The Butterfly Poem Flashcards
I never saw another butterfly…
This is metaphor. The butterfly is being compared to his freedom. But now that he never saw another butterfly ,this emphasises that he knows he will never experience freedom or his old life again.
… creates a dramatic pause it shows the importance on what he is about to tell us. it builds suspense and leaves the audience to wonder what he means in this line.
The last, the very last
‘Last’ the poet is using repetition which emphasis the finality and the end of his freedom.
So richly, brightly, dazzling yellow
yellow gives connotations of joy and hope. This reflects on the old care-free life that he sued to live outside of the ghetto.
‘ly’: This is an alliteration due to the repetition of the soft ‘ly’ sound. this emphasises his old life. He was content, joyful and happy.
Perhaps if the sun’s tears sing
against a white stone…
Enjambment; the lack of punctuation from one line to the another creates the movement of tears.
‘perhaps’ changes the tone of the poem to slightly pensive and thoughtful to sad and depressive.
‘sun’s tears sing’: The sun which is something that is usually bright and full of light and energy has been given the human emotion of sadness (through tears). Even the sun cries in the ghetto, it brings sounds of hardships and it highlights the horrific atmosphere in the ghetto.
Stone gives connotations of lifelessness and heavy.
White in this context gives connotations of lifelessness and even death.
In the ghetto their freedom disappeared and death surrounded them. This highlights the mobility of living in the ghetto.
Such, such a yellow
is carried lightly way up high
‘lightly’ refers to the light-winged movement of the butterfly.
‘way up high’ suggests that his freedom is out off reach, he can not get his old life back.
It went away I’m sure because it
wished to kiss the world goodbye
‘I’m sure’ shows the pensive and thoughtful tone.
This is a personification. The butterfly has been given the human quality of kissing. Kissing gives connotations of being affectionate and love for the world.
This emphasises:
1. that this is a hard goodbye as he realises happiness and joy does not belong in the hell that he is experiencing but that this goodbye is also final because he accepts his fate.
2. that the butterfly could so easily fly away from such terrible conditions, he envies the butterfly because he is trapped.
Full stops: implies finality
For seven weeks I’ve lived here,
Time frame; very long, shows that he has been thinking of his old life in the previous lines.
Here: Theresienstadt concentration camp.
Also shows a sad acceptance of his fate , that he, unlike the butterfly will not be able to leave Theresienstadt.
Penned up inside this ghetto,
but I have found my people here.
Penned up suggests that Jews were treated like animals, with no dignity and no respect. He highlights how Jews were treated with cruelty.
my people this line creates a sense of comfort as he is will people the same as him. This also shows that this was an act of mass discrimination, We see his despair, as he can not believe the way he and his fellow jews are being treated.
The dandelions call to me,
and the white chestnut candles in the court
Dandelions: make wishing on them which suggest that he is wishing and longing for his old life back.
Dandelion are yellow which creates a connection between them and his old life.
‘call to me’ , this is a personification. The dandelions have been given the human quality of calling. Calling gives of connotations of longing and hoping. This emphasises how he is remembering and longing for his freedom and old life before the ghetto.
This is an alliteration due to the repetition of the hard ‘t’ and ‘c’ sound. This emphasises the difficulty of living inside of the ghetto.
White candle: represents his dull, hard life in the ghetto surrounded by death.
Positoning yellow dandelions which represent his old care-free life and his freedom with white candles which represents lifelessness and even death which surrounded him in the ghetto. This shows how he is torn between holding onto his past and accepting his fate and his possible death.
Juxtapositon
Placing two opposite ideas next to one another which causes contrast.
Only I never saw another butterfly.
That butterfly was the last one.
Repeated ideas: emphasises his sadness, worry and his acceptance of his situation and his potential death.
Butterflies don’t live here in the ghetto.
Bringing together the switch between his old life and his current situation, he now loves in the ghetto. A ghetto is not a place for light and happiness.
There is a sense of hopelessness, acceptance as he realises his freedom and old life is gone.
The poet has used the structural technique of end-stopped line this suggests the idea of finality of never seeing another butterfly, his freedom and old life again. There is an accepting and dark tone.
Main message
Hightlights how jews were treated with cruelty and lived in oppressive times, while in inhumane and terrible conditions. They lost their freedom and their lives.
It teaches us to appreciate freedom, rights and the lives we have today.
Tone
Accepting, pensive, thoughtful and sad tone.
Symbolism
In the poem ‘yellow’ represents his happiness, freedom and old care-free life that he used to live outside of the ghetto. ‘White’ represents that life that he now lives in the ghetto, surrounded by death and lifelessness.
