Into My Own

Question 1

Anthology

Answer 1

First collection
A boys will
Published in London in 1913
Still finding feet with poetry- through allusion and archaic language “twere”.

Question 2

Speaker

Answer 2

Uses adolescent speaker throughout to convey struggle of overcoming childhood and reaching adulthood.

Creating a vacuum of identity, compelling the speaker to come into his own.

Question 3

Title

Answer 3

Celebration of values of self reliance.

Speaker wishes to be their own person and find their way in the world.

Mental and physical journey that speaker wishes to take, a quest for independence, self awareness- symbolism of dark forest.

Question 4

Context

Answer 4

Represent transition from childhood to adulthood,

Sudden death of his father forced him to grow up “they would not fund me changed from him”

Question 5

Form and structure

Answer 5

Sonnet
14 lines- journey into independence would not mean utter break from previous self.- allow him to become magnified version and of who he has been.
4 stanzas.
3 quatrains
Rhyming couplet- structurally demonstrative of speaker’s wish to retain core self while cementing his beliefs as a sonnet classic form.
Not petrarchan or Shakespearean- attempt to come into his own- elements.
Iambic pentameter- heroic couplets.
Sequence of rhyming pairs of iambic lines- not discovered own personal style.
Volta between octet and sestet
Punctuation of dash in final couplet- sense of frost coming to understanding from lack of u derstabding.

Question 6

“One of my wishes is that those dark trees”

Answer 6

Hopeful and optimistic tone achieved through the choice of diction.

Personal pronoun my- self reflective nature of the speaker.

Those dark trees” metaphor for speakers future representing the uncertainty, unknown and mysterious future embarking into unknown forest dark but full of challenges.

Hopes that the trees and therefore future “stretched away unto the edge of doom” the alliteration here in “that those dark trees” emphasising his reflection.

Question 7

“So old and firm”

Answer 7

Adjectives connote stability.

Sibilance “scarcely show the breeze” - unaffected by external influences.

Question 8

Allusion “were not as twere the merest mask of gloom”

Answer 8

Emphasises not yet confident in his own poetic voice.

Use of assonance throughout.

Alliteration of “merest mask” mundane sound reveals that he hopes his future offers him something hopeful, does not wish to live mundane unfulfilled life.

Question 9

“Stretched away”

Answer 9

Potentially dark image used in a comforting way to evoke a sense of an endless future giving the speaker a chance to hide from reality. “The edge of doom” here we can see he wishes to have a limitless and prolific future full of possibilities and discovery.

Assonance through “breeze trees gloom doom” doom”

Question 10

Second stanza never ending forest

Answer 10

Presents never ending forest as an escape for the speaker to “steal away and hide from reality” leaving social obligations and paving the way for introspection.

By stealing away into the unknown he may hope to escape the monotony of his life where “the slow wheel pours the sand”. By opening with a personal pronoun “I” creates a defiant tone.

“Withheld” feels constricted by society and wishes to be removed from the influences of societal expectations so that he can “come into his own” and find his “true self”

Question 11

“Into their vastness I could steal away”

Answer 11

Sibilance emphasises his determination to find his true self and furthermore the choice of assonance further reveals this.

Question 12

“Fearless of ever finding open land”

Answer 12

Alliteration emphasises his excitement of starting his new journey.

“Open land” becomes a metaphor, we can see that he doesn’t need a safety or support he is confident in himself and his own ability to find himself, he is courageous not frightened of the expectations or pressure he will put on himself.

Question 13

Metaphor for highway

Answer 13

Views as metaphorical journey l, he acknowledges that his journey of self discovery will be lifelong and once he embarks he cannot return to his former ignorant self.

Question 14

Alliteration “where” “wheel”

Answer 14

Sibilance “slow” “sand” the alliteration emphasises his desire to progress and grow into his own Person.

“Slow wheel” becomes metaphor for limited progression or improvement for him.

Needs to be removed from masses to find himself.

Connotations of time and slow progression through the use of sand to further this interpretation.

Imagery of a journey and life of being a journey throughout this poem.

Question 15

Third stanza

Answer 15

Takes on lighter tone as it switches from describing the dark trees to adding consideration for special people in his life.

Seems to be challenging those who love him.

Question 16

Enjambment

Answer 16

Reinforces propelling motion of which he is approaching his destination creating a fast pace.

Further use of personal pronouns to emphasise his defiant tone and his self redemptive nature of this poem.

Use of sounds of sense emphasises his eagerness to find his way in the world. - repeated use of consonance and assonance throughout the poem.

The sibilance “see” and “should”
Consonance throughout.

Question 17

Allusion

Answer 17

“E’er turn back” we can see his lack of confidence in American idioms in this stage of his poetry.

Shifts from considering the physical landscape to considering those in his life “or those should not set fourth upon my track” repetition of “should” emphasises his contemplation.

Personal pronoun emphasises his personal journey.

Imagery of literal journey used to figure a metaphorical one of self discovery.

Question 18

“Those who should miss me here”

Answer 18

Alliteration shows clear affection for his family and close friends “and long to know if still I held them dear” acknowledges loved ones in his life.

Question 19

Final two lines

Answer 19

Content assured tone.

Ultimate realisation being that the convictions he held are the ones he holds true and hopes that his loved ones will follow his lead and find him when he is on this trek.

Sort out those who really care and willing to make effort.

Grown in confidence in identity and hopes he will discover what was there all along.

Speaker wishes to transcend into adulthood as a man who has cemented his ideal and completely knows himself. Alliteration “thought was true”

Question 20

Contextually

Answer 20

Clear that “those dark trees”

Represents darkness of a spiritual separation from the world and a retreat into oneself.

“All I thought was true” could be in represent in these two separate interpretations either the necessity of solitude or the further knowledge facilitated by solitude.