BOOK OF POETRY ESSAYS
IGCSE
FOR USE BY 5B STUDENTS ONLY
AGS 2011
No student should use these
essays in his exams and class
assignments as they are merely
a teaching aid to help 5B AGS in
2011 to understand their
strengths and weaknesses, and
evaluate their efforts against the
IGCSE Marking Standard.
Mr Pillay
Page 1 of 45
ESSAY 1
How do you think the words of Thomas Hardy’s ‘The Voice’ make it such a moving
poem?
The Voice, written by Thomas Hardy between 1912 and 1913, emphasises his struggle to move on
after his wife of 38 years, Emma Gifford, dies. Thus this poem plays on the reader’s sympathy for
Hardy in which he tries to lay off his guilt for not looking after her and his ignorance of her. He
focuses on specific details revealing the true extent of his shame and slows down the poem’s
rhyme scheme to stress the importance of a few lines further adding to the reader’s experience.
In the opening stanza Hardy seems confident and optimistic that Emma is really calling him and
addressing him. He repeats “call to me” twice in the first line similar to that of an echo; he gives
Emma a personality that communicates with him. It draws on our sympathy for him as we are led
to believe it is his guilty subconscious creating this “call” thus constructs an illusion that he is
insane. However what truly makes the first stanza touching is his declaration of his love “who was
all to me”, although this quote reveals that she was all to him rather than who is all to him, it
accentuates that she has passed away. He continues this romantic and prompting gesture by
saying his love is similar to that of when they first met “But as at first, when our day was fair”.
However the underlying truth is that his last days with her, were not days of passion or love nor
were the days of their marriage as he alludes to the days when they first met “But as at first”.
From the second stanza on, in contrast to the first, he begins to doubt that she is actually calling
him. In the first line the persona states “Let me view you, then.” View denotes he is looking from
afar or that she is concealed or hidden. He also uses two “thens”, which slows down the ABAB
rhyme scheme drawing the reader in. The first “then” is more of a demand as the second then
denotes a passing of time “as I knew you then,” in reality it is a movement of time. Hardy makes
the poem more and more provoking by continuously beseeches his guilt to the reader, “Where
you would wait for me”, expresses that she was held up by him yet she still waited for him
through thick and thin unlike himself when he left her alone more and more as she got sick. What
also contributes to the poem is Hardy’s attention to detail, “original air-blue gown” which
stimulates the reader as it creates an allusion to Hardy’s memories and we picture a young
woman dressed as such, personalising the poem to the reader.
Similar to the two “thens” the sibilance in the third stanza of listlessness and wistlessness slows
down the rhyme scheme and the reader’s attention hones in on this stanza. The first line suggests
a lack of desire and substance “breeze” and “listlessness” in contrast to the third line where he
longs for the past, creating an emotional and nostalgic feeling, where he remembers her
“dissolved” and “wistlessness” suggesting wanting for the past and for something to be dissolved
it must have substance. In the last stanza he expresses the idea of physical movement, “faltering
forward”, and “falling” so not only are these words dramatized to become moving but they also
literally involve movement. Faltering suggests fragility brought on by age and “leaves around me
falling” suggests a passing of seasons akin to passing of time. He ends the poem with an empathic
and meaningful line, “And the woman calling”, which brings back the assertiveness of the first
stanza where he believes that she is calling him and thus she is relieving him of his guilt laden
heart.
Hardy, for the majority of the time, uses simple words to reveal his sorrow for not looking after
his wife, Emma, this broadens the range of people in which who can read and understand The
Voice. It is a moving poem because the reader can identify with him on their own regrets for not
helping another, thus how he slows and details the poem just amplifies the drama and stimulates
the reader to reconcile with his guilt ridden plea for forgiveness.
Page 2 of 45
ESSAY 2
How do the words of ‘The Voice’ express Thomas Hardy’s sense of regret and loss
so powerfully?
Thomas Hardy, in his poem The Voice, uses certain words and phrases to present his sense of
regret and loss. Words used by Hardy convey these feelings powerfully by the use of repetition
and a pleading tone. Also the way Hardy employs words full of guilt and painful words help the
reader understand his feelings of loss and regret for his wife.
Hardy’s repetition in the first line of “call to me, call to me” shows his loss and regret as he is
unable to forget her. The calling gives Hardy a sense that it is a sort of echo of his dead wife
giving the poem an eerie feeling to it through a disembodied voice. By repeating this, he also
gives a view that things have transpired in the past that Hardy is unable to rid himself of,
furthering his regret and loss for this woman. With the wind calling to him, it furthermore
displays an addition to his regret in that the calling is being repeated relating to the fact that he
is unable to stop thinking of her and is an example of the voice pleading to him.
Using words that convey a pleading tone increases the regret and loss that Hardy feels for his
late wife. Employing “call” suggests that the voice is begging and pleading with him to forgive
her. “Can it be you I hear?” also suggests a sort of hope and pleading in the fact that he is
wishing that it is actually her that he hears. Hardy is pleading with the voice to bring her back
as he is finding it to painful to be without her having to live with all the regret and loss of love
in his life.
Words full of guilt for his actions towards his dead wife also express Hardy’s regret and loss
powerfully. Hardy says to the voice that he is sorry that he was unable to wait for her “where
(she) would wait...” a sign that he is unhappy at his actions and feels guilty that he was unable
to reciprocate her own actions towards him. Having to wait also suggests that she no longer
has the patience to wait for him due to his actions. “Woman much missed” also suggests an
attitude full of guilt at the fact that he is only just realising how much he missed her and that
he was incapable to enlighten her of this fact beforehand.
Painful words are another way in which Hardy is able to show his feelings of regret and loss
powerfully. This is shown clearly in the final stanza through “Faltering forward” is an example
of this as it shows Hardy is struggling on in pain without his beloved wife. It is also expressed
in the line “Leaves around me falling” indicating the pain of the death and how it is
surrounding him everywhere he goes, reminding him of his powerful feelings of regret and loss
towards his dead wife.
Thomas Hardy uses repetition of words, words of a pleading tone, guilt words and painful
words to convey his regret and loss powerfully to the reader. These emotions that he feels are
what he is feeling for his dead wife.
Page 3 of 45
ESSAY 3
Explore the ways in which Allen Curnow vividly conveys the influence and role of
Time in his poem ‘Time’.
The poem Time by Allen Curnow vividly conveys the influence and role of time through the use
of the extended metaphor of time being portrayed as almost a god-like figure. Throughout the
poem, repetition is used from stanza one to stanza four. A serious, authoritative tone is used as
well as the first person perspective of the poem is greatly important in conveying the power
and presence of time around us. Curnow also uses imagery; he links time to ordinary,
everyday objects to show the importance of time.
Repetition is used throughout the stanza one to four, with each line beginning with “I am.”
Hence this shows the egotistical attitude of the poem and shows that time is in control of
everything. Curnow uses repetition to form the metaphors such as “I am dust” and “I am level
noises” which form the extended metaphor that compares time to god. The ultimate line of the
poem very clearly states the power and authority of time, stating that time is “the Beginning
and the End.” Upper case letters on “Beginning” and “End” are very important, as they place
extra emphasis on the passage of time, and help to convey how the universe only exists due to
time.
Throughout the poem, the poet uses metaphors which convey time’s presence in the universe
“I am the nor’ west air nosing among the pines” emphasises the abstract nature of time,
however abstract, time still has a powerful presence because it forms “the rust on railway lines”
which can only be made due to the long length of time that has passed and “the mileage
recorded on yellow signs” increases as time goes on. These above two quotes relate to travel
and suggest how time is a long but predictable journey.
Curnow commonly refers to machinery, saying time is “the slap of the belting and the smell of
the machine.” Which are allusions to machinery, hence relating machinery to time, thus
creating an image where Time is all the mechanical workings of the universe, which is very
complex. Alluding to machinery is very effective because we treat machinery exactly like we
treat time. We are always aware of its presence however, it is regularly taken for granted,
unacknowledged but it always works in the background.
Allen Curnow makes a link to all the previous stanzas in the fifth stanza. Previous stanzas have
all begun with “I am...” Curnow states that “these exist among my mountainous fabrics like a
mist.” Curnow’s choice of the word “fabric” is important because it compares time to fabric,
and fabric holds everything together, as if time is the very “fabric” of the universe. The use of
the word “mist” here is also important. Previous stanzas are compared to mist. This shows that
all the previous things Curnow had said that time is, actually is not permanent, unlike time
which is “mountainous” which conveys that time cannot budge, and is permanent.
The poem Time extensively uses repetition, metaphors, tone, perspective, imagery and
allusions to portray time as an extremely powerful, authoritative, almost god-like figure that is
the fabric that binds together the universe, is the background workings of the universe, will
outlast everything, has been here from the beginning and will be until the end. However, it is
abstract and taken for granted yet its presence can be felt very strongly.
Page 4 of 45
ESSAY 4
Explore how Matthew Arnold appeals to the senses to make Dover Beach such a
powerful poem.
Often what we feel and understand is momentary and over time, it can change into something
else entirely. Dover Beach, by Matthew Arnold incorporates several senses to create an
emotional poem which changes the feeling of elation to an ominous melancholy.
At first, Arnold gives us a clear description of looking out from the window. This imagery of the
“tranquil bay” and “moon lies fair” seemingly lulls the reader into visualizing a calm bay.
However the later parts of Dover Beach indicate that the image of tranquility and fair is simply
the calm before the storm. Another point which also reconfirms the longevity of this peace is
where Arnold writes about the limestone cliffs being “glimmering and vast”. This glimmer is
also an indication of the brief moment of peace, or rather faith that humanity had once had.
After the poet lulled the reader into visualizing a calm and tranquil bay, he begins to focus on
the scattering sound “of pebbles which the waves draw back and fling” Then the poet adds the
repetition of “begin and cease and then again begin” giving the sound of pebbles a monotonous
and almost hypnotizing sound of neutrality. This sound of pebbles reaches its peak “with
tremulous cadence slow, and bring” giving it a pause and suddenly falling negatively with “the
eternal note of sadness in.” This seems to take away the sense of soothing illusion that the poet
has lulled the reader into. Furthermore by using the word “note” Arnold still refers to sound
but it can be considered more distinct than the sprays of scattered rocks, clearly showing that
the music of sadness precedes the other sounds throughout the stanza.
The fourth stanza puts into perspective “the sea of Faith which “was once, too at the full and
round earth’s shore” implying that it is no longer like a “bright girdle furled” this simile gives
us an image of the sea enveloping the land. Girdle gives a protective connotation can only
mean that while it was there, protecting the land, it is simply not there anymore. A justification
of this would be “melancholy, long, withdrawing roar, retreating to the breath” which uses
sound devices to show not only the sadness of faith being torn away but also suggests the
amount of
Although Arnold seems to revert back to positive connotations, he describes the world “like a
land of dreams”, hinting that all the positive thoughts that was once felt is simply a hazy
illusion. Again Arnold goes back into negative connotations, but this time he uses anaphora “so
various, so beautiful, so new” but indicates even more that it “hath really neither joy, nor love…
nor help for pain” this can be interpreted as the unveiling of the repeated monotonous tone
that was used in the second stanza, where this time it is referred to as the land of dreams
meaning nearly nothing. The poet then finishes that image with “darkling plain”, an indication
of a dark, deserted area. From the usage of “ignorant armies clash by night” and “confused” we
can assume that Arnold continues the image of fighting uselessly in the aforementioned
darkling plain, where they have changed into fighting for no reason.
Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold is a poem that appeals to mainly sight and sounds to express
his thoughts and emotions about how the world had changed drastically and where faith is
becoming nonexistent and all we are left is with a sort of repeating melancholy of ignorant
struggle and fighting.
Page 5 of 45
ESSAY 5
Comment on how Allen Curnow in ‘Time’ uses language to present the nature and
character of Time.
In ‘Time’ by Allen Curnow, Time itself is seen as the major character of the poem. The god-like
figure of Time is echoed throughout the whole poem, illustrating it as the ruler of everything in
our lives. Curnow portrays this image of a perhaps arrogant king through various language
techniques which present a clear image of the stature of Time, and shows its inevitable nature of
continuously flowing, and never ceasing.
The arrogant character of Time is revealed to us mostly by the repetition of the first person ‘I’
right through the duration of the poem. Curnow gets across the message that it is the only
significant figure in the world due to the fact that it is everything and it controls everything. There
is a sense of superiority as Time is the only subject in the poem and ‘I’ is repeated in almost every
line, perhaps showing ownership of our lives and actions. In contrast however, Time is also
referred to as a ‘father, farm and friend’ which are all necessities to us. These things bring comfort
as a father and farm are providers which help us in our daily tasks, and a friend is someone who
we can rely on. Although a positive image is created by these words, the other characteristics of
Time overshadow them. This implies that we need Time for us to live but at the same time it is an
enemy to us as it brings unhappiness to experience the sense of old age.
The omniscient stature of Time is accentuated by diction and the few references to a heavenly
body. Time, describing itself as the ‘nor’ west air’, ‘island’, and ‘sea’ conveys to the audience the
exulted size of Time and its omnipresence as nature is all around us, making us feel weak and
small. Also, ‘you have heard it’ and how Time is said to ‘call down’ gives us a clear vision of a
superior character ordering something which it completely controls, such as ourselves.
Furthermore, the word ‘Time’ is the only capitalized word apart from ‘I’, suggesting power and
authority. Time is referred to as ‘the Beginning and the End’. Connecting to the idea in the Bible
of Alpha and Omega, this also shows the god-like nature of Time. Due to these implications, a
vivid illustration is made about the vastness of Time and its control over us from the moment we
are born to our last breath on earth. In addition, we are able to visualize a taunting yet necessary
puppeteer whom we are involuntarily controlled by throughout our lives.
Throughout the poem, words with both positive and negative connotations are included such as
‘children’, and ‘rust’. This signifies that Time is everywhere, that it is with us in times of happiness
and despair. Similarly, the poem is split into two sections, the first outlining the meaning of Time
in a rural area, then moves on to describe its significance in parts of the urban society. Along with
this, the poem consists of all the five senses familiar to us, again expanding our view of Time as a
character with a huge impact on our lives. Likewise it hints at the idea that we cannot escape
Time because it is all around us, in every object and thought. Time is our ‘conscious carrier’, it
leads us and we live upon its never ceasing flow. The continuous action of Time can be illustrated
by the enjambments in the last few stanzas. Moreover, the theme of time being inevitable is
emphasized by the air, being Time, ‘nosing around the pines’, prying and searching for the victims
who are represented by the pines which are wanting to slow Time down.
In the poem, Time is illustrated as an arrogant and god-like character that, despite the
unhappiness that we can feel by its passing, is an inevitable obstacle which we must overcome.
These characteristics of Time are spread out through the poem via diction, certain figures of
speech such as metaphorical language, and how the poem is set out including the senses which
further helps us to experience the meaning of the poem. Curnow is perhaps suggesting his own
experiences on paper, how he felt due to the passing of time and what effects it had on him.
Page 6 of 45
ESSAY 6
Explore how Matthew Arnold uses language to give us insights into the life of
modern man in ‘Dover Beach’.
Whilst Matthew Arnold does not direct his poem ‘Dover Beach’ to provide insights into the life
of man in his times, his general criticism of the issues of society involve greatly the actions and
attitudes of man. Through the use of language, Arnold indicates the abatement of faith in man
to God, as well as having a misguided optimistic view of the future and becoming heavily
vulnerable to his surroundings.
Matthew Arnold portrays modern man as having waning interests in Christianity. Illustrated
by the fourth stanza, he describes ‘The Sea of Faith’ experiencing a ‘melancholy, long,
withdrawing roar’, epitomising the decline and its desperate nature, revealed in the negative
associations of ‘melancholy’. Metaphorising the sea to Christian faith allows the poet to exhibit
the decrease in faith and provides the audience with a feature of man’s life in Arnold’s time.
Moreover, Arnold reveals man’s misguided sense of optimism through the use of diction,
whilst indicating that the world was heading to an apocalypse. The poet states the ‘world seems
… like a land of dreams/ so various, so beautiful’ but then introduces that the world ‘hath really
neither joy, nor love’ emphasising what others saw in their future was only ‘seem[ing]’.
Pivoting on ‘seems’, Arnold has enabled himself to dismiss man bright imagination of his
future, and display more of the life of modern man.
Additionally, in stanza four, where Arnold states the loss of piety, he also observes the
increasing vulnerability of man. Following his reflection on man’s faith, the poet claims for
men to have become exposed as a consequence. By the imagery provided by ‘naked shingle of
the world’, Arnold indicates that man has been stripped of protection and it was bare before its
environmental dangers. The poet implies that common man’s lack of piety has led to a loss of a
privilege; where God will decide to confiscate the protection of modern men.
The third stanza provides a phrase showing man’s life as one of discontent and turmoil. By
claiming the sea invoked similar reflective ideas of ‘Sophocles long ago/ [who] heard it on the
Aegean’ into Arnold, he is claiming parallel circumstances have occurred. He reinforces this in
metaphorising the ‘turbid’ sea to human emotions and actions, ‘misery’, and how it ‘ebb[s] and
flow[s]’. In describing through the metaphor, Arnold delivers aspects of man’s life in his time,
in how he utilises ‘misery’, a word with strong negative connotations, to represent behaviour,
how disorderly man has become, and how men have experienced prosperity and degeneration.
Arnold manages to manipulate several language features to exhibit much about man
throughout the poem and does so effectively. Whilst his catastrophic visions may not have
been correct, what he claimed to have envisioned, as did Sophocles, can still be relevant in our
treatment of nature.
Page 7 of 45
ESSAY 7
Explore the ways in which Rich vividly conveys a sense of mood and atmosphere in Amends
In the poem Amends, the poet uses a variety of language devices to set the tone of the poem and to set
the scene. These language devices include imagery, diction, allusion, repetition, metaphor, and words
that have positive connotations. These combine to create a positive mood and a sharp atmosphere
which is further reinforced later on in the poem by the same language devices. Rich’s reference to the
Shakespearean play Merchant of Venice informs the reader, in the first three words what the poem is
about – the moon. Her use of imagery to describe nature and the way in which the moon interacts with
nature vividly convey the atmosphere of our planet at night. She also uses many other language devices
to convey many different things.
The first three words of Amends give echoes of William Shakespeare’s 1597 play Merchant of Venice.
The phrase “Nights like this”, while being the first three words of Amends, is also in the opening lines
of Merchant of Venice. In the same line of the latter as “nights like this” is the statement that “the
moon shines bright”. So, due to the poet’s allusion to Shakespeare in the first three words of the poem,
the reader has already been told by Adrienne Rich that the poem that they have just started reading
will most likely be about the moon. Rich has already portrayed a sense of atmosphere to her target
audience after just three words of reading. The use of this language device also contributes to the
uplifting mood, as “nights like this suggests that this night is memorable – it, in a way, is better than
many other nights.
Rich also uses repetition in order to emphasise how positive the time when the moon rules the Earth
really is. Her use of “as it” shows the reader how the moon “licks the broken ledge”, like a puppy trying
to heal its wounds obtained during the day. Meanwhile, the moon is also managing to “lay its cheek for
moments on the sand” – this highlights the moon’s efforts to care for and comfort the beaches of the
world at the same time. Simultaneously to both of these, it is also “pouring into the gash” of the “sandand-gravel quarry”, as if it is attempting to pour antiseptic onto a flesh wound caused during the day in
order to heal it. This shows to the reader how positively Adrienne Rich thinks of the moon and sets a
progressive mood that is reinforced throughout the poem.
Imagery is the poet’s primary tool in setting the atmosphere of Amends. The image of the moonlight
which “picks at greater stones, as it rises with the surf” suggests to us that the moon has now risen in
the sky and has taken control of the skies from the sun, leaving the moon free to begin its nightly
mission of fixing the damage done to the world during the day. This positivity is further bolstered by
the mental image the person who reads the poem is given when the moonlight “flicks across the tracks”
in an almost playful way. A final example of how Adrienne Rich uses imagery to express a bright and
cheerful mood to her target audience is the final line – that the moon does all of these things to “make
amends” for what damage has been done to the Earth during the day – as if it acts to try to make
spoiled things as beautiful as they once were before the day returns.
Diction is also used in Amends to communicate how the moon, a lot like water, is everywhere: it fills
the atmosphere and everything around us has been touched by it. Rich uses words normally associated
with rushing water to describe the fast-moving and all-consuming moonlight. This tells us that she
believes the moon has as big of an effect on us as water – without it we would not be able to survive.
This suggests that the moon has the power to irrevocably change our lives forever, but instead chooses
to use its powers for good and heals the Earth.
Adrienne Rich uses a variety of language techniques in her poem Amends to emphasise to the reader her view on
the moon and the role it plays in civilisation. The overall very optimistic mood of Amends is created through her
use of imagery, diction, allusion, repetition, metaphor, and words that have positive connotations. The poet,
through her use of these language devices, shows us how we should treat the night – how we should all realise
that it is a time for both mending what has been damaged and for celebrating this process.
Page 8 of 45
ESSAY 8
Comment on the poem Amends Adrienne Rich, paying special attention to the
way language is used to create a particular setting.
Amends by Adrienne Rich, is a poem created to show the symbiotic relationship between the
moon and the Earth. The moon is described as a powerful force. Moonlight is compared to
water in many parts of the poem, linking the moon to the tides. It is shown as trying to make
“amends” for the damage caused during the day. The moon is healing the decay of the daytime.
Rich starts the poem by setting the scene, “On nights like this”, showing that this is the time
where the moon rises. She also uses the scene of “the cold apple bough”, as night is colder than
the day. Moonlight is described as a liquid, “unavailingly pours into the gash” and “soaks
through the cracks”, which links it to the sea and shows the healing properties of the moon. It
is trying to repair the gashes in the Earth.
The poet shows the nightly journey of the moon across the sky. It starts by “picking at small
stones” and finally moves on to “dwell[ing] upon the eyelids of the sleepers”. Amends begins
with “a white star…exploding out of the bark”, which symbolises the beginning of the night,
when the first stars come out, before the rise of the moon. This also shows the effects that man
is making upon the Earth, in the third stanza, the poet shows us images of man-made objects
in the countryside, such as “the crop-dusting plane”. This shows us how the moon is repairing
the effects of man.
Amends also shows the relationship between the moon and the process of healing. Overnight,
the body may rest and heal, “as it dwells upon the eyelids of the sleepers” links it to man. This
creates the idea of “amends”. The moon has risen and helps to heal the sleeping humans and
animals “as if to make amends”. The moonlight is righting the wrongs of the day and healing
the decay that the day has occurred.
The poem sets the scene well, drawing lines between the moon and the idea of healing and
resting. The poet ties the moon to the tides, which is one of its many powers. This effect is
shown through the idea of moonlight as a liquid, pouring and soaking into gashes and cracks.
The moon is shown as a caring figure, to make amends to the sleepers.
Page 9 of 45
ESSAY 9
Comment on the language of Ted Hugh's 'Full Moon and Little Frieda', paying
special attention to the sensory appeals made.
In the poem ‘Full Moon and Little Frieda’ by Ted Hughes, the language used and sensory
appeals made allow the poet to illustrate his ideas and intents within the poem more clearly. By
using language features such as imagery, vocabulary choice, rhythm, onomatopoeia, metaphors,
similes, repetition and personification Hughes is able to portray a scene in which the reader can
appreciate his intents.
The poet begins with an appeal to the reader’s sense of sound by using onomatopoeia in the
opening sentence “A cool small evening shrunk to a dog bark and the clank of a bucket” which
draws the reader into the scene by allowing them to recollect familiar sounds. Hughes uses this
language feature to commence his portrayal of the stillness of the night, by making seemingly
inconsequential sounds the centre of attention because the quietness of the moment allows for
simple sounds to come into the description.
In stanza two, Hughes invokes the senses of sight and touch, whilst additionally utilizing the
linguistic features of alliteration and rhythm. “A spider’s web, tense for the dew’s touch”
provides an opportunity for the sense of touch to be drawn upon, the reader is able to imagine
the feel of the web, further immersing them into the scene created by the poet. Furthermore,
simple descriptions of both the pail and the star provide the visual sense some provocation
which lets the reader visualize the still scene. Additionally the calm, easy rhythm conjured by
Ted’s use of short words and precise punctuation add to the still atmosphere of the stanza.
Moreover the alliteration of “To tempt a first star to tremor” adds to the rhythm of the poem,
assisting the tranquil mood.
Imagery is generated in the third stanza through the use of a metaphor, as well as again enticing
the reader’s sense of touch and sight and to an extent taste. By using the metaphor of “A dark
river of blood” Ted could be relating to the slaughtering of the many cows described, This
striking image may be linking to the loss of innocent lives; such as his late wife, who committed
suicide. The precise description of the cows allow the reader to conceptualize them, whilst
“warm wreaths of breath” allows the reader to imagine the contrasting temperatures of the air
and the breaths, which mirror the dark coldness of the night sky and the bright heat of the stars.
Taste is possibly drawn upon by the poet’s use of milk, which is a familiar taste to most.
The concept of speech: “‘Moon’ you cry suddenly ‘Moon! Moon!” is introduced in the
preantepenultimate line of the poem, shifting the poet’s focus from the scenery on the ground to
the moon in the sky. Imagery is then concocted by Ted Hughes through the personification of
the moon as an artist through the use of the simile “like and artist gazing” which portrays the
moon as the creator of the exhibition that had been previously described. Choices made of the
vocabulary used of “gazing” and “amazed” make the occasion almost surreal and mystical.
“Amazed” is repeated in the final stanza, which is only one line to distinguish its significance,
adding to the climax of the poem’s conclusion.
Ted Hughes’ vast use of language gives power and influence to his poetry, as well as granting
him the ability to express his feelings with competency. The sensory appeals especially raise a
response from the reader, as they allow them to better appreciate the scenes and themes.
Page 10 of 45
ESSAY 10
Explore Ted Hughes' writing in "The Full Moon And Little Frieda" showing how he
creates a striking atmosphere.
In the poem by, The Full Moon And Little Frieda, Ted Hughes successfully creates a striking
atmosphere as he expresses and describes his daughters glee and amazement when she first
discovers the moon. He does this in very specific ways including the procrastination of
introducing his daughter, his choice of words and punctuation and language techniques used.
Hughes does not overuse language techniques. He primarily employs imagery and involves all
of the senses in the opening three stanzas however his most significant technique is a mixture of
personification and a simile: "The moon has stepped back like an artist gazing amazed at a
work." He uses this language feature in the final stanza where the emphasis has changed from a
small insignificant night to a night that has possibly given birth to the interest and love of poetry
by the young girl. Personification stresses the living qualities that are given to inanimate objects
in poems and the poetic world that Ted Hughes and his daughter live in. It continues to say
"...an artist gazing amazed at a work." This could be an indication to the amazement that his
daughters seems to feel when she discovers the poetic icon or Ted Hughes' pride he feels as his
"artwork" follows in his footsteps. The use of and sudden change in types of language techniques
as the poem changes drastically, exhilarates the readers and creates a cogent atmosphere.
Ted Hughes' choice of words and punctuation is key in creating the staggering atmosphere the
poem successfully composes. The opening lines are filled with words such as "shrunk" to
validate the insignificance of the night and situation. However as the poem continues, Hughes
uses words like "tense" and "tempt" which create a sense of promise. Ted Hughes backs up these
words with comments like "A pail lifted, still and brimming" and "balancing unspilled milk" to
express his daughter's unused poetic talent and that his daughters poetic interest was almost
apparent to her, it would only take something small to trigger it. Introduced in the final stanza,
the moon is the poetic icon that composes the daughter's new found love for poetry. What's
more the introduction of the moon also brings a drastic change in the tone of the poem as well
as the words that Hughes uses.the poem continues as Hughes' daughter "exclaims" the word
"moon". Her tone is reinforced by the exclamation mark that follows the word moon. Hughes'
tone and change in punctuation and words emphasises how a small and insignificant night can
suddenly become an important moment in both people's lives. This sudden and immediate
change stuns the reader as it creates a confounding atmosphere.
During the early and middle stages of the poem the reader in unaware of Hughes' daughter. The
subject changes between each line: "...cold night.../..spiders web.../...pail..." and there is nothing
that the reader can relate to. Therefore the night described is less familiar to the reader and the
situation has no real significance which is what Hughes, at first, wants the reader to think, as he
did that night. Eventually his daughter is introduced who exclaims at her discovery of the moon.
She is important as the poem is about her. The procrastination of her introduction makes the
readers encounter with her more appealing and satisfying. As there is no subject early on, the
reader is more intrigued as the climax of the poem is yet to come. The climax causes the reader
to recognise the importance of this moment as he has the earlier stages of the poem to compare
it with. This creates the conspicuous atmosphere the poet had intended to generate.
Ted Hughes' poem, The Full Moon And Little Frieda, is a poem which shows the quick change of
an insignificant night to an important milestone. Hughes emphasizes the situation by creating a
striking effect. He does this through his choice of words, punctuation and tone, his language
techniques and the procrastination of the establishment of the main subject, Hughes' daughter.
They are all brought to existence and contrasted throughout the two parts of the poem.
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ESSAY 11
Explore the ways in which Gillian Clarke expresses her feelings in the poem
‘Lament’.
Lament by Gillian Clark, is a poem written after the 1991 Gulf War. The word ‘Lament’, serves
as the title of the poem, but is also used to start list of people, places, and animals, which were
devastated by the war, and are lamented for in the poem. Clarke expresses her feelings through
the structure, wording, and imagery featured throughout the poem.
Structure is one way through which Clarke expresses her feelings. The poem is structured as a
list of lamented people, places, and creatures hurt in the war. Clarke lists the various forms of
sea life “struck dumb” by the impact of war, telling us how they now struggle in “their nest of
sickness” and “funeral silk”. She also mentions the “iridescence on the sand”, the “shadow on
the sea” and other environmental effects. These make up the majority of the poem. The impact
on human life is only mentioned a few times – in the third and forth stanzas. Clarke speaks
about “the soldier in his uniform of fire…the boy fusilier...the farmer’s sons…” possibly all
examples of people who lost their lives. She indicates that there the effects are far more
outspread than they may seem. By structuring the poem like this, with man in the middle,
Clarke is able to express her belief that man is not the only one who suffers from war.
Imagery is used as Clarke conveys her disapproval towards war. Her descriptive explanations
of effected animals and places are her reasons backing this opinion. Clarke describes how ‘the
ocean’s lap with its mortal stain’, a deadly wound that may even bring death to the ocean,
which can be related to the loss of human life. She illustrates that ‘the veiled sun and the stink
of anger’ are results of burning oil, making smoke which has covered the sky, hiding the sun.
Clarke shows us that as a result of the spills and fires, the tern, the gull and the ‘restless wader’
are all subjected to a ‘slow dying’; the cormorant is forced into ‘his funeral silk’, and the green
turtle is given a ‘pulsing burden’ as it struggles in its ‘nest of sickness’. In providing us with
clear images of the devastating results of war, Clarke shows why she feels war should not be a
solution to conflict.
The final line is different from the rest of the poem; “For vengeance, and the ashes of language”
is the only non-literal example Clarke gives. The “ashes of language” is a metaphor used to
compare the destruction of war to the loss of truth. In war, among the heavy losses in human
life and the environmental damage, truth is also something which dies. Also mentioned, is the
lament for vengeance. Despite being against war, Clarke still laments vengeance. In this last
line, Clarke expresses to us the idea that during war truth dies along with many innocent
people and creatures, as well as the fact that vengeance, and therefore war, may be a part of
human nature, because despite being against war, she still feels vengeance is necessary.
In her poem Lament, Gillian Clarke uses many literary features to express her opposition
towards war. Her specific way of structuring the poem expresses to us that man is not the only
sufferer of war. The images she creates tell us why she feels war should not happen at all.
Finally, in the final line, she highlights how in war truth is lost, and a craving for vengeance is
gained.
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ESSAY 12
Explore how the poet uses language to explore the idea of man’s deterioration in
Gillian Clarke’s poem ‘Lament’.
In Lament, written by Gillian Clarke, language is used to explore the idea of man’s
deterioration. This poem is developed around the idea of the downfall of mankind. Each stanza
discusses a new idea based on the devastation of the world and with it the diffusion of the
anger and hatred of man.
In order to convey his ideas the poet uses the idea of the conclusion of man through an
endangered species to show that a similar fate will come upon mankind. Like every other
species, the “green turtle” also intends to continue its kind. To do this she tries to “search of the
breeding-ground” where she can bring up her children safely. But like mankind there is a
disturbance to the innocence of the new-born and the old which provides a good
metaphorically feature for humans. She has laid her eggs “in their nest of sickness” where they
may eventually cease to exist. This is ironic because nests are meant to be a protection but in
this sense they are described as being the reason for the sickness. If by some chance they
should survive then their purity, like a new-born, must eventually come to an end. In a way the
turtle is a contrast to man as the turtles are a symbol of peace whilst mankind is a symbol for
superiority and destruction.
Although many beings try to recover from this problem, mankind alone has created this
environment as shown. Men fight each other in war and in the end children are held behind
the “closed border” as prisoners. An idea of deception is used by sending out soldiers in their
“uniform of fire” so they can use their weapons to produce the ‘fire’. This environment leads to
pain and harm inflicted upon them. We create on them a “mortal stain” which eventually
becomes the reason for their death and if they survive they are burdened with the guilt of
murder. It is this very murderous attempt that becomes a cause for their downfall and disturbs
the ones that are peaceful. Changing the lifestyle of the person from when they were clean of
any blood-filled attempts to the miserable dawn of experiencing the ghosts of the dead. If
everyone continues in such a way then there shall be nothing more left of the planet. This
aspect focuses on man being the vanquisher of mankind resulting in social instability.
To build on the effects on war, there are the creators and the workers of war. This is used
metaphorically as they are occupations which lead to the blood-filled wars and if these two
occupations are withdrawn from the society then it will result greatly on the impact of war.
Without the “gunsmith and the armourer” there won’t be anyone to produce demolition at
such a great scale. And if no-one took up these weapons there would not be any annihilation to
such a level. Such restrains can lead to the stabilization of the deterioration of man. But it is
not possible to resolve these matters as this cannot come into effect. The fate of every man has
already begun an immortal downhill plunge. It is only possible to slow down the prophecy by
delaying the occurrences of war.
In the past, present and the future everyone has equipped an unforgivable deed for which they
are held responsible. But if someone holds someone else responsible for an endeavor then they
will seek hope to seek revenge. For with “the ashes of language” people cannot resolve these
matters. So now the take up more brutal measures and instead of discussing the issue everyone
prefers to take up arms. But not only are we impacting on the unjust but also on the justifiable.
This failure of precaution creates self implications causing a deflation of the arrogance which
was yet to come.
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After becoming aware of the obvious causes and effects of war, the poet mentions that even the
everlasting life-sources will perish. There will be a “burnt earth” which will not be able to
sustain any life. If there is no Earth there can be no source of life as Earth is the only planet
that can provide a suitable atmosphere. There is an oxymoron in the “scalded ocean” and in the
“blazing well” showing the fact that the impossible has been made possible due to the actions
of man. Even the “sun [is] put out” enfolding the whole solar system with darkness leading to
another improvised factor. Even the things which have lasted for many millions of years have
now got to end. Although the sun has always been blazing, it has now got to retire and rest for
the whole of eternity. The darkness that will befall man is a direct link towards the end of the
universe.
In Lament, Clarke has used different types of language to explore the idea of man’s
deterioration. Likewise he expresses the idea that man holds the key to the destruction of the
world and we are the only species who can become the cause of such a great demise. Each
stanza either contrasts to the way that man is behaving or shows the outcomes of man’s
actions. It brings about the information that mankind itself is the cause for its own
obliteration.
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ESSAY 13
Explore the ways in which John Keats presents nature in ‘On the Grasshopper
and the Cricket’.
John Keats presents nature in several different ways in ‘On the Grasshopper and the Cricket’,
divided up into two main parts: summer and winter. Some of the ways include taking on a
different tone for the seasons; and relating all of nature to two seemingly insignificant insects:
the grasshopper and the cricket.
‘On the Grasshopper and the Cricket’ is a sonnet containing an octave in a pleasant and upbeat
tone, focusing on summer; and a sestet in a more unhappy tone that is focused on winter. The
first half of the poem (the octave) has an upbeat tone which shows us this as it relates to
summer having pleasant weather and no rain. The happiness and pleasantness of the octave is
shown to us by words like: “luxury”, “delights”, “fun”, and “ease”. The first line of the poem is a
reference to how there is always change going on within nature (seasons) and how nature
never stops to take a rest. Also, in the second half of the octave when Keats talks about the
grasshopper, he is using it as a representation of summer as a whole. In the last two lines of the
octave, Keats says “for when tired out with fun He rests at ease beneath some pleasant weed.”
and this is referring to how when summer is finished, it takes a seat in the shade as winter
comes around.
The first line of the sestet in ‘On the Grasshopper and the Cricket’ mirrors the first line of the
octave - “The poetry of earth is never dead” in the octave compared to “The poetry of the earth
is ceasing never”- except for the placement of “never” at the end of the line, which stresses the
fact that nature never stops, it always keeps changing and continuing. As in the octave, the
sestet also introduces an insect to represent a season it the second half. Keats mentions a
cricket which symbolises winter. Also the fact that Keats chose two equivalent creatures to
represent two equally equivalent seasons shows his opinion that summer and winter are
equals. The tone of the sestet in this poem is quite opposite to the octave, as is quite common
with sonnets, in the ways that it is more unhappy and downbeat. Keats shows us this by using
words such as “frost”, “silence”, and “drowsiness”. The two contrasting tones in the octave and
the sestet symbolises Keats’ representation of the opposites in nature which are summer and
winter.
We can see in ‘On the Grasshopper and the Cricket’ that the octave and the sestet of the sonnet
are very strongly related to the seasons of summer and winter respectively by the fact that
many words in the octave have similar positive connotations to summer, including “fun”, and
“luxury”. There is a similar case with the sestet in the poem, as words in this part of the poem
share many negative connotations with winter, such as “frost”, and “drowsiness”. Also the fact
that the octave is slightly longer than the sestet (two lines longer) could be a reference to the
fact that days in summer are slightly longer than those in winter.
In conclusion, John Keats presents nature in several different ways throughout the poem,
mainly regarding the seasons of summer and winter. Also the metaphors of the grasshopper
and the cricket are used to convey the similarities and dissimilarities between the seasons of
summer and winter.
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ESSAY 14
Explore the ways in which Vachel Lindsay in “The Flower-Fed Buffaloes” uses
language to appeal to the senses.
Throughout “The Flower-Fed Buffaloes”, a range of sensory images is used by Vachel Lindsay
to make the threat of destruction to the natural environment immediate for the reader. In
addition these images also intensify the neutrality of the description which underlines
Lindsay’s implied criticism of modern man’s destruction of nature.
Firstly, the tone in the first two lines of the poem is peaceful. They describe what the Old West
was like before the settlers came. “Flower-fed”, the light, alliterative sounds in the epithet given
to the buffaloes, convey positive connotations of liveliness, happiness and health.
Paradoxically, the evocation of delicate flowers also suggests the precarious environmental
balance that sustains the buffaloes’ vulnerable existence. Nevertheless, the romantic timeframe
applied to the buffaloes, “days of long ago,” foreshadows the decline and falling apart of this
environment.
Secondly, from the third to the eighth line Lindsay uses sensory images to underline the
intrusion of human civilization in this environment. The juxtaposition of “locomotives
sing[ing]” and “prairie flowers [lying] low” rams home how wild, free, open spaces have now
been tamed and dominated by overwhelming industrial force. “Tossing” and “blooming”
suggest easy, loose physical movement, and give us a sense of the freedom and a lack of stress
on the great prairie. “Perfumed grass”, symbolizing the sensory pleasures of nature, is quickly
“swept away” on a massive scale by “wheat”, a symbol of human agriculture. This contrast in
terms of smell epitomizes the human destruction of natural beauty: the refreshing-smelling
prairie grass is replaced with a utilitarian economic item, whose smell is not even mentioned.
The repetition of “wheels” gives us a very visual image of countless number vehicles and trains
totally overwhelming this once quiet place. Despite all this change, “the spring that is still
sweet” offers the readers hope that nature will endure the devastation and recover again. Up to
this point Lindsay has not yet spoken of the buffaloes or their extinction except in passing, and
the mood is still one of neutral description.
Finally, in the last seven lines, the tone becomes very depressed and mournful. The first of
these lines is repeated, with the attention-grabbing initial conjunction, “But”: this turning
point implies a contradiction to the state of affairs in the preceding sections. The once wild,
free and active buffaloes are now said to have “left us, long ago”, but they are recalled in vivid
action, using words that suggest a heightened level of emotion and pathos, earning them our
sympathy. “Gore”, “bellow” and “trundle” are highly energetic descriptions of buffaloes and
show us how freely they lived in their natural habitat. However, the context of this description
is ambiguous, allowing the reader to recall simultaneously the life cycle and destruction of the
species. “Bellow” could represent either natural aggression, or a cry of pain when being killed
by humans; “trundle” can be onomatopoeic for both buffaloes and trains on the move, echoing
the transition from nature to civilization. These are silenced by the repetition of “no more”,
again inviting nostalgia for these wild creatures.
At the end of the poem, we find that not only the buffaloes have suffered from the destruction of
nature, but also the local American Indians. The two powerful, well-known Indian tribes now they
“lie low,” sharing the same destructive fate as the prairie environment. The repetition of the “no
more” and “lying low”, with their ominous rhythm, ‘o’ sounds and solemn alliteration, emphasizes
the negation of their existence. We are left with a melancholy longing for the unique wildlife and
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native cultures of the Old West, irreplaceably destroyed. The reader ends up questioning whether
modern civilization and technology, which have improved our material lives, are beneficial to the
world as a whole.
Vachel Lindsay evokes various senses in depicting modern man’s devastation of nature. The
peaceful environmental balance of prairie, buffaloes, and Indians, recalled at the beginning, has
been utterly destroyed by the settlers and their technology by the end. Lindsay’s powerful images
silently criticize humanity’s selfishness, greed and ignorance.
ESSAY 15
Explore how the words of John Keats make ‘On the Grasshopper and the Cricket’
such a powerful poem.
John Keats appreciates the poetry of nature in its finest details, from the songs of the grasshopper
in summer to the cricket in winter. Keats’ direct approach: “The poetry of earth is never dead”
implies he is speaking directly to people who would not usually spend the time to admire the
poetry that nature can offer. Keats is saying to the reader that no matter the season, poetry will
never cease to exist, giving poetry an essence of immortality.
Keats uses many soft consonant sounds such as “poetry,” “earth,” “luxury,” and other words to
ensure the reader murmurs the poem when spoken aloud, giving a sense of delicacy. The words in
the title are obvious factors that show the grasshopper and the cricket play major roles in the
poem, almost acting as two protagonists. Keats also shows the dominance of the grasshopper and
the cricket by capitalising their ‘names’. One of the dominating themes in the poem, the changing
of seasons, is emphasised by Keats’ use of the grasshopper “tak[ing] the lead… in summer” In fact
these words represent the ideas that the grasshopper and cricket are symbols of eternal poetry.
With the grasshopper being appreciative of “summer luxury” and relishes in the warmth as its
voice “run[s] from hedge to hedge” The grasshopper is thus also symbolising poetry in another
way in that while it bounces from “hedge to hedge” and is easily capable of having “fun” because
of how lively the grasshopper is. Hoowever the cricket is different to the grasshopper because
although his appreciation is “never ceasing,” amidst the cold air, the cricket makes a song that
warms the hearts of all.
Keats represents his skill with wording towards the end of the poem “Drowsiness half lost” is
quite possibly referring to Keats himself being half asleep or enchanted by the melodies of the
insects and perhaps even the reason for writing the poem. Here the cricket and the grasshopper
would appear to be connected as some sort of long lost cousins who have both equally adapted to
their climates. Neither the grasshopper nor cricket is superior to the other, although Keats seems
to illustrate that no matter how intolerable an environment may be, poetry will always be there to
cheer you up. Assonance helps keep the mood of the poem quiet and soft in an example such as
“earth,” “birds,” and other slurred ‘r’ words and alliteration of ‘m’ in “new-mown mead” makes
the poem seem to be a murmur.
Keats uses particular words in the poem to emphasise themes and sounds. Although the rhyming
scheme is quite bizarre, the poem still manages to withhold a sense of tranquillity and peace.
Keats has used literature to create an atmosphere of poetry being more of an essence than
actually a concept.
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ESSAY 16
Explore the ways in which Vachel Lindsay in ‘The Flower-Fed Buffaloes’ uses
language to suggest the passage of time.
The passage of time is an important idea shown in the the poem ‘The Flower-Fed Buffaloes’ by
Vachel Lindsay. He displays this through the language and the way he has written the poem
such as diction and several language features.
Repetition is employed here to represent the passage of time when he says the “Wheels and
wheels and wheels spin by”. The idea of a wheel is the fact that it spins and can represent the
passing of time because of its similarity to a clock. A clock’s hands constantly go round and
round showing time moving on. Also wheels are used for movement which could imply that the
wheels are used to represent the movement of time. The repetition of wheels here is used to
emphasise that. The repetition of wheels also implies that there are several wheels. This could
mean that there is a pile up of wheels and as mentioned earlier wheels can represent time so it
shows that there is a large pile up of time. This means a lot of time has passed by. Also just the
simple pile up of wheels means the depletion of these resources and in order for that to
happen, time must have passed by. Repetition is one way in which Lindsay used to suggest
time.
Personification is another way that Lindsay talks about time. This is seen in line 5-6, “,
perfumed grass / Is swept away by the wheat”. As time passes the world is changing, this idea
is implied here with the industrial takeover of wheat to replace the once beautiful grass and
this idea of change is linked to the passage of time. Also both grass and wheat need to time in
order to become a wonderful or useful plant. “The locomotives sing” is another good example
of personification. There is a link between locomotives and time as when a locomotive passes
by and attempts to get to its destination so does time. Locomotives also link to the industrial
revolution. Also the idea of sing means a sound and a song. Sound relates to time because
sound requires time to travel to the people and like the locomotive when it passes by, so does
time. Similarily with sound song requires time to perform the musical. Personification is
another way Lindsay uses to represent the passage of time.
Word choices also have a great impact on this poem. The use of “no more” such as “They gore
no more” shows that once, the buffaloes were free to eat and due to the passage of time of the
Western takeover they no longer do so. “Lying low” also presents the idea of the passage of
time such as when “With the Blackfeet, lying low”. It implies that perhaps the Indian tribes
were once very powerful and had a lot of authority but now as time progressed they are weak
and disregarded. Lying low also implies that there was once a sense of safety and security
because like in a fire fight, when it is safe people are usually standing and minding their own
business, however during the shooting a natural reaction of gunshots would be for people to
get down and lie low. Similarly with the Indians they progressed from the times when it was
safe to now the dangerous time where they face the depilation of their people and land. Lying
low could also mean death as when someone is lying low they could be dead. Death comes over
a period of time. Diction is a third in which the passage of time is conveyed.
In the poem ‘The Flower-Fed Buffaloes’ by Vachel Lindsay one important theme behind this
poem is the idea of time and how it progresses forward. The idea is conveyed to use with the
language that Lindsay uses such as repetition, personification and diction.
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ESSAY 17
Explore the ways in which Boey Kim Cheng presents aspects of modern life in
“Report to Wordsworth.”
In the poem Report to Wordsworth by Boey Kim Cheng, aspects of modern life are presented
in Petrarchan sonnet form which is reminiscent of many of Wordsworth’s poems. Report to
Wordsworth has structure and language similar to that of 3 of Wordsworth’s poems: London
1802, Upon Westminster Bridge, and The World is Too Much With Us. All of the allusions to
Greek and Roman mythology are parallels to Wordsworth’s poem The World is Too Much With
Us. Cheng presents aspects of modern life with symbolism and allusion.
Report to Wordsworth is full of important symbols. ‘You should be here’ is a plea to the spirit
of Wordsworth, because ‘Nature has need of’ him; a direct link to Wordsworth altering his line
‘Milton! thou should’st be living at this hour: England hath need of you’ and forging parallels
between his plea on behalf of England and Cheng’s plea on behalf of Nature. The capitalized
word ‘Nature’ does not just portray nature as a thing, but as Mother Nature and as a collective
being that requires the help of Wordsworth who had strong links with nature through his
poems. Nature is seen as a motherly figure. We have been nurtured and protected by nature
which has provided for us as a species. ‘Nature’s mighty heart lying still’ is a foreshadowing of
the future; of Nature lying dead and nothing to pump the theoretical lifeblood through the
arteries of the world. ‘The dying clock’ indicates that although we may see time as eternal and
indestructible, time is also susceptible to this decay. Mute flowers are ‘Smothered by smog’
Smothering indicates a suffocating effect and smog also conveys the idea of smoke, pollution,
and an inability to see. An inability to see links to Proteus, the shape-shifting oracle: he is
unable to see into the future and his powers have weakened. Motifs of suffocation are
continued when ‘his famous horns are choked’ in reference to the conch shell of Triton, the son
of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. Triton’s ‘famous horns are choked’ signalling the decline
of the power of nature. The decline of power is also portrayed through Proteus being unable to
see and Neptune lying helpless on the beach and out of his element. This decline of power can
also relate to a decline of faith: a god cannot exist without belief. Belief in these gods has
declined over time and when ‘God is labouring to utter his last cry’ it is because the power of
faith has deteriorated so much so that even gods will die. Triton’s horns were able to calm or
raise the waves, however this great power is negated and his ‘notes struggle to be free’ from the
waste. Even the mighty sea god ‘Neptune lies helpless as a beached whale’ as even the gods
must bow down to this destructive path of ‘insatiate man’ as he ‘moves in for the kill’. Neptune,
Poseidon’s Roman counterpart, is out of his element and at the wrath of the mankind. Cheng
moves from mythology to the modern realities of our present world where the issues of
Wordsworth’s London 1802 are dwarfed in comparison to the world’s current issues.
Allusions in this poem are significant with links to the environmental issues of Wordsworth’s
time and Wordsworth’s links to Roman and Greek Mythology in his poem The World is Too
Much With Us. Proteus, or the old man of the sea, represents sight as he was an oracle in Greek
mythology. ‘All hopes of Proteus rising’ is an allusion to his role as the mythological oracle.
That ‘all hopes of Proteus rising from the sea have sunk’ is a link to him being ‘entombed in the
waste’ and buried beneath the sea. This is a link to humans burying the dead and that Proteus
has died. ‘The wound widening in the sky’ represents the hole in the ozone layer which we now
have to deal with. The wound in the sky is representative of how we as a species have torn the
sky asunder and we have destroyed the natural protection nature has given us. Cheng describes
the actions of the insatiate man as treacherous and ungrateful. In the early 19th century,
London was in the grip of the Industrial Revolution which saw factories being built, the textile
industry being mechanised and the introduction of steam power. All these advancements in
industry greatly increased the use of refined coal being burnt and were therefore precedents to
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the events of the 21st century where the pollution is now more potent and deadly to the
environment. Cheng has taken the issues of the early 19th century and created parallels in the
present day and how environmental problems have increased tenfold.
Cheng has portrayed aspects of modern life with allusions to Wordsworth’s poems,
mythological beings, and the environmental state of our world. His use of motifs and links to
the poems of the long gone poet William Wordsworth convey clearly aspects of contemporary
reality and the world we live in today. Cheng’s poem presents the state of the world in the form
of a sonnet and form comparisons between Wordsworth’s London and today’s world.
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ESSAY 18
Comment closely on the language of 'Report to Wordsworth', explore the ways in
which Boey Kim Cheng reveals his feelings in particular.
Report to Wordsworth is a poem by Boey Kim Cheng who wrote it to address Wordsworth. In
this poem Cheng is informing Wordsworth about the ways in which mankind has destroyed the
world and that he is fortunate to not be in this current world. Language, symbols and allusions
play an important part in this poem and Cheng uses many words related to pollution and
suffering to illustrate the damage mankind has done to Nature.
The poem is full of description about the pollution and destruction to Nature as a result of
man’s desire to industrialise. A number of words related to rubbish, smoke and suffocation are
used to amplify Cheng’s message that people are slowly polluting their environment, the best
protection they have, and as a result, are painfully dying themselves. “She has been laid waste”
is a personification used to liken Nature to a mother who created and nurtured mankind and
provided him with all the resources and security. However man is so blinded by greed and
urbanisation that he does not realise that he has transformed the once beautiful Nature into a
wasteland covered by the litter from his selfish actions. The author conveys the message that
people, by disregarding and corrupting Nature, is in effect killing their own mother and by
extension, themselves. Cheng’s word choices have sounds which also help build the picture of
the destruction. He has selected the sibilance “smothered by smog” to show that Nature is
being suffocated by the smoke and fog produced by industrialisation. Here the “s” sounds
represent the sound of burning and this allows the reader to visualise the pain Nature has to
suffer as she slowly dies from pollution. Cheng feels that humans, in their pursuit of a better
world, are in fact making themselves more vulnerable.
Apart from words, many symbols are used to demonstrate that humans do not treasure the
value of their environment. Words representing power, liberty and life show that energy and
life of Nature is taken away from her by pollution. Flowers are an icon of beauty and “flowers
are mute” suggests that flowers do not stand out and have no say in the world, revealing
Cheng’s view that humans have neglected beauty of the landscape and no longer value it.
Instead they choose to industrialise so much that “birds are few” due to their environment
being erased and now they are forced to go elsewhere, representing the loss of freedom.
Nature’s dying moments are compared to that of a “beached whale”, which symbolises power
and energy. A whale that is beached is out of its natural environment, suggesting that Nature is
no longer powerful and superior, but is now reduced in status. Cheng has compared Nature to
a whale because it allows the reader to realise that an animal as powerful and majestic as a
whale is dying from pollution created by man. A final symbol, “Nature's might heart lying still”,
confirms that Nature has collapsed under all the destruction to her life by man. Through these
symbols, Cheng expresses that Nature has lost its value and status in man’s life.
This poem also contains many references to ancient Greek gods. Proteus is a shape – changing
sea god who can foresee the future. In the poem, Cheng describes that man is very much
polluting the land and is dumping rubbish into the sea. The sea is contaminated to such an
extent that “all hopes of Proteus rising from the sea have sunk; he is entombed in the waste”
which indicates that the sea god himself is dying in his own sea. The word “sunk” not only
suggests that Proteus is sinking under the weight of pollution and destruction, but also
foreshadows that the world itself will collapse under the amount of litter. “Entombed in the
waste” represents that Proteus is trapped by all the junk and not even his shape – changing
ability can free him. Another mythical allusion is Triton, a god responsible for calming and
raising the waves by blowing his conch shell. Here it is described that “Triton’s notes struggle
to be free, his famous horns are choked” implying that he is muted by the rubbish of the sea.
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Triton, who normally calms and raises the sea, now cannot make a sound because he is
suffocated by the waste created by man. Through the sufferings of these gods, Cheng has made
clear that humans have wrecked the environment so much that even the gods cannot save
themselves from such damage.
Boey Kim Cheng wrote Report to Wordsworth to inform Wordsworth the current state of the
world. In his poem, language, symbols and mythical allusions are used to convey his message.
He wants to make clear that mankind is unable to see the truth because he is blinded by
industrialisation and as a result, damages Nature and also making himself more vulnerable.
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ESSAY 19
Explore the ways in which the poet vividly conveys the relationship between man
and woman in ‘First Love’ by John Clare.
John Clare, through his word choice and use of diction, conveys the relationship between man
and woman in ‘First Love’. He uses literary techniques, like similes and oxymorons to vividly
show how one woman affects one man with the power of love.
Clare opens his poem by saying “I ne’er was struck before that hour” which brings the reader
back to the most important hour of his life – the hour in which he met, and fell in love with one
woman. Having never experienced love as a man, the power and feeling that love brings to
people overwhelmed Clare. He goes on to say that the love was “so sudden” and that “Her face
it bloomed like a sweet flower”, which illuminates the entire beauty of this one woman which
captivated Clare’s heart. His “legs refused to walk away” conveys the relationship between
man and woman, as the man is not going to abandon this opportunity to have a love for the
rest of his life. He can’t turn away from this woman that perplexes him, and it gives the reader
an idea of Clare chasing the woman of his dreams. The woman changes his life as he knows it,
as he “turned to clay”, which shows how a woman can mould the life of man.
The relationship between man and woman is conveyed in the second stanza when Clare says
that he “could not see a single thing”. As love is blind, the poet reveals to the reader how
although her beauty drew him to her at first, that after getting to know the woman, her outside
shell could not matter to him anymore. A woman “stole [his] heart away”, and he could not
even put up a fight. Since the love between the man and woman had taken control of the two
human beings, they were powerless to stop it. The simple language that Clare uses shows the
simplicity and genuineness of his love for this woman, and that extravagant words would not
do justice in explaining the relationship. The relationship is best explained in simple, yet
beautiful, words, like “And took my eyesight quite away” and the overuse of “And” which also
shows the excitement of this new relationship, as he wants to continue listing all the things that
he loves about his new relationship.
In the last stanza the relationship begins to get cold, as there is a contrast between “a sweet
flower”, which alludes to the warmer, more loving season of Summer, to the chosen words of
“winters choice” and “snow”, which allude to the colder, harsher season of Winter. In the case
of Clare and his lover, the relationship begins to lose its initial excitement and so the woman is
forced to end the relationship and find a more suitable, higher-class male. Clare says that “she
seemed to hear [his] silent voice” which reveals that even though she can not see him, she still
hears him, and yearns for him. The oxymoron “silent voice” also relates to the stereotype of the
male in a relationship, who does not usually speak about his feelings, but the emotions are still
there, just known instead of spoken aloud.
In ‘First Love’, the poet John Clare conveys the beauty of a relationship between a man and
woman by using simple language to reveal a true relationship. He goes through the stages of
the relationship to where it abruptly ended, due to outside influences.
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ESSAY 20
Comment on the Language of “First Love” by John Clare, focussing on the
particular theme of love on him.
John Clare wrote the poem “First Love” about his first and strongest love, Mary Joyce, the
daughter of a wealthy farmer. Clare, however was only a peasant, and his low socio-economic
standing made him undeserving of his daughter, and he quickly broke off the relationship. This
is important, as Clare’s idea of ‘Love’ in this poem is his experience from this first love. The
language that is present in this poem encourages us to follow the journey of his first love. The
poem is split into three main sections, the stanzas, and in each stanza, Clare tells us about the
emotions of his love, and its highs and lows.
Clare opens the poem with a specific line, “I ne’er was struck before that hour” relating to the
exact moment that he fell in love with Mary Joyce. Clare is expressing shock and bewilderment
over this great love, and he has never felt this way before. The language continues to shed a
positive light on love throughout the remainder of the stanza. The 1st four lines of the opening
stanza are especially positive. This could relate to the fact that when you 1st fall in love with
someone, you feel nothing but bliss and excitement. Then the language settles down, into more
calm and clear words. This could relate to the stage in love where you begin to settle down, and
“all seemed turned to clay” describing that when you fall in love with a person, you begin to
make changes in your life to mould around this love. One could argue that “a deadly pale” has
negative themes, but I believe it means till death do us part.
Then comes the next adventure in John Clare’s first love. In the 2nd stanza, the language begins
to change, becoming more negative. This relates to the stage in this love with Mary Joyce,
when she is taken away as Clare is seen to be of too low social standing for Joyce, under the
instruction of her wealthy father. Clare’s language hints to us an obsessive rage. “Blood rushed
to my face and took my eyesight quite away” could be relating to his blind rage at something
like social standing could ruin his chance with his “soul mate”. In Clare’s eye’s, love is all that is
to be required in a relationship, and all other things are insignificant in comparison. Clare
begins to see things differently at the end of this relationship. He uses the nest two lines to
comment on the fact that love is blinding, “midnight at noon day” and “I could not see another
thing” both relate to the fact that he lacks the ability to see after she left him, and she was the
only thing he could see. He also uses the ‘string’ metaphor for the heart, implying she was had
his heart, and now it’s gone.
In the next stanza he focuses on asking, is all love this cold and deceptive? By asking two
rhetorical questions, “are flowers the winters choice” and “Is love’s bed always now” he asks
the reader, why is love so bitter? Why is it not as it once were, when everything was blooming
“like a sweet flower”? In the final two lines, Clare admits that he will love her forever,
regardless of a relationship. The fact that he says his heart will “return no more” questions his
ability to ever love again. If he does not have a heart, what does he have to give? He doesn’t
have money, or possessions, so his heart was all he had to give. He implies that it is important
to treat love with caution.
Clare wrote this poem about his first love, Mary Joyce, and the poem follows the timeline of
this love. As this is his first love, it becomes his idea of love, and the language in the poem hints
toward this.
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ESSAY 21
Explore the ways in which Dennis Scott vividly conveys the idea of incompatibility
in 'Marrysong'.
Throughout the poem 'Marrysong', Dennis Scott vividly conveys the idea of incompatibility
through his various poetic techniques. 'Marrysong' tells of a man who fails to understand the
different aspects of a woman- his lover perhaps, or wife as suggested in the title. It contains
vast amounts of imagery and language devices which paint the picture of this woman's
unpredictable, incomprehensible and maze-like mind, clearly incompatible with his own.
Dennis Scott constantly uses imagery to illustrate the difficulty the subject has in grasping and
understanding the various aspects of his wife's mind. These aspects are described in a
metaphor, where her mind is compared to a 'territory, without seasons', with a strong sense of
ownership and a definite alienation to other places. The word 'territory' creates an image of an
unknown, undiscovered expanse 'without seasons', without anything familiar to mark it with.
In the next few lines, the image of an ever-changing landscape is drawn, with 'cool water
laughing' where only yesterday there were 'stones in her voice'. The woman is depicted as a
'wilderness' with an inconsistent temperament and large mood swings, sometimes bringing
rain, and sometimes 'faultlessly calm'. However, it is clear that her mind is unfamiliar and
incomprehensible to her husband, who has never understood her despite their having been
acquainted for obviously quite some time.
Another way in which the idea of incompatibility is conveyed is through the comparing and
contrasting of different aspects of his wife's mind by the employment of similes, metaphors,
personification and several other poetic devices. 'Marrysong' is in fact an extended metaphor of
her mind and many different examples. In line five she is compared with 'cool water', which is
often associated with refreshment and peacefulness. An example of personification is the water
'laughing', showing that she has the potential to be kind-hearted and pleasant to be in the
company of. However, only the very next day the voice which once laughed has stones in it,
stones often suggesting hard-heartedness and contempt. Also suggested in these lines is that
the cool water, whose voice was laughing, has been agitated and stirred up as though stones
were dropped in it. The swiftness of the ripples which would have been made indicates the
speed and ease at which her temper changes. At the end of the eighth line 'the map was never
true' is a metaphor comparing her thoughts to an ever-changing map. Also implied is that her
mind is unable to be charted, that it is unknown and mostly undiscovered. In lines twelve and
thirteen, Scott uses a simile to compare her love for the man to the shadows of trees seen from
above. Shadows shorten or grow depending on the time of day and the positioning of the sun;
likewise the extent of the woman's love varies from day to day, never remaining in a fixed
place. Her husband may even hold some guilt that it was he who inflicted the 'quarried hurt',
thus distancing himself even further away from her. These comparisons all show that, because
of the man's lack of understanding of his wife and her ever-changing mind, the two are
incompatible.
Lastly Scott portrays the idea of incompatibility through his choice of words. The diction used
in this poem often contains double meanings, or has a special effect. Scott states that the
husband 'never learned her', that he never fully understood his wife. The word 'learned'
suggests that, after her mind has 'year after year... shifted under his eye' he ought to know and
understand its 'territory'. In line three, the word 'lost' highlights how complex and unfamiliar
she is to him. Also in the third line is the word 'quarried', which has a double meaning: firstly,
it indicates how the man has hunted the meaning of his wife's mind in search for truth;
secondly that, deep beneath the surface, there is a 'hurt', or past troubles which have been
buried in her memories and prevent her from loving her husband as much as might be
possible. Later it is said that, perhaps after grasping some truth in her mind, the husband
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'charted' or makes a note of this and stores it in his thoughts. However, his wife soon makes
this 'wilderness again'. The 'roads disappeared', the roads resembling the areas of her mind he
once thought were so clear and unchangeable. He is only receiving the 'shadows of her love',
indicating that it is not the entirety of her love, just as the shadow cast by a person is merely an
outline and has no substance. It is possibly implied in the word 'shadows' that the woman is
not completely committed to her marriage, that she has not put every ounce of her love into the
relationship.
In the poem 'Marrysong', by Dennis Scott, the idea of incompatibility is vividly conveyed
through a variety of poetic techniques. These devices emphasize the difficulty a certain man
has in trying to understand his wife, and how easily and how swiftly her mind changes.
Because of his failure to fathom her mind, the two are never able to be as compatible as a
husband and wife ought to be. However, despite the difficulties, the poem shows that the man
has accepted them and is aiming to move on and make the most of this marriage. Likewise, we
all must also learn to accept each other's differences and strive to work together and move on
in spite of them.
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ESSAY 22
How do the words of ‘The Voice’ express Thomas Hardy’s sense of regret and loss
so powerfully?
In the poem The Voice by Thomas Hardy, Hardy conveys the sense of regret and loss
powerfully to the reader. The poet expresses his regret for her loss through his dreaming in
stanza 2 about his now deceased wife back when they were courting each other, saying how she
would wait for him in her “original air-blue gown”.
Hardy shows his regret of his wife passing away in the first stanza by expressing how he misses
her greatly, regretting her change and now her death. However, the poet says that she was “not
as [she] once [was]” and that she had “changed from the one who was all to [Hardy]”, showing
that he regrets his wife changing from a young, beautiful, caring person into whatever she was
like before she died. He seems to miss what she once was than her before she died, lessening
the immediate grief for her death but suggesting that Hardy has been grieving for his loss
before she died. There is also a possibility that his wife is not actually dead, but just dead to
Hardy as he is depressed over what she has become. The use of the word “were” in “Saying how
you are not as you once were” suggests that he could be denying his wife’s very existence now
that he is dead to him, adding to the pity felt for Hardy as he regrets his wife’s change.
The poet’s regret for the loss of his wife continues on into the second stanza as he madly asks if
he is hearing the voice of his dead wife. How she used to wait for him is recalled as he “drew
near the town” wearing her “original air-blue gown”, which describes her as pure, innocent and
beautiful in Hardy’s eyes. In the last stanza, Hardy describes himself as “faltering forward”, or
not knowing where he is going in life as he has lost all direction and reason for living, adding to
his regret for her death. “Leaves around [Hardy] falling” and the “Wind...from norward”
suggest the idea of the cold, or a darker and deadlier time, arriving. This suggests that Hardy’s
life is drawing to a close as he continues to go mad with grief and regret over his wife’s death,
as the poem ends with the inconclusive line “And the woman calling”, giving a dream-like
effect to his thoughts of her as he descends further into madness. These referrals to madness
overcoming Hardy shows how his loss of his wife has totally changed his life.
Loss for the poet’s dead wife is also powerfully conveyed in ‘The Voice’. In the first stanza he
says that he misses her and that he heard her calling to him, showing how he is becoming
insane with sadness. His loss of his wife before she changed resounds throughout the poem, as
Hardy converses with his own mind and his memories of her within it. In the third stanza,
Hardy begins to doubt whether he really is hearing her voice, asking if it is merely a breeze
“travelling across the wet mead to [Hardy] here”, emphasising his loneliness as he is alone in
the beginning frosts of autumn and the approaching of his own death. This idea of him alone
waiting for her voice further adds to his loss of a companion.
Sibilance is used to great effect in the third stanza, shown by the words: “listlessness”, “across”,
“dissolved” and “whistlessness” as the cruel breeze is described deceiving the poet. These
repeated ‘ss’ sounds convey a bitter tone as the idea of Hardy being tricked by the wind in his
sadness would mean that his wife’s voice is not even present, adding to his loneliness and loss.
In the line “Wind oozing thin through the thorn from norward”, the use of the word “thorn” is
very significant as it acts as a metaphor to describe Hardy’s regret as he remains with the
painful memory of how he couldn’t love and care for his wife like he used to. Thus when his
memories slowly start fading away the thorn remains as a reminder, constantly paining him to
reawaken the guilt and sadness. Wind is described as “oozing thin”; referring to the wind-like
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sounds related to the voice of his wife, while this wind coming “from norward” suggests the
harshness of her constant harassment of Hardy’s conscious.
In the poem The Voice by Thomas Hardy, Hardy’s loss and regret of his wife’s death is
expressed through his sadness over how his wife had changed from the person he fell in love
with. He also hears her voice in his head, showing how he is going mad with depression over
his loss of his wife. In the last stanza, Hardy has nothing left to live for as he is “faltering
forward” in life without any strength, will or direction. It is explained how his death is finally
approaching with the analogy to winter coming, as he continues to regret what his life has
become after what was his wife had passed away.
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ESSAY 23
Explore how the words of Lord Byron make “So, We’ll Go No More A-Roving”
such a striking poem.
In the poem, So, We’ll Go No More A-Roving, George Gordon, Lord Byron, uses many words to
make the poem interesting to the reader. This is done by words that are directed ambiguously,
also using language technique such as metaphors and sound devices to create a striking
emotion of regret.
Lord Byron is very regretful of his partying, therefore he escaped into exile, leaving everything
in his past behind, including his lovers. Despite leaving them, he discusses that ‘we’ll go no
more a-roving’, which can indicate how he is unable to be carefree with the women he loves.
However the ‘we’ll’, can also represent the people he used to party with, as he is referring how
he is no longer able to party ‘so late into the night’, as his body is can no longer keep up with
time. This ambiguous use of a grouped pronoun creates curiosity in the audiences mind, and
attracts the reader to the poem, as they question who Lord Byron is directing the pronoun at.
Even though Lord Byron was able live a rough and reckless lifestyle in his earlier years, his
body is now suffering the consequences, and he has to now endure his weak body. Evidence of
regret is unveiled through the use of metaphors, ‘the sword outwears its sheath/ And the soul
wears out the breast’ as they compare his intense lifestyle wearing out his body. The idea of
putting two words with the same principle also reveals how repetition contributed to the
weakening of his body. This links us back to Lord Byron’s words making the poem meaningful
as it creates a link to the readers’ past/present/future, and creates an aftershock as it
reminds/conveys the idea of a regretful lifestyle.
Sound devices are used to describe Lord Byron’s physical attributes after his partying life, and
it reveals how his life has dramatically slowed down. There is an repetition of o sounds in ‘So,
we’ll go no more a-roving’, which gives the reader a sense of time slowing down and liberty
being no longer available for him, and conveys the idea of Byron moaning about his current
life. Also the small selection of other vowel sounds used creates a direct comparison of Byron
being limited by his weak body. Another repeated sound of s in the two metaphors, ‘sword
outwears its sheath…soul wears out the breasts’ gives an imagery of life being deflated out of
him. These repetitions of sounds in the words used by Byron helps gives the reader a better
idea of the poem, as it leaves an imagery and sense of limitation of Byron’s life.
Lord Byron lived a very intense and tiring life as he intentionally creates attention with
carefully positioned pronouns, his ability to make links to our life, using repeated sounds in
words to create an imagery of his life. With these important ideas, Lord Byron is able strike us
with his words, scarring us with the memory of his remorse in our mind.
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ESSAY 24
Show how language is used in Lord Byron’s “So We’ll Go No More a Roving” to
communicate a sense of loss and regret.
The poem So We’ll Go No More A-Roving written by Lord Byron reveals a sense of remorse and
bereavement at the fact that aspects of his body cannot keep up with his insatiable love of
parties and other night activities. Byron unfolds this dissatisfaction through a variety of
language that has been interspersed throughout the course of the poem.
Byron has used diction in So We’ll Go No More A-Roving by employing words such as “So”, “yet”
and “Though”, which are present during the entire poem and all convey an idea of bereavement.
The first word of the poem, which is “So”, suggests to the reader that the enjoyable days of
Byron’s life have come to a close and that this is the end of everything. It carries a strong tone of
resignation with it, which adds to the heavy, sombre mood of the poem. Another word which
Byron has used is “Though” at the start of the final stanza. “Though” suggests regret in a slightly
different way than “So”. When “Though” is used it is almost like it is natural that the “night was
made for loving” and that Byron is going against the will of nature itself if he does not love.
Finally, the word “Yet” acts as a final sending off for the wants of Byron, when it is used in the
penultimate line of the poem. It carries with it an idea that the good times will never return and
it is possibly this word which is burdened with the greatest amount of lamentation in the entire
poem. Thus, Byron’s word choice suggests an idea of grief to the reader.
Lord Byron has also used cataloguing in the second stanza, by using “And” in three consecutive
lines. When Byron uses this cataloguing, he is effectively slowing down the rhythm and hence,
his mood is reflected. The slowness indicates at his inability to move on and forget his past
habits and thus, the slow pace contributes to the melancholy mood of Byron. Also, during the
final stanza, Lord Byron has used assonance of “o” sounds in two key areas. Examples include
when Byron uses words such as “too”, “soon” and “moon” in the final stanza. He has also used
assonance in the title of the poem “So, We’ll Go No More A-Roving”. The moaning sound that is
created by this assonance draws attention to the fact that he is moaning about his body’s current
state. These slow, long vowel sounds slow down the pace of the poem, much like cataloguing
does, hence highlighting the sad, remorseful mood of Byron.
Furthermore, Lord Byron has used a metaphor in the first line of the second stanza. “For the
sword outwears its sheath” suggests the idea that Byron has overused his body and that his life is
now in tatters much like the “[outworn] sheath”. Byron has realised he has overused his body
and cannot obtain a new one. The “sword”, however, remains as sharp as ever and will not stop
wearing his body out. In this line, the reality of the situation has finally sunk in for Byron and he
realises there is no turning back. This melancholy mood is echoed by the use of this metaphor.
Finally, Byron has used commas in very irregular areas in the poem. One such instance includes
when he used one after the very first word in the poem. Commas are not often used so early on
in the poem and thus reveal to readers that Byron is feeling regretful, tired and also remorseful.
The pause here suggests that Byron is reflecting on what he has done to his body and is deeply
resentful over it. The pause carries with it a sense of depression and Byron feels like he has lost a
big part of himself as for a long time, he has been partying and having fun and made it a habit.
Therefore both, loss and regret are suggested by this irregularly placed pause.
Thus, in So We’ll Go No More A-Roving, Lord Byron discusses how his body cannot keep up
with the desires of his soul, many aspects of language have been used to put forth an idea of
remorse and bereavement. This idea has been communicated to the reader via the punctuation,
cataloguing and other aspects which have been included in the poem.
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ESSAY 25
Explore how the language of Elizabeth Browning’s “Sonnet 43” portrays love.
Elizabeth Browning’s use of language in “Sonnet 43” portrays love effectively through the use
of metaphors and similes, comparing things which have positive, if not amorous connotations.
She explains to the man the poem was written for, her fiancé Robert Browning, how her love in
unconditional and cannot be swayed by any other being, not even God.
The main device used in the poem is anaphora, as the phrase “I love thee” is used to start a line
5 times throughout the poem, and each time it reveals yet another way in which she loves him.
It is as though she is using it to keep track of the countless ways in which she loves him. It
emphasizes her extreme, unadulterated love, as well as acting as a rhythmic device. The author
communicating her passion through sonnet also contributes to this theme, as Sonnets were
often associated with love and infatuation.
Elizabeth only ever compares her love to abstract nouns, giving the reader the impression of
her love being invisible, yet immeasurable, except through comparison to equally
immeasurable things. She compares her love to the limits that her soul can reach, and to the
end of her life “I love thee to the depth and breadth and height/My soul can reach”. This
reinforces the theme of Love by stating that their love is so great, that it has reached the
boundary at which love cannot possibly expand further. It also speaks of the vast unknown
beyond this Mortal Realm, and of her belief that their Love will transcend the barrier of Death.
The poem is written mainly in iambic pentameter, save for the last line. Not only does this help
to convey the main theme of love, but also puts emphasis on the final line, in which she states
that “I shall but love thee better after my death”. Iambic pentameter is difficult and tedious to
write in, which shows her dedication her husband, showing her paying attention to every
minor detail, making sure that it is perfect for the man she loves. She believes that death can
only strengthen their love. The mention of death and God in the last two lines link to the lines
above, in which she said “I love thee with the love I seemed to lose with my lost Saints”. This
implies she loves him as she loved the Saints of her childhood, which she thought she had lost
as she grew older.
There are also many allusions to light and religion, in “by sun and candlelight” and “I love thee
purely, as they turn from Praise”. These allusions portray love symbolizing the purity of the
author’s love, as if they were implying it to be as innocent yet as immovable as the blind faith of
a child, and unaffected by anyone else, despite them disapproving of their love, or “turning
from Praise”. Yet another reference to religion is “Ideal Grace” which, in context, reveals that
despite her soul being unable to reach definite answers, she is convinced that their Love will
only grow stronger with what is to come. Within the quote “My soul can reach when feeling out
of sight/For the ends of Being and Ideal Grace” she uses “when feeling out of sight” to confirm
that she is unable to determine what is there. Her conviction that their love will only grow
stronger may be naïve; however without faith and trust love cannot exist, and so it is a well
placed belief.
Elizabeth Browning uses language devices throughout the poem in order to convey her love for
her fiancé. Their use aids the theme of intense, passionate love by describing it as abstract and
untouchable by others, as well as being as pure and unconditional as a child’s faith. The use of
anaphora and Iambic Pentameter also add to this main idea, creating a final effect of a vivid
idea of the absolute love she had for her fiancé.
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ESSAY 26
Explore how the words of Elizabeth Barrett Browning “Sonnet 43” vividly convey
the character of the speaker in the poem.
In Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “Sonnet 43”, the character of the speaker is conveyed through
the use of her words and the images they create. Her devotion to her husband, her religious
and spiritual beliefs, and her conviction that her love is perfect and will thus overcome past
unhappy experiences are all accurately illustrated through the techniques of word choice and
imagery.
Barrett Browning first expresses her love in mathematical terms. She says that she will “count
the ways” that she loves him and states that she loves him “to the depth & breadth & height
[her] soul can reach”. By professing this, she first tries to quantify her love but then implies
that it is immeasurable by linking it to the abstract idea of her soul. Barrett Browning’s
devotion to her husband is shown again through the use of the anaphoric phrase “I love thee”.
By repeating this phrase at the start of the lines, she is stating her love and reiterating the
declaration constantly, creating a sense of realism in her poem, as most people when first in
love, tend to announce their feelings frequently. In using this anaphoric phrase, she is actively
keeping a score of the number of ways she loves him, linking to the mathematical aspect of her
love and also shows an almost obsessive quality. This determination to express her love vividly
conveys the speaker’s dedication and devotion to her lover. She is a person who feels and who
loves passionately.
Through the constant links or references she makes to God, Saints, and Ideal Grace, Barrett
Browning reveals that she is a spiritual person. Her religious belief is a main theme in the
poem. She uses phrases like: “lost Saints” and “childhood’s faith” to show an earlier religious
faith she had. Now, however, it is as if her love is the endeavor of her soul for the divine, for
everything in her that is life itself and for the gift of God which is “Grace”. This suggests that
her love is a spiritual pursuit and has rekindled the innocent faith she once had in her
childhood but had apparently lost. Her love for her husband is holy, like that which humans
feel for God and the love they believe He gives in return. However, although she rates her love
almost as high as her regained religion, the line “if God choose, I shall but love thee better after
my death” shows that no matter how strong and heavenly her love is, she acknowledges that it
does not surpass the power of God and His will is still supreme. In doing this, she is conveying
her spiritual side.
Barrett Browning finds her love is a way to overcome her unhappy past. She states that her love
is the size of her soul, the soul being an abstract idea not thought to have a finite boundary, and
rates her love almost as highly as she values her religion. However, despite the spiritual nature
and strength of her love, she is also firmly tied to the real world. She states: “I love thee to the
level of everyday’s/Most quiet need, by sun & candlelight”. Her love is as real to her as day and
night, as her life as she lives it on earth. This is linked with her recognition that time passes
and that despite love, she will die. However, she lifts her love back into the spiritual, and
transcends the barrier of death, by implying that her love will grow stronger and live after she
dies. This shows that she is a person who feels everything intensely.
Through her use of diction and the images the words in the poem convey, we are able to gain
an insight into the speaker’s emotions and character. She comes across as a passionate and
deeply spiritual woman, who feels love intensely. This makes the poem very emotive and the
reader understands the intentions of the speaker clearly.
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ESSAY 27
Comment on the language of “Sonnet 29” by Edna St. Vincent, examining in
particular the changes brought on love by time.
Edna St. Vincent Millay conveys the changes brought on love by time in “Sonnet 29” through
the use of structure, imagery, sound devices and a sense of change, which she builds.
Millay’s use of structure in this Shakespearean sonnet echoes the changes brought on love by
time. In the first quatrain, Millay deals with day and night, changing seasons, “for beauties
passed away// From field to thicket as the year goes by”. The second quatrain describes “the
waning of the moon” and goes on to build pathos, “Nor that a man’s desire is hushed so soon”.
In the last quatrain she accepts and further develops pathos through the sense of inevitability,
“This have I known always: Love is no more”. Throughout the 3 quatrains a different tone and
emotion is emphasised. In the rhyming couplet she links, contrasts and reveals the tension
between the slow-to-learn heart and the “swift mind”. The changing tones and emotions,
developing tension and pathos all change with each quatrain and the rhyming couplet. This
effects to divide and control, reflecting the complex and different ways, in which time brings
upon change in love.
The poet’s use of the regular rhyme scheme builds cohesion and fluidity only in each quatrain
and couplet. Thus splitting and distancing each quatrain from the other, in so it does not allow
the sonnet to be phonetically linked through rhyme, echoing the tension and difference in
imagery and tone. Furthermore the sound of the rhyme emphasises the development and
change, from the first quatrain to the last, the use of sibilance increases from “sea” and “soon”
to the heavier ‘s’ sounds in “assails” and “shifting shore”. As a result the transition from short
to long, heavy sounds creates a sense of change brought on love by time.
The imagery in the poem is mostly of nature. Millay expresses change brought on by time in
terms of “the light of day” and “At close of day”. Imagery of blossoms adds further to the
“beauties passed away”. Implicit in this imagery is the passing of time, and with it the lights
that illuminate the future and the “beauties “we hope will blossom. Imagery further develops
the idea of love through “the moon” and “man’s desire” and linked with decline in “hushed so
soon”. In the third quatrain the imagery of the blossom is changed to the “wide blossom”, here
the idea of susceptibility to the assailing wind is assert. This change in imagery links and
distances the ideas of love through time.
Millay conveys the changes brought on love by time through structure, which divides and
controls the development. It is achieved also by rhyme scheme, sound and imagery.
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ESSAY 28
Comment on the language of “Sonnet 29” by Edna St Vincent Millay, examining in
particular the tone of the poet.
In the poem Sonnet 29 by Edna St Vincent Millay many techniques are used to show the poet’s
feelings and thoughts. One of those techniques is language, which Millay incorporates to add a
tone to the poem to present her emotions. The tones expressed in the poem are sadness that is
felt by Millay, resignation, the anger that is felt from love and her pleading for pity.
The tone of sadness is revealed through from the words and language of the poem. She
explains sad feelings through the lines of the poem. Millay explains that light “no longer walks
the sky” “at close of day”, which is an imagery of the sun setting as the day comes to an end.
This states that the happiness, warmth of the bright light; which can be referred to as love, is
gone with the passage of time and it also gives a depressing feeling from the words which
establishes the sad tone. The sadness is also delivered by the phrase “beauties passed away”
illustrates that as time goes on, things age it will disappear. Also when left unattended
relationships will turn “from field to thicket” implying that it will decay without love. The tone
is of sadness is carried in these words. Similarly, the sadness that Millay feels through her
relationship vanishing and decaying can be felt from the language.
Another tone that the poet conveys is a resignation. Moreover it changes to a submissive tone
after line seven and eight. As the man she loved “no longer look with love” and she goes into in
a state where she disapproves of love. However she acknowledges this and her tone changes,
“This I have known always” she is not complaining about this and is being passive. It is also a
change from all the listing that she has done with the repetition of the phrase “pity me not”
where the poet is stating reasons for sadness, this change in the flow of the poem indicates a
change of mood and tone. In addition the poem follows on with “Love is no more” this parallels
with the “no longer walks” and “no longer look” from the earlier lines. Subsequently, the line
“no longer looks” has a sense of missing the look that her lover once gave her and wanting it
again, however, it is changed to “Love is no more” stating that she no longer desires it. As a
result the mood changes and it shows that she is now speaking in a submissive tone and has
no complaints about her no longer having love in her life.
Anger due to her emotions can also be felt from the poem as it progresses through. Millay uses
violent words to reveal this emotion, “the wind assails” implies that the wind assaults and
strikes violently. ‘Assails’ present Millay’s tone of anger as it generates aggressive images of the
wind attacking things violently. Furthermore, the next line “great tides that tread the shifting
shore” which creates an image of how love can shift the emotions and thoughts of a person, like
how waves can change the shape of the coast. Through the word ‘treads’, the irritated tone is
established. Consequently it gives a violent image of the waves crushing the shore with each
step it takes with power and anger; this conveys her emotions that she is feeling towards her
love. Another imagery that visualizes her anger is formed, ”Strewing fresh wreckage gathered
in the gales” crafts an figure of ships being destroyed by the gales and the wreckage that is
scattered randomly being constantly renewed. The word strewing means to scatter and throw
away randomly, this links to the violent words from before ‘assails’ and ‘treads’, these words
connect the anger that she is feeling and builds it up. ‘Gales’ or strong wind, links back to the
“wind assailing” it is a more violent wind and it explains her emotions and her anger that she is
feeling from the destructive nature of love. The words that form these lines have a destructive
side to them which is a tool to deliver the anger that Millay is feeling. Through the lines, this
emotion is shown, and they illustrate the anger that she is feeling towards love and its brutal
nature.
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Comparatively last two lines of the poem have a different tone to the earlier parts of the poem.
Millay reveals weakness and how she can feel heart-broken; she says “Pity me” which contrasts
with the phrase “pity me not” that she uses throughout the first six lines of the poem. She ends
up asking for pity which carries a tone that expresses weakness and plea. However the pity is
different from the pity that she talks about earlier. She is not asking for pity because of the
heartbreak that she received from love, but rather pity from the fact that her heart is “slow to
learn” and is not able to keep up with the “swift mind”. This suggests her weakness of not being
able to decide, while her heart acts on instinct, her mind acts on logical thoughts. The pitiful
and weak tone is generated through the pity that Millay asks for and her being indecisive which
makes her look feeble.
Edna St Vincent Millay emotions and feelings are expressed through the tones she establishes
through language. She uses depressed, submissive, and irritated tones to show what she misses
about love and her opinions and anger towards love. Millay ends the poem by asking for
sympathy, in a pleading tone because she still feels pain from love itself, which summarizes her
actual thoughts.
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ESSAY 29
Explore how two of the following poems present the ideas of grief and despair.
Support your ideas with details from the poems.
“Report to Wordsworth”, “Dover Beach”, “The Voice”
Both B.K Cheng and Thomas Hardy’s poems, Report to Wordsworth and The Voice respectively,
portray a theme of despair and grief. Each poem is very dissimilar to the other. Thomas Hardy’s
work love based and Cheng’s is environmentally based. Each poet presents his grief in different
ways.
Hardy’s poem expresses his grief for his late wife, Emma Gifford. The ideas of sadness and
despair are revealed through the expression of the poet’s memories, thoughts and feelings. Grief
is seen throughout the poem and is emphasised by the use of language features. For example
“Woman much missed” is an example of alliteration which is used to deepen our understanding
of the extent to which he feels this longing. The alliteration utilised in “faltering forward” suggests
that his life has been overcome by despair. He is struggling to hold onto the past and is slowly
being forced to move on. Alliteration highlights this point to the reader. In addition to
alliteration, repetition is exploited by the writer to bring attention to his intense desire for his
wife. Thoughts of her are never ceasing in his mind, he uses repetition to give emphasis to this.
Furthermore, Hardy utilises his memories to illustrate the reason for his hopelessness. His image
of Emma Gifford in “the original air-blue gown” is vivid. It exhibits to the reader his highly
detailed memories of her and also gives them an idea of why he is grieving. He loved her and
shared 38 years of marriage with her. Gifford’s “air-blue gown” and the way she stood “as [he]
drew near to town, where [she] would wait for [him]” are evidently his most loved memories of
her. The writer shares them with the reader to explain his despair. “When our day was fair” is also
an example of this, he misses the time they spent together, happy and loving. Hardy’s despair at
the loss of his wife is expressed in the poem and explained by thoughts and memories.
In Report to Wordsworth Cheng expresses his sadness at the demise of nature and the
environment. He makes use of a famous poem by William Wordsworth as a basis for his poem.
The poet uses Wordsworth himself as an audience in order to articulate his misery at how the
world has “been laid waste”. Cheng calls on him in the opening line stating that “Nature has need
of [him]”, this phrase is used by the writer to show that the governments of the world are in need
of a new “Report” in order to begin to fix the world’s problems and therefore stop him grieving.
Cheng realises that nothing can help this cause however and expresses it in the line “Poetry and
piety have begun to fail”. Both poetry and the gods cannot stop the world from reaching its dismal
end.
Additionally, Cheng uses Greek mythology to express his anguish. For example “All hopes of
Proteus rising from the sea have sunk; he is entombed in the waste we dump” this helps the
reader to perceive the poet’s resentment at the contamination of waterways and oceans. The
world is falling into a state of despair, not even gods can survive the growing pollution. The
versifier also uses the gods Triton and Neptune to emphasise his image. “God is labouring to utter
his last cry” suggests that the world is in such a state of desolation that not even the almighty
Christian God can survive.
Both Thomas Hardy and Boey Kim Cheng’s poems have grief and despair as a main theme. The
Voice is based on personal grieving and Report to Wordsworth, as well as being based on
individual grief, is also about the world falling in a state of despair. Both poems present these
themes in different ways but with similar effects.
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ESSAY 30
Discuss the ways in which the presentation of the past is important to two poems
from your selection. In your answer, refer to the poetic methods and effects.
Presentation of the past is important in two poems, ‘My Parents’ by Stephen Spender and
‘Elegy For My Father’s Father’ by James K. Baxter. In both poems, past was presented so
that the poet expresses regret and longing.
In ‘My Parents’ poet juxtaposes the children’s world to the poet’s to express the idea of
isolation. The children are portrayed as ‘lithe’ and to have ‘muscles like iron.’ The comparison
of their muscles to iron by using simile emphasises their strength and agility. This is
juxtaposed against the poet’s ‘lisp.’ Furthermore, this contrast in appearance between the poet
and the bullies highlights the poet amongst the crowd and makes him more prone to bullying.
Also, the children ‘throw words like stones’ to the poet. This phrase is telling that whilst the
children use violence, suggested in stone, the poet uses words. However, it is hopeless to use
words to a group of gangsters because using words only emphasises the vulnerability of
Spender to them. The poet says that they would ‘bark’ at ‘my [his] world’ which shows that he
regards his world as a world of his own and not the bullies on the street. This creates isolation
between the poet and the gangsters. ‘Pretending to smile, but they never smiled,’ shows that
the poet is again using the wrong form of communication to the bullies as the bullies do not
understand language but they do understand show of physical strength. Over all, Spender
presents his past as a battle field between him and the bullies but there is also longing
expressed in the ‘pretending to smile.’ This presentation of the past is important in this poem
because it provides insights into Spender’s childhood.
However, in the poem, ‘Elegy For My Father’s Father’ the poet introduces a conflict
between the ‘longing to talk’ and the ‘inability to talk.’ At the beginning of the poem, the poet
with the words, ‘he knew in the hour that he died…’ suggests that the poet’s grandfather was
aware until the moment of death that his ‘heart had never spoken.’ Baxter heightens the sense
of longing and waiting by referring to the grandfather’s years in days: ‘in eighty years of days.’
However, towards the end of the poem, Baxter introduces the reasons why the man could not
communicate his feelings. ‘He sat in a curved chair’ indicates a sense of entrapment in the way
that the chair is shaped. The shape of the chair is designed to provide comfort but the comfort
makes it hard for the old man to get off the chair. In a sense, the chair is metaphor for his
inclination to remain inarticulate and the longer the man sits on the chair the more inarticulate
he is going to become. Also, because the shape of the chair is designed for lying on, the chair
suggests the old man’s need for support. He is now too weak to sit upright and too weak to
bring himself to communicate anymore. Therefore, the poet expresses the regret and the
longing to speak by the use of inanimate objects and juxtaposition between the start of the
poem and the end of the poem. The presentation of the past was important in the poem
because it proves that the old man is not as ‘bitter’ as he seems but much more gentle and
loving.
Both poems, ‘My Parents’ and ‘Elegy For My Father’s Father’ express longing and regret.
However, they are significantly different in the way that the presentation of the past is
important to the poets in significantly different ways. Spender wanted to express his longing
for his lack of fun in childhood and Baxter wanted to show us that his grandfather was not as
hard as he seemed to be.
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ESSAY 31
What do you find moving about the ways in which the poets portray the
relationship between a man and woman in two poems Sonnet 29 and Marrysong.
Support your ideas with details from the poems.
The poems Sonnet 29 by Edna St Vincent Millay, and Marrysong by Dennis Scott both show
the poets’ thoughts about love. Scott’s poem talks about the relationship between his wife and
him, but on the other hand Millay’s describes her love for her faïence.
The technique used in the two poems is the use of metaphors. In Marrysong, the poem
resembles one long metaphor. Scott describes his wife as an ‘object’ in his life. Somewhat hard
to grasp, and to take a hold of as he is almost lost in their relationship. Whereas in Sonnet 29,
the metaphors are generally only two lines long. Millay talks about the intense love she shares
with her man, a very moving passage describing the deep feelings she has. Scott’s description
of a geographical feature, read to be a river, lets him talk about his wife in way of which he
could not, if he was talking directly about her. As it is a much more subtle way to let all of his
feelings come out. For example, a wild action of his wife is able to be described as her making
“wilderness again”, the destruction referring to his understanding of her. Her destructive
power is also magnified when Scott says she “would change the shape of shores”. Finally, at the
end of the poem, Scott uses his metaphor to emphasise the need to accept his wife as she is.
Rather than trying to control her by stating the success in finding “his way among the
landscapes of her mind”, again increasing her influence over him. The seemingly enormous
influence Scott’s wife has over him makes the poem feel more dramatic to those reading it. And
this also moves the reader. As it makes the reader sympathise with Scott, as he is seemingly
helpless in their relationship and out of control.
In contrast to Scott, Millay uses her metaphors for a more general view on love. For example,
the metaphor of lines three and four says that her “beauties passed away”, which is compared
to how fields deteriorate into thickets “as the year goes by”. “Beauties passed away” implies
Millay’s belief that love and relationships are superficial, and that they only last a certain
period of time; this idea is strengthened by the use of the calendar of nature. Also, “field to
thicket” hints at her view that as the care taken to support relationships lessens, the love
between the partners is lost – as the potential of a field is lost when it isn’t cared for. Nature of
relationships is then emphasised by the use of metaphors, comparing a “man’s desire” to the
“waning of the moon” and the “ebbing tide”.
Millay’s use of metaphors allows her to use parallels in her poem, a device not used very much
by Scott. On the other hand “light of day”, the moon and the “ebbing tide” all represent a man’s
desire being “hushed” after a period of time. Thus being parallels to each other. Hence the
example is a good one, because all three metaphors in it contain a certain link, which reinforces
Millay’s belief that love itself is a process. Parallels are also used: the “wind assails” the “wide
blossom” is paralleled to the “great tide that treads the shifting shore”. For which the blossom
and the shore are the love between the partners in a relationship, and the wind and the tide are
simply the end of love between them, a moving parallel as it seems the love they share may
itself be drawing to a close.
Metaphors employed in both of the poems Sonnet 29 and Marrysong, written by Edna St
Vincent Millay and Dennis Scott; enhance their writing, by adding their own personal twist to
them. Ways in which metaphors most effect the poems, is that they make the reader more
attached to it. Which was carefully incorporated by both the poets here to produce very moving
pieces of writing between the love a man and a woman share.
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ESSAY 32
Explore the poets’ presentation of change in two of the following poems. Support
your ideas with details from the poems.
‘So, We’ll Go No More A-Roving’ (by Lord Byron)
‘Dover Beach’ (by Matthew Arnold)
‘The Flower-Fed Buffaloes’ (by Vachel Lindsay)
The poem So, We’ll Go No More A-Roving by Lord Byron is about the poet’s inability to
maintain a carefree lifestyle, and expresses a need for change. In The Flower-Fed Buffaloes,
the Vachel Lindsay conveys how the changing environment has caused the loss of buffaloes.
Throughout these poems, the poets use a combination of symbolism and language features to
present an idea of change.
In So, We’ll Go No More A-Roving, Lord Byron decides to end his energetic night life. “So,
we’ll go no more a-roving” is an example of assonance, with an extended ‘o’ sound. Doing so
creates a moaning effect, which can be interpreted as Byron complaining about his weariness.
Since “the soul wears out the breast,” it is evident that while Byron desires to go forth into
night, his body is too tired, and thus needs to change his active lifestyle. The second stanza
contains numerous words with soft sounds, such as “sword”, “sheath”, and “rest”, which
emphasise his weariness. Byron acknowledges that “the night was made for loving,” with loving
as the sole purpose of the night. Even so, he resolves to stop roaming at night time, and allow
his body to rest. By doing so, it is conveyed that while he may not want to, change is necessary.
Change in So, We’ll Go No More A-Roving is displayed in another way, by interpreting the
poem as a reference to an old love. “So late into the night” suggests that Byron regrets not
being with his lover from a long time ago, and ponders about her deep into the night. Byron
accepts that “the sword outwears its sheath,” indicating that his love for her will change, and
eventually fade. This fact is emphasised because of how “love itself have rest.” In the final
stanza, Byron uses a change of word order from the first stanza. “a-roving” exchanges places
with “loving” to give the idea of a reversal. The change of words gives the reader an idea of the
reversal of fate, from a relationship, possibly prevented by certain circumstances, to a slowly
diminishing emotion.
The Flower-Fed Buffaloes displays the changing of the American landscape. The fields, once
filled with prairie flowers which buffaloes fed on, have transformed to a place “where
locomotives sing”. The personification of locomotives is a comparison to birds singing.
Although birds once sang on the plains, the poet shows how the environment has changed,
with mankind replacing nature with machines. “The tossing, blooming, perfumed grass” which
once filled the land has been replaced by wheat for food. The naturally scented grass being
replaced by the odourless wheat conveys a sense of nature being depleted and changed.
Lindsay also uses “lying low” to connect the Native American tribes to prairie flowers. The
flowers “lie low” since they were consumed by the buffaloes, and the tribes relied on buffaloes
for food. Due to the changes in the environment and loss of buffaloes, the poet illustrates the
repercussions of change.
In comparison to So, We’ll Go No More A-Roving, Lindsay displays change in The Flower-Fed
Buffaloes as a much more powerful image. The words “long ago” suggest a passage of time
from when many changes were made by the settlers. Through this, it is implied that these
settlers had not thought of the effect of their actions. As a result, a place where “Wheels and
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wheels and wheels spin by” replaces the fields where buffaloes once resided. The fact that they
are described as “The flower-fed buffaloes of the spring” portrays the buffaloes as delicate
animals. Due to industrialisation caused by settlers, the once balanced ecosystem has also
changed, with the loss of the buffaloes as a side effect. Lindsay presents change as an idea
which is seemingly dangerous, and conveys that repercussions should be considered first.
The poems So, We’ll Go No More A-Roving and The Flower-Fed Buffaloes both discuss the
idea of change. Lord Byron presents change as unpleasant, albeit necessary at certain times.
His body can not keep up with his extravagant lifestyle, thus ending his night time escapades.
Lindsay portrays change as an upset of balance. The settlers who changed the American
landscape made their life easier, at the expense of nature. In contrast, the poets suggest that
while changes are sometimes necessary, consequences should be considered before acting.
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ESSAY 33
Choose moments in TWO of the following poems where the language the poet
uses has particularly excited you, and explain in detail why you have found it so
exciting.
"Amends" and "Full moon and Little Frieda"
In the two poems, "Amends" and "Full moon and Little Frieda" by Adrienne Rich and Ted
Hughes respectively, both authors used language to create exciting imageries. With the
language techniques, they coney interesting themes and ideas through the poem.
Repetition is an effective language feature used by both authors in their poems. By using an
ongoing anaphora of "as it" in Amends helps us to understand and feel how much the moon is
mending. Thus, the amount of damage that had been done to the earth is emphasised which
now the moon tries to repair. Not only does the repetition of the phrase contribute to the
meaning of the poem, it also adds rhythm to it. There is also a sense of the time flowing on
slowing relating to the repetitiveness of the phrase. Therefore, the poem becomes much more
interesting to read.
Hughes also used repetition, "Moon!, you cry suddenly Moon! Moon!" to excite the readers.
"Moon!" is repeated three times to show a sign of enthusiasm in the girl when she sees the
moon as a reflection in the bucket of water. Apart from the reiteration of the word "Moon!", the
repeating of the exclamation mark also has an important effect. These puctuations exagerates
little Frieda's amazement at the moon's sudden appearance. Through the reaction of the little
girl, a clearer picture of the scene is established. In this way, the author created a good imagery
which excited me.
Another important language feature is personification of the moon in "Amends". Moon is
described with such soft and feminine actions of "picks, "licks", "flows", "flicks" and "leans"
which all fits well into the context of the quiet night. However, Rich made this poem more
entertaining by contrasting the moon's actions. As the poem progresses, the moon turns into a
harsher self and it "soaks and dwells" which suggests that the damage of the earth could
possibly be bigger and harder to heal. By this contrast, the poet shows that the earth has
become constantly abused and neglected so much that now it is more difficult to heal its
wounds. Though the moon here is almost like a motherly figure which takes care for the earth
but it is reaching to an extent where it can no longer heal the earth. There is a very appealling
meaning behind the imageries of the poem.
When the moon has been discovered by little Frieda, it "has stepped back like an artist gazing
amazed at a work that points at him amazed". The moon in this poem is described as a person
who is admiring at the surprise and enjoyment of the little girl. Hughes shows that the idea of
an artist gazing at its work is referring to a motherly or the feminine side of the moon. While
the moon gazes at Frieda, the poet might also suggests an idea that the girl has matured and is
growing out of her childhood as "work" can allude to completeness and finished. Through the
poet's use of personification, we can obtain more themes and ideas within the poem which are
hidden.
Both of these poems contain many uses of language techiniques which enables us to
understand the poems in various ways. With allusions to many different interpretation of
meanings in those poems by how the poets have written them, I have enjoyment in reading the
poems.
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ESSAY 34
In what ways do the poets appeal to your senses in two of the following poems?
Support your ideas with details from the poems.
‘Marrysong’ (by Dennis Scott)
‘Report to Wordsworth’ (by Boey Kim Cheng)
‘Full Moon and Little Frieda’ (by Ted Hughes)
Full Moon and Little Frieda, by Ted Hughes, is about the observations the persona makes of
his daughter, Frieda. In Marrysong, by Dennis Scott, persona compares his wife’s rapidly
changing behaviour to various geographical features. In the former poem, the poet appeals to
the sense of hearing, touch and smell and in the latter poem, the poet appeals to the sense of
sight.
In Full Moon and Little Frieda, the poet appeals to the senses at the start of the poem by
setting an eerie and empty tone “A cool small evening, shrunk to a dog bark and the clank of a
bucket.” In particular, the poet appeals to the sense of hearing as all that can be heard are the
strong and unmistakable sounds of the clank of a bucket and the barking of a dog. The fact that
the sentence ends with “And you listening” shows that the poet has placed extra emphasis on
appealing to the reader’s sense of hearing by using enjambment.
In addition to appealing to the sense of hearing, the poet also appeals to the sense of touch and
the sense of smell. At the start of the second stanza, the poet links the clank of a bucket filled
with cow’s milk to “Cows are going home in the lane there, looping the hedges with their warm
wreaths of breath.” By using assonance at the end of the sentence, it demonstrates the fact that
the poet has made the smell and feeling of warm breath significant, which also links back to the
texture and smell of fresh cow’s milk in a bucket.
In Marrysong, the poet, Dennis Scott, also appeals to the senses in a number of ways to show
the personality of the persona’s wife, including during the eighth line of the poem. The poet
appeals to the sense of sight by making the reader visualise the how “Roads disappeared” in the
persona’s wife’s personality. By appealing to the senses, the poet can accurately display how
certain traits in her spontaneously disappeared. As the following line states that “The map was
never true,” the visualisation of the roads of the map disappearing help to emphasise that she
was such an unpredictable person.
Supplementary to showing that the persona’s wife was in general such an unpredictable
person, the poet also further backs this up by appealing to the sense of sight using visualisation
of shadows in the twelfth and thirteenth lines. The visualisation of “The shadows of her love
shorten[ing] or grow[ing]” emphasises that her love for him changed daily like shadows change
as the sun rises and the sun sets. This is also compared to “Trees seen from an unexpected
hill,” further making the reader visualise the rise and fall of trees as one climbs an uneven hill
to understand just how unstable her mind is.
Overall, in Full Moon and Little Frieda the poet appeals to the senses primarily by utilising
enjambment and assonance and in Marrysong to show the unpredictability of the persona’s
wife’s mind. Both poems are related in that they deal with the complications and details of
love, the former with the persona’s love for his daughter and the latter with the persona’s love
for his wife.
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ESSAY 35
Explore some of the descriptions you find particularly effective in two of the
following poems. Support your ideas with details from the poem.
Marrysong
Dover Beach
Dover beach by Mathew Arnold is written in context to the recession of the Christian faith in
the 1850s’, due to advances in science. In the poem describes of Dover beach and the recession
of religion is made with effective use of rhythm, allusion and diction. While in Marrysong by
Denis Scott the relationship between humans and the nature is told with personification and
other literary devices.
The title of the poem, Dover beach, establishes the poem to be related to Dover, located on the
British side of the English Channel. The poem starts with the first stanza recounting the
scenery of Dover beach. Rhythm of the first stanza begins slowly through syntax and extended
sounds, “The sea is calm to-night.”, the extended o sound in “to-night” allow the first line to
form a trochee. Alternating stressed and unstressed syllables of the line bring an image of
waves’ forward and back motion. As a continuation of the imagery of the waves, from the
second line to line thirteen each line is split through pauses or extended syllables into two
sections, “the tide is full, the moon lies fair. In using slow and repetitive rhythm in the first
stanza conveys the sense of calmness in Dover beach.
The moon, which is associated with femininity” lies fair”, providing a sense of vulnerability and
the idea of delicacy. The feeling of delicacy is supported by, “The tide is full”, which brings to
mind a full glass susceptible to spilling. This idea of fragility stresses the importance and
perfection of the night. Using the first line “The sea is calm to-night” Arnold quickly establishes
the dark background of the poem setting through the connotations of the night. This allows the
following descriptions to be highlighted through contrast, “moon-blanched land”, the visual
polarity makes the scene more vivid and the imagery of the poem more memorable.
During Arnold’s lifetime much of the Christian belief was deemed false through advances in
science. In stanza three Arnold refers to the idea of receding religious faith which is hinted
throughout the poem. Stanza three starts with “The Sea of Faith” addressing the mass of
Christian believers, linking the idea of abundance in “Sea” Christian belief. This connects to the
first stanza, “The sea …The tide is full...” ,full tide also leads to the idea of plentifulness. The
next line reveals that the “sea of faith “is no more but “was once, too, at the full and round
earth’s shore”.” [T]oo” suggests comparison which in this case is directed toward the physical
sea itself mentioned in stanza one and also gives a tone of sympathy to the receding religion.
Mathew Arnold expresses his concerns and views on the general lessening of religion , aided
by allusion .Light is often associated with god ,substituting this understanding to stanza one
“the light /Gleams and is gone” refers the decline in religion. The alliteration of “Gleams and is
gone” projects a sense of organisation, and reject the idea that the fading religious belief is not
a coincidences. Doing so, he blames the decline in religion to scientific advancement. Although
Mathew Arnold mourns the retreating religion he does not offer absolute compliments to “The
Sea of Faith”. In line three of stanza three it likens Christianity to “a bright girdle”, bearing
both positive and negative connotations. A girdle can act as support but also as an item which
constrains. This double meaning gives us a feel of uncertainty caused by advancing science.
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Marrysong revolves around two entities which are referred to as “he” and “she” and the poem
is structured much like a exchange of interactions. Through the poem, we acknowledge that the
male persona is a personification of the human race and “she” representing nature. The lack of
names emphasis the connection between human race and nature to the presumed
characteristics of the two sexes; as hinted by the title. Also the use of third person detaches the
narrator from the contents of the poem and makes the points made in the poem more generic
and unbiased.
In the poem “he” is portrayed to be helpless to the sway of nature but receives no sympathy.
Helplessness in Marrysong is expressed through diction. “[L]ost” in “An hour he could be lost
in the walled anger of her quarried hurt…” connects to the concept of helplessness with its
directionless implications. The poem reinforces the idea through “walled” giving a sense of
confinement. Then attention and pity for the “lost” human race is drawn away by “her quarried
hurt” . With “quarried” an image of damaged scenery arises and justifies the personification of
nature to be “hurt”, the amplified by the connotations of woman being weak. The lack of
sympathy for “him” draws attention to the fact that the poet wrote the poem believing that
humanity should not deserve sympathy, but instead nature should receive condolence.
The personification of nature in the Marrysong is presented as unpredictable and child like ,
and the presumptions made towards woman help illustrate the characteristics of nature. A
major component which makes Marrysong striking is the continuous outlet of contrasting
images and words. Throughout the poem contrasting diction, ” shortened or grew…” ,by
placing contrasting words adjacent to each other helping to shape the sense of uncertainty.
Comparison is also made between connotations of a woman to nature described in the poem.
”[L]aughing where the day before there were stones in her voice.”, “laughing” in line 5 implies
the mockery of “him” and shows the strength and dominance of nature. This, contradicts with
the weak and sensitive quality associated with woman, gives us a image of the unpredictable
trait of nature.through the structuring of the interactions a child like character is forced onto
nature.when humans attempted to learn “her” she playfully rejects him, “He charted. She made
wilderness again“ this give nature a sense of playfulness. Dennis Scott gives nature humanly
qualities, making it easier to associate with nature and exhibit natures qualities.
Dover Beach is written under times which the people’s basic beliefs are challenged and
rejected. With this in mind Dover beach is a poem which channels Mathew Arnold’s concern
and uncertainty for the future; through the description of the withdrawing religion, and the
thorough description of Dover beach. Marrysong depict the attributes of humanity and nature
when interacting through personified character.Dennis Scott, attempts to broaden the reader’s
perspective by acknowledge nature which often remains in the background .
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