Giuseppe by Roderick Ford

Question 1

What is this poem about?

Answer 1

tells the moral consequences of violent murder of a ‘mermaid’ during WW2

the mermaid seems to symbolise a human woman

Question 2

STRUCTURE

What is the form? How does this affect the way the poem is spoken?

Answer 2

free verse

story-like and something that is naturally spoken

Question 3

STRUCTURE

How does free verse make the poem feel more realistic?

Answer 3

the dark subject matter is presented as something that could happen to them

Question 4

STRUCTURE

What kind of tone does the free verse give the poem?

Answer 4

a confessional tone

Question 5

STRUCTURE

What effect does caesura have on the poem?

Answer 5

it makes it seem as if the narrator is reluctant and worried to continue

Question 6

STRUCTURE

When do the darker elements of the story begin to unfold?

Answer 6

when it says “She, it, had never” at beginning of 2nd stanza

Question 7

STRUCTURE

How does the poet ensure the reader understands Giuseppe had a direct relationship with the mermaid?

Answer 7

describes Giuseppe as “the aquarium keeper”

Question 8

STRUCTURE

What effect does enjambment have? What does this represent?

Answer 8

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

Question 9

STRUCTURE

How do the specific changes in line and sentence length impact the poem?

Answer 9

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

Question 10

LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES

Why is the confessional language important?

Answer 10

communicates idea that the narrator’s uncle wanted to share his story with someone

to remove a burden

Question 11

LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES

What is the effect of sadness permeating the poem?

Answer 11

idea of longing for story to be different and have more positive outcome

Question 12

LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES

How does the simplicity of the language affect the poem?

Answer 12

removes the opportunity for moral judgement

Question 13

LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES

Why is using a mermaid significant? What could this be commenting on?

Answer 13

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

Question 14

LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES

What is the significance of a silent mermaid?

Answer 14

it is highly unusual
perhaps representative of destruction of the irreplaceable - result of warfare

symbolises the atrocities of war - beauty and misfortune

Question 15

LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES

How is the mermaid dehumanised?

Answer 15

“butchered on the dry and dusty ground”

changing of pronouns from she to it

Question 16

LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES

What effect does the list have? How does this relate to war?

Answer 16

“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

Question 17

LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES

What is the only simile used? What effect does this have?

Answer 17

“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

Question 18

LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES

What are the 3 ways in which the mermaid is dehumanised?

Answer 18

1. changing of pronouns
   e. g. ‘She’ becomes ‘it’ in 2nd stanza
2. cannot speak
   e.g. “she was only a fish, and fish can’t speak”
   they make out she is just an animal, denying humanity
3. image of being “butchered on the dry and dusty ground”
   relegates her from being human-like to something consumable and less significant

Question 19

LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES

How is the language simple?

Answer 19

it uses reported speech

it uses proper nouns

Question 20

LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES

What is the extended metaphor? What effect does this have?

Answer 20

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

Question 21

LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES

How is there contrasting language? What does this demonstrate?

Answer 21

1. “it” - dehumanising
   “a fish”
2. “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

Question 22

LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES

How does the men’s strategy deny humanity to the mermaid?

Answer 22

they use her physical difference and supposed mental incapacity

bent on establishing racial superiority

Question 23

LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES

How does the poem undermine the mens’s strategy to dney the mermiad humanity?

Answer 23

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

Question 24

LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES

How is the eerie tone created?

Answer 24

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

Question 25

LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES

What are the only 2 adjectives used?

Answer 25

‘golden’

‘large’

Question 26

LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES

How does the poem end of the reminder of how far the protagonist have moved outside moral boundaries?

Answer 26

1. ends of word “God”
2. collectiev guilt of a community
3. collectiev guilt is seeping into the next generation

Question 27

LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES

How doe the speaker try to remove himself from the guilty of his uncle?

Answer 27

1. thanks “God”

2. the poet makes the uncle bear the burden, a rather diluted family relation that can be hidden or overcome.

Question 28

What are the 3 themes in this poem?

Answer 28

Transgressions
Conflict
Power

Question 29

How is the theme of transgressions presented?

Answer 29

dark ideas
transgress typical human boundaries as result of sitatution
guilt follows them now

Question 30

How is the theme of conflict presented?

Answer 30

some imagery relate to wars and conflict
war forces inhuman act referred to
emphasises brutality of humanity

Question 31

How is the theme of power presented?

Answer 31

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