He Never Expected Much Flashcards
(13 cards)
What is the form of He Never Expected Much?
The poem is composed of three stanzas, each with eight lines (octaves).
How does the poem’s metre vary?
Lines 1, 3, and 5–7 are in iambic tetrameter; line 2 is in iambic dimeter; lines 4 and 8 are in iambic trimeter.
What is the effect of the varied metre in He Never Expected Much?
It mirrors the emotional and practical ups and downs of life, reflecting its uneven nature.
How many lines are in He Never Expected Much, and how are they organised?
The poem has 24 lines, divided into three octaves with a regular rhyme scheme.
What is the rhyme scheme of each stanza in the poem?
AAABCCCB.
What does the rhyme scheme in He Never Expected Much suggest?
The musical and repetitive structure reflects the speaker’s resigned acceptance of life’s ‘neutral-tinted haps.’
What technique is used in line 2 with the phrase ‘Kept faith with me’?
Epizeuxis—immediate repetition of a phrase.
What is the effect of epizeuxis in the poem?
It emphasises the monotony of life and reflects a tone of endurance rather than excitement.
Who is speaking in He Never Expected Much?
An elderly man, reflecting on his life in a monologue addressed to the ‘World.’
How does the speaker address the world in stanza one?
Through apostrophe—he speaks directly to the ‘World’ without expecting a response.
What is the effect of the apostrophe in He Never Expected Much?
It sets a reflective tone and shows acceptance of life’s outcomes.
What kind of language is used to convey acceptance in the poem?
Qualifiers such as ‘upon the whole,’ ‘much as,’ and ‘I own.’
What do the qualifiers used by the speaker suggest?
They imply vagueness and resignation, indicating that life has not been ideal but has been accepted nonetheless.
