What general comments can you make about the poetry of Gwen Harwood?

What general comments can you make about the poetry of Gwen Harwood?


Gwen Harwood was a very dynamic poet. In her poetry, the differences in a person's perspective and attitudes towards circumstances are brought on by external influences normally in the form of a person. I have enjoyed reading Harwood's poetry very much but everyone's perspective of poetry is different. Someone may love one poem, but the next person may hate it. It is all up to personal preference. Gwen seemed to write two sonnets 'The Suburban Sonnet' and 'In The Park' partly by personal experience. In a Gwen Harwood biography it reads, "Gwen aspired to become a famous musician, but decided she would never be a good enough pianist". Which must have inspired her to write 'Suburban Sonnet', about a woman whose dream to become a famous pianist ceased when she had children. The biography also reads "Most children do not see their parents troubles, and instead increase them". Much like in the poem 'In the Park...