Cozy apologia Flashcards
(11 cards)
When was it published ?
2004
What is the context ?
- First African American US Poet
Laureate - Wrote the poem during
Hurricane Floyd which hit the
east coast of the USA in 1999 - Married write Fred Viebahn in 1979
- Won a pulitzer prize
What is the poem about ?
Vaiting for a storm to hit, the speaker hunkers down, snug and safe in her study. Though Hurricane Floy disrupts the business of daily life, it also allows time for daydreams. So, with time on her hands, th speaker finds herself daydreaming about her partner.
Everything the speaker sees, from the rain outside to the ink on the page, reminds her of her partner. She pictures him as a knight in shining armour, protecting her. He’s a vivid contrast, she thinks, to the worthless’ boys she used to date. She’s embarrassed by how content their cosy, ordinary lives have made them. Yet she draws comfort from filling the ‘stolen time’ resulting from the hurricane’s approach with thoughts of Fred.
What is the structure of the poem ??
In the first stanza, Dove uses the clichéd image of a knight in
shining armour.
In the second stanza, Dove reminiscences on her childhood
‘crushes’.
In the last stanza, Dove ends with how happy she is with her
everyday ‘ordinary; life/relationship.
What are the possible themes and links ?
Relationships and love – Sonnet 43, She Walks in Beauty and Valentine
How do you know the
poem is Autobiographical and what does the quote mean ?
“I could pick anything and think of you” is written in first person making this poem autobiographicalThe word “anything” shows that everything in her life has memories with her husband
How does Dive use Cliche ironically in her poem ?
She refers to her husband as a knight in shining armour “the chain mail glinting” which creates a dreamy tone that is affectionate yet humorous.
What quote gives evidence that her husband saved her ?
“Set me free”
What quotes show that Dove also describes the reality of a relationship and not just “the Divines” ?
The love poem is filled with day to day details “faxes” and “compact discs” showing that their relationship can be ordinary and it is not always as dreamy as being saved by knight
What allows her to think about “the worthless boys she used to date ?
“Oddly male: big bad Floyd” reminds her of and gives her time to think about “the worthless boys” of her past. She describes this boys by saying they “were thing as liquorice” this simile implies that she wasted her time with them since their only “talent was to kiss you senselessly” as if there was not feelings.
What does the last line in the poem suggest “I fill this stolen time with you” ?
It suggest she has appreciation for this stolen time because she is grateful that she has time to sit and think about how content she is in her relationship. Contrasting that her husband to the “Worthless boys” since when she talks about her husband she talks about his in a loving yet appreciative and humorous tone, whereas when she speaks about her past lives she speaks in a disinterested and disgusted manner
