the lammas hireling 51 Flashcards
what are the key themes?
guilt
religion
folklore
agriculture
violence
how is it clear the speaker feels guilt?
‘i spend my days here’
‘i have sinned’
how does the speaker try to justify his actions?
‘gets you muckle sorrow, the wisdom runs, muckle care’
uses traditional folklore sayings to justify his actions
how is the relationship between the hireling and speaker shown?
‘doted on him’
‘i grew fond’
‘his lovely head’
how does the guilt effect him physically?
‘disturbed from dreams’ ->
‘i dont dream’
how does light progress?
‘light heart’
‘light from the dark lantern’
‘yellow witness (the moon)’
what role does light have?
creates a gothic atmosphere
how is the intimacy of his confession shown?
confessional -> his guilt is shared with the readers instead of just the priest
what suggests the farmer may have had troubles with power?
‘heavy purse’ -> ‘yields doubled’
‘her torn voice to his pale form’
discomfort to the transition of his original financial power to the hireling’s new divine power
what form is the poem?
dramatic monologue. traditionally between two people. demonstrates the intimacy.
what does lammas mean?
lammas tide - harvest season
how does the ambiguous language effect the story?
unclear whether the wife had relations with the hireling and her role. also adds a tense atmosphere to the murder due to the setting of the dark farm
which words describe the hirelings appearance and what is the effect of this?
‘heart’
‘lovely head’
‘top lip’
‘eyes’
‘carried him’
why may the speaker be using ambigious language?
the guilt effects his ability to take full accountability. wanrs to leave some interpreation to the speaker
how is a troubled relationship between the speaker and his wife demonstrated?
‘my dear late wife’
‘company that knew when to shut up’
‘her torn voice’
increases potential for the farmer’s trangressive acts
how does the structure of the poem effect his confession?
no clear rhyme or metre
implies honesty - yet the spiritual events create a strange and unbelievable atmosphere
is in a rush to confess
how does the setting effect the poem
isolated farm - adds to his isolation at the end. ‘spend my nights’ implies he is alone
‘i spend my days here’ - at church. repeated confession
‘at the fair’ originally had company and relationships
how does his reaction to guilt resonate in other literature
lady macbeth - ‘i spend my days here’
an OCD trauma response of trying to cleanse the sins
ritualistic words - ‘bless me father’
‘muckle sorrow, muckle care’
rhythm whilst repeating the phrase
has found justification and tries to use it
however the was no ‘sorrow’ whilst the hireling worked with him. ‘fat as cream’
how does juxtaposition create tension?
‘light’ - ‘heavy’. immediate conflict created
how is foreshadowing used
‘struck’ - ambiguous language
his fortune vs violence to come
an unreliable and pragmatic narrator despite his regret
how do caesura and sentence structure effect his voice?
instability and inconsistency
short, fragmented sentences may suggest pride for the hireling’s initial achievements
how else is a homosexual relationship alluded to?
the link between the hireling and the speaker’s wife.
‘her torn voice to his pale form’
how does the warlock discovery presented?
‘i knew him a warlock’
triumphant in the declarative
feels cheated of his companion
