To beat the child was bad enough Flashcards
Encourages reader to subvert from….
physical and mental abuse
Brings awareness to abuse. This links to…
Angelou´s childhood trauma
Key terms
- Hopelessness
- Inferiority
- Mental and physical suffering
- Everlasting consequences of abuse
- Trauma
2 Big Ideas
- Innate human need for connection and comfort
- Abuse can alter a child´s mindset so severely that it may be impossible to recover from the damage
“As winter sunshine”
The simile symbolises the child´s fragility, purity and innocence
The oxymoron, “winter sunshine”
(+ alternative)
May suggest how in a bad situation, the child is able to bring joy and hope for a better future. Angelou is encapsulating the wonder of life.
OR
Angelou may be capturing the unpredictability of our futures, as the unexpected duality between these contrasting elements may symbolise the complexities of life. Further implying that moments of happiness and suffering are a vital part to our existence.
“A new / Seed´s bursting promise”
Is a metaphor for the new-born babies potential.
“A new”
May reference new beginnings.
“Bursting”
The verb portrays the uncontrollable potential and strength the child has
The noun, “promise”, suggests…
that the child´s future has already been decided and may convey the parent´s high expectations of the child
“String of silence”
Metaphor for the child´s repressed voice.
The child is portrayed as a puppet, manipulated by its parents, the child has a lack of agency for “its future”.
Soft sibilance: “String”, “Silence”
Perhaps Angelou is suggesting that the oppression has already settled into the baby´s life, as it is forced to remain silent.
“Hunger, new hands, strange voices”
(+ D.I)
Imagery of all the stimuli the child is coming across.
The child is already absorbing and acknowledging the potential threat he may experience.
DEEPER IMPLICATION
From the very beginning of our existence, we are forced to endure pain
The aspirant alliteration : “Hunger”, “hands”
may mimic the sudden indrawn breaths of the baby
“Its cry came natural, tearing”
The speaker is observant of the baby´s suffering.
The noun, “cry”, highlights the…
raw, instinctive emotion one may have when being born
“natural”
The adjective conveys that “[crying]” has already been deeply ingrained in his personality before birth.
“tearing”
(+ diphthong)
Diphthong : conveys pain
The adjective, meaning extreme and violent, adds a visceral quality to the child´s cry and intense pain.
Universal message
Pain has been perceived by everyone
“…cheap pot”
(+ Universal message)
Poverty
U.M. : Is our suffering determined by our social distinctions and the limitations they bring?
“Curiosity for terror”
(+ link to another poem)
Metaphor - transactional connotations. The consequences of abuse inflicted upon young children have long lasting connotations.
“men”
“Curiosity”
The noun conveys the natural desire we may have to actively learn and wonder. However, due to the child´s fear, this natural quality has been stripped away from him. - Sense of dehumanisation
The noun, “terror”, portrays the…
overwhelming experiences the speaker has gone through
“The skin / withdrew, the flesh submitted”
The metaphor suggests that the child is unable to fight as he is too weak in comparison to his oppressors, which is why he has given in to the abuse.
TRANSFORMATION OF THE CHILD´S LIFE
“Withdrew”
Coping mechanism.
Child is vulnerable
“Submitted”
The verb highlights the child´s surrender to the suffering.
“Now, cries make shards / of broken air”
The metaphor communicates to readers that the child´s suffering is too painful to comprehend
“Now”, and “make”
Present tense. The child has been destroyed
The noun, “Shards”, highlights…
the child´s intense suffering and how it has pierced through him, wounding him forever
“broken”
The adjective suggests that the child has been so badly damaged that there is no point in trying to fix him again
“Beyond an unremembered / Hunger an the peace of strange hands”
Basic necessities have been forgotten
“beyond”
Inability to go back - too severely damaged
“A young body floats.
Silently.”
Death of innocence
The verb, “Floats” and “Silently”
may either suggest that the child is passive to the abuse or has passed away as a result of it.
Transformed
4 stanzas decreasing in length
Lack of resilience the child has after excessive amounts of abuse endured.
Perhaps mirrors the short life spam of those who struggled from daily abuse
