Mrs Midas

Question 1

Stanza 1

“Late September”

Answer 1

‘September’ connotes autumn’s golden colours/ things comming to an end

Question 2

S1

“Unwind”; “Relaxed”; “Gently”

Answer 2

• Connote Mrs Midas’ calm/peaceful mood.
• Describe the scene

Question 3

S1

“Wiped the other’s glass like a brow”

Answer 3

• Introduces sense of touch
• Foreshadows how she can’t touch KM later
• Window is unclear- she doesn’t really see what’s happening

Question 4

S1

“Peartree snapping like a twig”

Answer 4

• Calm atmosphere shattered by final line
• ‘Snapping’ connotes something violent/abrupt/dramatic is about to happen

Question 5

S2

“Visibility Poor”

Answer 5

Symbolizes her disbelief at what’s happening

Question 6

S2

“Dark of the ground seems to drink the light of the Sky”

Answer 6

• Personification- Sounds ominous. Suggests life being drained
• ‘Dark’ connotes something sinister/night/end of things

Question 7

S2

“Twig in his hand was gold”
“Like a lightbulb”

Answer 7

• Unnatural/sinister image
• Bub switching on symbolizes MM realizing what’s happened

Question 8

S2

“On”
“Putting fairylights in the tree?”

Answer 8

• Add dramatic effect
• Question in last line emphasizes her surprise & highlights disbelief/confusion

Question 9

S3

“He”

Answer 9

• 3rd person
• She blames/ is angry at KM
• Implies troubled relationship

Question 10

S3

“Like a king on a burnished throne”

Answer 10

Midas is described as Kinglike

Question 11

S3

• “Vain”
• “Strange”
• “Burnished”

Answer 11

• Connotes greed & Selfishness
• Connotes out of control/ frightening
• Connotes grandure/ wealthy extravangance

Question 12

S3

“What in the name of god is going on?”
“He started to laugh”

Answer 12

• Question shows MM’s disbelief.
• Contrasts with ‘Laugh’.
• KM sees what his selfishness has brought on him. Cruelty? Despair?

Question 13

S4

“I served up the meal”

Answer 13

Comic effect. MM continues her chores despite absurd situation

Question 14

S4

“Within seconds he was spitting out the teeth of the rich”

Answer 14

• 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.

Question 15

S4

“He toyed with his spoon, then mine, then with the knives, the forks.”

Answer 15

List. One thing after another reflects growing realization of MM to the conseuences of what’s happened.

Question 16

S4

“Shaking hand”

Answer 16

Further emphasises MM’s worry/fear

Question 17

S5

• “Scream”
• “Sinks to his knees”

Answer 17

• Connotes horror/fear
• KM is in despair

Question 18

S5

“I made him”

Answer 18

Shows MM’s self assured & in control

Question 19

S5

“Sit on the other side of the room & keep his hands to himself”

Answer 19

Represents/symbolizes distance/trouble in their relationship

Question 20

S5

“I locked the cat in the cellar. I moved the phone. The toilet I didn’t mind. I couldn’t believe my ears”

Answer 20

• 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

Question 21

S6

“You’ll be able to give up smoking for good”

Answer 21

Stanza ends on comical note as MM looks at the positives the situation brings

Question 22

S7

“Separate Beds”

Answer 22

1. Short sentace/ factual statement emphasises decisive action
2. ‘Separate’ connotes distance & isolation
3. ‘Separate’ represents end of the relationship

Question 23

S7

“I put a chair against my door, near petrified”

Answer 23

Her actions & WC of ‘petrified’ connote fear (frozen with fear - a reminder of the curse).

Question 24

S7

“Into the tomb of Tutankhamun”

Answer 24

1. Metaphor extands ‘gold’ imagery
2. ‘Tomb’ foreshadows doom
3. Quick succession of rhyming words emphasises speed at which everything turns to gold

Question 25

# S7 "Kiss [...] work of art"

Answer 25

Continues idea of something good being a threat

Question 26

# S8 "And who, when it comes to the crunch, can live with a heart of gold?"

Answer 26

1. Ironic metaphor- 'Heart of gold' has posititve connotations- but here is meant literally 2. Rhetorical question asks us to sympathize with her.

Question 27

# S8 "My dream-milk burned in my breasts"

Answer 27

1. WC 'dream' reveals she's been longing for a child 2. 'Burned connotes fire/destruction. Her dream destroyed.

Question 28

# S8 Stanza 8's tone

Answer 28

Fearful. She's in anguish

Question 29

# S9 "So he had to move out"

Answer 29

1. Resigned tone to opening line 2. Short factual statement gives sense that she gave up hope for their future

Question 30

# S9 "Wilds" & "Its own"

Answer 30

1. Connote isolation/ being alone 2. Metaphor for the idstance grown within relatiionship

Question 31

# S9 "Undercover of darkness" "Fool"

Answer 31

Reveal she's embarassed by her husband's greed & selfishness

Question 32

# S9 "She parks a good way off"

Answer 32

Metaphor for them growing apart

Question 33

# S9 "Golden Trout" "Beautiful lemon mistake" "Footprints glistneing"

Answer 33

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.

Question 34

# S9 "Thin" "Delerious" "Gone mad hearing music"

Answer 34

Connote illness/ desparation

Question 35

# S10 "Gets me" "Idiocy" "Greed"

Answer 35

Reveal anger at KM Emphasise her blame for destroyed relationship

Question 36

# S10 "Lack of thought"

Answer 36

We must symphathise with her

Question 37

# S10 "Pure selfishness"

Answer 37

Short sentance emphasises her anger

Question 38

# S10 "Hands" "Warm"

Answer 38

1. Repetition emphasises what she misses the most. Contact 2. Connotes comfort 3. Contrasts with cold touch of gold

Question 39

# Overall Central concerns

Answer 39

* Greed * Selfishness