Analysis of The Alchemy of Transformation
Karl Constantine FOLKES 1935 (Portland)
Jungians name it
As Individuation
As Self-becoming
A state of becoming whole
Ultimate goal of psyche.
Christians name it
Becoming a “New Person”
A turning around
Saul, now transformed as Saint Paul
On the road to Damascus.
We recognize both
As alchemical process
Journey of the Soul
In search of its completion
A desire never reached.
| Scheme | ABXCX ABXXX XXCBX |
|---|---|
| Poetic Form | Tetractys (20%) |
| Metre | 111 11 11010 0110101 1001110 1011 0100110 01001 1101111 1011010 1101 111 10101 0111010 0010101 |
| Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
| Characters | 345 |
| Words | 65 |
| Sentences | 3 |
| Stanzas | 3 |
| Stanza Lengths | 5, 5, 5 |
| Lines Amount | 15 |
| Letters per line (avg) | 18 |
| Words per line (avg) | 4 |
| Letters per stanza (avg) | 91 |
| Words per stanza (avg) | 19 |
About this poem
The process of alchemical transformation is perhaps best realized in a personal way in the human search for wholeness and completion, often depicted in ancient mythical tales, legends, folklore, fairytales, and as well in Biblical stories of world cultures as ancient archetypes of transformation appearing as portals into the deep mysteries that we hold collectively as aspects of our multi sensory, multidimensional selves contained universally in our Collective Unconscious. This extended three-stanza five-line 5-7-5-7-7 metered Japanese-style Tanka poem, depicts the alchemy of transformation as both a psychological and an inherently spiritual challenge and endeavor of the human psyche to experience healing and wholeness from “dukkha,” the first of The Four Noble Truths in Buddhism and yogic philosophy pertaining to the fundamental unsatisfactoriness and painful nature of mundane life; and as overcome in the ultimate sacrifice of Christ for humanity on the Cross and His triumphal resurrection. more »
Written on July 06, 2022
Submitted by karlcfolkes on July 06, 2022
Modified by karlcfolkes on July 07, 2022
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"The Alchemy of Transformation" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 10 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/131225/the-alchemy-of-transformation>.
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