blessing Flashcards
how is poem constructed and why
poem is written in free verse with no fixed rhyme but at the beginning stanzas are short as if words are dried up
enjambment (running lines into the next) in stanzas three and four
mimicking the flowing water and creating a sense of urgency and joy
Onomatopoeia
drip” and “splash” mimic the sounds of water scarcity and the initial sound of the burst pipe, emphasizing the preciousness of even small amounts of water.
simile “The skin cracks like a
vividly portray the harsh reality of a dry, parched land and the impact of water scarcity on the people. The simile also establishes a connection between humanity and nature, highlighting how both are affected by the lack of water
analyse ‘there never is enough water’
-brief , short lines imitates lack of water and flowering during. drought
-word never emphasises constant lack of water which they experience
-‘water’ is only used once and is used in poem when there isn’t any but when water does appear, she uses vivid descriptions to make us think about what water is like
stanza two, ‘imagine’, ‘drip of it’ ‘small splash’
-‘imagine’-imperative - make reader put themselves into a position with no water.
‘drip of it’- prompts sound memory underlined by sibilance of ‘small splash’
‘s’ makes a flowing sound resembling water flowing.
‘in.a tin mug’’the voice of a kindly god’
-we can imagine tinkling sound as water trickles into mug described as a voice. (personification) as though water is speaking to us.
-‘kindly god’ emphasises how holy water is however, could be seen as sarcasm as a small splash of water is all he is going to give
‘sometimes’,’sudden rush of fortune’
-word sometimes emphasises how rare it is
-rush of fortune is a metaphor for water pipe gushing
-water isn’t a given and shouldn’t take it for granted
’silver crashes to the ground’
water coming out the pipe is a metaphor for treasure.
-silver can be used to create coins showing that water is more valuable to these people than money
-this stanza also has lots of enjambment (flowing water)
flow has found a roar of tongues
alliteration of f underlines rapid pase of water escaping
-roar of tongues (metaphor) suggests they’re not shouting words they’re just howling at appreciation of miracle
‘congregation’’pots brass copper etc’
-gathering of community usually in church = water miracle has bought people together and worship god
-list of materials used to collect water emphasises eagerness
‘liquid sun’’naked children’
metaphor captures shining brightness of water
