Out of Time Analysis

This document provides an analysis of a visual representation created for the poem "Out of Time" by Kenneth Slessor. The short film incorporates the major themes of time, humanity's insignificance, and the inevitability of death through imagery of clocks, water, and scenes depicting humans' futile attempts to control time. Clocks shown repeatedly throughout emphasize the rapid passing of time. Figures desperately try to control time by changing a clock or grasping at a celestial symbol of time, conveying the impossibility of doing so. Imagery of trees, blood, and a person pushed through clouds highlights humanity's powerlessness against time. The film juxtaposes life and death to represent the cycle of living from birth to

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Out of Time Analysis

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Nancy Ho

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Out of Time Analysis

My visual representation of Kenneth Slessors poem Out of Time incorporates most of the
numerous themes present in the poem. The short film consists of the themes of time, the
insignificance of humans and their fate -the inevitability of death- and the ocean.
Throughout the duration of the video, the constant imagery ofclocks ticking is due to Slessors
repetition of the word time. This conveys how time is constantly there as time continues and
moves on regardless of who you are, the moment at present and the person of importance. I have
shown this by incorporating a wide range of clocks to be shown at numerous time intervals
repeatedly throughout the video. This is to show the rapid passing of time as well as to emphasize the
importance of time in the poem. In the gradually decaying world that Slessor presents, the relentless
march of time is lucidly evident. Although there is no imitation of a god or an afterlife in this poem
its as if time itself is god, for Slessor envisions time to be characterized as being neither cruel nor
pitying but implacable. This embodiment of time is represented in the repetition of clocks shown
constantly throughout the video and the ending scene. Which consist of a clock suddenly appearing
after what seems to be a quiet and peaceful ending. The abruptness of both sound -that is the
dramatic ticking of a clock- and imagery of the clocks was to remind the audience that time will
forever flow no matter what. In the visual representation, a lot of water imagery was used as Slessor
uses the extended metaphor of water to reflect the incessant progression of time. With the lines So
Time, the wave, enfolds me in its bed, so water bends the seaweeds in the sea
and much more. This then makes the video smoother hence slowing down the
pace of the video much like to Slessors use of commas to slow down the pace
of the his poem.
The folly acts of humans attempting to measure, control and place limits on the nature of time are
touched upon significantly in the video. Near the start of the film, I used a clip of a girl desperately
trying to revere back time by moving the hands of a clock; this of course has not changed anything as
the clocks hands automatically moved back to its original position. Thus conveying the utter
foolishness it is to control time. This point is further empathized through a scene later on in the video
of a figure desperately trying to grasp on a wispy-like celestial symbolizing time. These futile
attempts of controlling the impossible is due to Slessors line "The flood, the blade go by - Time
flows, not you!" Reminding humans of their rightful place and utter insignificance and worthlessness
in contrast to time. The line Vilely, continuously, stupidly, is represented by the use of vivid
imagery presented in the video. The trees surrounded by subtle redness in conjunction with the hasty
and rushed movement of which the camera moves signifies the how humans are rapidly giving
themselves up to the ravenous of time. Signifying the rapid transitioning nature of Earth as well as
highlighting its harsher aspects. Moreover the scene of a person being pushed through the clouds
denotes the powerlessness humans have against the grip of time. The cruelness and transcending
nature of time is then further emphasized through the use of blood and vein imagery for Time takes
me, drills me, drives through bone and vein, and will continue to do so until the day they die. The
personification Eager to quench and ripen, kiss or kill; is represented through the imagery of a rose
blossoming, a passionate kiss and the killing/ death of a burning butterfly. The person that is shown
falling through the roof in slow motion represents how futile it is to try and escape or prevent time.
In result exposing the anger of humans through the scenes of destruction upon various flowers and
the breaking of a wine glass. The muffled sound effect of glass breaking is incorporated to signify the
fragility of humans and how easily it is for humans to simply break. In addition, suggesting the
fragility of the moment and time of china sand. The cycle of life, Birth, to be flesh, or funeral, to
be ghost is visually presented in the video and thus juxtaposes against life and death.The lines
Fixed in a sweet meniscus, out of Time, Out of the torrent, like the fainter land
means to step outside of time for a moment in tranquil and bliss, the person too
absorbed in the moment to notice that time is passing. But to only enjoy the
dream-like state that the person is currently in. Starting of with a person
jumping into the ocean, following on with vivid imageries of water, life and
Nancy Ho- 10ENG1