Blessing Flashcards
What does the title tell us?
It contrasts with the expectations and there are relgious connotations to it
Cracks
Harsh consonant sounds reflect the harshness of the scorching sun
never
Adverb –> Relentless suffering
What does the first stanza immediately tell us?
The first stanza shows immediate contrast with the title
Imagine
Imperative verb evokes that the poet invites the reader to empathise
the drip…echo
Onomatopoeia engages audeince and recreates the effect of an echoe
Small splash
Monosyllables and sibilance emphasise the severe dehydration
Sometimes
Adverb –> Emphasises how a “blessing” is a special occasion
Fortune… Silver crashes to the ground…liquid sun
Metaphor –> Accentuates value and encourages the privileged reader to reflect
every man woman
No punctuation –> further depicts the chaos
Pots, brass, copper, aluminium
Listing –> Heightens the chaos as the people will use anything to fill with water which further implies poverty
What is another speciality about the first stanza and what it does to the 3rd and 4th stanza?
The first stanza sets a scene of suffering which makes stanza 3 and 4 seem more significant
small bones
At the end of the poem –> Implies that a blessing is only a temporary relief
How is this poem written? why?
The poem is written in free verse which highlights the seriousness of scarcity of water with the lack of muscality and irregular sentence lengths - one may argue this reflects the flow of water
Themes of?
Scarcity, Suffering, Poverty, Desperation
