Half-Past Two Flashcards
‘Once upon’
Begins with a cliche showing how the poem will talk about a child
‘He did Something Very Wrong’
Capitalisation reflects how the boy sees the incident as something very serious and could also mirror the way the teacher spoke to the child
‘(I forget what it was)’
Parentheses add humour but also show that the speaker could be an older version of the boy
Second stanza uses sibilance WHY
Creates a sinister tone that could reflect the teacher’s anger towards the child
‘He was too scared’
Could show the neglect faced by the child from the teacher
‘Gettinguptime’ ETC
Compound words shows he’s a kid and shows his time has a purpose rather than being something abstract
In stanza 6…
The clock is personified to show how the child doesn’t understand the clock’s time despite the friendly look of it
‘Into the smell…’
Shows his escape away from reality
‘I forgot all about you’
Italicised to show the careless ness of the teacher making him feel isolated.
‘you’ll be late’
Shows how the boy is back into routine and needed waking up
What is the purpose of the final stanza
Shows how the incident had a profound impression on him but also made him realise there’s much more than time
