Winter Flashcards
“The year”
From the beginning this poem is about the effect of the passage of time
“Goes”
Repetition of goes and gone are references to the passing of time and also creates a negative tone
“Dies” “decay”
WC reminds the reader of aging and dying
“A ghost”
Metaphor- describing a beautiful swan as a ghost creates a dark tone and reminds the reader of death
“Ice appears, it holds”
The ice is something cold and without life which survives when other things leave or decay
“Stand around surprised”
The gulls are surprised to be standing in water - winter is something that is unexpected and unwelcoming
“Swan-white Ice”
Complicated imagery. First reference is to colour yet the second reference is to devoid of colour which shows that the colour disappears leaving a world that is no longer vibrant or full of colour
“After many summer dyes”
Refers to the colours of summer but again reinforces the idea of death
“Dearest blues”
WC dearest shows that it is something that is loved/important which reinforces the idea that the world is devoid of colour
“Poets would find it”
This offers some hope that memory and creativity can remember the world with colour and vibrancy yet in this poem Morgan is unable to find any colour.
“I”
First mention of the narrator which reinforces the idea of humans being passive and unable to act
“Escapes into breath”
Suggestion of last breath highlights the them of death
“Fades”
Repetition of fades shows that the activity and life is trailing off into nothing
“The woods that fall, decay and break”
All that is left is the trees but even they are declining as showed by the list
“Shouts run off”
Personification- humans in the poem have been reduced to mere noise
