Prayer Before Birth

Question 1

What does the title tell us?

Answer 1

“prayer” shows a sense of fear and desperation and “before birth” indicates this poem’s written from the perspective of an unborn child who prays for future guidance and to be protected from humanity

Question 2

I am not yet born

Answer 2

Anaphora - draws importance to how if prayer can’t be answered, the poet would rather not be born at all

Question 3

Hear me

Answer 3

Imperative verb –> Commanding a God to help them as the foetus is desperate

Question 4

Bloodsucking bat…Club-footed ghoul

Answer 4

Child-like images –> Innocence of the foetus

Question 5

Hear me…Near me

Answer 5

Internal rhymes –> Creates a minuscule musicality of the poem which highlights the child-like trait that the foetus is expressing

Question 6

tall walls wall…drugs dope…lies lure…racks rack…blood-baths

Answer 6

Assonance & Alliteration –> Torture, manipulation and entrapment is juxtaposed with the nursery internal rhyme-like style

Question 7

With water to dandle me

Answer 7

Volta –> Symbolises how long nature really lasts for as a result of violent human activities and the foetus begins to highlight the violent nature of mankind in general

Question 8

Water…grass…trees…sky…birds

Answer 8

Semantic field of nature –> Symbolises innocent and purity as well as the beautiful imagery which is the foetus’ relief from the corruption of humanity

Question 9

my words when they speak me…my thoughts when they think me

Answer 9

Indicates how the foetus has lost control of himself due to humanity

Question 10

The cues I must take

Answer 10

Metaphor –> Loss of free will

Question 11

Old men lecture me…(until the end)

Answer 11

World is against them –> Heightens complete isolation

Question 12

Lethal automaton

Answer 12

Metaphor of a machine –> Dehumanisation

Question 13

Thistledown hither and thither or hither and thither like water held in the hands would spill me

Answer 13

The foetus fears that it will become shapeless and directionless

Question 14

Not make me a stone

Answer 14

Cold and Emotionless –> Wishes to retain their innocence which contrasts with the theme of the poem suggesting this is near impossible

Question 15

Let them not spill me.

Answer 15

Meaningless existence –> Lack of human wholeness

Question 16

Otherwise kill me.

Answer 16

Abruptness –> The foetus would rather die than live in a world in which their innate humanity has to be corrupted, casting doubt on whether it even wants to be born at all

Question 17

What is the atmosphere throughout the poem?

Answer 17

Atmosphere of hopelessness though the poet maintains a degree of determination

Question 18

How is this poem written?

Answer 18

In dramatic monologue and free verse which emphasises the irregularity of the poem itself

Question 19

What is the structure of the poem?

Answer 19

8 irregular stanzas and the length of the stanzas increases which perhaps emphasises the foetus growing closer to the destruction & corruption of the world with the start being rather innocent and, towards the end, expressing the realty of the harshness of the world

Question 20

What is special about the tone in this poem?

Answer 20

The tone contrasts with the expectations of an impeding death which is anxiousness

Question 21

Themes of?

Answer 21

Fear, Horrors of war, Humanity