half past 2 key quotes

Question 1

stanza 3- “(being cross she’d forgotten…”

Answer 1

The teacher has forgotten she hadn’t taught him time, indicating he is an afterthought to her. it is written entirely in brackets to mirror the way the boy is an afterthought and not important to her

The stanza is written entirely in brackets to mirror this neglect.

Question 2

stanza 8- into the smell of old … into the air outside the

Answer 2

Anaphora, through the repetition of ‘Into the…Into the…Into the…’, shows how the boy begins to experience a sense of timelessness.

Question 3

‘Once upon a schooltime’

Answer 3

the first line of the poem alludes to fairy tales, linking to themes of childhood and imagination.

Question 4

“He did Something Very Wrong”

Answer 4

the capitalisation It implies that the boy doesn’t fully understand his wrongdoing and is merely repeating an adult’s phrase, indicating neglect.

Question 5

‘Gettinguptime, timeyouwereofftime’?

Answer 5

compound words which show the childishness of the speaker, who organizes his day by experiences rather than by the clock. also shows misapprehension of time

Question 6

“He knew the clockface, the little eyes/And two long legs for walking’?

Answer 6

The clock is depicted using Zoomorphism, portraying it as a strange beast, emphasizing the boy’s innocence and power of his imagination and emphasises the alien concept of time.

Question 7

‘Nexttime, notimeforthatnowtime

Answer 7

It suggests a sadder tone, indicating the boy is repeating phrases from his parents, implying he is ignored at home.

Question 8

” he escaped into the clockless land for ever/ Where time hides tickless waiting to be born”

Answer 8

metaphor showing the timelessness experience as a child of fairy-tale kingdom. the boys innocence is compared to the adult world of strick timings.