Working

Question 1

Working- structure

Answer 1

One 16 line meredithian sonnet

Question 2

Among stooped getters, grimy, knacker bare, head down thrusting a 3 cwt corf

Answer 2

Gg- alliteration
Conveys effort and struggle by making line difficult to read, stressed and unstressed, slowing the pace down to show cruel and degrading work.
Completely naked- lack of decency.
Commas, feels continuous, never ending suffering/working

Question 3

Turned your crown bald, your golden hair chafed fluffy first and then scuffed off

Answer 3

Scuffed- continuously strained and pulled out, cruel working conditions.
Shows the value of hair- crown suggests luxury or importance.
Alliteration of f sound. Could convey the sound of friction which scraped her hair off.
Poor working conditions.

Question 4

You strike sparks and plenty but can’t see

Answer 4

Sparks represent potential, but they dont lead to anything. Shows how they are voiceless and limited. Her potential is not seen by others.

Question 5

You’ve been underneath too long to stand the light, your lost in this sonnet or the bourgeoise.

Answer 5

Stuck within mines, exposure to light would cause pain.
Shows how she is so stuck below those in power that she will never be able to stand up to it
Only the bourgeoise read poetry, sense of hopelessness.
Exploitation

Question 6

Underneath

Answer 6

Physically working underground, but also underneath the wealthy in society.

Question 7

Delayed introduction of Patience Kershaw

Answer 7

Makes it more shocking, listed importance - name and job before all else, describing how occupation determined identity.

Question 8

Use of Patience Kershaw

Answer 8

Show poor working conditions, exploitation of workers. Using a personal story to create sympathy from the audience, giving a voice to the voiceless

Question 9

Th’art nobbut summat as wants raking up

Answer 9

Harrison gives Patience a voice, however he is placing words in her mouth, she is not here to tell her own story

Question 10

Lines 10-12 about his own poetry- Working

Answer 10

Critical of his own poetry, shifting words around does nt make his poetry sophisticated. Critical about how him pushing words on a page will not change the outcome of for Patience or the miners.

Question 11

Your skinned skull shines

Answer 11

Cruel and degrading working conditions.
S- alliteration.
Emphasis on previous crown bald

Question 12

I close my eyes. That make it dark like mines

Answer 12

Trying to imagine himself as a miner. Closing his eyes shows a sense of inadequacy, you can never understand the working conditions.
Also symbolic of how the bourgeoise shut their eyes to the problems of society.

Question 13

Wherever hardship held its tongue the job
‘s breaking the silence of the worked out gob

Answer 13

The lack of voice- held tongue because their voice wont get them anywhere. Putting blame on workers, because hardship had a choice in remaining silent, but from poem we have learnt it was not their fault.

Giving a voice to those facing hardship.
Comparison between the miners and Patience’s work and his own poetry- uncomfortable comparison.