Piano, D H Lawrence Flashcards
1
Q
Meaning
A
- Man reminisces childhood when he hears a woman singing
- Poet tires to remain in present but memory is too strong & is ultimately pulled back into past
- Left crying for his lost childhood and dead mother
2
Q
Context
A
Published around time of mother’s death
3
Q
Imagery #1
A
“A child sitting under the piano”
- Child described - indefinite article “a”
- Not clear that this is a specific child
- = universal → can imagine ourselves there
- Underlines fact poet is standing back and watching his own memory
- Distance produced by time passing
- & way for him to observe himself + possibly restrain his emotional response to memory
- Not clear that this is a specific child
- Child in intimate positions with instrument & woman
- = he is nestled somewhere safe
- Mother = shelter
- = shows dominance of his mother
- High above him creating music
- = he is nestled somewhere safe
- “piano”
- Musical instrument used to express emotion
- Italian word: (direction of music) piece of music should be played softly
- Poem describes soft and heartfelt moment
4
Q
Imagery #2
A
Semantic field of comfort: “winter”, “cosy”, “tinkling piano”
- Idyllic setting
- “winter”
- Gives interior scene sense of comfort and shelter form cold
- “tinkling”
- Very different from “boom” employed earlier
- Pleasing, soft sound
5
Q
Tone #1
A
Reminiscent + underlying sombre tone
“Softly, in the dusk”
- “Softly”
- Echoes musical meaning of title
- “dusk”
- Provides atmosphere of sadness
- Time of day when light fading & night approaching
- Metaphorically = poet about to face dark moment in his life
- Hinge of the day = connects day and night
- Poet occupies pivotal position between past and present of his life
- Provides atmosphere of sadness
6
Q
Tone #2
A
Regretful
Simile: “I weep like a child for the past”
- Uncontrollable in his tears
- Crying ∵ longs for past
- Poet’s initial resistance to memory which deeply saddens him
- Eventually is defeated by its power & cries for lost past
7
Q
Structure
A
- Uniformity of poem
- Rhyming couplets, equal no. lines per stanza and trochaic structure
- Matches sense of harmony & security childhood memories bring
- Rhyme and rhythm remain upbeat despite hints of negativity shown by words ‘insidious… betrays… weeps’
- Reminiscent of music and its power to uplift
- All lines but 1st enjambed
- Mirrors engulfing nature of memory & its length
8
Q
Comparisons (3x)
A
- “Half-past Two”
- “Do not go gentle into that good night”
- “Remember”
9
Q
“Half-past Two” Comparison
A
Both poems about adult remembering childhood event
which was formative
10
Q
“Do not go gentle into that good night” Comparison
A
Both poems about love the poet love for parent who is dead/dying
11
Q
“Remember” Comparison
A
Both about memories after the death of loved one
