the main character to become obsessed or at least become disillusioned with herself in order for her to serve the purpose of the cult, which at this point, suggest to be a ritual of sorts.
So the second stanza establishes the progression of the story as well as the introduction of the cult mentality (which is to mean the subtle presence of a cult in the mind of the reader).
In the third stanza, the fate of the Queen has been sealed as the reader is informed that she has fulfilled her purpose to the cult.
10- Through the green-eyed snake: a reference to the Swan Queen movie
11- As darkness consumes the light**: an allegory for her loss against her own vanity
12- The White Swan has been tainted: her final push to destruction
13- And has fallen without the grace of Mercy’s: her demise
14- Call: a continuation of the previous line
The narrator jump-cuts to the future, sparing the reader from the gruelling tales of her detailed descendent into madness but also serving the purpose of cutting sharply to the main crux of the story which is her downfall.
In line 10, there is a direct reference to the Swan Queen movie where Nina sees her rival flirting with her supposed love interest, which triggers her to become the black Swan. This moment signifies her loss of self and control because of jealousy/envy (the green-eyed monster), which is the meaning embedded in the line 10. This is followed up with line 11 which serves as a reinforcement of line *10. Lines 11-14 details her final demise just as the character of Nina in the movie. So the third stanza briefly explores the demise and sacrifice of the Queen.
In the fourth and final stanza, the presence of the narrator overlaps with the presence of the cult. While their presence is in the poem has been subtle so far, hiding behind the voice of the narrator, they have become more pronounced as they assume the role of the main character, interacting with the reader and expressing their desire to acquire a new Queen after the death of the former main character.
15-Devoured for the price of Beauty and Tiaras: the fate of the “Swan” Queen
16-We await the arrival: the beginnings of a new cycle
17-Of a new Swan to lead us through this rhyme: their intent
18- One more time: signs of a never-ending cycle tragedy
The final stanza shows the final conclusion to the poem as well as the intent of the cult. As said above, the cult mentality* is given the central focus here after the death of the Queen. They loudly state their eagerness to receive a new Queen and an intent to continue the cycle of tragedy that befalls anyone who becomes the Queen. This idea lends itself to believe this charade of having a Queen is a ritual of sorts which they perform without end. The Wicker Man comes to mind in this regard. So the final stanza concludes with the death of the Queen and the probable start of a new cycle of tragedy.
FINAL THOUGHTS.
So the theme is madness/insanity is an interesting route to take, one that I am very interested in. The Swan Queen movie is really good and I will highly recommend it. If you are into animation, you should check out Perfect Blue. They are immensely suspenseful movies and can be a source of inspiration if you are into tragic heroines.
This analysis took enough time and intensity than the previous one, maybe because I have to keep to the schedule to post one poem per day but I will definitely try! Also, my eyes hurt, so yeah. No complaints here, it’s all for the greater good.
Please let me know what you think about this poem and thank you for reading!
Much love and respect.
Dammie.
IMAGE CREDIT
image one: pinterest.co.uk/pin/152770612340482451
image two: lh3.googleusercontent.com/1j29OX34TFJGqqW9t9kfNDrk1Vk8KJTeAtDQ1W1QdQloZk2gNKwQ_X9HqZpvYSxqeERZ=s85
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