Please hold - Ciaran O'Driscoll

Question 1

Title

Answer 1

imperative control of technology, falsely polite automated voices are

Question 2

‘This is the future, my wife says. We are already there, and it’s the same as the present.’

Answer 2

• wariness of the negative future
• repeats throughout
• gives the wife a robotic feel and leads to paranoia from the speaker

Question 3

‘The robot is giving me countless options, none of which answer to my needs. Wonderful, says the robot when I give him my telephone number’

Answer 3

• empty conversation
• juxtaposition of ‘countless’ and ‘none’ - frustration of speaker
• false politeness, sarcastic
• repetition - monotonous feel

Question 4

‘but I can find nothing to meet my needs on the telephone, and into my account’

Answer 4

• possessive term, personal attack on the lack of security around technology

Question 5

‘i’m paying a robot for doing nothing’

Answer 5

• modern societal worrying and having access to personal details

Question 6

‘Yes but I’m paying for it, I shout, out of my wonderful account into my great telephone bill.’

Answer 6

• phonological features the sound effects the rhythm and repetition add to the increase level of frustration

Question 7

‘This is the future. I’m sorry, I don’t understand, says the robot. Please sat Yes or No. Or you can say Repeat of Menu.’

Answer 7

• interjections from the voice undercut his stress
• limited conversation could mirror the lack of societal conversation in the digital age

Question 8

‘or you can say Agent if you’d like to talk to someone real, who is just as robotic. I scream Agent! and am cut off,’

Answer 8

• mirrors the increasing levels of frustration

Question 9

‘And I’m talking to a robot on the phone, and he is giving me no options’

Answer 9

oxymoron could show the sinister nature of increasing automation and reduced human interaction

Question 10

‘guise’

Answer 10

indicates a deliberately misleading presentation

Question 11

‘We appreciate your patience. Please hold. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Please hold. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Please hold. Eine fucking Kleine Nachtmusik.’

Answer 11

• the repetition and build-up to the shocking expletive show his frustration
• satirical quality to the poem - comedic and relatable feel

Question 12

‘Your call is important to us, he says. And my translator says, This means your call is not important to them.’

Answer 12

the structure is circular this exchange is stationary, doesn’t go anywhere

Question 13

‘Please hold means that, for all your accomplishments, the only way you can now meet your needs is by looting.’

Answer 13

• extension of satire - caricature and hyperbole
• the typical annoyance of everyday life

Question 14

‘Please hold. Please grow old. Please grow cold. Please do what you’re told. Grow old. Grow cold. This is the future. Please hold.’

Answer 14

• eerie tone
• tercet structure
• anaphora gives inescapable quality - technology has no signs of slowing down

Question 15

Overall messages

Answer 15

• lack of communication in modern-day society
• modern society relies on people’s mindless and unquestioning obedience and use of technology to function
• technology traps us in an endless cycle of broken communication
• technology takes away people’s individuality and humanity in its reliance on it

Question 16

Structure

Answer 16

• free verse - showing the frustration of the speaker
• repetition of phrases and sentences - stereotypically long wait dealing with robotic replies