Eat Me by Patience Agbabi Flashcards
What does the poem focus on as a whole?
the ‘feeder’ role in a relationship
the man is mentally devouring her spirituality
STRUCTURE
What does the very rigid form of the poem represent?
the strict regime imposed by the feeder
and how it has become commonplace
STRUCTURE
What form are the 10 stanzas in?
tercet stanzas (of 3 lines)
STRUCTURE
Where does Agbabi use assonance?
between final words on 1st and 3rd lines of each stanza
e.g. “cake and weight”
STRUCTURE
What does the 2nd line provide?
It is not link to another line with assonance as the 1st and 3rd are
so it shows a break from conformity and expectations
STRUCTURE
What is the two conflicting ideas the structure represents?
conformity and expectations
breaking from norms and expectations
STRUCTURE
How does Agbabi use consonance? What idea does this provoke?
1st line - “k” sound
2nd line - “d” sound
3rd line - “t” sound
(exception of stanza 6)
ideas of force and control
STRUCTURE
What else does Agbabi consistently use at the end of each stanza? What idea does this reinforce?
end-stopped lines. (exception of stanza 6)
the idea of routine and consistency
STRUCTURE
What is the significance of the final 2 lines of last stanza both having end-stops?
signifies death of the man
signifies the death of the relationship
also brings a sense of unease to reader as expected pattern has be disrupted
STRUCTURE
What is the significance of stanza 6?
it does not have end-stopped line at the end - enjambment instead
it does not follow the rule of consonance “k”, “d”, “t”.
POETIC TECHNIQUES
Give examples of Agbabi using alliteration. What are the effects of these?
“bigger the better”
“broad belly wobble”
reaffirm idea of obesity and overweight
have a ‘wobbly’ nature to the sound
POETIC TECHNIQUES
What word is very obviously repeated throughout?
“fat”
POETIC TECHNIQUES
What type of language does Agbabi use to represent the ‘feeder’ in the relationship? What emotion does this evoke from the reader?
possessive language
e.g. “his”
and further objectifications
“his jacuzzi”
evokes readers feelings of sympathy
POETIC TECHNIQUES
What does the murder of the feeder present for the reader?
a strange mix of emotions
relief for the woman’s freedom
but
conflicted over the brutal nature of her escape
POETIC TECHNIQUES
How does Agbabi link the fat woman to water and ocean imagery and semantic fields? What else could this mean?
through use of
“shipwreck”
“beached whale”
“tidal wave of flesh”
it connects idea of fat and cellulite with oceans and waves
through of the expanse and depth of the ocean, that the woman is shown as so overweight
this could also mean that the woman has a ‘hidden’ power which ‘drowned’ the man at the end of the poem
