" Picnic On The Lawn ", by Vernon Scannell is about three women discussing their hopes and dreams whilst having a picnic. The techniques and word choice may be confusing at first, however are effective and help to convey the meaning of the poem.
Two of the women have families, including children, however the other was left by her lover some time ago. During their picnic, one of the women asks what their dreams are.
The first women, asking the question, answered first. She longed to drive alone in a sports car, looking very glamorous, by wearing a headscarf, as well as dark glasses.
The second mother wishes to ride through an autumn morning on a horse with the wind blowing her hair. She also wants to surf, wearing a black bikini, during the summer.
These two women have very similar dreams, as all they really wish for is freedom. This freedom they desire is so that they can escape from their family responsibilities. .
" I would like to drive alone in a powerful sports car. " .
" I wish I could ride through an autumn morning on a chestnut mare. ".
Both of these show that the two mothers want to be left alone and be out in the open where no one and nothing can bother them.
However, the third woman would like to have her own family and also have responsibility for taking care of her family.
The techniques used in the poem, all help to reveal the message that the poem is giving out, which is that no matter what you have, you will always wish for what others have or own.
Vernon Scannell uses similes as one way of communicating the meaning. They are good to use as they compare two things, which is easier to understand and picture. In the first stanza Scannell compares the women's dresses to big, colourful petals< this is quite a good simile, as both of these are colourful and quite bright.
" Their dresses were splashed on the green like big petals. ".
Also later on in the poem, in stanza eight the poet compares the " jet black hair " to smoke, just as if it were streaming from her head.