chainsaw versus the pampas grass Flashcards
1
Q
what is the tone?
A
- aggressive
- violent
- colloquial ‘bloody desire’
- represents the disregard men have for nature and femininity
- informal ‘knocked back’
2
Q
what is the metrical pattern or rhyme scheme?
A
- no metrical pattern or rhyme scheme - free verse
- informal, no patterns to make it flow, lots of random caesura represents the destructive nature of chainsaw onto pampas grass
3
Q
why is there varying line lengths?
A
- represents destructive nature of chainsaw and reckless, unrestricted power it can cause
- is damaging to the structure of poem, like how it damages nature
- theme of man versus nature, the industrialisation of natural world
4
Q
why is there so many end stopped lines?
A
-symbolises the control of humanity over natural form and structure with the unnatural barriers
5
Q
how is there a conversational structure?
A
- irregular line length
- informal tone ‘knocked back a quarter pint’
- colloquial language
6
Q
‘flesh of the face’
A
-fricative ‘f’ sounds gives impression of built up tension representing the built up anger the chainsaw (men) have
7
Q
summary
A
- considers relationship between man- made physical objects, with nature and natural world - uses symbolism of the chainsaw to show mans interaction and destruction
- poem as an allegory for the threat man poses to nature
8
Q
what are the main themes?
A
- masculinity versus femininity
- manmade objects versus natural world
- man versus nature
9
Q
what is the turning point?
A
- ‘blade became choked with soil or fouled with weeds’
- chainsaw becomes ‘choked’ connoting death, and defeat
- up to this point the chainsaw was winning the battle but now the pampas grass is showing resilience
10
Q
‘like cutting at water or air with a knife’
A
- simile to create distinct imagery of how this battle between manmade chainsaw and natural pampas grass is unnatural and links into ‘it seemed an unlikely match’
- nature was never made to be destroyed by mankind, we should nurture and protect it because overall nature is stronger than humanity
11
Q
personification of chainsaw?
A
- symbolises masculinity, the working class, manmade society and power
- presented as aggressive, dominating and violent but is ultimately shown to be humiliated and lacking in sustainability - needs a person for it to function
- becomes a hyperbolic representation of all the stereotypes associated with toxic masculinity
12
Q
key points overall for poem
A
- vividly personified
- patterns of imagery suggest a gender extended metaphor
- power dynamic between man made machinery and natural plant implies a broader struggle that reaches beyond the borders of a suburban garden
- highly patterned and deploys rich imagery and an extensive use of sound to convey emotional and physical aspects of narrative
13
Q
personification of pampas grass?
A
- symbolises femininity, upper class, nature and rebirth
- presented as vulnerable and delicate, as well as snobbish and spiritually powerful
14
Q
‘knocked back a quarter pint of engine oil’
A
- colloquial masculine diction
- adjectives used to describe chainsaw and way it operates are associated with traditional forms of male behaviour
- ‘knocked back a quarter pint of engine oil’ creates masculine imagery with a working class man at the pub
- links to violence connotations
- ‘engine oil’ alludes to toxic chemicals that harm the natural environment
15
Q
‘gunned the trigger’
A
- phallic symbol of gun emphasised
- guttural plosives manifest a sense of pride and excitement - indicating the way the speaker feels with powerful chainsaw
- could be considered a sexual abuse metaphor when chainsaw is colloquially described as ‘wanting to finish things off’ physically dominating as it ‘ripped into pockets of dark, secret warmth’
