Poetry Anthology (COMPLETE) Flashcards
Name the author of ‘When We Two Parted’
Lord Byron
Give two pieces of contextual information about Lord Byron (author of ‘When We Two Parted’)
- Lived a life of debauchery
- Identity in poem is kept secret to protect secret affair (with Lady Wedderburn)
Describe the narrative voice of ‘When We Two Parted’
1st person adressing lover
Identify two key themes of ‘When We Two Parted’
- Shame
- Grief
Explain one example of auditory imagery from ‘When We Two Parted’
“(they name thee before me) a knell in mine ear”
–> Knell is a funeral bell
–> Metaphor reminds him of death of relationship
Explain two examples of tactile imagery from ‘When We Two Parted’
“Colder thy kiss”
–> Comparative
–> Shows progressive death of relationship
“(the dew of the morning) sunk chill on my brow”
–> Happens during sickness
–> Ironic, as morning is used to signify end of relationship
Explain one example of visual imagery from ‘When We Two Parted’
“Pale grew they cheek”
–> Conveys sickness in relationship
Give two examples of repetition from ‘When We Two Parted’
“Long, long shall I rue thee”
“In secret we met - in silence I grieve”
Explain one example of a rhetorical question from ‘When We Two Parted’
“Why wert thou so dear?”
–> Shows anguish
Give one example of a violent verb used in ‘When We Two Parted’
“To [sever] for years”
Explain one structural feature of ‘When We Two Parted’
Cyclical structure
–> Imitates cycle of pain and grief
Name the author of ‘Love’s Philosophy’
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Give three pieces of contextual information about Percy Bysshe Shelly (author of ‘Love’s Philosophy’)
- Romantic poet
- Favoured passion above logic and reason
- Inspired by nature
Describe the narrative voice of ‘Love’s Philosophy’
1st person addressing unrequited lover
Identify three key themes of ‘Love’s Philosophy’
- Desperation
- Unrequited love
- Nature
Give three examples of personification in ‘Love’s Philosophy’
“The fountains mingle with the river”
“The sunlight clasps the earth”
“The moonbeams kiss the sea”
Explain the significance of the personification used in ‘Love’s Philosophy’
Use of harmonious pairings
–> Shows perfection of love
Give one example of gustatory imagery in ‘Love’s Philosophy’
“(winds of Heaven mix for ever) with a sweet emotion”
Explain how celestial imagery is used in ‘Love’s Philosophy’
“Heaven” and “divine”
–> Reinforces power and sanctity of love
–> Creates a euphoric image
Explain one example of an imperative in ‘Love’s Philosophy’
“[See] the mountains kiss high Heaven”
–> Creates urgent/ardent tone
Explain one example of anaphoric repetition in ‘Love’s Philosophy’
“[And] the sunlight clasps the earth
[And] the moonbeams kiss the sea”
–> Creates a sense of urgency
Explain one example of a rhetorical question in the last line of ‘Love’s Philosophy’
“(what are all these kissings worth) if thou kiss not me?”
–> Values her love more than beauty of nature
Give three structural features of ‘Love’s Philosophy’
- Two octets
- Enjambment
- Masculine rhyme used in rhetorical Qs and in last four lines of the poem
Name the author of ‘Porphyria’s Lover’
Robert Browning
Give three pieces of contextual information about Robert Browning (author of ‘Porphyria’s Lover’)
- Victorian writer
- Wrote dramatic monologues reflecting Victorian (patriarchal) society
- Influenced by a famous murder where the woman had hair like Porphyria
Identify two key themes of ‘Porphyria’s Lover’
Patriarchy/dominance
Beauty
Describe the narrative voice of ‘Porphyria’s Lover’
Dramatic monologue in the voice of Porphyria’s Lover
Give one example of pathetic fallacy in ‘Porphyria’s Lover’
“It (wind) tore the elm-tops down for spite”
Explain one example of tactile imagery in ‘Porphyria’s Lover’
“made the cheerless grate blaze up and all the cottage warm”
–> Contrasts cold exterior to Porphyria’s presence
Explain one example of anaphoric repetition in ‘Porphyria’s Lover’
“[And] laid her soiled gloves…
[And], last she sat down…
[And] called me”
–> Shows her active/dominant nature in the relationship
Give two examples of the active voice being used in ‘Porphyria’s Lover’ and explain its significance
“Put my arm about her waist”
“Made my cheek lie there”
–> Shows that she is more assertive
Explain one example of a reversal of roles in ‘Porphyra’s Lover’
“Only this time my shoulder bore her head”
–> Only way he could rob her of her agency
Give one example of gruesome visual imagery in ‘Porphyria’s Lover’
“In one long yellow string I wound three times her little throat around”
State why Porphyria’s Lover murders Porphyria
To control her in a way that he cannot when she is alive
Explain the significance of Porphyria’s Lover strangling her with her own hair
Implies that her own beauty caused her downfall
–> As he cannot posess it
Give two examples of Porphyria’s Lover justifying his actions in the poem
“I am quite sure she felt no pain”
“And yet God has not said a word!”
Explain one structural feature of ‘Porphyria’s Lover’
Controlled metre (iambic tetrameter)
–> Presents lover as controlling
Name the author of ‘Sonnet 29 - “I think of thee!” ‘
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Give two pieces of contextual information about Elizabeth Browning, author of ‘Sonnet 29 - “I think of thee!” ‘
- Victorian poet in an era of strict moral law where poems like hers were rare
- Wife of Robert Browning, who was apart from her at the time
Describe the narrative voice of ‘Sonnet 29 - “I think of thee!” ‘
First person addressing husband
Identify two key themes of Porphyria’s Lover
- Patriarchy
- Obsession
Explain one simile used in ‘Sonnet 29 - “I think of thee!” ‘
“(My thoughts do twine and bud) […] as wild vines about a tree”
–> Clings to memory of him like vines
–> Presents thoughts as brimming and uncontrollable
Give one example of comparatives used in ‘Sonnet 29 - “I think of thee!” ‘
“(I will not have my thoughts instead of thee who art) dearer, better!”
Explain three examples of imperatives in ‘Sonnet 29 - “I think of thee!” ‘
“Renew (thy presence)”
“Rustle (thy boughs)”
“Set (thy trunk all bare)”
–> Commanding/desperate tone to see him again
–> Contradicts victorian morality/expecations of women
Give one example of a tricolon in ‘Sonnet 29 - “I think of thee!” ‘
“Burst, shattered, everywhere!”
Explain two structural features of ‘Sonnet 29 - “I think of thee!” ‘
- Petrarchan sonnet expresses romantic love
- Volta in line 5 represents non-conformity from traditional sonnet structure
Name the author of ‘Neutral Tones’
Thomas Hardy
Give two pieces of contextual information about Thomas Hardy, author of ‘Neutral Tones’
- Mourned death of English countryside as a result of Industrial Revolution
- Was depressed from two unhappy marriages
Describe the narrative voice of ‘Neutral Tones’
1st person plural addressing lover
Identify three key themes of ‘Neutral Tones’
- Religion
- Nature
- Depression
Explain two examples of colour imagery in ‘Neutral Tones’
“sun was white”
“(Few leaves) […] were grey”
–> Monochromatic colours shows depression/ lack of warmth
Give two examples of similes in ‘Neutral Tones’
“Your eyes on me were as eyes that rove over tedious riddles of years ago”
“Grin of bitterness swept thereby like an ominous bird a wing”
Give an example of a superlative in ‘Neutral Tones’
“The smile on your mouth was the deadest thing”
Explain an example of antithesis in ‘Neutral Tones’
“Alive enough to have the strength to die”
–> Shows how couple contrasted each other in a destructive way
Explain the use of syndetic listing in the final two lines of ‘Neutral Tones’
Shows how author is trapped in an unbreakable, melancholic cycle of pain
Give two examples of religious imagery in ‘Neutral Tones’
“chidden of God”
“God-curst sun”
Explain three structural features of ‘Neutral Tones’
- Last line of each quatrain is shorter to show relationship shutting down
- Cyclical structure (starts and ends by a pond) shows entrapment in cycle of despair
- Controlled ABBA rhyme scheme creates monotonous rhythm
Name the author of ‘Letters from Yorkshire’
Maura Dooley
Give two pieces of contextual information about Maura Dooley, author of ‘Letters from Yorkshire’
- Moved around a lot throughout her life
- Explores importance of communication
Explain the two uses of present participle verbs describing the farmer in ‘Letters from Yorkshire’
“Digging his garden”
“Planting potatoes”
–> Presents work as active/physically demanding
–> implies respect for his work
Explain one example of natural symbolism in ‘Letters from Yorkshire’
Lapwings remind him to write to her as spring is coming
–> Relationship is planted in appreciation of nature
Explain one example of sensory imagery in ‘Letters from Yorkshire’
“Knuckles singing”
–> Joyful connotations shows importance of writing to the characters
Give two examples of alliteration in ‘Letters from Yorkshire’
“Seeing the seasons”
“Heartful of headlines
Explain the significance of the caesura in line 11 of ‘Letters from Yorkshire’
Change of focus shows how communication unites them, despite their differences
Give two examples of metaphors in ‘Letters from Yorkshire’
“Pouring light and air into an envelope”
“Our souls tap out messages across the icy miles”
Give one example of irony in ‘Letters from Yorkshire’
“Still, it’s you who sends me word of that other world”
–> She writes for a living, but he is the one writing the letter
Explain the nature and significance of the shift in narrative voice in ‘Letters from Yorkshire’
Pronouns change from “he” to you” to “our”
–> moves from individual to combined narrative of writing
–> Shows increasing unity
Name the author of ‘The Farmer’s Bride’
Charlotte Mew
Give two pieces of contextual information about Mew, the author of ‘The Farmer’s Bride”
- Victorian poet living in a patriarchal society
- Issues were starting to be raised about how men possess women
Describe the narrative voice of ‘The Farmer’s Bride’
- Dramatic monologue in the voice of the farmer
- Unreliable narrator that cannot see his own flaws
Identify two key themes of ‘The Farmer’s Bride’
- Patriarchy/dominance
- Possession
Explain the significance of the title ‘The Farmer’s Bride’
Apostrophe ‘s’ shows bride as farmer’s possession
–> Reinforces patriarchal gender roles
Explain one example showing the farmer’s idiolect in ‘The Farmer’s Bride’
“When us was wed”
–> Working class/not well educated
–> May suggest that those who hold patriarchal ideals are not well educated
Explain two examples of similes used to describe the bride in ‘The Farmer’s Bride’
“like a mouse”
–> Timid, and docile
“like a little frightened fay”
–> presents her childlike innocence and fragility
Explain one example of a simile describing the farmer’s predatory nature
“We chased her, flying like a hare”
–> Immediate action
–> Lacks empathy, symbolic of men in marriages for convenience
Explain one example of sibilance in ‘The Farmer’s Bride’
“all in a shiver and a scare”
–> Creates ominous tone surrounding her return
Give one example of personification in ‘The Farmer’s Bride’
” (‘Not near, not near!’) her eyes beseech”
Explain one example of a comparison in ‘The Farmer’s Bride’
“Sweet as the first wild violets”
–> Shows her untamed beauty
Explain one example of a temporal shift in ‘The Farmer’s Bride’
“The short days shorten and the oaks are brown”
–> Creates bleak austere mood (pathetic fallacy)
Explain one use of sarcasm in ‘The Farmer’s Bride’
“What’s Christmas time without there be (someone other in the house than we!)”
–> Patronising
–> Increases reader’s dislike for the farmer
Explain one example of tactile imagery
“Oh! My God! the down, the soft young down of her”
–> Vulgar sexual imagery
–> Suggests paedophilic tendencies as farmer infantilises and sexualises his bride
Explain one structural feature in ‘The Farmer’s Bride’
Punctuation in final stanza
–> Distorts rhythm of poem
–> Showing farmer’s deteriorating mental state
Briefly explain what the Farmer had resolved to do at the end of ‘The Farmer’s Bride’
Assert his conjugal rights (rape) upon her
Name the author of ‘Walking Away’
Cecil Day-Lewis
Give three pieces of contextual information about ‘Walking Away’
- Was raised by his father as his mother died early
- Son (Sean) went to boarding school
- Poem has autobiographical context
Describe the narrative voice of ‘Walking Away’
First person directly addressing son
List three key themes from ‘Walking Away’
- Independence
- Parenting
- Childhood
Explain the significance of the title of ‘Walking Away’
- Father walks away metaphorically for son’s benefit
- Son walks away literally on the field
Give one example of temporal deixis in ‘Walking Away’
“It is eighteen years ago”
Explain one example of pathetic fallacy in ‘Walking Away’
“Leaves just turning”
- Seasonal shift to autumn introduces theme of development
Give one example of a liminal image in ‘Walking Away’
“Touch lines new-ruled”
Give two examples of similes from ‘Walking Away’
“Like a satellite wrenched from its orbit”
“Like a winged seed loosened from its parent stem”
Explain two examples of present participle verbs in ‘Walking Away’
“eddying” “drifting”
Highlights gradual loss of control over the son (sporadic movements)
- Inexorable events
Explain one example of emotive language in ‘Walking Away”
“With the pathos of a half-fledged thing set free”
–> Shows vulnerability of son and worry that the author has for his son
Explain one example of a metaphor in ‘Walking Away’
“Small, scorching ideals which fire one’s irresolute clay”
–> Metaphor of clay shows how children are easily influenced/how hardship shapes a person’s identity
Give one example of an animalistic verb in ‘Walking Away’
“Gnaws (at my mind still)”
Write the last line of ‘Walking Away”
“Love is proved in the letting go”
Explain two structural features used throughout the poem in ‘Walking Away’
Enjambment
–> Show uncontrollable speed that the son is developing
Controlled structure (quintets and rhyme scheme)
–> Shows consistent paternal love
Summarise the overall message of ‘Walking Away’
A parent must let their child go in order for them to become independent and grow”
Name the author of ‘Eden Rock’
Charles Causley
Give two pieces of contextual information about Charles Causley
- Drew inspiration from Cornish folk tales/landscapes around him
- Father died when he was very young
Give two key themes of ‘Eden Rock’
- Childhood
- Loss/reunion
Describe the narrative voice of ‘Eden Rock’
1st person retelling a childhood memory
Explain the significance of the title ‘Eden Rock’
May allude to garden of Eden, suggesting that his parents are in heaven
Explain the use of ages in ‘Eden Rock’
“My father, twenty-five” “My mother, twenty-three”
–> Young ages shows idolisation of them in their prime
Explain one example of colour imagery in ‘Eden Rock’
“Her hair, the colour of wheat, takes on the light”
–> Image of a halo shows mother’s purity
–> Creates a paradisiacal setting
Explain one example of continuous present tense in ‘Eden Rock’
“They (parents) are waiting for me”
–> Creates sense of urgency to meet them
Explain two examples of threes in ‘Eden Rock’
“The same three plates”
“Sky whitens as if lit by three suns”
–> Suffusion of biblical references
–> Represents strength of bond between author, father and mother
Give one verb to show how the prospect of Causley being reunited with his parents is tempting
“They beckon to me”
Give one example of a liminal image in ‘Eden Rock’
The “stream-path”
Explain two structural features of ‘Eden Rock’
Last line separated from the others
–> Shows divide between memory and reality/life and death
Regular structure (quatrains and ABAB rhyme)
–> Peaceful, slow pace
Name the author of ‘Follower’
Seamus Heaney
Give three pieces of contextual information about the author of ‘Follower’
- Born into large farming family
- Oldest of 9 children
–> Had pressure to conform to expectations of tradition and be good at farming
Identify 2 key themes of ‘Follower’
- Admiration
- Guilt
Describe the narrative voice of ‘Follower’
1st person recalling childhood
Explain the significance of the title ‘Follower’
Heaney literally and metaphorically wanted to follow his father
–> Literally around the farm
–> Metaphorically in his footsteps
Explain one example of a simile in ‘Follower’
“His shoulders globed like a full sail strung”
–> Shows awe at poise, grace and huge stature of his father
Give one example of auditory imagery in ‘Follower’
“The horse strained at his clicking tongue”
Give three examples of technical lexis/jargon in ‘Follower’
“wing”, “steel-pointed sock”, “headrig”
Give three examples of words used to show the precision and skill of the author’s father in ‘Follower’
“Narrowed”, “angled”, “exactly”
Give one quote that is symbolic of the legacy Heaney was expected to uphold in ‘Follower’
“I stumbled in his hob-nailed wake”
Give one example of a tricolon of present participle verbs in ‘Follower’
“Tripping, falling, yapping”
–> Awkward and inept in comparison to father
Explain one quote to show the reversal of roles in ‘Follower’
“But today it is my father who keeps stumbling behind me”
–> Implies that author feels guilty for not actually following in his father’s footsteps
Explain one structural feature in ‘Follower’
- Regular controlled verse structure (quatrains) and ABAB rhyme scheme
–> Show control and influence of father
Name the author of “Mother, any distance”
Simon Armitage
Give two pieces of contextual information about the author of “Mother, any distance”
- Poetry often relates back to his Yorkshire upbringing
- Poems have a strong autobiographical feel
Identify two key themes of “Mother, any distance”
- Independence
- Freedom
Describe the narrative voice of “Mother, any distance”
1st person addressing his mother
Give one example of a tricolon in “Mother, any distance”
“Windows, pelmets, doors”
Give three quotes that fall under the theme of exploration in “Mother, any distance”
“The acres of the walls, the prairies of the floors”
“I space-walk through the empty bedrooms”
“Towards an endless sky”
Explain the significance of the semantic field of measurement in “Mother, any distance”
Emphasises limiting/restrictive nature of the relationship
Explain the significance of the “spool of tape” in “Mother, any distance”
Represents an umbilical cord
–> Strong connection between mother and son
Explain three examples of present participle verbs in “Mother, any distance”
“Recording”, leaving”, “unreeling”
–> Show constant, progressive separation
Give one example of a metaphor to show how the mother grounds yet restricts the author in “Mother, any distance”
“Anchor. Kite”
Give one example of liminal imagery in “Mother, any distance”
“(I reach towards) a hatch”
Give one quote that demonstrates the risk of becoming independent in “Mother, any distance”
“An endless sky to fall or fly”
Explain the significance of the quote “an endless sky” in comparison to other measurements in “Mother, any distance”
Endless sky is infinite, compared to limited measurements
–> Shows total freedom that independence can bring
Give one quote showing the mother’s reluctance to let her son go in “Mother, any distance”
“Your fingertips still pinch the last one-hundredth of an inch”
Explain two structural features of “Mother, any distance”
Irregular rhyme scheme
–> Shows how relationship unravels as poem progresses
Give one quote showing the mother’s reluctance to let her son go in “Mother, any distance”
“Your fingertips still pinch the last one-hundredth of an inch”
Name the author of ‘Before You Were Mine’
Carol Ann Duffy
Give two pieces of contextual information about the author of ‘Before You Were Mine’
- Feminist who often writes about women’s experiences
- Raised Roman Catholic in mid 1900s, with strict moral conventions
Identify two key themes in ‘Before You Were Mine’
- Sacrifice
- Gratitude
Describe the narrative voice of ‘Before You Were Mine’
1st person addressing mother
Explain the significance of the title ‘Before You Were Mine’
Ironic as parents would be expected to own their children, not the other way around
–> Suggests that children dominate the lives of their parents
Explain two uses of auditory imagery in ‘Before You Were Mine’
“Shriek at the pavement”
–> Shows her extroverted, jovial, carefree life
“loud, possessive yell”
–> Duffy disrupted her mother’s freedom
Explain the significance of the comparison of Duffy’s mother to Marilyn Monroe in ‘Before You Were Mine’
Symbol of female sexuality and glamour
–> Shows that mother was iconic
Give an example of hyperbolic imagery in ‘Before You Were Mine’
“balllroom with the thousand eyes”
Give an example of adjectives used to show that Duffy’s mother’s life was full of excitement in ‘Before You Were Mine’
“fizzy, movie tomorrows”
Give two quotes from ‘Before You Were Mine’ that create a conversational, intimate tone
“was the best one, eh?”
“whose small bites on your neck, sweetheart?”
Explain one example of synaesthesia in ‘Before You Were Mine’
“Clear as scent”
–> Vivid recollection shows enduring vitality of mother’s youth
Give a quote from ‘Before You Were Mine’ suggesting that Duffy thinks her mother made the wrong choice in sacrificing her carefree life
“stamping stars from the wrong pavement”
Explain one example of syndetic listing in ‘Before You Were Mine’
“Sparkle and waltz and laugh”
–> Mother’s legacy endures in her memroies
–> Appreciates her mother’s sacrifice
Explain two structural features in ‘Before You Were Mine’
Caesuras
–> Adds to conversational tone, showing familiarity
Separated pronouns ‘I’ and ‘you’ at the beginning
–> Show generational/emotional divide between them, but they join together in “you’d teach me”
Name the author of Winter Swans
Owen Sheers
Give one piece of contextual information about Owen sheers, author of ‘Winter Swans’
Explores identity and relationships in his poems
List four key themes from ‘Winter Swans’
- Nature
- Conflict
- Resolution
- Unity
Describe the narrative voice of ‘Winter Swans’
1st person plural addresssing lover
Name the technique used throughout ‘Winter Swans’ to show the enduring intrinsic connection between the couple
Collective pronouns e.g “we” and “our”
Explain two examples of pathetic fallacy in ‘Winter Swans’
“The clouds had given their all”
–> Personification shows external factors weighing on relationship
“two days of rain”
–> Introduces semantic field of pairings
Explain one example of personification for the weather in ‘Winter Swans’
“waterlogged earth gulping for breath”
–> Relationship is suffocating and is in turmoil
Give one example of a verb in the semantic field of pairings in ‘Winter Swans’
halved
Explain one example of juxtaposition in ‘Winter Swans’
“icebergs of white feather”
“dark water”
–> Conveys reassuring message that reconciliation is possible amidst difficult times
Explain one example of simile used to describe the swans in ‘Winter Swans’
“like boats righting in rough water”
–> Act as an example to show
Explain one example of direct dialogue in ‘Winter Swans’
‘They mate for life’ you said
–> Shows how nature has inspired couple to regain their balance
–> First time lover speaks in the poem
Give one example of a metaphor used to describe the swans in ‘Winter Swans’
“porcelain over the stilling water”
Give one example of a simile used to describe the newfound unity of the couple in ‘Winter Swans’
”((hands) folded one over the other), like a pair of wings settiling after flight”
Explain one structural feature in ‘Winter Swans’
Written in tercets with a couplet at the end
–> Signifies how the couple have become united
Name the author of ‘Singh Song’
Daljit Nagra
Give two pieces of contextual information about Daljit Nagra, the author of ‘Singh Song’
- Has Sikh Punjabi immigrant parents
- Explores ideas about mulitculturalism and “Britishness” in his poetry
List three key themes in ‘Singh Song’
- Romance
- Culture
- Conflict
Describe the narrative voice of ‘Singh Song’
- 1st person
- Uses voiced fricatives and plosives to recreate authentic Punglish accent/dialect
Explain the significance of th title ‘Singh Song’
- ‘Singh’ is a common Indian surname, so introduces cultural subsection
- ‘Song’ suggests a melodious quality to the poem (supported by narrative voice)
Explain one example of anaphoric repetition in ‘Singh Song’
“Vee share (in chapatti)”
“Vee share (in di chutney)”
–> Shows closeness/unison of the couple
Give one example of a humorous simile in ‘Singh Song’
“(after vee have made luv) like vee rowing through Putney”
Explain one example of a humorous hyperbole in ‘Singh Song’
“Yor lemons are limes, yor bananas are plantain”
–> Juxtaposes his commitment towards his wife to the gruelling nature of his work
Explain one example of auditory imagery in ‘Singh Song’
“Above my head high heel tap di ground”
–> Symbol of sexual temptation
Explain one example of a metaphor to show the wife’s accomplished nature and modern views in ‘Singh Song’
“She book dem for the meat at di cheese ov her price”
–> Contrast to the author who has a traditional, non entrepreneurial job
Give one example of a metaphor to show the husband’s appreciation of his wife’s multifaceted personality in ‘Singh Song’
“Tiny eyes ov a gun and di tummy ov a teddy”
Give one example of repetition in ‘Singh Song’ to show how the author is always thinking about his wife
“my bride”
Explain one example of tactile imagery in ‘Singh Song’
“Ven I return from di tickle ov my bride”
–> Creates innocent, playful tone to show enjoyment of relationship
Explain the two references to money in ‘Singh Song’
“Stare past di half-price window signs”
“Is priceless baby”
–> Author neglects material goods and unconditionally values his wife and their quality time above all
Give one structural feature of ‘Singh Song’
Uses refrains and repetition (customer complaints) to imitate a song
Name the author of ‘Climbing My Grandfather’
Andrew Waterhouse
Give two pieces of contextual information about Andrew Waterhouse, author of ‘Climbing My Grandfather’
- Had a keen interest in environmental issues
- Poems often feature natural imagery
List 2 key themes in ‘Climbing My Grandfather’
- Childhood
- Safety
Describe the narrative voice of ‘Climbing My Grandfather’
1st person present tense from the perspective of a childhood memory
Explain the significance of the semantic field used in ‘Climbing My Grandfather’
Field/extended metaphor of mountaineering
–> Establishes childhood perspective and astonishing scale of grandfather
Give two examples of phrases and that establish the central metaphor of climbing a mountain in ‘Climbing My Grandfather’
“scramble (onto his trousers)”
“tranverse (along his belt)”
Explain one example of a simile in ‘Climbing My Grandfather’
“like warm ice”
–> tactile, oxymoronic imagery to show grandfather’s emotional warmth
Give an example of an adverb showing the grandson’s sympathy for his grandfather’s pain
“place my feet gently in the old stitches”
Give an example of an adjective showing the grandfather’s resilience and dependability in ‘Climbing My Grandfather’
“at his still firm shoulder, I rest for a while”
Explain an example of colour imagery in ‘Climbing My Grandfather’
“thick hair (soft and white at this altitude)”
–> Connotations of putrity
Give one example of natural imagery showing the peacefulness/familiarity of the grandfather’s whole being
“watching clouds and birds circle”
–> (At the summit, everything can be seen)
Explain the use of present participle verbs towards the end of ‘Climbing My Grandfather’
Synaesthesia
“Watching (clouds and birds circle),
feeling (his heat),
knowing (the slow pulse of his good heart)”
–> Fully accepts and trusts grandfather with all his senses
Explain two structural features used in ‘Climbing My Grandfather’
Enjambment and one long stanza
–> Show slow, continuous journey
