A Satirical Elegy On The Death Of A Late Famous General Flashcards
(40 cards)
What do the exclamatory phrases ‘His Grace!’ and ‘impossible!’ express?
They express disbelief, heightening the dramatic irony of the poem.
How does syntactic disruption reflect societal expectations in the poem?
It mirrors the disruption of societal expectations regarding the general’s death, critiquing the aristocratic hierarchy.
What does ‘His Grace’ represent in the poem?
‘His Grace’ represents the language of aristocratic deference, manipulated ironically to show the futility of such titles in the face of death.
What literary device is used in the line ‘Of old age too, and in his bed!’?
Bathos, which juxtaposes the death of a heroic figure with mundane circumstances.
What is the significance of the anticlimax in the line about the general dying ‘in his bed’?
It emphasizes the banal nature of death, contrasting with the glorified image of the general.
What does the rhetorical question ‘And could that mighty warrior fall,’ suggest?
It emphasizes disbelief and highlights the incongruity between the general’s perceived invulnerability and his actual demise.
What does the juxtaposition of ‘mighty warrior’ and ‘fall’ imply?
It invokes the paradox of strength and vulnerability, undermining the concept of military valor.
What antithesis is presented in the line ‘And so inglorious, after all?’
It contrasts the expected glory of the general with the inglorious reality of his death.
How does the word ‘inglorious’ function in the poem?
It serves as verbal irony, mocking the anticlimactic nature of the general’s death.
What does the phrase ‘Well, since he’s gone, no matter how’ convey?
It introduces a dismissive tone, underscoring the irrelevance of circumstances in death.
What metaphor is present in the line ‘The last loud trump must wake him now;’?
The ‘loud trump’ is a metaphor for the Last Judgment, signaling moral reckoning.
What irony is suggested by linking the general’s death with the sound of a ‘trump’?
It subverts heroic imagery by suggesting that the general faces moral judgment rather than exaltation.
What does the imagery of ‘noise’ growing stronger represent?
It signifies the increasing scrutiny and moral reckoning of the general’s legacy.
What literary device is used in ‘And, trust me, as the noise grows stronger?’
Anaphora, which builds intensity and mirrors escalating judgment.
How is death personified in ‘He’d wish to sleep a little longer.’?
Death is personified as a form of ‘sleep’ that the general desires to extend.
What existential theme is suggested by the line about wishing to ‘sleep longer’?
It reflects a desire to escape the consequences of one’s actions, hinting at moral cowardice.
What skepticism is expressed in ‘And could he be indeed so old’?
It challenges the perception of the general’s age, mocking the constructs of public image.
What critique does the reference to ‘newspapers’ provide?
It critiques the media’s role in constructing and inflating public figures’ identities.
What does the phrase ‘Threescore, I think, is pretty high;’ imply?
It uses litotes to downplay the significance of the general’s age.
What moral imperative is suggested in ‘Twas time in conscience he should die!’?
It implies that the general’s death was a moral necessity, reflecting societal retribution.
What euphemism is used in ‘This world he cumber’d long enough;’?
It implies that the general’s presence was a burden, suggesting his life was detrimental.
What metaphor is present in ‘He burnt his candle to the snuff;’?
The candle symbolizes the life force, and ‘snuff’ represents its extinguishing.
What themes does the candle metaphor evoke?
It evokes themes of finality, waste, and the fleeting nature of life.
What were Jonathan Swift’s political views?
Jonathan Swift was a prominent critic of political corruption and the Whig and Tory factions. His sharpest critiques were aimed at the Whigs, reflecting his disillusionment with the political establishment.
