History by John Burnside

Question 1

when is it set

Answer 1

the dating of the poem is set after the immediate aftermath of the twin towers by the 9/11 attack. the capital H cast its shadow over the whole poem.

Question 2

irony in the title

Answer 2

though the poems title is ‘history’ it begins with ‘today’ and is written in the present tense

Question 3

use of present tense in the poem[

Answer 3

the child playing at the beach and the child’s absorption with the physical world could suggest paying attention to the worlds beauty and transience can act as a antidote to the hatreds that create ideologically motivated violence.

Question 4

the poem ends on the word ‘irredeemable’ which has a religious connotation

Answer 4

Jesus is often referred to as the ‘redeemer’ because he has saved mankind from sin

Question 5

the biblical reference shows that Burnside

Answer 5

knows nothing described in the poem is natural or human or be saved from history or time but paying attention to the moment might bring us to a deeper appreciation of “all this gazed upon and cherished world”

Question 6

the first 22 lines are fractured

Answer 6

representing the twin towers after the attack or the sea waves

Question 7

opposites between

Answer 7

land/ sea, human/ natural world, innocence/ guilt, pessimism/ hope, freedom/ captivity these give the poem its sense of ebb and flow