Cozy Apologia Flashcards
Who is the author of Cozy Apologia?
Rita Dove
Summarise the poem
The persona describes how, as a hurricane approaches, she takes refuge in her study and thinks about her partner
She is reminded of him in the everyday objects around her, but also views him more traditionally as her knight in shining armour
She reflects on how modern life is rushed and emotionless, but she has an opportunity to reflect
She thinks about her past and her ‘worthless’ relationships and compares them to the ordinary contentment she feels with her partner. She feels a little guilty about it
What are the themes in the poem?
Love
Relationships
Ordinary
Traditional love
Reminiscence
Acceptance
Describe the form of Cozy Apologia and explain its effect on the poem
- Written in free verse creating a conversational tone
- Number of syllables in each line varies reflecting the persona’s explanatory train of thought
Describe the rhyme scheme
- First stanza uses regular rhyming couplets which conforms to the traditional presentation of their love and intimacy
- Second stanza sees a disrupted rhyme scheme as she thinks of past relationships she regrets
→ could also be disrupted by the hurricane - Regular rhyme scheme returns as domestic harmony is restored
Describe the effect of the rhyme scheme
Creates the impression of a relaxed and informal voice, perhaps a thoughtful one, wondering from idea to idea
Describe the structure and its effect on the poem
Regular stanza and line lengths reflect the stable, ordinary nature of their love
Caesura in stanza 2 interrupts the rhythm of the poem, reflecting the tumult of her previous relationships and the danger posed by oppressors
Poem begins with a personal, first person description of the speaker’s feelings towards her partner and is dedicated to him with ‘-for fred’
Stanza 1 contrasted by the following, in which she reflects on previous, disappointing relationships
Final stanza returns to the present where she explores their ordinary, domestic lives that will never make the headlines but are precious ‘stolen’ moments of intimacy
Describe the language in Cozy Apologia and its effect on the poem
- Idealised imagery: used to present her traditional feelings for her husband through the metaphor of the knight. There is a sense of humorous exaggeration about her words
- Everyday images + ordinary language used to show that despite their love being ‘short of the divine’, it is still a precious and comforting thing to her in the presence of danger
- Negative imagery: used specifically in the second stanza to highlight the worthlessness of her earlier relationships in contrast to the meaningfulness of her present one
- Colloquial phrases makes the love seem personal and contribute to the poet’s humour
What is some context behind Rita Dove?
- Youngest ever + first African American to hold the American Poet Laureate
- In an interracial marriage with Fred Viebahn (german writer)
- Experienced discrimination due to her race and choice of partner
- Began writing in 1980 and still continues today
What is an apologia and why is it relevant to this poem?
‘An apologia’ is a defence or explanation of something
→ poem seems to be an apology for the domestic comfort and ordinary contentment she feels, as others face danger in the path of the hurricane, but she relishes this moment with her husband
What is some context surrounding the poem?
Set against the arrival of Hurricane Floyd, a real storm that hit the American Atlantic Coast in 1999, killing many and causing $6 billion worth of damage
Complete the quote
‘I could pick anything and think of you…
…This lamp, the wind-still rain, the glossy blue my pen exudes’
Analyse the quote
This lamp, the wind-still rain, the glossy blue my pen exudes
→ asyndetic listing
→ everyday, mundane items remind her of Fred
→ normality of her love, he is clearly a prominent figure in their lives
→ reference that their relationship is boring, but close descriptive listing give the poem its intimacy and strength
→ ‘wind-still rain’: hint of weather
→ could also imply that she is so in love with Fred that she cannot help but think of him all the time
→ ‘glossy’ special, how society presents love, contrasting with ‘matte’ (in the second line) which is how love looks to the speaker
Complete the quote
‘Chain mail glinting…
…to set me free’
Analyse the quote
‘Chain mail glinting to set me free’
→ reinforces damsel in distress imagery
→ humorous, cliched things
→ he is willing to keep her safe
