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English > poetry of the decade - not examined yet > Flashcards

poetry of the decade - not examined yet Flashcards

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Proverbs and Idioms flashcards
1
Q

on her blindness = intertextuality

A

to john milton’s ‘on his blindness’ reflects a mocking of his stance on stoicism in the face of debilitating illness

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2
Q

could not bear being blind = plosive alliteration

A

helps build the blunt, brutal reality of her suffering

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3
Q

to be honest = colloquial

A

empty phrases emphasise lack of genuine truth

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4
Q

one shouldn’t say it. = end-stop, and overly formal language

A

clipped sentence emphasises expectations of society, that the speaker facetiously mocks language used by stoic people

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5
Q

one should…

A

reflects the outdated, stiff, upper lip of Britain

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6
Q

handicaps are hell = alliteration

A

her blindness leads to a life of repetitive suffering

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7
Q

like a roman = simile

A

heroism, being stoic in the face adversary is what is expected

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8
Q

paris restaurant = setting

A

flashy, sophisticated setting juxtaposes the mother’s behaviour that is arguably undignifying and clumsy as a result of her blindness

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9
Q

still not finding//the food on the plate with her fork,//or not so that it stayed on

A

lack of figurative language is the speaker’s way of being direct and realistic

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10
Q

(try it//in a pitch-black room) = enjambement

A

stream of consciousness, anecdotal

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11
Q

whispered,//’it’s living hell’

A

still the sense of not fully confronting the truth

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12
Q

i’d bump//myself off = euphamistic and colloquial

A

contrasts the overly formal language, and depicts the reality of the illness, makes the confession seem more honest, conveying their trust

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13
Q

inadequate: the locked-in son. = metaphor emphasised by the punctuation

A

clipped language reflects his feelings of being insufficient at communicating

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14
Q

bumping into walls like a dodgem = simile

A

creates comical image, using humour to cover up reality, perhaps denial

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15
Q

pretended to ignore//the void

A

sense of complete absence

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16
Q

long//slow slide = assonance

A

makes it sound really drawn out like the slow demise to death

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17
Q

black as death. = simile and caesura

A

shows degeneration of her eyesight and the permanent, brutal reality

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18
Q

she’d visit exhibitions//admire films, sink into television = asyndetic list

A

lack of conjunctions reflect her futile attempt to do an endless amount of things to compensate

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19
Q

while looking the wrong way = bathos

A

anti climactic humour that immediately contrasts the mother’s endeavours

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20
Q

golden weather /// ground royal

A

connotations of wealth, richness, texture are intensely visual and add to the poignancy that the mother cannot see

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21
Q

i told her this, forgetting

A

almost like their natural default after pretending for so long

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22
Q

‘it’s lovely out there’ = return to dialogue

A

significant as the poem is about what we say/ don’t say

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23
Q

no more sightless, but now she can’t//pretend. her eyelids were closed = unrhyming couplet

A

suggests rapid progression of one idea to another, alongside lack of contemplation

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24
Q

she was watching, somewhere, in the end. = separate final line

A

possible suggestion of isolation in death, as the fiction and pretending continues, even after she dies; the indefinite pronoun adds to the fragility of their illusion

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25
Q

repeated use of enjambement in On Her Blindness (breaking of units of sense across white space between stanzas)

A

disorientating effect, making it harder for the reader to negotiate the poem’s meaning

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26
Q

what does the narrator of On Her Blindness acknowledge?

A

the lies we tell ourselves in the face of frailty and ageing, and his regret at ‘looking the wrong way’

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27
Q

please hold = title

A

significant as it is said by the robot, already establishing a sense of the speaker being controlled

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28
Q

this is the future = opening clause

A

awkward and disorientating so we can relate to the speaker

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29
Q

my wife says. = end-stop

A

emphasises her acceptance of this way of life, and separates her from the speaker

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30
Q

your future, here, she says = clipped language

A

makes the wife seem robotic

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31
Q

the robot is giving me countless options, = end-stop

A

ironic hyperbole is emphasised as his options are limited and ineffectual

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32
Q

when i give him x 2 = syntactic parallelism / repetition

A

conveys the way humans are becoming robotic as well, the more they conform. speaker is monotonous, reflective of automated, futuristic lifestyle that is interminable

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33
Q

answer to my needs… meet my needs = repeated phrase

A

emphasises the pointlessness, cynical nature of the interation

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34
Q

(which is really the robot’s account) = parenthesis

A

indicative of self-awareness and individuality of the speaker

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35
Q

wonderful account… great telephone bill = cynical tone

A

facetiousness and facade that masks sinister aspect of technology

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36
Q

wonderful telephone number… great account = hyperbolic language

A

saturation of hyperbolic language that lacks any substance

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37
Q

and my wife says, This is the future = capitalisation

A

reflecting wider society, alongside the refrain (repeated phrase)

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38
Q

please say yes or no// or you can say repeat or menu

A

the only options being significantly shorter / monosyllabic reflects restriction

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39
Q

i scream agent! = shift in speaker

A

progression of heightened emotions

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40
Q

and am cut off

A

emotions are minimised as despite his aggression, he is still powerless as technology restricts his individuality

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41
Q

and he is giving me no options//in the guise of countless alternatives = juxtaposition

A

shift in structure that emphasises the facade created by the false freedom offered by technology

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42
Q

eine kleine nachtmusik. please hold.//eine kleine nachtmusik, please hold// = epistrophe

A

endless cycle and lack of progression

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43
Q

eine fucking kleine nachtmusik = diacope

A

emphasies frustration and his individuality, the vulgar language contrasts the attempts to pacify him

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44
Q

and my translator says, Please hold//means that, for all your accomplishments,//the only way you can now meet your needs//is by looting.

A

sentence going over several lines shows individuality of the voice that cannot be replicated by technology

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45
Q

only way you can now meet your needs//is by looting

A

access to money and power is tightly controlled at a societal level, so you have to transgress in order to get anywhere

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46
Q

please hold. please grow old. please grow cold. = internal rhyme

A

connotations of death move poem from satire to a more sinister conclusion

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47
Q

what is the warning at the end of Please Hold?

A

a whole life might pass by while you wait for the answer you need

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48
Q

this is the future. please hold. = heteroglossia

A

amalgamation of speakers that present an ambiguity of who is speaking to emphasise conformity

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49
Q

please hold = final line

A

emphasises compliant and passivity, dystopian

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50
Q

what form of a poem is the Lamnas Hireling?

A

dramatic monologue that captures the ambiguity and mystery of folklore

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51
Q

i’d still a light heart//and a heavy purse = antithesis and fronted conjunction

A

simple and pastoral form that creates simplicity in the narrative, reflecting a lack of formal education

52
Q

cattle doted on him = ?

A

affection that goes unexplained, intentional ambiguity

53
Q

mine only dropped heifers, fat as cream = simile

A

simple and lacks refinement, the sentiment is that of greed and richness

54
Q

i grew fond of company//that knew when to shut up = element of juxtaposition

A

affection contrasts the harsh language, perhaps the speaker’s criticisms of others/wider society speaking irrelevantly

55
Q

then one night, = volta

A

creates tension and ambiguity, moves to a sinister tone

56
Q

disturbed from dreams of my dear late wife = alliteration

A

halting and harsh which reflects the sinister tone, perhaps longing?

57
Q

i hunted down her torn voice

A

foreshadows attempt to kill hare, as well as raises questions about the nature of his relationship with the hireling AND his wife (dodgy and ambiguous)

58
Q

light from the dark lantern

A

secrecy, mystery, eerie, weird vibes

59
Q

stark-naked

A

raises further questions

60
Q

fox-trap biting his ankle = personification

A

violent imagery

61
Q

i knew him a warlock = simple

A

suggests certainty, almost expectancy

62
Q

a cow with leather horns

A

dialect reflects culture and belief in folklore

63
Q

muckle care= intertextuality to 17th century witch poem

A

reinforces supernatural, gives gravitas

64
Q

i levelled//and blew the small hour through his heart = enjambement

A

tension is brought to a head through the quick relaying of speaker shooting, it is shocking, almost impulsive

65
Q

the moon came out.

A

symbol of transformation, supernatural

66
Q

i saw him fur over like a stone mossing = simile

A

simple and rustic which reflects the beliefs of the speaker

67
Q

his lovely head thinned. his top lip gathered// his eyes rose like bread = anaphora

A

focus on looks is superficial, a little bit fruity which again makes you question the nature of their relationship that is purposefully left ambiguous

68
Q

there was no//splash = enjambement

A

creates sense of intrigue

69
Q

spend my nights casting balls from half-crowns = structural parallel

A

reversal of fortune that highlights the consequences of the speaker’s transgressions. weight of his guilt contrasts the literal weight at the beginning

70
Q

it has been an hour since my last confession

A

regret contrasts the speaker’s surety suggesting contradictory feelings as it is a cycle of getting bullets then feeling remorse. perhaps he is compelled to repeat his story because he is not telling the full truth? again with the unexplained ambiguity

71
Q

what is the significance of the title of The Deliverer?

A

allusion to Christianity is suggestive of saviours, different mothers

72
Q

because they were crippled or dark or girls = polysyndetic list

A

emphasises excess amount of reasons and unfairness, not sugarcoated

73
Q

found naked in the street//covered in garbage, stuffed in bags//abandoned at their doorstep = asyndetic list

A

lack of conjunction makes the list seem endless and the abuse as continuous, the extent to which the cycle goes on

74
Q
A
74
Q

covered in garbage, stuffed in bags = lack of figurative language

A

evokes a brutally raw image and provides an anecdotal element

75
Q

covered…//abandoned = violent verbs at beginning of clause

A

syntactically reflects the harsh beginnings of the infants’ lives

76
Q

one of them was dug up by a dog

A

no identity, discarded and dehumanised

77
Q

the head barely poking above the ground//was bone = enjambement

A

prolongs the depiction of such a harrowing image

78
Q

bone or wood, something to chew. = frequent end-stops

A

makes it a halting poem, description takes away human element as infant is seen as like a part

79
Q

this is the one my mother will bring = change in structure

A

indicative of hope, almost a change in the fortune of the infant

80
Q

they are American so they know about ceremony//and tradition

A

speaker is very critical of the culture that deems such atrocities acceptable

81
Q

don’t know of her fetish for plucking hair off hands = idiosyncratic

A

something unique and particular to her, as the poem progresses, the infant becomes more humanised, has more personality

82
Q

don’t know of her fetish for plucking hairr off hands,//or how her mother tried to bury her = juxtaposition

A

contrast of a sweet image to a horrific one makes it all the more harrowing, alongside the lack of figurative language

83
Q

‘we couldn’t stop crying’ = dialogue

A

only outburst of emotion occurs in America

84
Q

my mother = repeated references

A

emphasises the idea of her being a caring/supporting parent

85
Q

feeling the strangeness of her empty arms

A

sense of bereft contrasts the mother abandoning the infant, clearly feels an emotional attachment

86
Q

she returns to twilight corners = figurative language

A

hazy memory conveys a detachment from her time in India

87
Q

it happens in some desolate hut

A

isolated, representative of the women

88
Q

outside village boundaries

A

suggest transgression, hidden away

89
Q

where mothers go to squeeze out life = polysemantic

A

evokes image of death and pain, indicative of the fate awaiting undesirable babies

90
Q

watch body slither from body = dehumanising

A

lack of emotional connection or identity

91
Q

felt for penis or no penis = blunt, simple line

A

return to numb detachment as the women cannot afford to confront their experiences

92
Q

penis or no penis = repetition

A

makes the process seem ridiculously arbitrary

93
Q

toss the baby = juxtaposition

A

something innocent and vulnerable being tossed conveys harsh carelessness

94
Q

toss the baby to the heap others = repetition of brutal verbs

A

connotations of rubbish that dehumanise infant, and the cyclical continuation of abuse

95
Q

trudge home

A

suggests reluctance and laborious nature, mothers as victims

96
Q

lie down

A

idea of submission, subservience, subjugation

97
Q

for their men again = analeptic structure

A

presents the cycle nature of abuse as interminable, inescapable

98
Q

why is The Deliverer structured in a short sequence form?

A

enables poet to explore this situation from different perspectives

98
Q

what is significant about the shifts of time and place in The Deliverer?

A

suggests invisible global connections which link the west and east/developing and developed world, and the fracturing of family relationships

98
Q

what does the lack of figurative language in The Deliverer create?

A

flatness of tone reflecting the bleakness of the situation

99
Q

what is the significance of the title From the Journal of Disappointed Man?

A

excessive, superfluous, and outdated like the speaker, also establishes him as more effeminate

100
Q

i discovered these men driving a new pile

A

makes it sound like they are animals/a new species, indicative of their strength

101
Q

as i said = appositive

A

excessive, speaker as an observer

102
Q

a massive affair

A

contrasts the speaker, who feels insignificant, while paralleling the man

103
Q

in the massive style = repetition

A

emphasises the significance the speaker has placed on this

104
Q

even the men; very powerful men = diacope

A

emphasises their physicality and masculinity compared to the speaker’s insecurity and overthinking

105
Q

silent men ignoring me = ironic

A

they are silent with each other, has nothing to do with the speaker

106
Q

‘let go’, or ‘hold tight’ = monosyllables, short and sharp imperatives

A

lacking intelligence, makes them sound angry and aggressive

107
Q

every one of the monsters = pejorative

A

dehumanising, obscurity of the workers because they are so ‘other’ to the speaker

108
Q

the crack of Doom = Doomsday

A

exploration of power and eternity

109
Q

to do their men justice = appositive

A

condescension, suggestive of the critical observer

110
Q

their slow efforts = ironic

A

speaker is patronising and backhanded, despite being just as clueless

111
Q

abandoned//his position

A

judgement at the workers for failing their responsibility

112
Q

what is the significance of the speaker From the Journal of a Disappointed Man being intradiegetic?

A

unreliable and speculative

113
Q

like a mystic into the water = simile

A

mocking the workers, speaker’s own prejudices are projected onto their description as a mystic is someone who professes to something but they see very little, or nothing at all

114
Q

no one spoke; no one said what they saw = anaphoric repetition of a negator

A

reiterates lack of communication, emphasising emptiness and absence

115
Q

though one fellow did spit

A

disgusting, primitive, stereotypes of class

116
Q

slow = repeated

A

shows stasis and lack of progression

117
Q

the most original thinker = analogy

A

emblem of philosophical thinking is mocking

118
Q

heavy kind of majesty

A

connotations of royalty contrasts their status as workmen, sense of awe at their masculinity

119
Q

eclipse of interest

A

hyperbolic imagery

120
Q

the pile still in mid-air, and me of course = caesura

A

emphasises separation, and singular pronoun compared to rest of group

121
Q

what is the importance of the symbolism of the pier From the Journal of a Disappointed Man?

A

symbolic of things going nowhere, victorian concept links to outdated title

122
Q

what is significant about the victorian and edwardian influence?

A

eras of remarkable feats of engineering which contrasts the way the speakers and workers are unable to find a way forward , which takes us back to the disappointment of the title which applies to both sets of men

English (34 decks)

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