Eat Me

Question 1

Structure of poem

Answer 1

• there are ten very structured tercets giving a sense of tight control and consistency. This may represent the constraints and tight routine imposed on the woman or the repetitive cycle of oppression she faces. Tercets often signify control which amplifies the conflict between the woman’s emotional turmoil and the oppression of her partner.
• the final stanza though signifying a mental shift in the woman, does not break from the pattern, this suggests that while the speaker’s actions might break the physical control, the psychological and emotional scars may still remain.
• on a broader scale it may be seen to be symbolic not just of this relationship but of the harsh societal constraints imposed on women the fixed form suggests the cultural pressures and expectations that dictate how women should look and behave.
• the number three in the tercets may also be significant as it mirrors the concept of indulgence, three is often viewed as a number of completeness or even excess. This hence reinforces the theme of greed.

Question 2

Enjambement in the poem

Answer 2

-the continuous flow of lines reflects the unrelenting nature of the speaker’s oppression, as she is unable to pause or escape. It creates a sense of inescapably and tells us that the speaker cannot rid herself of the oppression of her partner on her.

Question 3

Caesura in the poem

Answer 3

• pauses can suggest the speaker’s growing awareness of her situation or brief moments of self-awareness. However, they are brief, highlighting how quickly the control reasserts itself.
• in areas like stanza two and in ‘his flesh, my flesh’ it helps reinforce her lack of agency and aids the reader in pausing to undertsand the depth of her lack of autonomy

Question 4

Rhyme scheme

Answer 4

• the aba consistent rhyme pattern creates a sense of inevitability and entrapment, as the rhyme pattern loops back onto itself. It reflects the speaker’s life being stuck in a cycle of control and abuse. It could also show the lack of freedom as the speaker has to think in the bounds of a tight rhyme scheme.

Question 5

Main themes

Answer 5

Gender
Gluttony
Power
Revenge
Body image/ insecurity
Objectification

Question 6

How is greed shown

Answer 6

Gluttony in “Eat Me” is not simply about food—it’s about the insatiable hunger for dominance, which ultimately leads to devastation. Pateince criticises the consequences of overindulgence and excess.
- The feeder’s constant push for the speaker to eat more is a direct representation of gluttony.
-The feeder’s obsession with making the speaker eat is a symbol of his own gluttonous need for power and dominance. His
- The speaker’s eventual act of suffocating the feeder with her own body is a powerful metaphor for how unchecked gluttony leads to destruction

Question 7

Quotes supporting the theme of greed

Answer 7

-‘He said, Open wide, poured olive oil down my throat.” The image of oil is excessive and uncomfortable to think of and hence shows the unnecessary excess of the consumption. Gluttony for power is also shown and reflects how she is stripped of her autonomy
- I like big girls, soft girls, girls I can burrow inside’ this highlights the festishisation of her body and his need for her to be larger. The repetition of “girls” reduces the speaker to an object of consumption. Epistophe of the word girls confirms this as well as infantilising her. This also makes her seem malleable as if he can completely shift and consume her.
- motif of food throughout
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Question 8

How is power imbalance shown

Answer 8

• vivid portrayal of a gluttonous and imbalanced relationship where one member dominates the others autonomy
• structure
• The partner in the poem exerts control over the speaker’s body and life by encouraging her to gain weight to suit his own desires. Her actions of eating are often followed by a ‘he’ which shows how he has all the control of her actions
• the speaker is reduced to an object of desire rather than a person with autonomy. She is described in physical terms, her body being measured, fed, and consumed for his pleasure. This objectification strips her of agency, making the relationship entirely imbalanced.
• The imagery of consumption—being fed, growing larger, being “swallowed”—underscores the speaker’s submission. She is metaphorically consumed by her partner’s desires. Constant imagery of consumption can be seen as a metaphor for how she herself is consumed in the relationship. Twisted ending shows an ultimate reclaiming of agency but also an indictment of the extreme consequences of such imbalanced relationships.

Question 9

How is gender shown

Answer 9

-gender is central to the power dynamics of the poem, and it explores the way in which traditional gender roles and stereotypes contribute to control, dominance, and objectification in relationships.
- The male partner in the poem is portrayed as dominant, controlling, and possessive, fulfilling stereotypical roles of male authority and power. He dictates the speaker’s actions, using his influence to control her body and her life.
- The female speaker is objectified and reduced to her physical appearance. Her worth is defined by her size, which her partner fetishizes. The speaker is repeatedly described in terms of her body—her fat, her rolls, her size.
- The male partner’s obsession with the speaker’s weight can be seen as a reflection of the ways in which women’s bodies are often fetishized and controlled by societal expectations.
- act of feeding and growing fat, traditionally seen as nurturing and maternal in women, is twisted in the poem to highlight the male partner’s dominance. The later suffocation/ consumption of the man by the woman with gender expectations and suggests that power, once taken too far, can become destructive.