Mrs Midas Flashcards
Stanza 1
“Late September”
‘September’ connotes autumn’s golden colours/ things comming to an end
S1
“Unwind”; “Relaxed”; “Gently”
- Connote Mrs Midas’ calm/peaceful mood.
- Describe the scene
S1
“Wiped the other’s glass like a brow”
- Introduces sense of touch
- Foreshadows how she can’t touch KM later
- Window is unclear- she doesn’t really see what’s happening
S1
“Peartree snapping like a twig”
- Calm atmosphere shattered by final line
- ‘Snapping’ connotes something violent/abrupt/dramatic is about to happen
S2
“Visibility Poor”
Symbolizes her disbelief at what’s happening
S2
“Dark of the ground seems to drink the light of the Sky”
- Personification- Sounds ominous. Suggests life being drained
- ‘Dark’ connotes something sinister/night/end of things
S2
“Twig in his hand was gold”
“Like a lightbulb”
- Unnatural/sinister image
- Bub switching on symbolizes MM realizing what’s happened
S2
“On”
“Putting fairylights in the tree?”
- Add dramatic effect
- Question in last line emphasizes her surprise & highlights disbelief/confusion
S3
“He”
- 3rd person
- She blames/ is angry at KM
- Implies troubled relationship
S3
“Like a king on a burnished throne”
Midas is described as Kinglike
S3
- “Vain”
- “Strange”
- “Burnished”
- Connotes greed & Selfishness
- Connotes out of control/ frightening
- Connotes grandure/ wealthy extravangance
S3
“What in the name of god is going on?”
“He started to laugh”
- Question shows MM’s disbelief.
- Contrasts with ‘Laugh’.
- KM sees what his selfishness has brought on him. Cruelty? Despair?
S4
“I served up the meal”
Comic effect. MM continues her chores despite absurd situation
S4
“Within seconds he was spitting out the teeth of the rich”
- Horror of what’s happening is clear. KM can’t even eat
- Comical Imagery reveals his greed & desire for wealth has brought him to this.
S4
“He toyed with his spoon, then mine, then with the knives, the forks.”
List. One thing after another reflects growing realization of MM to the conseuences of what’s happened.
S4
“Shaking hand”
Further emphasises MM’s worry/fear
S5
- “Scream”
- “Sinks to his knees”
- Connotes horror/fear
- KM is in despair
S5
“I made him”
Shows MM’s self assured & in control
S5
“Sit on the other side of the room & keep his hands to himself”
Represents/symbolizes distance/trouble in their relationship
S5
“I locked the cat in the cellar. I moved the phone. The toilet I didn’t mind. I couldn’t believ my ears”
- Comedy combined with disbelief/shock.
- MM is concerned for herself & the cat.
- She won’t let KM touch them but seems pleased with golden toilet
S6
“You’ll be able to give up smoking for good”
Stanza ends on comical note as MM looks at the positives the situation brings
S7
“Separate Beds”
- Short sentace/ factual statement emphasises decisive action
- ‘Separate’ connotes distance & isolation
- ‘Separate’ represents end of the relationship
S7
“I put a chair against my door, near petrified”
Her actions & WC of ‘petrified’ connote fear (frozen with fear - a reminder of the curse).
S7
“Into the tomb of Tutankhamun”
- Metaphor extands ‘gold’ imagery
- ‘Tomb’ foreshadows doom
- Quick succession of rhyming words emphasises speed at which everything turns to gold
S7
“Kiss […] work of art”
Continues idea of something good being a threat
S8
“And who, when it comes to the crunch, can live with a heart of gold?”
- Ironic metaphor- ‘Heart of gold’ has posititve connotations- but here is meant literally
- Rhetorical question asks us to sympathize with her.
S8
“My dream-milk burned in my breasts”
- WC ‘dream’ reveals she’s been longing for a child
- ‘Burned connotes fire/destruction. Her dream destroyed.
S8
Stanza 8’s tone
Fearful. She’s in anguish
S9
“So he had to move out”
- Resigned tone to opening line
- Short factual statement gives sense that she gave up hope for their future
S9
“Wilds” & “Its own”
- Connote isolation/ being alone
- Metaphor for the idstance grown within relatiionship
S9
“Undercover of darkness”
“Fool”
Reveal she’s embarassed by her husband’s greed & selfishness
S9
“She parks a good way off”
Metaphor for them growing apart
S9
“Golden Trout”
“Beautiful lemon mistake”
“Footprints glistneing”
List of golen items shows length she walks to see him. Emphasises distance grown between them. Continues idea of something which appears attractibe being dangerous.
S9
“Thin”
“Delerious”
“Gone mad hearing music”
Connote illness/ desparation
S10
“Gets me”
“Idiocy”
“Greed”
Reveal anger at KM
Emphasise her blame for destroyed relationship
S10
“Lack of thought”
We must symphathise with her
S10
“Pure selfishness”
Short sentance emphasises her anger
S10
“Hands”
“Warm”
- Repetition emphasises what she misses the most. Contact
- Connotes comfort
- Contrasts with cold touch of gold
Overall
Central concerns
- Greed
- Selfishness
