Poetry Flashcards
(43 cards)
What is Climbing My Grandfather about?
This poem is autobiographical about a grandson recounting memories witht heir grandfather and learning about him.
What are key themes in Climbing My Grandfather?
- Childhood
- Familial love
- Nostalgia
- Fulfilment
- Nature
- Respect
- Memory
What is the structure and form of Climbing My Grandfather?
- Unbrolen single stanza - continues the theme of mountaineering, could also reflect the daunting journey of climbing a mountain
- Regular line length
- Unrhyming
- Enjambent - reflects the natural pace of a conversation or exploration
- Extended metaphor of mountaineering - semantic field
What are quotes that show the semantic field of mountaineering?
‘without a rope or net’
‘easy scramble’
‘overhanging’
‘summit’
May eflect the solidity and stability of Grandfather - unbrokenness
What oxymoronic language is used?
‘warm ice’ - almost oxymoronic
‘easy scramble’
Demonstrate the complex nature of memory and nature
What quote shows the speaker is an active character in Climbing My Grandfather?
‘I decide to do it free’ - pronoun ‘I’, no equipment - perilous
What is the last line of Climbing My Grandfather?
‘the slow pulse of his good heart’ - monosyllabic, slows down reading pace
What quote in Climbing My Grandfather shows that the speaker is struggling?
‘pushing into the weave, trying to get a grip’ - becoming more difficult to access memories
What is context for Climbing My Grandfather?
SINGH SONG!
What is Winter Swans about?
A couple are walking along together, after two days of rain, and come across some swans. It is suggested that the couple have had an argument or disagreement which has separated them, however by the end of the poem they have reunited. Speaker could be male or female.
What are key themes in Winter Swans?
- Romance
- Desire
- Fulfilment
- Separation
- Nature
What is the structure and form of Winter Swans?
- No full stop at the end of the poem - as if the poem is to be continued - reflects on the relationship
- Inconsistent form - no rhyming scheme or consistent syllable line count - could be interpreted as a commentary on the unpredictable and flexible nature of relationships
- irst six stanzas are triplets and ends in a couplet - suggests the unity of couple and suggests a resolution. However couplet doesn’t rhyme - suggests there may still be some remaining tension
What quotes show consonance and what does it suggest?
- ‘righting in rough’
- ‘shingle and sand’
Suggest that the harmony shown by the swans has a harmonising effect on the couple
What quote shows alliteration and what does it suggest?
Lines 6-7
‘we skirted the the lake silent and apart/until the swans came and stopped us’
What quote shows pathetic fallacy?
Line 1
‘the clouds had given their all’ - personification, ominous and foreboding
What do swans symbolise?
Elegance, monogamy, purity and innocence
What contrasting language is there in Winter Swans?
‘dark water’
‘white feather’
What is context for Winter Swans?
What is Before You Were Mine about?
Poem is addressed to speakers mother. The speaker is looking at a photograph of her mother and blending her own childhood memories of her with the life she imagines her mother had before she was born. The poem shifts tone to one of regret as Duffy reflects on the sacrifices her mother must have made when she was born to accommodate her in her life
What are key themes in Before You Were Mine?
- Desire
- Family
- Respect
- Independence
- Loss
- Memory
What is the structure and form of Before You Were Mine?
- Uniform structure - four stanzas of five equal lines - could represent the strong social conventions in place for women during the 1950s. An alternative interpretation is that the stable structure mirrors a photo album.
How does Duffy create a conversational tone?
- Throught the use of caesura - suggests familiarity and comfort in her bond with her mother, especially considering her mother was still alive when the poem was published.
What is enaleptic frames?
Technique where the poet uses stories written within stories, such as using flashbacks
