Chainsaw VS The Pampas Grass by Simon Armitage Flashcards
STRUCTURE
Do the stanzas follow a particular pattern?
No, it does not have much consistency
STRUCTURE
But in what way does the structure vary?
in variation in line length
STRUCTURE
What effect does the varying line and stanza lengths have on the reader?
it confuses them
STRUCTURE
What does the mix of line length represent?
the destructive nature of the chainsaw:
-reckless and unrestricted,
-uneven and fragmented
therefore damaging the structure of the poem
STRUCTURE
What is the major similarity between stanzas? What does this represent?
no enjambment, it has own end-stopped lines, between each stanza as it finishes and moves on to the new stanza
represents the control of humanity over natural form and structure with unnatural barriers
STRUCTURE
What does the poem’s structure resemble? What is this due to:
a conversation (conversational structure)
due to:
- a mix of long and short sentences
- generally informal tone with phrases (“knocked back”)
- range of punctuation
STRUCTURE
Give an example where the reader can identify the natural pauses and breaks in the natural rhythm of speech.
“in spider’s wool…”
and use of hyphens
STRUCTURE
Name the three main points about structure in the poem.
- conversational structure
- mix of line length (and stanza length)
- no enjambment between stanzas
POETIC TECHNIQUES
What is the key poetic technique that Armitage uses?
personification
e.g. “grinding its teeth”, “it knocked back”
POETIC TECHNIQUES
What does the personification of the chainsaw do? What does this imply about humans?
make the object more formidable
existing qualities of chainsaw + ability and power of humans
their destruction of the environment
POETIC TECHNIQUES
What sound technique does Armitage use? How does this make the reader feel/react?
sibilance
e.g. connotations of snakes and danger
feel wary of the chainsaw and potential for danger and destruction
death of animals and habitat
POETIC TECHNIQUES
How does Armitage make ideas become more apparent? Give an example
repeated use of certain sounds in the poem
e.g. “felt”, “flesh” and “flare”
sounds like the humming of an engine
further evoking ideas of power and human machinery
POETIC TECHNIQUES
What type of language does Armitage use to reinforce idea of masculine strength? How does he achieve this?
powerful and dominant language
with plosive sounds (e.g. “dismissed”)
POETIC TECHNIQUES
How does Armitage extend this to the grass (examples)? What does this suggest?
by using the same descriptions with grass
e.g. “twelve foot spears”
indicating an overlooked ability of the grass
and by extension, the natural world defensive abilities
What are the key themes?
power
masculinity
conflict
