A Consumer’s Report

Question 1

Content

Answer 1

Porter parodies a consumer’s report to a marketing survey.
Hé muses on the merits and flaws of life as if it were a commercial product

Question 2

Interprétation

Answer 2

Porter uses the conceit of the report to satirise the hollowness and meaninglessness of human life
- commerialism & commodity criticism

Question 3

Context

Answer 3

Australia born, lives in uk
Published in 1970 in ‘the last of England’
Post war capitalisme and consumerism - economic boom by 1970 - many artists/writers critique dehumanising and disillusioning rise of commodity fetishism

Question 4

F&s

Answer 4

Short first stanza acts as a preface, establishing Porter’s parodic tone/method.

Blurring of prose/poetry – enjambment (poetic); parenthesis (prosaic).
•Expanding/contracting line length – bursts of enthusiasm then return to banality.