Sounds of the Day Flashcards
“When a clatter came,”
Onomatopoeia. Alliterative use of plosive consonants (c) to indicate sharp, abrupt noise of horses’ hooves. Sense of pace and freedom. Familiar sound in the countryside.
“horses crossing”
Sibilant “S” sound creates soothing tone to echo his feelings of contentment are in place.
“When the air creaked,”
Onomatopoeia and plosive consonants of “creaked” suggests high pitched screech of the bird conveys the energy of the location.
“snuffling puff”
Onomatopoeia and repetition of fricative “f” (breathy sound) portrays soft sound of sea water swirling in and out of a hole in the rock. Familiar, welcome sound to the poet as he fished in his boat. Atmosphere of reassurance.
“blocking and
unblocking”
Repetition. Natural sounds and continuous nature of the world itself.
“black drums rolled,”
Imagery. Just as a drum roll is loud and booming, so the water falling into water below makes a loud, thunderous sound indicating the power of nature.
Word choice of “black” foreshadow the sadness, loss, bleakness to come. This adds a more ominous, brooding tone.
“When the door
scraped shut,”
Onomatopoeia of “scraped” this is a harsh sound of a door scratching the floor mirrors narrator’s uncomfortable painful experience when his loved one left him.
A door shutting is a metaphor for ending of a relationship. It’s a symbol of a barrier between them. Nothing will be the same again.
“it was the end”
Enjambment at “end” emphasises the word and highlights irrevocability of departure. The person is not coming back. Everything that he enjoyed has ended because he is now so miserable he notices nothing.
“of all the sounds there are.”
Hyperbole. Reflects the deep anguish and sounds suggests the end of his appreciation of simple, natural things.
Present tense “are” shows the impact of the change for him, it is still happening now and nothing is the same.
“You left me”
Powerful and accusing line. It is a blunt, accusatory tone. This shows his emotional response and his feelings of shock and rejection.
“You” directed at someone in particular
“me” makes it very personal
Sense of anger and blame.
“quietest fire in the world.”
“quietest” is a contrast to vibrant, powerful sounds of stanza 1, emphasising the void the person has left in his life.
Hyperbole. Highlights his extreme emotional pain, unable to hear the fire he is sitting beside because it is almost as if the sense of loss has robbed him of his ability to hear sound.
“I thought I was hurt in my pride only,”
The overwhelming sense of loss was not felt immediately in this line.
“Plunge your hand in freezing water, you feel a bangle of ice round your wrist”
Mataphor. Comparing initial feeling of shock and hurt to the quick, sharp, concentrated pain of immersing your hand in freezing water.
“before the whole hand goes numb.”
The comparison continues, likening the deeper anguish and see of loss cause by the parting to your hand going numb in the ice. The impact of loss is not felt immediately.
Just as it will take a moment to react when your hand is thrust into ice water, so the initial shock of being left deepens and becomes overwhelming, so much so he is “numb” to the things which once gave him pleasure.
This makes clear the all consuming nature of loss.
