Defamiliarization in the "The Definition of Love" by Marvell and "Washing Day" by Barbauld Anonymous College

The art of poetic depiction of daily actions and familiar objects has become one of the most unique, especially with the development of such technique as defamiliarization. This stylistic technique has become popular due to its ability to depict typical objects from an unusual angle. That is why today it is possible to find a range of poetic masterpieces, which enable the reader to have a totally different vision on familiar things. In particular, The Definition of Love by A. Marvell and Washing Day by A. Barbauld are the perfect examples of the art that enable to have the most unusual view of the things reader might face every day.

The Definition of Love is one of the most famous poems of Andrew Marvell, which is believed to be categorized as metaphysical and philosophical at the same time. In this case, an anonymous lover, the speaker of the poem, provides with his struggle to understand and explain the true feeling of love. In general, this poem represents a scientific and ontological approach to the explanation of love concept. Thus, the speaker tries to define: “What is the being of my love?” The very headline of the poem gives a hint about the paradoxical attempt to define what the love is. In other words, the speaker...