Time - Allen Curnow

Question 1

what is the central assertion for Allen curnow’s poem?

Answer 1

time is everywhere, everything and all powering and all encompassing

Question 2

what are the themes in time?

Answer 2

• universality
• power
• nature
• eternity

Question 3

how do all the themes come together to represent one thing?

Answer 3

represent an omnipotent all powerful entity that has control over everything

Question 4

what does the word “Time” or the title suggest?

Answer 4

due to the strong T sound it leaves no doubt about the strength of time

Question 5

what are the three quotes from theme one?

Answer 5

theme one is universality

• “I am”
• “the beginning and the end”
• “I, Time, am all these”

Question 6

what are three quotes for theme 2?

Answer 6

theme 2 is power

• “I am… the rust of railway lines”
• “mountainous fabrics like a mist”
• ” I am the nor’ west air”

Question 7

what are the three quotes for theme 3?

Answer 7

theme three is nature

• “cows called to milking and the magpies screech”
• “am island, am sea”

Question 8

what are the three quotes for theme four?

Answer 8

theme four is eternity

• “the beginning and the end”
• “memories the shapes these were”
• “all things my coming attend”

Question 9

why is there a religious undertone of Allen curnows poem?

Answer 9

because he trained as a priest

- he also explores themes of isolation and landscapes

Question 10

what does the quote “I am” in reference to theme one mean?

Answer 10

the repetition of the line “I am” is an anaphora

• it emphasises how time embodies all
• self-centred

Question 11

what does the quote “the Beginning and the End” in reference to theme one mean?

Answer 11

• caps to emphasis times control
• creates a sense of importance and finality
• portrays the poets veiled in time as an omniscient being, like the ones of any religion, time is an elevated being

Question 12

what does the quote “I, Time, am all these” in reference to theme one mean?

Answer 12

• after listing all these things he is time sums it up

- caesura (comas around time)

Question 13

what does the quote “I am the water-race and the rust of railway lines” in reference to theme two mean?

Answer 13

• r alliteration highlights how time can destroy
• the juxtaposition between water and rust
  the water is ever moving yet unused and also can show how it is frozen in time
• emphasises control

Question 14

what does the quote “mountainous fabrics like a mist” in reference to theme two mean?

Answer 14

• contrast, rugged mountains vs flowing fabric

- mist = barely there, mystery, connotations of gloom, insignificance of now compared to the scale of time

Question 15

what does the quote “I am the nor’ west air” in reference to theme two mean?

Answer 15

• weather is out of human control but time can control it
• and think of how fast wind travels, implying he’s everywhere at once
• wind can also be disruptive etc

Question 16

what does the quote “cows called to milking and the magpies screech” in reference to theme three mean?

Answer 16

• time is in all living and natural things

- can be domesticated and do these things but is still wild

Question 17

what does the quote “am island, am sea” in reference to theme three mean?

Answer 17

• time has dropped
  “I” and everyone still knows what’s going on
• island and sea are land and oceans, again he is everything in nature and is everywhere
• lists, repetition
• first stanza that doesn’t start with “I” = getting more powerful and more controlling etc

Question 18

what does the quote the Beginning and the End” in reference to theme four mean?

Answer 18

• obvious link to power, emphasis by capitals

- baso same as the other one

Question 19

what does the quote “memory the shapes these were” in reference to theme four mean?

Answer 19

• bittersweet
• he has lived for so long all the things left of these people are memories
• exists in the past as well as the present

Question 20

what does the quote “all things my coming attend” in reference to theme four mean?

Answer 20

• he is so significant all beings look up to him

- everything, forever is subservient to Time

Question 21

what is the structure like in curnows poem?

Answer 21

• triple rhyme in each stanza
• lacks a lot of punctuation
• 3 line stanzas
• anaphora of “I am”

Question 22

what does the structure suggest in curnows poem?

Answer 22

• triple rhyme unties all the different things time is listing in the stanzas, all differ but time is all of them
• lack of punctuation shows how time continues everywhere
• three lines acts as a persuasive tricolon (rule of three)
• anaphora highlights time is everything