Poem at 39 Flashcards
(11 cards)
What is the structure of poem at 39
-free verse: creates a conversational tone mirroring Walker’s train of thought when thinking of her relationship with her father
-lots of enjambement: creates fluidity as thoughts and memories of her father cascade naturally
What is the tone of poem at 39
Admiration and celebration
What are the themes of poem at 39
Love, relationships, loss, reflection, memory, remembrance
‘How i miss my father.’
-the poem begins with the declarative statement presenting how she yearns for his presence and establishing a poignant tone of remembrance.
-the simplicity of the statement allows Walker’s feelings to be more powerful
‘Writing deposit slips and checks i think of him .’
-the present participle verb ‘writing’ shows the intuitive leap into the next stanza
-presents her loss but also tinged with gratitude and a sense that his lessons and kindness are a part of her present
-the end stop conveys how she values her education especially the simple things she has learnt from her dad
‘He taught me that telling the truth did not always mean a beating.’
-Walkers continued learning is shown through the repetition of the phrase and the significant role of the parent in teaching principals as well as practicalities
-present how fairness was important to her father so she also prizes it
-her father empowered her to speak up
-society expects a punishment for certain actions and behaviour but her father avoided this
‘Though many of my truths must have grieved him’
-presents how some of her choices conflicted with his but ‘must of’ implies that her father never raised any objections. Shows how now she observes the past through an adult lense and considers her fathers response, aware that their values may have been different
-‘grieved him’ has a dual meaning as it conveys her grief in relation to death and also the pain she may of caused her father
‘Now i look and cook just like him.’
-temporal marker brings us to the present and conveys how parents impact the way we are as adults
-internal rhyme reflects the sense of unity and connection despite the fact that he is gone.
-he may be physically dead but he still lives on in her memory and actions
‘Cooking, writing, chopping wood, staring into the fire.’
-list of things she has learnt from her fathers creating a meditative mood and reflects the type of person she has become under his influence
-asyndeton of each hobby depicts the different aspects of her life
-shows her self sufficiency and indépendance
-‘chopping’ becomes part of the metaphor of sustaining the memories of her father
-warmth of the fire links to the warmth and love of her memories
-she subverts gender norms by adopting stereotypically masculine actions-something her father has taught her to do
What other poems does poem at 39 link to
-half fast two-formative childhood memories
-piano-childhood memories, parental love, adult perspective
-hide and seek-contrasting images/scenarios
What is the form of poem at 39
Free verse
