‘Hide and seek’ – Vernon Scannell Flashcards
what is the general over view for ‘Hide and seek’
Childs game of hide and seek
Hiding in toolshed
Reader begins to recognise that the hunters gave up out of spite
And abandoned the child
what are the Key themes in ‘Hide and seek’
Cruelty of childhood
Abandonment and isolation
Concealment/ hiding
Complexity of childhood experiences
what are some language points in the poem ‘Hide and seek’
Confident tone and exclamatory language captures the child’s excitement
Sensory language of ‘salty dark’
Sensory imagery of ‘someone stumbles, mutters’
‘here they are whispering at the door’
Verb ‘prowling’ alludes to the idea that his friends are the predators to heighten tension.
Short sentences: ‘Don’t breathe. Don’t move’
Irony – ‘they must be thinking that you’re very clever’
Presents the passing of time ‘legs are stiff, the cold bites through your coat’
Triumphant tone ‘it’s time to let them know that you’re the winner’
Direct speech – verisimilitude
Foreboding and time references of the ‘the bushes hold their breath; the sun is gone’
What are some form points in the poem ‘Hide and seek’
Second person perspective
Direct address
Single stanza – represent the long period of time
Blank verse/free verse
No rhyming – sense of discord and unrest
What other poems does ‘Hide and seek’ link to ?
‘piano’ ‘half past two’ – childhood
‘prayer before birth’ ‘half-caste’ ‘war photographer’
Society
‘blessing’ ‘half-past two’ ’war photographer’
- Moments in time
