Winter Flashcards
How does the title convey the theme of death?
Winter is the time of year when many plants and animals die due to the harsh weather conditions.
How do we know the poem is set in Scotland?
“Bingham’s Pond”
Which other poems are set in Scotland?
Slate, Good Friday, Trio (NOT SNACK BAR!)
which words are repeated throughout the poem to suggest the theme of death?
goes, fades, dies/dyes, decay, nothing
how is colour used to symbolise lack of life?
the setting is described as having a lack of colour (and therefore life) by using words such as “stark”, “grey” and “white”. The quotes “summer dyes” and “dearest blue’s not there” also reinforce the lack of colour in the winter scene.
What is the use of repetition in the poem meant to suggest about death?
that life and death are a cycle, just like the seasons
which living things are mentioned in the poem?
the boys skating, the seagulls, the swan, Edwin Morgan himself,
which word choice is used to suggest that the living things in the poem are not as full of life in winter?
muffled, ghost, stand around
how is pathetic fallacy used in the poem?
the scene is made to sound lifeless and dull to reflect the speaker’s depressed state of mind
what is fog used to symbolise at the end?
time - no one can escape death as time passes by unstoppably. “fog drives monstrous down the dual carriageway”
how do we know it is winter, apart from the title?
the mention of ice and fog
“summer dyes” - analyse
“dyes” is a pun on “dies” to show that summer has gone. “dyes” also means to saturate with colour, showing that summer is full of colour and life, the opposite of winter
“I find one stark scene cut by cries, by warring air” - analyse
describes the sound of the boys skating on the pond. The word choice of “cries” and “warring” suggests violence and anger, again making winter sound harsh and unpleasant
