Context and Form for All Flashcards
Context for Absence
1958.
Jennings was a traditional English poet, used plain structure and language even for overwhelming emotions, part of The Movement in which they wanted to simplify poetry
Form of Absence
Lyric poem, a poem expressing emotion
ABABA rhyme scheme absence of final line reflects her absence of her husband, regular structure reflects monotony of life
Iambic pentameter, half rhyme breaks rules
Enjambment used to disrupt the structure, shows break in emotions, breaks rules
Context of Postcard from a Travel Snob
1996
NOT autobiographical, made a narrator for it
Change in travel in 1990s, people going abroad had money while people with package holidays did not, divide. package holidays became more common
Emergence of gap year travel (authentic, original experience)
Class difference, as seen through tone of narrator who looks down on those who can’t afford their holidays
Form of Postcard from a Travel Snob
ABAB rhyme structure, 4 quatrains
Enjambment and caesura used throughout break the form as the narrator goes on a rant and their emotion causes their thoughts to spill over from line to line
Context of First Flight
2 distinct narrative voices, contrasting experiences
Worked on social and historical commentaries, poem about rise of commercial flights and new experiences for flyer
Form of First Flight
Free verse
Dual narrative shows contrasting thoughts and experience
for an experience and inexperience flyer, irony as the inexperienced flyer has mundane view
Enjambment between stanzas and lots of interruptions show how they interrupt and disagree with one another
Context for Home Thoughts From Abroad
Robert Browning away in Italy, reminiscing about England and its nature
1845.
Spent a lot of his life in Italy, on holiday, knowing that he’d soon move there
Romantic poet, celebrates nature and pines for it, homesick
Form for Home Thoughts From Abroad
Lyric poem, showing emotion
2 stanzas, only one line about Italy belittling it
Metrical irregularity and irregular rhyme scheme reflects emotional change and excitement, which cannot be contained by strict structure
Context for Adlestrop
Moment in time where Edward Thomas stopped at a peaceful abandoned train station, where he has a moment of peace in nature
Autobiographical experience
1914
Just before outbreak of World War I, shows brief moment of peace in nature, making people appreciate them as peace and nature were ruined by war
Influence by Romantic Poets
Form of Adlestrop
4 quatrains
ABCB rhyme scheme
Iambic tetrameter mostly
Use of enjambment and caesura throughout creates conversational tone, reflects sudden stop at station, stop to life because of war through irregularity in form
Context for To Autumn
Celebrates season of Autumn, each stanza showing different parts of Autumn
Romantic poet celebrates nature, against IR
Autobiographical, took walk in 1819, seeing beautiful nature
1819
Had TB and knew he was dying, Autumn reflects his life, tragedy changed way he viewed nature
Form of To Autumn
Ode to praise and glorify Autumn
3 stanzas, 11 lines long, odes normally 10 lines long, 11 shows abundance of nature and produce and abundance of his love for it
Varied rhyme scheme shows unpredictability of life and brevity of life, family dying of TB
Context of In Romney Marsh
Autobiographical walk about a walk through the marsh
Inspired by Romanticism, praise nature, anti IR
The sublime, awe inspired in people in nature, beautiful and powerful
Committed suicide by drowning
1905
SE of England
Form of In Romney Marsh
Lyric poem, used to show emotion
ABAB rhyme scheme
Iambic tetrameter, 7 quatrains
Set structure and movement reflects set movement in walk and shows repetition of waves coming in and going out
Context for I Started Early Took My Dog
Narrator recounts dog walk on beach, symbolises sexual awakening
1862 ish, American poet
Recluse, did not leave her house, warped vision of outside
Epileptic, explains her reclusive nature
Unmarried but had love interests, sexual awakening
