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
POETIC TECHNIQUES
How are personal pronouns used?
to show discontent and following orders
e.g. “I ate, did what I was told. Didn’t even taste it.”
POETIC TECHNIQUES
What does the stanza in italics from the alternative speaker (the man/feeder) show?
that he wants to be coercive and manipulative through his obsession with ‘soft girls’
POETIC TECHNIQUES
What are some of the ways the female body is referred to?
FORBIDDEN FRUIT
BREADFRUIT
DESERT ISLAND
GLOBE
TIDAL WAVE
POETIC TECHNIQUES
How does Agbabi use euphemisms?
“chubby, cuddly big-built”
soft versions of fat
TONE
How would he tone be described? Why is this?
melancholy and submissive
it seems as if she could never really tell anyone how she truly felt about her situation
TONE
Where does the shift in tone occur and why?
in the last few stanzas
the woman gains more control over the situation and gets her own back on the man who force fed her for his own enjoyment
What are the key themes?
power
gender
transgression and taboo
How is the theme of power presented?
without the feeder’s power the relationship would not be able to operate
objectification and possession would not be able to take place
How is the theme of gender presented?
man overpowering a woman to maintain control
this is reversed at end of poem
solely based on female body
How is theme of transgression and taboo presented?
feeder role linked to sexual ideas
typically avoided in discussion
idea of discussing female body in a rather grotesque way
What does the line “my only pleasure the rush of fast food” show?
- any pleasure is short-lived
- her needs are not fully catered for
- the fast food (alliteration) shows the physical food being eaten and mental effects of the two
- unhealthy addiction to food and the relationship
What does the final line “there was nothing else left in the house to eat” demonstrate?
- ends poem on ambiguous, sinister line
- the feeder may have made ultimate sacrifice in order to feed the woman or he was murdered
- raises question whether she will now be able to have a healthy relationship/lifestyle without being overfed as it seems she wants to eat more.
