PRAYER BEFORE BIRTH Flashcards
1
Q
form
A
- dramatic monologue - spoken by unborn child
- unnatural - unsettling - serious - horror
- shows the juxtaposition of evil and innocence - evokes pathos
2
Q
The repetition of ‘I am not yet born’ at the start of each stanza
A
- similar to structure of prayer
- upmost important - hes reaching out to god to pray and beg to not live like the world is now
- pessimistic tone - not born yet but doesnt want to be
- emphasises the importance of a faith in a corrupt world
3
Q
Alliteration of b in ‘blood-sucking bat’
A
- terrifying and unsettling
- takes away unborn childs youth bc they know about this
- plosive - intensifies the impact of the scary image
- evokes danger vivid and unsettling - emphasises his plea for protection from god
- disruptive and discomforting sound - reflects nature of life
4
Q
sibilance of ‘sky to sing to me’
A
- soft sound more gentle - contrast with plosive allit before this
- makes sentence flow showing life could be smooth and continuous with god protection
5
Q
‘cog in a machine’
A
metaphor
- dehumanisation
- loss of identity
- just on earth to work - stress
- no control over anything
- insignificant
6
Q
format and rhyme
A
- 8 stanzas
- uneven lines
- free verse with no specific rhyme scheme
- reflects chaotic thoughts of the child and the disjointed and confusing nature of life - undesirable and uncomforting
