Cosy Apologia

Question 1

Point 1 - Dove subverts expectations of a regular love poem as she makes fun of cliches

Answer 1

‘as sure as shooting arrows’ - making fun of cupid and the promise of love in fairy tales
‘I could choose any hero’ - linking to general fairy-tale stories
‘astride a dappled mare’ - showing cliches but then saying ‘ standing as far apart as the stirrups would allow’ - this hints to the real world
‘One eye smiling on firm upon the enemy’ - this shows how in clichés the women are protected

Question 2

Point 2 - She describes her relationships through normal items and describes the real world as relatively bleak

Answer 2

‘This lamp, the wind-still rain, the glossy blue’ - all real world items which show her love for Fred
‘post-post-modern age is all business’ - this shows how unromantic the real world is
‘of teenage crushes on worthless boys’- showing that even attempts and cliched romances are worthless
‘sweet with a dark hollow centre’ - showing that these boys were only surface level relationships
‘Big bad Floyd’ - This hurricane reminds her of those worthless boys and showing that real world issues are happening

Question 3

Point 3 - However, at the end of the poem she describes how this everyday love in fact brings joy to her

Answer 3

‘We’re content’ - this shows that although her relationship may not be perfect they are happy
‘When has the ordinary ever been news’ - suggesting that the everyday is perhaps not sure a bad thing
‘To keep me from the melancholy’ - showing that this relationship allows her to prevent sadness
‘Still it’s embarrassing this happiness’ - suggesting she really is happy but it isn’t what happens in everyday life making it out of the ordinary

Question 4

Context

Answer 4

• Rita Dove is married to her husband Fred Vie Bahn and Cosy Apologia is a tribute to him
• It is set against the hurricane Floyd in 1999
• It is written in a conversational style

Question 5

Techniques

Answer 5

Irony