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A level lit POETRY > Willie > Flashcards

Willie Flashcards

Defiance

1
Q

Illustrates his…

A

everyday life

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2
Q

Angelou was very fond of her uncle

A

She admired his courage and strength

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3
Q

4 Big Ideas

A
  • Racism
  • Physical and emotional pain and suffering
  • Resilience and daily confrontation to hardships and adversities
  • Determination to survive
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4
Q

UNIVERSAL MESSAGE

A

Maintaining a positive outlook will allow you to overcome adversities

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5
Q

“Willie a man without fame”

A

The speaker is observant, and keeps a low profile.

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6
Q

“Willie”

A

Direct reference to Angelou´s uncle

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7
Q

“Without fame”

A

After reading the poem, we find out that the reason for his quiet persona is because he is a black man and has a disability.
He needs to maintain unheard of because otherwise they will find more reasons to torment and mock him.

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8
Q

“Crippled and limping, always walking lame,”

A

Imagery of his physical constraints.

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9
Q

The adverb “always” portrays…

A

his suffering as being continuous. His physical impairments have served as a burden throughout the whole course of his life.

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10
Q

“Lame”

A

Further establishes Willie´s troubles and difficulties in walking.

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11
Q

The gerunds : “limping” and “walking”

A

create a vivid image of Willie´s continual struggle

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12
Q

“Crippled and limping” - Despite these physical barriers, he…

A

” ´I keep on movin´ / movin´just the same.´”

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13
Q

” ´I keep on movin´ / movin´just the same.´”

A

The dialogue, indicated by the parenthesis, voices Willie´s resilience and defiance as he refuses to be brought down by his physical limitations.

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14
Q

The verb, “Keep”, portrays…

A

Willie´s possession over his attitude and outlook

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14
Q

“´I keep on movin´”

A

Dignity and pride

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15
Q

Repetition of “movin´”

A

Emphatic. Increases the pace and rhythm of the poem, which is ironic as the readers are aware that Willie is unable to be quick due to his disability.

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16
Q

“´movin´just the same.´”

A

Acknowledgement of his barriers . But he is calm as he has accepted his circumstances.

17
Q

“Emptiness was the partner in his bed,”

A

Metaphor and personification - Highlights the consequences his solitude has brought upon his emotional pain.

18
Q

“Emptiness” and “solitude” is…

A

something he has grown accustomed too.

(Lexical field of Isolation)

19
Q

“partner”

(+ D.I.)

A

Evokes sympathy and pathos in readers as we are aware that Willie is highly unlikely to be able to marry due to his deformities

D.I.

Willie is forced to accept his isolation and alienation from society

20
Q

“People called him ´Uncle´, ´Boy´, and ´Hey´,”

A

The short pieces of dialogue represent Willie´s dehumanisation and reflects society´s poor perceptions of him.

21
Q

The gradual decay in identity, is seen in : ´Uncle´, ´Boy´, and ´Hey´

A

Which further establishes the cruelty and malice white people had towards African Americans, especially those who were disabled.

22
Q

“People” “waited to hear what he would say”

A

The expect him to give up

23
Q

“´Where the leaders led´”

A

Allusion to Maya and her activism.
Willie follows the orders of “leaders” because he wants to fight for a better future, one which won´t victimise him.

24
Q

“I may cry and I will die,”

A

He accepts the inevitable.

25
Q

The assonance of “i” sound in “cry” and “die” :

A

Adds emotional weight and intensity to Willie´s sorrow and pain.

26
Q

The modal auxiliary verb, “will”, highlights…

A

the certainty of his death. However, he defies social expectations as he chooses to take agency of the life he does have and not surrender to the short span of it.

27
Q

“But my spirit is the soul of every spring,”

A

The imagery suggests that Willie is at one with nature, further conveying that he is no less human than everyone else.

The metaphor also portrays his unwavering attitude of defiance.

28
Q

The possessive pronoun, “my”, portrays…

A

his pride as he realises how other people would act differently in his situation.

-> He won´t surrender or be defeated.

29
Q

The noun, “spring”, symbolises…

A

rejuvenation and re-birth. Willie has endless possibilities awaiting him.

30
Q

“Spring” also produces a lexical field of the seasons with :

“Summer breeze” and “autumn leaves”

A

Metaphorically, this may symbolise how time has elapsed and the seasons have changed, but racism and discrimination remain present and interminable.

OR

That even though time has passed by, Willie´s confident approach to life remains the same.

31
Q

The abstract noun, “spirit”, may suggest…

A

that Willie is transcendent and untouchable as he is able to overcome life´s hardships and adversities.

32
Q

“I´m present in the songs that children sing”

A

Metaphorically suggests that Willie´s presence is everlasting as he sees his spirit living on in the future through “children[´s] [songs]”.
-> He is leaving his mark upon the world.

Furthermore, it establishes the significant role children play in Willie´s existence.

33
Q

“Children”

A

He finds solace in children as they tend to be more accepting and welcoming in comparison to adults.
(Children are non-judgemental.)

34
Q

“Threaten my early morning´s ease,”

A

The metaphor depicts the fear Willie has when waking up as he is consciously aware of the possible threats that may come his way.

35
Q

“Threaten”
(context only)

A

Constant prejudice and unjust prosecution

36
Q

“laughin´, ´cryin´,”

A

Willie experiences a full range of different emotions in the course of a day.

37
Q

“I am the Rhyme.”

A

Personification, highlights his power.

38
Q

Capitalisation of “Rhyme”….

A

Sense of celebration despite his mistreatment.
Perceived innocence of childhood.

39
Q

5 lined stanzas = Willie´s life

4 lined stanzas = Willie´s thoughts

There are less lines for his thoughts to portray…

A

Willie´s conservative personality and his daily attempts in avoiding conflict.

D.I.

Willie is a role model

40
Q

Musical tone produced by the rhyme, further characterises…

A

Willie´s comfort and solace in children and the games he played.
It also helps the message resonate with readers and be easily remembered.

A level lit POETRY (23 decks)

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