"Out of the Deep"

Question 1

Out of the deep: Crafting of a self-deprecating speaker to demonstrate the sheer remorse of failing to abide by God’s teachings.

1. ‘I fool s s’
2. ‘I traitor s b f t g’

Answer 1

1. ‘I fool stand shod’ = sibilance exaggerates the stasis of the persona, a lack of progression, potentially in terms of the ‘right path’ in life. A sense of verbal self-flagellation established, as the persona lays the blame of this epic transgression solely on themselves.
2. ‘I traitor slunk back’ = biblical allusion to the great betrayal of Jesus by Judas allows the speaker to recognise the extent of this sinful action, they have caused significant damage to their relationship with God.
   serpentine connotations of ‘slunk’ imply a sense of cunning in this betrayal, perhaps this is a biblical allusion to the Snake in the Garden of Evil = the speaker has been tempted to pursue the path of evil.

Question 2

Out of the deep: Religious iconography/Titles to reassert God’s position as supreme moral authority.

1. ‘For thy s i h b f T r’
2. ‘Thou my G, m G…T L’

Answer 2

1. ‘for Thy Staff i have but felt Thy rod’
   demonstrates this idea that God has both the power to act as a divine moral guide yet can issue punishments to those who fail to follow his example.

‘Thy Staff’ = image of rulership, authority = religious allusion to the idea of God/Jesus as a shepherd, herding us all back onto the path of righteousness.
‘thy Rod’ = image of corporal punishment, a harsh reaction that reflects the severity of straying from God’s teachings. Perhaps this contrast in the presentation of God’s authority symbolises the shift in the speaker’s relationship to God which has deteriorated from one of mutual respect to one of God requiring loyalty through brute punishment solely due to the speaker’s actions.

2. ‘Thou my God…my God…Thou Lord’: Repetition of revered labels for God, perhaps as a way to reaffirm God’s supreme status and to demonstrate the speaker’s utter devotion and deference for God, bolstered by the capitalisation of ‘Thou’. Evokes a sense of desperation and pleading as the possessive quality of ‘my’ suggests an effort to regain the proximity that the speaker once had with God - they desperately seek this spiritual union/spiritual healing.

Question 3

Out of the Deep: Path imagery to indicate a sense of detachment or lack or progression.
1. ‘a t t d p l t’

Answer 3

1. ‘along this tedious desert path long trod’
   constant ‘o’ vowel = protracted, tiresome tone created. = reinforces this idea of earthly existence as a monotonous act that one wishes to escape.

‘desert path’ = barren, lifeless connotations perhaps suggest that there is an inability for progression or development here on Earth. Perhaps points to the growing feeling of listlessness established as the speaker feels that life on Earth is almost a fruitless endeavour, perhaps because they are so infatuated with this idea of heaven and union with God they are instilled with a sense of sheer boredom because they constantly anticipate death as a means of uniting with God which would provide them with greater fulfilment than ever possible on earth.