Piano Flashcards
Meaning
-explores the experience the speaker has when they are thrown into a vivid memory of his mother singing and playing the piano,
-shows the affects memories can have
-shows how we cannot stop our mind from remembering
Structure
-enjambment throughout
-rhyming couplets + regular structure (quatrains) and regular meter
-prose-like form
-enjambment (manhood is cast/ Down)
-juxtaposition of past and present
Enjambment throughout
Mimics the seamless transporting that happens during remembrance
rhyming couplets + regular meter
Gives the poems a feeling of musicality when it is read, and show the serenity of childhood as the poem is song-like when read
Regular structure
Contrasts with his manic mental state
Prose-like
Simplicity of childhood
Enjambment (manhood is cast/ Down)
Structurally reflects the sense of inferiority felt at this moment, and emphasises the down
Juxtaposition of past and present
-Emphasises that he is remembering a memory
-encourages the reader to contrast the two stages in his life
Imagery
-Lots of sound effects
-Sibilance +/-
-assonance/ onomatopoeia
-‘weep like a child’
-‘boom of the tingling strings’
Sibilance +
-First line Sibilance is soft and gently, inviting the reader and the man back to his memory
-suggests the song being played is beautiful
Sibilance -
Stanza two, Sibilance portrays his anger at being sent back, harsh sounds
‘Boom of the tingling strings’
-Onomatopoeia and assonance
-boom = womb they are protecting him
-strong/powerful yet pleasant mirrors the memory= mental turmoil
‘Weep like a child’
Suggests uncontrollable crying, pathetic look
Language
-Personification of music
-‘A child sitting under the piano’
-‘weep like a child for the past’
-‘manhood is cast’
Personification of music
-Portrays music as a powerful force
-for example can cause you to remember
