The Lammas Hireling Flashcards
key themes of the lammas hireling
folklore, mystery, ambiguity, supernatural
what is the lammas hireling inspired by?
border ballads
after the fair, I’d still a light heart
pleasant/bright atmosphere
a heavy purse, he struck so cheap
hints of guilt and violence juxtaposes with previous pleasant atmosphere- foreboding later events
cattle doted on him/ dropped heifers, fat as cream
image of excess- supernatural power and control
yields doubled …purse…cheap
repeated mentions of currency hints at the potential motivations of the speaker - avoid paying the hireling?
That knew when to shutup.
caesura emph the sense of distrust and ambiguity - unreliable speaker hiding something
. Then one night,
caesura and enj to the next stanza depicts a dramatic change in atmosphere - ominous setting dark
Disturbed from dreams of my dear late wife
allieration creates aggressive plosive sounds - intense atmosphere
I hunted down her voice
sense of threat and hostility
her torn voice to his pale form..stark-naked
change between fem and masc creates more mystery
light from the dark lantern
contrast between light and dark imagery suggest ambiguity and supernatural - unexplainable
fox trap biting his ankle
supernatural - caught for shapeshifting - uncanny image
warlock, a cow with leather horns…muckle sorrow
repeated dialectal references and language creates an archaic atmosphere - old things are a lot more unsettling/scary
myth-like
I levelled and blew the small hour through his heart
simple violence jxtp prev fear and paranoia - easily passes over
the moon came out. By its yellow witness
light imagery reveals how the speaker’s sins and guilt are being exposed - not fully telling the truth /hiding
his lovely head/ I carried him
images of care and affection - jxtp prev violence
grew lighter at every step/ dropped him from a bridge/ there was no splash/ elf-shot, I don’t dream
frequent caesura reflects a foreboding/unsettling atmosphere - punishment for actions left at unease
nights casting ball from half-crowns
punishment for his sins or cursed - uses his yields to make bullets - eternal guilt
bless me, Father for I have sinned…since my last confession
oxymoronic - continuously lying/hiding truth? mystery of ambigious/unreliable speaker
