poems of the decade essay plans Flashcards
eat me - objectification/power
1- objectification = an act of violence / abuser uses subtle manipulation to turn persona into the object of his desires
2- objectification strips persona of identity / it is inextricable from the desire to hold power over another person
3- continues abuse + objectification causes acquiescence + numbness, coping mechanism, effects culminate in final line
chainsaw vs pampass grass - masc vs fem
1- clash of stereotypes between men and women, comments on sexual violence
2- implies a violent act of rape through masculine domination of pampass grass
3- despite a lack of physical power, pampass grass prevails, displays increasing awareness + unification agaisnt abuse
chainsaw vs pampass grass - artificial vs natural world
1- development of man threatens nature
2- warns against destructive power of machine when used irresponsibly
3- transcendent power of nature, human power is simply transitory
material - loss
1- extended metaphor of a handkerchief to cope with sharp raw grief, attempt to honour mother
2- loss of the hanky reflects the creation of a consumerist + disposable society contrasting familiarity of childhood experiences / stability
3- reflection of own identity + guilt over inadequacy, worsened by increasing pressures of todays expectations of women
history - significant world events
1- shatters peoples perceptions of the world creating a sense of fear + uncertainty + uncomfortable awareness of mortality
2- alludes to violent scenes but affirms that life must go on
3- exploration of philosophical idas, as often triggered by such an event, reflects internal chaos as people are forever changed, but the only way to rebuild it to focus on tangible + real + unchanging things in the present
easy passage - nostalgia
1- unique difficulties faced by women during uncomfortable transition into adolescence
2- exposes issues that are often overlooked as girls face them, despite it being a universal experience among women, forced to discover for themselves the societal pressures when looking back through unfiltered lens of adulthood
3- sense of longing for youth, better to be blissfully unaware that to live with feelings of unfulfilment
the deliverer - disturbing events
1- exposes sexism in traditional societies which do not value girls, resulting in neglect
2- displays hope, yet adoption results in a conflicted sense of identity + disjointed perspectives
3- harsh reality of women in kerala, contrast with comfort of usa, they are stuck in a cycle of abuse + stripped of rights
lammas hireling - disturbing events / guilt
1- guilt broods behind ostensible happiness, questionable relationship between farmer and hireling
2- guilt erodes at an individuals sense of clarity, farmer feels shame, results in delusion and an illfated attempt to destroy the object of his desires
3- juxtaposition between folklore + magic + religion to condemn actions of farmer and display inescapable + consuming nature of guilt
nine year old self - childhood innocence
1- reminisces on adventure of childhood + regrets adult fragile state
2- alludes to harsh realities of world that children are often oblivious to
3- urges nine year old self to savour every moment, accepts that due to adult experiences she is too different, allows transcendence into a state of peace
a minor role - life changing events
1- metaphor of play + illness of speaker, explores performitivity people uphold i the bustle of every day life
2- places value on intimate + private moments in life, a time for self reflection, authenticity away from social scrutiny + condemns superficial nature of human society
3- acceptance of illness + newfound appreciation of life used to encourage reader not to take like for granted, despite realisation of the futility of performitivity, it is second nature, so inescapable - shown in cyclical structure
the gun - power
1- juxtaposition of violence + domestic sphere = guns domination + power, it is an intrusive and insatiable force
2- insidious nature of power, it slowly builds up, displayed through clash of man + natural world
3- allure of power through change in female speaker, reminder than power demands submission
the furthest distances - change / transformation / life experiences
1- transformative impact of life experiences, evokes a sense of nostalgia as she relishes memories of travels
2- stark tone shift reflects speakers sense of uncertainty + instability as she copes with settling into normalcy
3- ambiguous ending, represents speakers isolation as she reflects on the journey of life
guiseppe - morality / violence / disturbing events / mysticism
1- juxtaposition of violence + fantasy = discomfort, used to enforce reader into position of moral questioning
2- violence + brutality displayed allows exploration of human nature in times of desperation, devolution of men who become rules y primal instinct
3- presents the impact of disturbing events to be scarring + inescapable trhough depictions of guilt
out of the bag - mysticism + attraction
explores powerful + attractive force of the mystic
1- ongoing conflict between reality + modernity used to emphasise obscurity of the mystic which makes it so enticing
2- displays the way initial contact as a child spirals into obsession, uses imaginative + fearful lens of childhood to indulge the mystic
3- ambiguous ending leaves reader questioning acceptance of mysticism as he discerns that the mystical is a gentler perception of like than reality, contradicting initial tone of poem
effects - loss / regret / identity
1- speakers appreciation of mother catalysed by her deterioration + finds comfort in sense of familiarity + love in childhood memories
2- sense of guilt develops as mothers identity + their connected is further eroded
3- returning image of hand holding + symbolic effects used to lament the loss of mother, while also reflecting on fleeting + transient nature of human life
genetics - family / identity
1- motif of hands = symbol for security + comfort, used to explore familial dynamic, causing her to confront her role as the last remaining connection between parents
2- speaker contemplates remnants of her parents relationship + depicts how this deteriorates identity, hint of obsession - villanelle
3- displays how speakers familial experience translates into own adult relationships, illustrating long term impacts of struggle
journal of a disappointed man - observation / masc/ emotional change
1- despite ostensible sense of superiority, speakers insecurity is subtly seen through heavy focus on masculinity, depicted as stereotypical + objectifying
2- speakers unfounded disdain used to create ironic mage of observer who regards builders as primitive despite not understanding them himself, furthers underlying sense of insecurity
2- speakers observations + isolation force unexpected self reflection, poignant unfinished final image used to symbolise importance of perspective
look we have coming to dover - change / conflict
1- poetic imagery + reclamation of stereotypes, nagra displays hope for change as a driving force which empowers many to face unwelcoming realities of immigration
2- condemns unfair prejudice + highlights will + determination to force positive change
3- celebrates the assimilation of immigrants into middle class society = aspirational, but exposes internal conflict of identity
please hold - fate of humanity
1- exploration about human development in tech, he expresses feelings of hope + excitement for the future
2- hope is dampened as speaker confronts the fact that humans haven’t developed as much as initially thought, humorous limitations of tech
3- exposes how humans cannot escape the clutches of tech we created, leaving a sinister image of humanity slowly dying + questioning if humans are still in control
ode on a grayson perry urn - social class + art
1- stereotypes inspired by urn used to criticse class divides in modern world
2- contemplates the inescapable nature of social class, symbolised by the static nature of art
3- aligns with working class and emphasises disdain of class divides, ends the poem hopeful for change in society
on her blindness - loss / observation
1- subverts religious tones of milton as he dispplays raw struggles his mother experiences, cementing central theme of observation in poem
2- criticises apathy of society that forces mother into performativity, and lament own inability to recognise damaging nature of her facade
3- uses traditional romantic imagery to process mothers death, regains a sense of faith in the comfort that she has gained freedom from isolation in life
