Litany

Question 1

What perspective is the poem from and who is the speaker?

Answer 1

A grown-up child looking back in rhetoric on the memory of when she swore in front of her mother/mothers friends.

Question 2

What themes are present in the poem?

Answer 2

Individuality, rebellion, childhood, shame, memory

Question 3

Describe what happens in the poem

Answer 3

First stanza- Describing the 50s/60s house interior, language was used as an act of shame, showing gossip-like nature of mother and friends
Second stanza- Divorce is mentioned with ruins mood, showing characteristics of friends
Third stanza- Shows how child was influenced by mother, defying social normaties. Child gains curiosity and growth in individualism/control over life which contrasts the performative nature of her mother
Fourth stanza- Repeats expletive of anecdote within anecdote. Apologising to mothers friends although not sorry, an act of rebellion. Her mother possesses shame and she is punished with washing her mouth out

Question 4

What structure is the poem?

Answer 4

Sestet - she has control over the memory but her rules taught to her were still structured firmly within her childhood

Question 5

What techniques are used in the poem?

Answer 5

Dysphemistic language
Gustatory/auditory imagery
Lexical set of common nouns- body parts and household items