Clytemnestra

“There is no peace for a woman with ambition

No love for a woman with a crown

She loves too much she is lustful

Her power is too strong she is ruthless

She fights for vengeance she is mad

Kings are brilliant mighty godlike

Queens are deadly shameless accursed.”

“There is no peace for a woman with ambition” is a prime example of hyperbole that emphasizes the relentless scrutiny that ambitious women must face. This dynamic contrasts sharply with the often-celebrated ambition in men. The poem’s subsequent lines delve into a series of dichotomies that are highlighted by the use of antithesis. Each pair of lines contrasts positive attributes ascribed to kings with negative labels attached to queens. Lastly, the repetitive structure in these lines––affirming a positive attribute and then negating it with a darker trait––is a form of parallelism.

“Clytemnestra swims toward a patch of sunlight glistening on the water, and her sister follows. The two remain floating in the river, their faces like sunflowers, always following the light.”

This passage employs vivid imagery to paint a picture of a tranquil and luminous setting, and despite the dark overtones of the broader tale, the description of sunlight glistening on the water evokes a sense of purity, hope, and clarity. Furthermore, the simile comparing the sisters’ faces to sunflowers, emphasizes their physical orientation toward the light and suggests their natural inclination to seek out all that is bright and good. Just as sunflowers stand together in a field, turning collectively toward the sun, the sisters share a moment of unity and harmony, basking in the light together.