Cosy Apologia by Rita Dove

Question 1

Cosy Apologia
Person?
Structure?
Structure?

Answer 1

1st person, emotional, autobiographical quality
Rhyme starts and ends same but breaks down in second verse, Unity of couple disrupted by storm, circular focus on husband
Flashback, satisfaction

Question 2

Cosy Apologia
Context?

Answer 2

-Rita Dove is married to Fred Viebahn
-Written in 1999 when Hurricane Floyd hit Atlantic coast of America

Question 3

Cosy Apologia
5 quotes

Answer 3

‘This lamp, the wind-still rain, the glossy blue’
‘chain mail glinting, to set me free’
‘Today a hurricane is nudging up the coast’
‘thin as licorice and as chewy’
‘I fill this stolen time with you’

Question 4

Cosy Apologia
‘This lamp, the wind-still rain, the glossy blue’

Answer 4

-Asyndetic list of everyday things, surrounded by love
-Noun, light and hope
-Calming natural presence
-Abundance of inspiration for writing

Question 5

Cosy Apologia
‘chain mail glinting, to set me free’

Answer 5

-Romantic clichéd image of knight in shining armour, partner in positive light
-Comical tone, mocking the unrealistic view
-Dreamy idea of romance

Question 6

Cosy Apologia
‘Today a hurricane is nudging up the coast’

Answer 6

-Follows caesura, breaking into thoughts
-Return to present, immediacy
-Verb, intrusive distraction from life

Question 7

Cosy Apologia
‘thin as licorice and as chewy’

Answer 7

-Simile, boys are weedy, unpalatable
-A waste of time, meaningless, no substance to them, empty, worthless

Question 8

Cosy Apologia
‘I fill this stolen time with you’

Answer 8

-Grateful to have extra time to ponder her relationship
-Reinforces content with husband
-Ends with focus on him, emphasises importance