Born Yesterday, Wedding Wind and I Remember, I Remember Flashcards
Larkin Revision
‘Tightly-folded __________’ (Born Yesterday)
bud
What technique is used here: ‘Tightly-folded bud’ (Born Yesterday)?
metaphor
In Born Yesterday, why does the speaker compare the young girl to a ‘Tightly-folded bud’
To convey ideas of potential and possibility, but also to suggest that at this early age she is protected from societal pressures and expectations.
Who is Born Yesterday written for?
Sally Amis
Who was Sally Amis?
Kingsley Amis’ daughter. Kingsley Amis was a friend of Larkin and a fellow writer and part of The Movement.
Larkin was often considered to be part of a literary group called….?
The Movement
What characterised the poetry of The Movement?
It was unsentimental, honest and rooted in everyday experience.
The writers of The Movement rejected the poetry of…?
The Modernists
Why did the poets of The Movement reject the writing of The Modernists?
They saw their writing as too obscure and too removed from real life.
‘Not the usual __________/ About being beautiful’ (Born Yesterday)
stuff
‘____________ will all wish you that’ (Born Yesterday)
They
Why does the narrator of Born Yesterday refer to the expectations of society as ‘the usual stuff’?
The colloquial language suggests its unimportance, as well as conveying such ideas lack originality.
‘About __________ / ___________ ‘ (Born Yesterday)
being beautiful
What technique is used here: ‘Not the usual stuff/ About being beautiful’ (Born Yesterday)?
plosive alliteration via the repeated ‘b’ sound.
What is the intended effect of the plosive alliteration - ‘About being beautiful’ (Born Yesterday)
The harsh plosive sounds are intended to portray the speaker’s blunt rejection of these stereotypical ideas.
‘Nothing ____________ /To pull you off your balance’ (Born Yesterday)
uncustomary
The second stanza of Born Yesterday begins ‘But if it shouldn’t’ - what terminology could be used to label this turning point?
Volta
What are the five qualities that the speaker of Born Yesterday wants the young girl to be?
skilled, vigilant, flexible, unemphasised, enthralled
Does Born Yesterday use a regular rhyme scheme?
No. It is not regular, although there are some instances of rhyme.
Why does Larkin employ an irregular rhyme scheme in Born Yesterday?
Because he does not want her to have a ‘regular’ life. He wishes for her to be free from societal expectations, like the unstructured rhyme scheme.
How might the title of Born Yesterday be considered a pun?
It has two meanings: 1. In a literal sense, it refers to the very recent birth of Sally Amis. 2. It has connotations of naivety and foolishness. Larkin suggests the cliched expectations of society should be seen in this way.