Prayer Before Birth Flashcards
1
Q
Structure?
A
Free verse - ‘me’ on first and last line of each stanza - creates a rhythm to the poem
Each stanza except the last is a single sentence, which echoes the prayer format
2
Q
Symbolism & Imagery
A
Allusion - 4th stanza - powerlessness - the child will not speak or think his thoughts and instead they will speak or think him, which escalates the idea of the world using him to commit murder, which is a reference to the war
Simile - ‘like thistledown hither’ - danger not only to others but also to the narrator who might be destroyed and for being part of the ‘cog in the machine’.
3
Q
Form?
A
First person - imperatives to God - in the form of a single request
