Lament - Gillian Clarke

Question 1

For the green turtle with her pulsing burden,
in search of the breeding ground.
For her eggs laid in their nest of sickness.

Answer 1

‘green’ colour represents life & nature. This juxtoposes theme of poem.
‘pulsing burden’ oxymoron - should not be a burden to be alive.
‘nest of sickness’ is a metaphor that represents suffering for the generations to come
repetition of ‘for’ is anaphora (staring sentences with the same word) is meant to remind the reader to honour/mourn the fallen people/animals

Question 2

For the cormorant in his funeral silk,
the veil of iridescence on the sand,
the shadow on the sea.

Answer 2

‘cormorant’ aquatic bird
‘funeral silk’ unsettling metaphor represents bird getting stuck in oil spill, gaining silk feathers
‘ iridescence’ represents oil spills
‘shadow on the sea’ is sibilance which creates sinister atmosphere

Question 3

For the ocean’s lap with its mortal stain.
For Ahmed at the closed border.
For the soldier with his uniform of fire.

Answer 3

‘mortal stain’ alludes to oil spill on the coast of Kuwait due to war
‘closed borders’ represents entrapment of innocent bystanders
‘uniform of fire’ metaphor for pain, suffering, explosions

Question 4

For the gunsmith and the armourer,
the boy fusilier who joined for the company,
the farmer’s sons, in it for the music.

Answer 4

‘fusilier’ infantryman
‘who joined for the company’ irony of young boy and his naivety

Question 5

For the hook-beaked turtles,
the dugong and the dolphin,
the whale struck dumb by the missile’s thunder.

Answer 5

‘dugong’ sea cow
‘whale struck dumb by the missile’s thunder’ assonance of ‘struck, dumb, thunder’ mimics falling missiles. Auditory imagery

Question 6

For the tern, the gull and the restless wader,
the long migrations and the slow dying,
the veiled sun and the stink of anger.

Answer 6

‘tern’ seabird
‘long migration’ symbolizes long, excruciating journey to peace
‘slow dying’ represents breakdown of ecosystems
‘veiled sun’ disturbing imagery implies that words is in shadow
‘stink of anger’ negative olfactory imagery

Question 7

For the burnt earth and the sun put out,
the scalded ocean and the blazing well.
For vengeance, and the ashes of language.

Answer 7

‘burnt earth and the sun put out’ apocalyptic imagery
‘ashes of language’ means disputing conflict with words didn’t work

Question 8

What is a semantic field?

Answer 8

Group of words that share common theme. Here, it’s hell (e.g. scalded ocean, blazing well, ashes of language, etc.)

Question 9

Key themes + context

Answer 9

Effects of war on environment - destructive, pollution, kills ecosystems
Honouring dead people/animals
Loss & grief
Hell, apocalyptic imagery
About Persian Gulf war, fought between members of Nato and Iraq (after it invaded Kuwait)