I Am Very Bothered

Question 1

Main speaker

Answer 1

Ma looking back on his actions towards a girl in school

Question 2

Themes

Answer 2

Guilt, love, youth, regret

Question 3

Imagery

Answer 3

1. “Like a lamb to the slaughter” - This simile evokes the image of innocence and vulnerability, emphasizing the speaker’s feelings of guilt and remorse.
   
   2. “The neck of a bottle, blue-slipped for a kiss” - This metaphorical image conveys a sense of intimacy and vulnerability, as well as the idea of being trapped or constrained by societal expectations.
   3. “You might want to ask am I bothered? Am I bothered?” - The repetition of this question creates a powerful image of the speaker’s inner turmoil and the relentless questioning of his own actions.

Overall, these images serve to highlight the emotional depth and complexity of the speaker’s experience in the poem.

Question 4

Language features

Answer 4

Sensory imagery, enjambment, metaphors,

Question 5

Tone and structure

Answer 5

Sonnet, irregular in form (neither Petrarchan nor Shakespearean, the two traditional sonnet forms) - the poem is a modern take on a sonnet.
• 1st person narrative voice
• 3 end-stopped sections, varied in number and length of lines setting out both the speaker’s actions and their consequences in the past, and his reflections on them in the present
• Rhythm - flowing speech rhythms, aided by a lot of enjambment
• Rhyme - to emphasise two key points i.e. the critical moment of pain / shock /
horror (‘skin…..in’), the notion of a lasting relationship (‘eternity…..me’)
• Lack of rhyme gives an anecdotal feel as the speaker relays his memory to give a sense of openness and honesty about his regret

Question 6

Context

Answer 6

• Simon Armitage was born in 1963 and lives in West Yorkshire
• Became a probation officer [until 1994]
• Has received numerous awards for his poetry including the Sunday Times Author of the Year. He writes for radio, television and film.
• This poem comes from Book of Matches, 1993 and appears to be based on memories of Armitage’s schooldays. The poems are supposed to be read in the time it takes for a lighted match to burn down.
• “Most poetry has to come from personal experience of one kind or another.” (Armitage