Half-Past Two

Question 1

Language:
Quotes->
- “Something Very Wrong”
-“Stay.. till half-past two”
-“time hides tick-less..”

Answer 1

Analysis:
-Simple diction: “something very wrong”
Mirrors limited understanding of the child and emphasizes gap between adult + child knowledge.
-Irony: “Stay.. till half-past two”
Child doesn’t know concept of time so this is line is almost humorous.
-Personification: “time hides tick-less..”
Time becomes a mythical force making it-> abstract concept for child.

Question 2

Form:

Answer 2

Analysis:
-Enjambment + free verse:
Poem doesn’t follow consistent mètre mirroring child’s confusion.
-Random capitalization:
Mimics how child processes information and perceives things differently to adults.

Question 3

Structure:
*theres 3 points

Answer 3

Analysis:
-Chronological narrative:
Helps to follow child’s journey in real time/ in the same way the child experienced it.
-Volta (turning point):
Towards end where it says “he escaped into the clockless land” -> boy experiences freedom making it a magical point of the poem.
-Ending:
The boy never ended up counting or understanding time which contrasts to when the teacher enters representing social expectations.