A kind of love some say Flashcards
Relationships
Explores the everlasting…
psychological and physical scars
Accentuates the importance of…
not permitting physical abuse, as it can severely damage a person in the long term.
Suffering became a part of…
the speaker´s identity
3 Big Ideas
- Poignant contemplation on the profound impact of enduring physical or emotional abuse
- Consequences of complex relationships
- Overwhelming conflicting emotions blur the thin silver lining between love and its antithesis, hate.
“Is it true the ribs can tell / the kick of a beast from a / lover´s fist”
The rhetorical question creates a perturbing comparison between the lover´s actions and the kick of a beast.
“Is it true” highlights the…
unimaginable. The speaker adopts an enigmatic tone as to highlights how the stories of physical abuse appear to be unbelievable.
“Lover´s fist?”
The jarring juxtaposition may convey the speaker´s overwhelming feelings, heightening the tension of the poem as people would not usually associate a lover with a “fist”.
In doing so, Angelou depicts the lover as dangerous. Which further enhances the speaker´s fragility and powerlessness.
“Bones”, “bruised”, “sudden shock”
(in terms of sibilance and plosive alliteration)
The plosive alliteration may portray the violence and aggression the lover has towards the speaker.
The soft sibilance may represent the speaker´s unwillingness to express her suffering and distress, as she is trapped within this psychologically damaging relationship.
The speaker is isolated with nothing but the already physically damaged body parts and the certainty of enduring more pain.
“Bones”, “bruised”, “sudden shock”
(in terms of asyndetic listing)
The asyndetic listing feels like a routine. It may portray the ongoing, cyclical pain the lover inflicts upon the speaker.
Deeper implications in general
Experiencing physical abuse has no comparison to the quantity of emtional pain one may endure
“[the] / Hard impact.”
Imagery of the unexpected actions of the lover
The enjambment places emphasis upon “Hard”, as the…
visual separation between lines may connote the sudden, powerful and violent contact between the lover and the speaker.
The short phrase, “Hard impact”, creates an…
emphatic tone - further portraying the lover´s brutal actions and the speaker´s fear as a result of this.
“Hate often is confused”
The declarative statement universally expresses Angelou´s concerns for society´s attempts at justifying hatred and bad behaviours.
Universal message (as a whole)
Love challenges our conventional notions and once we open up to experiencing love, we are opening a door to possible abuse.
