Piano Key quotes Flashcards
weeps to belong/ to the old Sunday evenings
enjambment mirroring the way in which he has lost control of his feelings
of childish dais is upon me, my manhood is cast/ down in the flood of remembrance, I weep like a child for the past
this caesura creates a rhythm which sounds like a man crying
Taking me back down the vista of years
vista is a beautiful view
the metaphor accentuates the power of the memory it is so strong that he can almost physically see it.
the insidious mastery of song/ betrays me back
insidious ( a kind of cunning) and betrays are examples of negative imagery showing that despite the fact that the memory is a positive one, the speaker is conflicted. He doesn’t like how the memory makes him lose control
the tinkling piano our guide
personification creating the idea of the piano as a guide shows how the music is what leads him back into childhood memories. the image of a guide implies a sense of security that he felt in his youth
the glamour/ of childish days
glamour is an old fashioned word for a spell which changes appearances
the metaphor shows how powerfully the memory has enchanted him it also links to the idea of memory as something deceitful.
the flood of remembrance
metaphor comparing memory to a flood something which is powerful and dangerous it shows the memory of his childhood has overpowered him. Though his memory of his mother is a happy one, her loss makes him deeply sad.
