Work

Question 1

what do the nine stanzas represent

Answer 1

domestics, agriculture, medieval, industrialisation, urbanisation, transportation, 21st century, exploitation of nature, end of women

Question 2

allegory

Answer 2

overarching image of mother nature, breaking stereotypes as well as acknowledging the exploitation society is inflicting

Question 3

what are the 3 main themes

Answer 3

role of the mother, consumerism + overworking

Question 4

microcosm

Answer 4

symbol for many women across the world who feel as though they need to fit societies high standards of a working mother

Question 5

enjambement

Answer 5

endless flow of work, giving yourself over and over again, lacks breaks in work

Question 6

internal rhyme

Answer 6

repeatedly used to signify chaos and increase the meter

Question 7

equal quatrains with demand of more

Answer 7

syntax and phrase containing the number of people to provide for comes earlier and earlier in each stanza increasing the priority of them

Question 8

how is consumerism seen in this poem

Answer 8

as a never ending progress as greed exploits by humans in nature seen through the internal rhyme and asyndetic listing

Question 9

syntax

Answer 9

putting the one she provides for before herself in both the sentence and in the metaphorical manner showing she puts others needs above her own

Question 10

what stereotypes does Duffy aim to break

Answer 10

women’s sole purpose being to provide and care for due to the overarching presence of mother nature