A Minor Role Flashcards
What does the talking role of the speaker reflect?
Role people play in society and whether it’s a minor or key role
What is the feeling of the poem
Uncomfortable and tense, although it shifts and becomes more relaxed
- illness becomes more prominent
What is the poem about?
Place in society, pattern about social expectations, society can’t appreciate what it is like
About the life of the speaker written in a
Dramatic monologue
What does it encourage the reader to do?
Wonder about the speakers situation, ‘minor role’ not really noticed by the audience
How many verses?
6 written in free versus
What are the verses like?
Not equal, irregular in length and same
- no rhyme
Which person is it written in?
First
What is it a metaphor for?
Extended metaphor about life on stage
‘Bed solves a lot’
Side tracks reader from main point
- parenthetical phrases
References to theatre encourage
Reader to wonder about the readers situation
Title
At the start he accepts his ‘minor role’ but at the end passionately rejects it
‘On stage’
Pretence, poet questions if putting up a facade is better than facing reality
‘Propping up a spear’
Not important
‘Exists and entrances’
Alliteration highlights boring and repetitive tasks
‘Yes sit o no sir’
Italics, being agreeable to people in high authority
‘Midget moments’
Alliteration
‘Monstrous’
Evocative pronoun
Tone
Seems to change
- quite erratic
- speaker changes from one task to the next
- doesn’t want to reflect
- avoidance, hopelessness
‘Veteran magazines’
Out of date magazines for war heroes
‘Monologues’
Bitterness, frustration
, consultant talks at her
‘Background music of civility’
Constant polite and unobtrusive behaviour
‘Holding’
Nouns to indicate monotonous speaker must endure
‘Monstrous’
Represents how speaker funds social structure unpleasant and too rigid
