Divisions Revision Flashcards
AQA Paper 2 Revision
What three types of divisions could the title of Divisions be referring to?
- Division between past and present. 2. Division between subject and speaker. 3. The humorous divisions in football and their supporters.
Both sections of Divisions are written in what poetical form?
Sonnet
What rhyme scheme does Divisions use in both sections?
Alternate rhyming couplets
What rhythm is mostly used throughout Divisions?
Iambic pentameter
All _____ in tight clothes and skinhead crops.’
Aggro
Aggro’ ‘tight’ and ‘skinhead crops’ present the subject of section one of Divisions as what?
Intimidating
The subjects of section one of Divisions can be linked to what social/historical context?
Skinhead cultue of the late 60s/early 70s
When was skinhead culture dominant in England?
Late 60s/early 70s
Skinheads were often linked to which political movement?
Far Right/National Front
How does the speaker feel about being considered to be on the dole like them?
Relief
That mask of ‘________’ drops.
Manhood
What does the dropping of the ‘mask of manhood’ suggest about the subjects?
Their identity is false. That there is a degree of vulnerability to them.
Their _______ _______ lay bare a soul.’
Decorated skins
Why does Harrison suggest their skins ‘lay bare a soul’?
He is suggesting they have an inner care or yearning for belonging.
What has potentially caused the subjects loss of identity in Divisions?
The loss of skilled labour in working class towns in the post-war period.
What is the excessive use of plosives in stanza two of Divisions meant to represent? ‘bravado’ ‘numbs’ ‘blood’ ‘blues’
The aggressive nature of the subjects.
Teenage ____ - ______ piss up, then tattoos.’
dole-wallah
Why does Harrison use caesura in ‘teenage dole-wallah pissup, then tattoos’?
He’s mocking their behaviour and the casual nature with which they move drunkenly to permanently marking their body.
Why does Harrison make repeated reference to Brown Ale?
It grounds the poem in the reality of the working class. Both in terms of drunken behaviour and trade giving a town its identity.
The use of ‘MOTHER’ presents the subject as having an inner desire for…?
love
How can ‘blood red and true blues’ be linked to context?
It links them to the nationalist beliefs of skinhead culture.
Why is the ‘North-East skin so sunless white?’
It creates an image of a lack of hope for the town, perhaps showing the speaker sympathising with the subject.
What is the dual meaning of ‘rash’ in section 1, stanza 3?
Rash - quick decision. Rash - an irritant.
How does the use of ellipsis in ‘he’ll aerosol the walls, then go get pissed…’ make the subject’s behaviour seem?
Meaningless and pointless.
But most of all I hope for ______ for all of you.’
jobs
Why does the speaker wish for the subject to find jobs in Divisions section 1?
Because he believes it will bring them a sense of purpose and identity.
Why does the writer use monosyllables in the line ‘But most I hope for jobs for all of you -‘?
It emphasises the issues of unemployment and also makes his hope for them seem simple.
Why does the speaker return to the football team in the final line of the first section?
To reemphasise the distance between the two.
Why does the speaker end the first section of the poem with a humorous remark about football?
Reminding the reader that he is both mocking their behaviour as well as sympathising with them.
The humorous remark about their ‘tattooed team get[ting] relegated’ suggests what about the future of the subject?
That there are still times of strife ahead for them.
The second section of Divisions is set where?
Ashington
the town’s two England caps’ references which two people?
Bobby and Jackie Charlton
Why does Harrison downplay the significance of place in the first stanza of Divisions?
He’s showing how the town has been left behind in the post-war period
The use of sibilance in ‘shovelblade and stone’ emphasises what about the setting in the poem?
Poverty
the daylight’s rotten props near to collapse’ is a reference to which historical event?
Post-industrial decline brought about by political issues such as Thatcher’s government.
When did Margaret Thatcher become leader of the Conservative Party?
1975
In 1952 manufacturing in Britain employed how much of the work force?
40%
Today in Britain, manufacturing employs how much fo the work force?
8%
Why does Harrison focus on a poster for Haemorrhoid cream?
To depict the grim reality of working-class life
Of this pub for _______ and ________.’
pensioners and unemployed.
What is the effect of the imagery of ‘pensioners’ and ‘unemployed’?
It creates an image of stagnation and perhaps even death in the town.
What are some of the cliché’s used in the third sestet of section 2?
butch Brown Ale’ ‘hair on your chest’ ‘makes you fight’ ‘makes a man of you’
Why does Harrison use such cliches in the third sestet of stanza 2?
It is pointing out that capitalism that has removed their masculine purpose is ironically focusing on ideas of ‘masculinity’ to sell its product.
How do the final two single line stanzas increase the idea of division?
By highlighting how he is different from them. He ‘write[s]’ and is looked down upon for it.
one front door _______ in a row all blue!’
orange
What is the effect of the colour imagery in the final line of divisions?
It symbolises his separation and inability to fit in with the class he once belonged.
What biographical context might be a reason for Harison feeling divided from his class? (Divisions)
His attendance of grammar schools.
