Giuseppe by Roderick Ford Flashcards
What is this poem about?
tells the moral consequences of violent murder of a ‘mermaid’ during WW2
the mermaid seems to symbolise a human woman
STRUCTURE
What is the form? How does this affect the way the poem is spoken?
free verse
story-like and something that is naturally spoken
STRUCTURE
How does free verse make the poem feel more realistic?
the dark subject matter is presented as something that could happen to them
STRUCTURE
What kind of tone does the free verse give the poem?
a confessional tone
STRUCTURE
What effect does caesura have on the poem?
it makes it seem as if the narrator is reluctant and worried to continue
STRUCTURE
When do the darker elements of the story begin to unfold?
when it says “She, it, had never” at beginning of 2nd stanza
STRUCTURE
How does the poet ensure the reader understands Giuseppe had a direct relationship with the mermaid?
describes Giuseppe as “the aquarium keeper”
STRUCTURE
What effect does enjambment have? What does this represent?
shows visual breaks in the story
can be interpreted as representing the chaotic and confusing thought processes that led to the killing
perhaps he is also reluctant to continue, out of guilt or fear of judgement
STRUCTURE
How do the specific changes in line and sentence length impact the poem?
impact the pace of the poem
e. g. 5th stanza is one sentence across 5 lines
e. g. 6th stanza 2 sentences on 2 lines
mix of pace makes the story and meaning more confusing
allows for greater consideration of points
LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES
Why is the confessional language important?
communicates idea that the narrator’s uncle wanted to share his story with someone
to remove a burden
LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES
What is the effect of sadness permeating the poem?
idea of longing for story to be different and have more positive outcome
LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES
How does the simplicity of the language affect the poem?
removes the opportunity for moral judgement
LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES
Why is using a mermaid significant? What could this be commenting on?
mermaids can be used omens of misfortune and death - they lure men off the shore to rocky outcrops
this could be commenting on the relationship of men and women in society
LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES
What is the significance of a silent mermaid?
it is highly unusual
perhaps representative of destruction of the irreplaceable - result of warfare
symbolises the atrocities of war - beauty and misfortune
LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES
How is the mermaid dehumanised?
“butchered on the dry and dusty ground”
changing of pronouns from she to it
LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES
What effect does the list have? How does this relate to war?
“doctor, a fishmonger, and certain others”
confusion over what the mermaid is - does it need a doctor or a fishmonger?
relates to war because there is not a certain category it can be put in
not a valid excuse that can be made for it
something it is just immoral
LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES
What is the only simile used? What effect does this have?
“but she screamed like a woman in terrible fear”
distressing image
if she screams like a woman why is she not treated like a woman
excuses are inconsistent
LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES
What are the 3 ways in which the mermaid is dehumanised?
- changing of pronouns
e. g. ‘She’ becomes ‘it’ in 2nd stanza - cannot speak
e.g. “she was only a fish, and fish can’t speak”
they make out she is just an animal, denying humanity - image of being “butchered on the dry and dusty ground”
relegates her from being human-like to something consumable and less significant
LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES
How is the language simple?
it uses reported speech
it uses proper nouns
LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES
What is the extended metaphor? What effect does this have?
the woman being killed by the men in the poem is described as being a “mermaid”
- fairy-talk like atmosphere
- slightly less shocking
- suggests the guilt felt by the uncle
LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES
How is there contrasting language? What does this demonstrate?
- “it” - dehumanising
“a fish” - “like a woman in terrible fear”
“her wedding ring”
demonstrates that it is a human woman who felt human emotions
the speaker’s uncle knew that killing her was wrong
LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES
How does the men’s strategy deny humanity to the mermaid?
they use her physical difference and supposed mental incapacity
bent on establishing racial superiority
LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES
How does the poem undermine the mens’s strategy to dney the mermiad humanity?
demonstrates the perpetrator are lying to themselves
e.g. the doctor won’t eat the roe offered to him
revelation that she was married
e.g. has crossed into human world of love
despite desecration of her body
LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES
How is the eerie tone created?
contrast between what happened and the tone in which its being described
e.g. “butchered”
expected to carry a moral judgement but is revealed as being an accurate description
LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES
What are the only 2 adjectives used?
‘golden’
‘large’
LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES
How does the poem end of the reminder of how far the protagonist have moved outside moral boundaries?
- ends of word “God”
- collectiev guilt of a community
- collectiev guilt is seeping into the next generation
LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES
How doe the speaker try to remove himself from the guilty of his uncle?
- thanks “God”
2. the poet makes the uncle bear the burden, a rather diluted family relation that can be hidden or overcome.
What are the 3 themes in this poem?
Transgressions
Conflict
Power
How is the theme of transgressions presented?
dark ideas
transgress typical human boundaries as result of sitatution
guilt follows them now
How is the theme of conflict presented?
some imagery relate to wars and conflict
war forces inhuman act referred to
emphasises brutality of humanity
How is the theme of power presented?
the men having power over the mermaid could symbolise traditional male power over women
also the way society maintains power over those who are different
