Moving through the silent crowd seen poetry Flashcards
What is the mood in Stanza 1?
Misery and sadness
What is the effect of the “silent crowd”?
They have nothing to do; they have been silences since they have lost everything; unsettled because crowds should be vibrant and noisy.
Stanza 1: explain the effect of the dull cigarette and the idle men
a reflection of them –not aglow. bored of standing around; monotonous life, no purpose. idle: standing around and waiting
Stanza 1: explain the effect of the falling light
A sense of ominousness/impending doom/ sad times coming
+ literal sunset
Comment on the diction in stanza 2 used to describe the men’s behaviour
- lounge: not relaxation, rather idleness
- no hope: even gestures convey indifference
- empty pockets: lack money and hope
- cynic: no value in anything/ no hope anywhere
What is the tone in Stanza 3? provide evidence
“better men” : mocking/ironic
simply luckier; employed are not morally superior
take: money grabbed not earned
drain: Men waste their dat; get paid to do it; no value in what they do
What is the tone in stanza 4?
apologetic and critical. the poet feels a sense of helplessness.
Comment on the effect of the triple use of the pronoun I.
This is the poet’s understanding. we are seeing his perspective; he is inserting his own ideas and sentiments
Explain the transferred epithets in Stanza 4.
weeping and hungry show the long periods of sorrow that the silent crowd feels; longing for change. they are the ones that are weeping and hungry.
Explain the use of “images” and what they represent in Stanza 4.
They are the ones he created: this is a self-critical statement, shown through the use of “haunted”
his words and images cannot capture the actual emotion of the scenes. the speaker is seperate to them.
comment on the structure
read the new one with previous information in mind
