Poetry Ever Poem Overveiw Flashcards
A song
Themes: love , longing, sadness
-lonely women, her lover goes away butshe only wants her lover
-TRAGIC LOVE
- very dramatic and intense tone
-semantic field of riches and frugality
Main language b structure features: change of tone going into 5th stanza. Ending on “the storm is in my soul”, sensory imagery, shows agitation in lyrical speakers heart, juxtaposes rest of poem. Rhetorical question In 5th stanza is a METAPHOR shows speaker questioning the value of her love.
Brought star
Themes: love, longing, desire, death
-sonnet, first person speaker
-addresses the star, not his lover(he appears to envy the star)
-Stars were used for navigation, a metaphor for his lover e.g. his lover grounds him and is his stationary point
-IDEALISED, UNCONDITIONAL, ROMANTIC LOVE
MAIN STRUCTURE/LANGUAGE POINTS: religious imagery “priestlike” “ermite” + water cleansing and purifying “The moving water at their their price like task”. “Still, still”Caesura, repeat adjective still, second still could reinforce their being together makes their life constant potentially playing with the idea of eternal love?
Now
Themes: living in the moment, desire , pleasure , time
- about a orgasm
- experimental sonnet
MAIN LANGUAGE/STRUCTURE POINTS: “Thought and feeling and soul and sense” -polysyndeton shows Multitude of emotions in the moment, sense of building up to a climax?
-“All” and “all” in 2nd 3rd line snows Lyrical speaker only cares about the moment and at this moment encapsulates everything and is ever-present .
Love and Friendship
Themes: love , friendship , time
-friendship= Holly tree, may not look as pretty but is everlasting and more sturdy
-love= Rosebush, it’s delicate does not last forever but looks very pretty
- Semantic field of nature and plants
MAIN LANGUAGE/STRUCTURE POINTS: “ then scorn the silly rose wreath now” -Condemns and mocks the roads, makes the reader feel silly “rose wreath” allitirory sounds come across as mocking
Fin de Fête
Themes: trauma, unrequited love, condemning lover.
-a bitter goodbye, sarcastic tone
-ABAB rhyme scheme=shows acceptance
MAIN LANGUAGE/STRUCTURE POINTS: Regularity of rhyme scheme could emphasised the finality of the separation, or could mimic a nursery rhyme and the idea the speaker fantasise about being together like the fantification in a nursery rhyme?
- The idea of sleep and dreams is a metaphor throughout the poem
- “Good night and good dreams to you”-Direct address, could come across as patronising, repetition of good could be sarcastic.
The sorrow of true love
Themes:love,sadness,longing,time
-About how love is bad
- There is a contrast in every line about the ideals of love
-Shows that true love is complex and imperfect and it’s realistic about love
MAIN LANGUAGE/STRUCTURE POINTS: “Less love” Alliteration draws the reader in, is a declarative statement
- Rhyming of sorrow and morrow in the first and second line, connects the sentences and rationalises the sentences/love, Shows that love can ruin a good day
-“sun” Is used as a metaphor for life throughout the poem
An Arubdal tomb
-The “lying liars”
-About love over time and how love is perceived(Love does not last)
-Semantic field of decay and degradation
LANGUAGE POINTS: -Language changes from formal to informal to reflect the journey through time from mediaeval to 20th century
-penultimate line “almost” Shows lyrical speaker can’t bring himself to an optimistic ending
-“Sharp tender shock”-In 11th line uses harsher sounds and shows something to surprising and touching
STRUCTURE POINTS- Rhythm is iambic pentameter, there are 7 6line stanzas, a ABBCAC regular rhyme scheme shows rapid passing of time and the repetition of the seasons.
Love after love
Themes : self love, time
-About the end of beginning of love
-feasting on the riches of your own life
-religious imagery
LANGUAGE / STRUCTURE POINTS: Enjambment between fifth and six line shows freedom of loving yourself
“Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart” -Religious connotations suggest that honouring yourself enlightens you and your perception of experience in the world. Imperatives suggest importance and significance.
“Sit. Feast on your life” Implies they have potential in life, joy will come and embrace who they are. Continue to use imperative throughout the poem shows how necessary it is to love yourself after a break up
Long distance II
Themes: Loss, death, longing, time
-Son judging his father for missing his wife, tone of acceptance at the end when the lyrical Speaker confesses that he subject himself to the same behaviours now that his dad is died.
MAIN LANGUAGE/ STRUCTURE POINTS:
- Ends with “and the disconnected number I still call” Literal meanings both parents dead, phone cut off, metaphorical meaning: family is separated
-” you couldn’t” and “you had” in 5the line Shows aggression/frustration and melancholy cynical feelings the son is feeling towards his father, Later explained in the poem when we find out that dad has also died so son may be presenting his grief through anger. 
STRUCTURE: Rhyme scheme is a ABBA, When you see this it is Hebrew for Father
- In the first three stanzas alternate rhyme is used, this could reflect the dads pattern of behaviour, shift of rhyme scheme to ABBA marks the beginning of sons journey of grief
-Turn on oration changes from “he” to “you”,,,,,the“you” shows he’s trying to reach his father, that “he” shows the distance between the son and father
Morning song
Themes: Sadness, externalism, rejection of norms.
-Lyrical speaker feels ambivalence towards motherhood
-Steps outside of sentimental conventions of motherhood
-Familial love
- love as a “duty”
LANGUAGE AND STRUCTURE POINTS: “Love set you going like a fat gold watch”-“Gold”, Colour imagery, could show the value of the baby. “Watch” Could suggest it took time for her to love her child . “Fat” The baby is physically heavy but metaphorically it is an emotional burden
-“Shadows our safety”, Metaphor, baby and dangerous parents or lyrical speaker feels that the baby threatens her serenity and happiness
-Optimistic ending”Rise like balloons” Is a simile, Symbolic of her optimism and cheerful tone of lyrical speaker.

In Paris with you
Themes: love, pain, sadness
-Lyrical speaker recovering from a damaging relationship
- Paris representative of the delusion of love
LANGUAGE AND STRUCTURE POINTS:
-Use of nonsense words e.g. “marronded “and “bamboozled” add humour
-“I’ve had an earful”- Colloquial language showing self-pity
-First fourth and fifth stanza all start with “don’t talk to me of love” - Shows lyrical speakers rejection of love
Warming her pearls
Themes : Desire, love, unrequited love, same sex relationship
-Shows sexual endeavours
- Temperature descriptions metaphorical of desire
-Sensual, sensory language 
LANGUAGE POINTS
-“I feel the absence and I burn “- Metaphor,Shows addiction to desire.
-“Slack on my neck, her rope” -Symbolises control mistress has over servant girl, personal pronouns= possession, connected by the necklace.
STRUCTURE:
-Enjambment between line 20 and 21, Highlights the thought, shows headmistress occupies her mind a lot and carries on through time
Dusting the phone
Themes:Time, disappointment, unrequited love
LANGUAGE POINTS: “Or else. What?”Ending sentence shows the lyrical speakers questioning herself, short sentence creates an abrupt ending, she is trapped in there has been no progress, the phone didn’t ring
-“I assault the postman” -Extreme metaphorical language shows lyrical speakers desperation, almost humorous
