History Flashcards
What can be inferred by ‘St Andrews : West Sands; September 2001’ ?
Places the poem to be set just after 9/11
What is the repetition of ‘today’ emphatic of?
It is emphatic of speaker’s broader desire to himself in the present (rather than projecting future anxieties). Set post 9/11 - today shows significance historically
What is device is used in ‘we flew the kites’?
Recurrent metaphorical image of freedom/ enjoyment which juxtaposes images of war and looming threat of terror attack
What is significant about the line length in the 2nd stanza?
There is very irregular line length and a lack of regular scheme - symbolic of chaos and confusion felt by speaker due to suddenly changed world
What image is created through ‘I knelt down in the sand with Lucas’ ?
An image of innocence/religion is created as if to pray, something spiritual/hopeful.
What image is created in ‘finding evidence of life in all this driftwork’ ?
Image is reminiscent of a war zone of some form (mirrors task of rescue services finding dead / live bodies in twin towers).
What device is used in ‘snail shells; shreds of razorfish; smudges of wee and flesh’ ?
The sibilance recreates the quiet reliable rhythms of the sea - a constant in a suddenly changing world - contrasts natural world/ innocence vs violence
What device is used in ‘ what tethers us to gravity and light’ ?
The metaphor shows that the things that aren’t concrete, the natural world, shapes who we are.
How is the natural world presented in ‘rose or petrol blue’?
The natural world is described through vivid colour imagery which juxtaposes with ‘quail grey’ as speaker talks about what shapes who we are.
What type of listing is used in ‘the sea, the sky, all living creatures, forests, estuaries’ ?
The use of asyndetic listing shows how the speaker feels completely overwhelmed when thinking about how our existence is fleeting and fragile.
What device is used in ‘scarcely register’ and ‘scarcely apprehend’ ?
The repetition is used to emphasis that we are so consumed/preoccupied with out lives being concrete/certain as they unfold we miss the less tanagble ‘drift’ and ‘tug’ that help shape our lives are ignored - the small details of life
What device is used in ‘transitive gold, jamjars of spawn and sticklebacks of goldfish carried home’ ?
The use of listing emphaises the endless precious moments found in everyday life - and the colour imagery highlighting the value associated with the natural world
What does ‘plugged into the sky all nerve and line’ show?
The contrast highlights the need to embrace the freedom of the natural world whilst remaining grounded enough to do it no harm.
