The Lammas Hireling Flashcards
1
Q
“Light heart and a heavy purse”
A
- Structural parallelism to the end of the poem
- Antithesis : futility / transformation in poem
- Enjabment : indicates something is missing
2
Q
“And a heavy purse” / “And cattle doted on him”
A
- Anaphoric repetition
- Fronted conjunctions - simplistic / rural language
- Narrative voice - uneducated
3
Q
“Only dropped heifers, fat as cream. Yields doubled”
A
- Simile : connotes richness yet suffocation , verbose
- Simplistic dialect - rural
- Pagan element, positivism
- Unknown / ambiguity as to why
4
Q
“I grew fond of the company that knew when to shut up”
A
- Relationship emphasises ironic power imbalance
- Element of frustration / irritation
- Harshness juxtaposed against fondness
- Creates dichotomy and conflict of feelings
5
Q
“Disturbed from dreams of my dear late wife”
A
- Alliteration : relationship is affectionate
- Longing
- Halting / harsh
- Shift to a sinister tone
- Volta : cynical
6
Q
“I hunted down her torn voice”
A
- Predatory imagery
- Animalistic
- Foreshadows killing of hare
- Painfully broken voice : emphasises brutality of death to speaker
7
Q
“Stock-still in the light from the dark lantern”
A
- Light imagery contrasted
- Setting : gothic / mysterious atmosphere
- Builds anticipation
8
Q
“I knew him a warlock”
A
- Simplicity in language
- Definitive / certain
- Contrasts end of poem which is left with uncertainty and ambiguity
9
Q
“A cow with leather horns”
A
- Irish riddle
- Dialect
- Folklore apart of culture
- Myths / superstition
- Scepticism / questioning
10
Q
“Moon” / “Yellow” / “Warlock”
A
- Gothic / supernatural imagery
- Provokes uncertainty and ambiguity
11
Q
“I levelled and Blew the small hour through his heart”
A
- Enjambment : Creates tension through shock
- Speed of fire emphasises the speed of transgression
12
Q
“His lovely head thinned” / “His top lip gathered” / “His eyes rose like bread”
A
- Anaphora : superficial relationship, fixates on appearance.
- Motif of admiration, creates sense of mystery and intrigue
13
Q
“There was no splash”
A
-Caesura and enjambment : creates mystery and intrigue
14
Q
“Spend my nights casting ball from half-crowns”
A
- Structural parallel to beginning
- Uses money to turn into bullets
- Superficial nature of money
- Fearful / guilty
- Motif of light / weight emphasising money as burdensome
15
Q
“It has been an hour since my last confession”
A
- Convention of Catholicism
- Pray to remit sins
- Emphasises the insatiable guilt he feels
