BORN YESTERDAY

Question 1

born yesterday title

Answer 1

polysemic- she was quite literally born yesterday/ her naivety and lack of experience

Question 2

tightly folded bud

Answer 2

natural imagery compares her being vulnerable and protected initially from society - her potential is unfulfilled

Question 3

None/not…not

Answer 3

rep negators in the speaker’s wishes for her to be normal and find happiness in her normal self rather than being extreme archetypes

Question 4

not the usual stuff

Answer 4

colloquial lang reflects the speaker’s dismissal for superficial social ideals for her- little meaning and happiness from them

Question 5

about being beautiful/ or running off a spring/of innocence and love-/ they all wish you that

Answer 5

enj emph the image of freedom and liberty that is cliched feminised stereotypes- seems almost fairytale like

unrealistic as the use of caesura depicts the separation of society’s wishes for her and the speaker’s more realistic ones

Question 6

and should it prove possible,/ well, you’re a lucky girl.

Answer 6

mocks the societal ideals and believes that they are unobtainable emph by his sarcastic tone/caesura - wishes her to find happiness in life and significance beyond ‘luck’

Question 7

but if it shouldn’t, then/ may you be ordinary:

Answer 7

argument marker reflects the speaker’s desire for her to be ordinary

Question 8

have, like other women, an average of talents: not ugly, not good-looking

Answer 8

paranthesis emph the element or realism in his wishes for her - achievable/generic (also has a condescending tone)

listing emph the normalcy he wishes for her

Question 9

nothing uncustomary/ to pull you off your balance/ that, unworkable itself stops all the rest from working

Answer 9

he wishes that her life doesn’t have anything that would hinder or pose as an obstacle which makes her life more difficult - realises that itself is impossible

OR

destructive nature of social expectations -conformity does not lead to happiness

Question 10

in fact, you may be dull-

Answer 10

speaker redefines the word dull - society views having average traits/intelligence as being dull - speaker believes otherwise and dismisses

Question 11

if that is what a skilled/ vigilant flexible,/ unemphasised enthralled/catching of happiness is called.

Answer 11

listing emph the identity he wants her to construct- meaningful but not extraordinary

final rhyming couplet reflects a resolution the speaker makes - conformity to SE does not create happiness and the finality of his wishes for her