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Analysis of the poem, ‘A Stone’s Throw’

Nature/Situation

The situation in the poem is a re-creation of an incident in John 8: 3-11. A woman who had
been caught in the act of adultery was brought to Jesus by the Pharisees (religious leaders)
who asked if he agreed that she should be stoned to death as the law required. However, no
mention was made of the man who was involved in the adulterous affair. Jesus stooped down
and wrote in the sand and then invited any of the men who considered himself “without sin’
to throw the first stone. One by one they all slunk away, accused by their guilty consciences.

Structure

The poem is written in Free Verse with seven stanzas of unequal length. This allows the
persona to express himself freely with the constraints of observing poetic rules.

Themes

Societal Issues

This includes Infidelity, Adultery and Stereotyping/Discrimination (only the female was held
accountable): Line 2: “We’ve got her! Here she is!”

Male/Female Relationships

The dynamic and intricate nature of male/female interaction is brought out in the poem. The
dominant reaction of the male in the relationship is brought out.

Morality

The issue that cheating by females is wrong is explored in the poem.

Religion

The poem is based on John 8:3-11 and explores biblical teachings in this regard.

Adultery

This societal issue is explored but there is a definite bias towards the men in the relationship.

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Figurative Devices

Biblical Allusion

The poem alludes to the biblical story of John 8:3-11of the woman caught in adultery.

Irony

The poet uses irony to portray the smugness of the woman’s accusers. They are willing to sin
by stoning the woman to death yet they are accusing her of being sinful.

Repetition

In Stanza Six, the word “eyes” is repeated. Jesus looks at the men and sees past their
religious clothing to the lust and hypocrisy inside. Similarly, the woman now sees past their
religious exterior and the men finally see themselves as they really are. It is they who are on
trial now, not the woman.

Pun

Line 33: “her level”: This is the physical location where Jesus squatted as well as the ‘moral’
level that the woman is believed to be at.

Contrast

This refers to the varying beliefs of morals about the consequences of infidelity for men
versus women.

Euphemism

Lines 13-14: “She’d felt men’s hands greedy over her body”- This refers to the sexual
encounter.

Enjambment

Lines 1-2, 9-10, 11-14, 17-18, 19-20, 21-22, 23-24, 25-27, 34-35, 42-46:

The functions of enjambment are to reinforce certain ideas within the lines themselves, to
surprise the reader and to establish a fast rhythm or pace for a poem.

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Punctuation

Punctuation is used to enhance the irony. For instance, the use of the dash for explication and
suspense may be observed.

Diction

The vocabulary relates to the themes in the poem such as “assault” and “frigid rape”. The
speaker also used words like “virtuous” and “justice”. Words associated with a sexual
encounter: “love bites”, “hand greedy over her body”, “kisses”, “rape” and “tastes good”.
Words and phrases that are associated with violence are used such as “roughed her up’,
“bruised”, “assault and battery” and “kisses of stone”.

MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE:

These are tense, violent, vengeful and forgiving.

TONE:

These were condemnatory, accusatory and ecstatic.

POINT OF VIEW:

The incident is told in the first person point of view from the perspective of one of the
Pharisees.

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