Last Supper Flashcards
Last Supper (title)
(C) Religious connotations. It is
literal as this is the final meal he
will have. Alludes to the last supper of christ before his crucifixion
She (line 1)
(N.V) Third person pronoun
to introduce the subject of
the poem - a woman has
been betrayed by her lover
and is preparing a final
meal for him.
ready to renounce (line 1)
lent (line 3)
Religious connotations. Period of abstention and sacrifice – she is
‘giving him up’
sweet flesh
-found relationship enjoyable but no emotional connection
-temporary satisfaction
-sickly sweet
(For
Ever)
(S.S) Parenthesis helps to
convey her certainty that the
relationship is over and has
no hope of resurrection.
Enjambment elongates the
phrase making the amount of
time seem even longer.
(after all
didn’t they always
eat together
rather more than rather well?)
(S.S) Parenthesis and a
question used to introduce
an aside. Suggests the
relationship provided low-
level pleasures rather than
anything substantial.
Tearing foliage, scrambling the salad
violent verbs used to describe the preparation of the meal. Anger towards partner
Frantic and in careful preparation of the meal
maybe lighting candles event
(C) Lighting candles has both
religious and romantic
connotations. Parody of
stereotypical romantic meal.
anyway (line12)
Word choice and
placement(emphasised
by enjambment)
suggests she doesn’t
care
table she’s made (and oh yes now will have to lie on)
parenthesis suggests we are hearing her thoughts
(W.C) Play on the phrase
‘you’ve made your bed
now you’ll need to lie in
it’. Also refers to the lies
she expects him to tell.
Decision is made and
consequences will be
faced. Could also be lies
she expects him to tell.
continues idea of permanence
the cooked goose
pun
‘cooked goose’ implies that someone is about to suffer the consequences of their actions
plus betrayal with a kiss
(C) Refers to the way in which Judas identified Jesus to the
Roman soldiers so that he could be arrested. By using this
comparison to Judas it is clear that infidelity is unforgivable and
represents the ultimate betrayal. Kiss also refers to infidelity.
what kind of leftover hash
(W.C) Pun – to make leftovers/ to
provide material for conversation
(also food imagery)
The Girls
(S.S) Capital letters
emphasise the
strength of the
bond that she
feels with these
women
when those three met again
(C) Reference to
‘Macbeth’, spoken by
the three witches.
Lochhead turns
female solidarity and
support into
something almost
sinister.
What very GOOD SOUP
she could RENDER FROM THE BONES
then SOMETHING SUBSTANTIAL, SOMETHING EXTRA
TASTY IF NOT ELEGANT
‘render from the bones’ -(I) Food imagery suggests
that the woman will serve
up the man for dinner. Will
get every last bit of flavour
from the carcass – get every
bit of gossip from the
relationship.
‘something substantial’ -(I) Extending the food metaphor.
(other)The implication is almost
that the end of this
romantic relationship
will provide some
sustenance or
nourishment for
herself and her
friends.
‘tasty if not elegant’ -Conversation will be crude
but enjoyable – not
sophisticated or refined.
cackling around the cauldron
(I) Onomatopoeia of ‘cackling’ and the
alliteration of the harsh letter ‘c’ establish a malevolent (malice/ spite) tone. We are reminded again of Macbeth’s witches. They are heartless and cruel.
spitting out
gnawing
(W.C) talking about the
worst things he has done.
Animalistic word choice
of ‘spitting out’ and
‘gnawing’ suggest an
animal savouring and
devouring its prey.
gristlier
giblets
(I) There is a lot of
alliteration used in this
section which links to the
eating verbs and has an
onomatopoeic effect.
gnawing on the knucklebone of some
intricate irony;
(I) Assonance (repeated
vowel sound) suggests that
this is a feast to be savoured
and enjoyed slowly. There is
a kind of delicate ferocity in
the way the women
consume every tiny piece of
gossip. Persistent, lengthy
and far from polite.
dainty
petit-gout
polite.
(W.C) ‘Petit gout’ translates
roughly as ‘little taste’. This idea of
sharing just a tiny flavour of the
lovers’ break up conversation
contrasts with the sense of gluttony
and excess from earlier in the stanza.
reported speech
(W.C) connotations of rumours, suggests they do not know anything for sure about this situation. One sided story
‘That’s rich!’
(W.C) Idiom - Double meaning
implies the food was rich in taste
but also that the women are
ridiculing his excuses – think they
are outrageous/ironic/ hypocritical
fat and sizzling sausages
Food imagery – simile
compares the lover’s lies to
‘fat and sizzling’ sausages’
suggesting there is
pleasure, albeit unhealthy,
to be derived from sharing
the details of the failed
relationship – especially
when the cause is infidelity.
Alliteration creates a
menacing tone.
gorged
(W.C) ‘gorged’ has
connotations of gluttony. They
have feasted on the failings of
this man, on his lies and
faults. Also reveals negative
aspects of friendship –
depends on misery and
unhappiness.
savage integrity
(W.C) The women are full
of the knowledge that
they are morally superior
to the man, who has lied
and deceived.
Hypocritical.
preening like corbies
(C) Allusion to a Scottish
poem called ‘The Twa
Corbies’- about two birds
discussing in detail how
they intend to pick over the
carcass of a recently killed
knight. The women are
shown to be predators.
(I) Simile suggests the
women are proud of
themselves and how they
have gotten one up on the
man. Also suggests the man
deserves his fate.
till somebody would get hungry
and go hunting again.
metaphor-The poem ends humorously. Although these women have scant regard for men, they will in due course embark on further relationships — or as the poet says metaphorically — ‘get hungry and go hunting again’. The reader senses that there is little likelihood that the relationships will last long.
‘hunting’ suggests that the women hold the power. They enter into relationships on their own terms to satisfy their needs
