A5 Function Outline

Focal Question: Why does Anne Carson use two contrasting images of horses in her poem “Ode
to Man”, depicting them in the beginning enslaved and exploited, and at the end as carefree and
unrestricted?

Introduction:
Why the obsession with horses? Upon reading “Ode to Man”, the reader is left to wonder about
poet Anne Carson’s unique word choice, of which the frequent mention of horses is arguably
most glaring. Perhaps, the horse stands out to us because of the contrasting images that Carson
paints. In the beginning of the poem, horses are depicted as enslaved creatures, as animals who
humans have exploited for material gain: we are reminded of images of horse-racing and horse-
drawn carriages. However, in the last line, Carson paints a picture of horses as carefree and
unrestricted: this time, our minds are filled with the image of horses prancing across a field,
undisturbed by humanity. The progression of the horse throughout “Ode to Man” is intentional,
serving as a foil to Man and his relationship with the natural world. Through the use of
contrasting images of horses, Carson suggests the inherent irony in the progression of Man.

Revision Plan:
1. Anne Carson mentions horses a total of three times through the course of the poem. In the
beginning, she describes horses as exploited creatures, who have been utilized by man in
order to gain material wealth and conquer the natural world.
a. “…down he grinds the unastonishable earth / with horse and shatter.” (lines 6-7)
b. “He dooms / animals and mountains technically / by yoke he makes the bull bend,
the horse to its knees.”
c. These references are used to place Man in a position of power, saying that he has
essentially exploited horses in the same way that he has conquered birds, waves,
and winter.
2. By the end of the poem, however, Carson portrays horses as carefree animals
a. The last line of the poem: “Hilarious in his high city / you see him cantering just
as he please”
b. Through the use of phrases like “high city”, which portrays horses as dominant
and powerful, and “cantering” which emphasizes their carefree nature
c. This provides a stark contrast to the way horses are portrayed in the previous
paragraph
3. Carson was clearly purposeful in using horses
a. Other translations of the poem do not include horses at all
b. Of all the animals and other aspects of the natural world that she mentions
(waves, fish, etc), horses are the only one that are mentioned multiple times. This
suggests that their progression is important to the overall meaning of the poem
**Potentially need a paragraph of metacommentary following this so that the reader understands
that it is not as simple as it may see? It is not simply about man exploiting nature, and the horse
metaphor is maybe adding another layer to this theme considering they go from powerless to
powerful?
4. The juxtaposition of “lava” and “cantering” in the final line hints that there is danger
looming right below the surface. This relates to human nature.
 a. The dangers of exploitation that horses might be oblivious to
5. In this way, even though humans have previously conquered horses, they have become
one with horses in the final paragraph. This suggests the ironic nature of human progress.
6. The lack of human wisdom relates to Antigone as a whole.
a. Creon insists on burying Antigone alive while keeping Polyneices’ body
unburied, which violates the laws of nature
b. Creon is warned of his actions by Tieresias and the leader of the Chorus, who ask
him to reconsider. However, at the end, he insists on burying Antigone alive
purely to hold true to personal morals
c. Use existing evidence on Tieresias
7. Carson’s point about the irony of human nature is reflected in the conclusion of
Antigone.
a. Because of his violation of the laws of nature, Creon is punished with the guilt of
being responsible for the deaths of his wife and son.
i. “This is my guilt, all mine. I killed you, say it clear….May death come
quick, bringing my final day! O let me never see tomorrow’s dawn.” (page
68)
b. Furthermore, Polyneices was ultimately given a proper burial, meaning that Creon
never accomplished what he originally set out to do
8. Conclusion: Mention how this might tie in with global warming, over drilling, etc.
(contemporary problems that have resulted from our attitude of superiority when it comes
to our relationship with nature). Perhaps, through the use of horses, Carson hopes to shed
new light on Sophocles’ ancient text, relating it to the problems that we face in the
modern era.