The Bargain Flashcards
1
Q
“twitch and fret”
A
- Reference to the police horses.
- Word choice suggests tense atmosphere, and therefore represents a tense and rocky relationship.
- connotations of unsettled, jumpy. Refers not only to the police horses but the speaker’s awareness of her failing relationship
2
Q
“ugly losers/getting ready to let fly”
A
- Word choice adds to unpredictable and tense mood.
- Highlights the unpredictability of the relationship.
- Refers literally to the football supporters.
3
Q
“rubbing the wrong way”
A
- Refers to walking against the crowd.
- Metaphor also suggests disagreement in the relationship.
- beginnings of disagreement/discomfort of being in the crowd echoes their feelings towards each other
4
Q
“January, and we’re/looking back, looking forward/don’t know which way”
A
- Brevity and isolation contrasts with the atmosphere in the previous stanza.
- Suggests an uncertainty due to lack of punctuation.
- Repetition of “looking” emphasises the poet’s uncertainty of looking into the past or the future.
- Questioning the future of the relationship.
5
Q
“beautiful Bakelite/Bush radios”
A
- Alliteration draws attention to what the guy is doing and suggests energy/upbeat attitude of boy to activity
- Positive connotations of ‘beautiful/Bakelite’ suggests bright, upbeat mood
6
Q
“doesn’t miss a beat sings along it’s easy”
A
- Deliberate gaps in the line changes the meter of the poem as the stallholder speaks in time to the music.
- Creates a lasting and memorable image.
7
Q
“Yes today we’re in love aren’t we?”
A
- Question directed at her lover.
- Word choice of “today” suggests that there are days when the couple aren’t in love.
- Adds to the tone of doubt and reveals some insecurity.
8
Q
“splintering city”
A
- Metaphor suggesting that the city is broken and a bit divided.
- Also refers to the relationship as it’s also fractured.
- Alliteration draws attention to the fractured relationship.
9
Q
“All I want/is my glad eye to catch/a glint in your flinty Northern face again”
A
- Word choice of “flinty” has negative connotations suggesting coldness or unresponsiveness; could also suggest strength and wisdom - a rock that can support, is ageless.
10
Q
“So we hadn’t the stomach for it today”
A
- Slightly ambiguous; they aren’t in the mood for the market or that they are despondent for their future?
11
Q
“No connoisseur can afford to be too scrupulous/about keeping his hands clean”
A
- Dual meaning; just as a real bargain hunter needs to be prepared to root around for something precious to reveal itself, so too a relationship can only be sustained through effort and hardwork.
12
Q
“rags and drunks”
A
- Could imply that worthwhile, special moments can be found among the ordinary, banal moments in life if we just take the time to seek them out.
13
Q
“All the couples we know fall apart/or have kids”
A
- Relationship has reached a crossroads. Only two paths available to them- have kids or break up.
- Part of the bargain?
14
Q
“I keep/losing you and finding you”
A
- Highlights the busy market; also about the relationship.
- Simple and direct statement emphasises the growing doubt the speaker has about the couple’s future.
15
Q
“there doesn’t seem to be a lot to say”
A
- Language is unnecessary as their worries are evident.
