Last supper Flashcards
(22 cards)
last supper
word choice - intertextual reference. reference to “last supper” of Jesus and his disciples. Immediately brings ideas of finality, death and betrayal
renounce
word choice - connotations of abandoning and forsaking
sweet flesh
word choice - enjambment - positive connotation of ‘sweet’ suggests she enjoyed physical side of relationship. The negative connotation of ‘flesh’ suggests she saw him as a piece of meat (lacks emotional connection)
lent. (for ever)
word choice - continues the religious reference of the title but ‘not just’ tells the reader this is permanent not just for the 40 days of lent
brackets and capitals emphasise finality
sentence structure - parenthesis and enjambment show complete rejection
feast
word choice - parody of a romantic meal - she shows care and attention, but they are breaking up
(..more..)
sentence structure - parenthesis - brackets to emphasise, suggests the relationship provided low-level pleasures rather than anything profound or long-lasting (emptiness of relationship)
“tearing foliage, scrambling”
word choice - violent, animalistic word choice, suggests anger but also emphasises seperation
(..oh yes..)
sentence structure - pun-play on ‘made your bed now…’ parenthesis suggests decision is made and the lover will face the consequences
betrayal with a kiss
imagery - religious imagery; intertextual reference, reminiscent of Judas at the last supper; shows how unforgivable the lover’s actions are. links back to the title (how Judas identified christ to the romans) = he is treacherous and can’t be trusted
she is not the victim
the cooked goose
word choice - another pun, says that the lover has been caugh
leftover hash
word choice - flinging together leftover food, cheap/satisfying meal = relationship will provide conversation material. She is looking forward to dissecting and discussing with friends - she wants to share the unpleasant details
What very good soup she could render from the bones
Imagery - metaphor conveying how nourishing/satisfying relaying the details to her friends will be
Word choice - “bones” gory, carcass, leftovers - again, quite sinister and animalistic
The Girls
Sentence structure - capital letters show the strength of the bond and importance of the friendship - also alludes to the power they have together
Imagery - intertextual reference, Imagery reminiscent of three witches in MacBeth, negative and sinister, as if they are plotting the lover’s demise
something substantial, something extra
word choice - Just as boiling a carcass removes meat and flavour from the bones, so too the women will extract all possible conversation about the relationship
cackling around the cauldron
Imagery - blatant allusion to MacBeth’s witches - continues sinister tone also could be general reference to witches (suggesting women are heartless and cruel)
Sentence structure - the repeated ‘c’ sound shows the women clearly discussing the lover in an unkind way - use of alliteration shows the harsh nature of their discussion
spitting out the gristlier bits of his giblets
word choice - enjambment draws attention to the messy and brutal language = violent. Animalistic - they are picking at the lover’s faults. Enjoying themselves - savouring the gory details.
petit-gous
word choice - translates as “little taste” - contrasts with the gluttony displayed earlier in the poem. Here, they are taking little mouthfuls of the lover’s infidelity - savouring it, enjoying it.
they’d splutter
word choice - onomatopoeia shows them laughing in disgust at the lover
munching the lies, fat and sizzling as sausages
Imagery - similie shows the enjoyment gained from sharing the details of a failed relationship, especially through infidelity - imagery of “sausages” could be used to convey the poor quality of the lies the lover has told, or could be seen as phallic imagery, suggesting all men lie.
“gorged”, “own savage integrity”
word choice - this behaviour is the opposite of what we’d expect - shows the hypocrisy of the women as they use this betrayal to make themselves feel superior
preening like corbies
imagery - reference to twa crobies (old Scottish ballad) where crows eat a dead knight who abandoned those closet to him suggest man deserved his fate.
Crows - symbols of death or murder, again reinforces negative representation of the women
hunting
word choice - suggests the women have the power and enter into relationship on their own terms to satisfy their own needs when it suits them, will they ever be satisfied? = bloodlust
portrays women as predatory.
