Creativity is very fragile. One person can destroy the balance. In this poem, it is the government that upsets this balance. They try to suppress all creativity like a seine. During “La Seine”, the suppression of creativity is a constant battle. In "The Purse Seine", Robinson Jeffers tells the audience about humans' helplessness in the face of oppressive government using metaphors and other literary devices. Symbolism is used throughout "The Purse Seine" to show that something as simple as a closing net can relate to a bigger picture. The most notable symbol in this poem is the seine itself. This net represents the government, and the continuation of the net means that "the government takes all the powers" and closes in on creativity. The seine represents the trappers' government. The fish was "flapping wildly from wall to wall..." This symbolizes smart people fighting back, but it's too late. The net is already being raised. Jeffers has many symbols personifying human weakness and helplessness. "How beautiful is the scene, and a little terrible then, when the crowded fish know that they are captured..." The beautiful shimmering bodies represent how beautiful a human life can be, but they are terrible because humans know that even in the joys of life, being caught by death is a threat. “…each beautiful thin body covered in flames, like a real rocket…” Human lives are like rockets. Although they are beautiful, they are short-lived and can fade into oblivion without a trace. “Inevitable mass catastrophes” are also used by Jeffers to illustrate the helplessness of humans. If these “mass catastrophes” are inevitable, then humans are too weak to prevent them from happening. The symbols used by Robinson Jef...... middle of paper......, so no new ideas can be heard. In “The Seine,” many metaphors are used to describe government, creativity, and human life. Throughout “The Seine,” many literary devices are used. Robinson Jeffers gives his opinion on humans through this poem by suggesting that they are dependent, helpless and unconscious. He tells it to the audience using literary devices. Using symbolism and metaphors, he shows the reader that a closing net is more than a closing net. It is a trap government that attempts to trap all human creativity. Jeffers uses imagery to add depth to his words. Its imagery adds to the symbols and metaphors and makes them more descriptive and expressive. Throughout "The Purse Seine", Robinson Jeffers uses metaphors and other literary devices to describe the oppressive government and the crushing creativity of society..