POETRY | Belfast Confetti

Question 1

Context

Answer 1

Carson: An Established Poet and Musician
* Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Carson studied at Queen’s University Belfast.
* His work is characterized by political themes, often focusing on the Troubles and violence in his home country.
* Carson is a musician who plays the flute.

The Troubles in Northern Ireland
* The Troubles began in the late 1960s and ended in 1998 with the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.
* The main conflict was between Irish Republicans/Nationalists (Catholic) and Unionists/Loyalists (Protestant).
* Republicans favored Northern Ireland’s independence, while Unionists favored UK membership.
* The conflict resulted in significant violence, with an estimated three to four thousand deaths over a 30-year period.

Question 2

Language 2

Answer 2

Through his poem, Carson educates readers about what it is like to experience a bombing or
any type of mass, concentrated violence. This theme of didactic teaching and messages is
arguably supported by the range of historic and academic references, such as to the Crimean
War and punctuationThe punctuation referenced - exclamation marks / asterisk / stops / colons / hyphenated /
punctuated / question-marks - may be representative of Carson suggesting that language and
poetry can be used to educate other groups of society, to ensure similar conflicts do not occur
again.

Question 2

Structure

Answer 2

• Untraditional punctuation and incorrect grammar in the poem reflect violent conflict.
• The focus on punctuation may indicate blocked communication between conflicting groups.
• Punctuation references can be seen as semantic fields, like “asterix,” “hyphenated,” “colon,” and “Every move is punctuated.”
• The final sentiment, “A fusillade of question-marks,” suggests war has led to questioning.
• The poem’s chaotic structure and random punctuation reflect the chaos caused by the bomb.

Question 3

Structure 2

Answer 3

• Void of any of clear meter or rhythm
• Reflects confusion and disorientation experienced by bombing incident participants.
• Presents more of a reality than clear format and meter.

Question 4

Form

Answer 4

• Long, irregular lines spill individual words and phrases over ends.
• Example: “All alleyways and side streets blocked with stops and colons” - “colons” continues beneath sentence.
• Disjointed lines convey lack of order and confusion.
• Creates unfamiliarity and discomfort for readers.