Mrs Midas Flashcards
It was late September
The poem begins in ‘late September’ a time during the transition of summer to fall. The setting of an
autumn landscape brings to mind the colours yellow and orange, foreshadowing Mr. Midas’s ability to turn
everything he touches into gold.
It is also illustrates a period in which something comes to an end. In the Midas household this period gestures towards the end of their relationship but there is a contrast
between the natural processes of autumn and the unnatural events surrounding Midas.
He was standing under the pear tree snapping a twig
The
action of “snapping a twig”
holds connotations of violence and foreshadows the troubles the Midas’s will face
The kitchen filled with the smell of itself, relaxed, its steamy breath gently blanching the windows
Personification of kitchen creates a warm appealing atmosphere
then with my fingers wiped the other’s glass like a brow
Simile introduces importance of sense of touch to mrs M - she later loses this ability
Snapping a twig
Atmosphere is shattered by the final line gives connotations of something violent, harsh, consonant sounds in the final phrase contrast with softer sounds earlier in the stanza
Now the garden was long and visibility poor
Mrs m’s disbelief over what is happening is emphasised by the length of time she takes to comprehend what she is saying (long sentence)
The dark of the ground seems to drink the light of the sky
Personification sounds threatening reflects idea of life being drained from something
Hand was gold
Contrast between lack of light in first two lines and brightness of golden pear and twig
Like a Light bulb.on.
Simile seems unnatural perhaps mrs m’s realisation
Is he putting fairy lights in the tree?
Structure adds dramatic effect question in last line again highlights mrs m’s shock and disbelief
He
He
The name Midas is not mentioned which highlights blame mrs m puts on her husband
The field of the cloth of gold and miss Macready
Mrs m is reminded of a history lesson taught by miss macready fields of the cloth where kings of England and France met to show off their wealth
Like a king on a burnished throne
Simile and burnished reflect grandeur and wealth
Look on his face was strange wild vain
List of facial features reflects his greed and selfishness as well as him contemplating what has happened
What in the name of god is going on? He started to laugh
Question reflects mrs m’s disbelief contrasted with laugh - why? He sees what his selfishness has brought him? Is it cruelty
I served up the meal
Comic effect mrs m continues to go about her domestic chores despite absurd situation
Spitting out the teeth of the rich
Horror of what is happening becomes apparent represents the fact that his greed and desire for wealth has brought him to this / comic as he is literally spitting out his teeth
Shaking
Further emphasises mrs m’s anxiety over what is happening
Glass,goblet,golden chalice
Alliteration/harsh consonant sounds add to the drama/ seriousness of situation
Chalice often associated with last supper
It was then I started to
Dramatic opening as both accept full reality of what has happened
Scream
Demonstrates mrs m’s horror
He sank to his knees after we had both calmed down I finished the wine
Horror/shock is combined with comedy it seems absurd that both Would have calmed so quickly and that mrs m would continue with her drink
Keep his hands to himself
Midas still seeks a physical relationship with his wife - represents distance in their relationship brought on by this
I locked the cat in the cellar. I moved the phone. The toilet i didn’t mind
Further comedy combined with mrs m’s disbelief/ shock - series of short sentences
How he’d had a wish. Look we all have wishes
Enjambment reflects mrs m’s disbelief as she hears Midas’s confession
Granted. But who has wishes granted
The pun on granted the rhetorical question and the short one word sentence all convey a sense of disgust from mrs m
Him.
Short sentence. Blunt impersonal word to convey disgust and anger
You’ll be able to give up smoking for good
Humour on a more positive note Midas will now have to stop smoking
Separate beds
Summarise the full effect on their relationship in one short statement
