Poetry Flashcards

Question

Neutral Tones - structure

Answer 1

End-stopping: shown by semi-colon at the end of the second line of every stanza and a full stop at the end of stanzas 1,2,4 develops the idea of continuation and regularity but also introduces a tense and blunt undertone End-stopping visible following lines 3,6,10 are reminiscent of the abrupt seizure of an intense relationship, shedding light on the bitter attitude that said lines intend to portray Speaker almost feels like their life is stagnant and dull since this tragic ending to their relationship

Answer 2

Lack of rhyme: suggestive of uncertainty within the relationship, lack of rhyme throughout entire poem symbolises a somewhat incoherence, perhaps reflected in the contrast between its speaker and their partner Tercets, but final stanza is a couplet: triplets perhaps symbolic of the obstacles preventing complete fulfilment and unity of both parties within the relationship, whilst the couplet represents a final, harmonic acceptance of these differences and a willingness to address or overlook them

Answer 3

Enjambment: induces a fluidity that mirrors the routine of the swans and the eventual comfort and ease the couple find within their relationship as they choose to overcome their difficulties

Answer 4

Free verse: element of spontaneity, as through improvised, makes poem seem more informal, enhanced by the dialect style language, and it also makes the speaker sound scattered in their thoughts, as though the influence of love has made him whimsically skittish Irregular stanzas of unequal length: adds to chaotic nature, makes speaker seem unfocused on being grammatically correct and more on expressing his feelings, makes the poem seem like a passionate expression of love for his wife and his culture

Answer 5

Enjambment: characterises love to be everlasting, but also adds to the poems spontaneity. The poem lacks most forms of punctuation, only using question marks and dashes when necessary which gives the impression that the speaker is unfiltered and cares more about speaking their thoughts than being grammatically correct. It also reinforces the stereotype that comes with dialect, being that the speakers English skills are not always accurate

Answer 6

Iambic tetrameter: regular form continues throughout entirety, placing emphasis of the existence of the natural world as one interconnected body. The ways in which elements of nature mingle with each other reflect the way that humans co-exist and depend on each other to live a fulfilling life ABAB rhyme scheme: develops notion that human behaviour and nature's behaviour are one and the same "Nothing in the world is single:/ All things by a law divine/ In one spirit meet and mingle/ Why not I with thine?" idea is reiterated by the inclusion of vocabulary reminiscent of 'dating' in humans, such as 'mingle' and 'single'

Answer 7

End stops: occur only at the end on every 2 lines, excluding that which states that "Nothing in the world is single". This somewhat groups each pair of lines together, demonstrating via structure that nothing should exist alone The final line of each stanza is written using the interrogative tone, revealing the intent of the speaker who is trying to justify their desires using the laws of nature in order to persuade another to engage in a relationship with them

Answer 8

Dramatic monologue: unfiltered access tot the speaker's thoughts due to first person narration, we get a very biased view of the farmer's situation with his wife, only hearing his thoughts on the matter and never hers. This is especially effective if we consider that even the poem objectifies the wife, as the speaker does, viewing her through a male gaze and never hearing her thoughts, thus de-humanising her Rhyme: no definitive rhyme scheme, but there are occasional rhyming couplets which drives the metre in certain lines. The lack of rhyme scheme gives the impression that the speaker is un-educated, which makes sense given he is a farmer, could also suggests he is losing power over his wife. He once entirely controlled her, able to isolate her himself, yet as the wife now chooses to "sleep up in the attic" she is perhaps regaining control. Thus, the lack of definitive rhyme emulates his lack of definitive power

Answer 9

Enjambment: furthers the melancholic and depressing atmosphere. It makes it seem like that grim atmosphere is everlasting, and there is no escape, mirroring how the wife feels. The ceaselessness of the lines is poignant in regard to the wife's seclusion and fear. Thus, Mew uses this to show the relentless objectification of the wife has led her to become a shell of her former self - she no longer possess an identity due to the ceaselessness of her oppression Anaphora: Repetition in the final lines "her hair, her hair!" gives the sense that the speaker has begun his mental decline. He has less control over his language, which mirrors his mentally compromised state. It puts emphasis on the line, marking it as the final thing we take away from the poem, that being the speaker's descent into insanity

Answer 10

Begins in iambic terameter: creates an anticipation for a regular rhythm which is then left unfulfilled, adds to the setting up of the poem to be a sonnet which it doesn't turn out to be as the speaker descends into murderous madness, the lack of regular rhythm mirrors the chaotic murderous mindset of the speaker, his unhinged delusions even being reflected in the rhythm Rhyme: the rhyme scheme is unevenly weighted which makes the reader sound delirious and disjointed, there is a unsettling regularity within the rhyme, perhaps to emulate the unsettling calculated nature of the speaker - his murder of Porphyria perhaps being a calculated intended act to which the speaker can forever have ownership over her Dramatic monologue: unfiltered access to speakers thoughts, thus catalogues his descent into madness, giving the reader a chilling insight into a murderous mind

Answer 11

Rhyming couples: gives poem a sort of fable/proverb like feel Final rhyming couple exacerbates calculation and manipulation from the speaker, almost tantalising the reader with his permanent objectification and ownership of Porphyria - an act we can assume as a reader an educated male would've got away with at the time Rhyming couplets encourage the reader to search for the moral within the poem and gets them to focus on the words that are rhymed, which are often monosyllabic and nouns or verbs Enjambment: lines of the poem add up to long complex sentences meaning there is a large amount of enjambment used. This creates the idea that the speaker loves to hear himself talk and often rambles, quite narcissistically Could also convey is unwavering love and infatuation with Porphyria that spill onto each line - his love for her cannot be contained

Answer 12

Sonnet: traditional expression of love, Browning intends for the reader to assume it is a profession of love and quite personal, shows speaker's speaker's ultimate love of their partner to be present, despite small uncertainties and arguable unhealthy attitudes displayed in its contents Contains a volta Iambic pentameter: emulates her complete unwavering devotion Ambiguous rhyme scheme: although the syllables at the end of each line all rhyme with others throughout the sonnet, there is no clear pattern dictating the pattern in which they rhyme Develops the idea that the speaker, whilst feeling in sync with their lover and celebrating their strong feelings for them, experiences conflicting thoughts towards the relationship's power dynamic and the compatibility between the 2

Answer 13

Caesura: done at line 7 "Who art dearer, better!", exclamatory tone along with sudden presence of punctuation suggests that the speaker is overwhelmed by their thoughts and emotions towards their lover. Reflecting the imagery of the vines, it displays the way in which the thoughts of the speaker and perhaps the speaker themselves consume the partner End-stopping: End of line 4 "wood.", sudden interruption of the sonnet's flow after enjambment is abrupt and suggests that the supposed harmonious nature of the relationship may be diluted with uncertainties and conflict Enjambment: line 3 "nought to see / except the straggling green", imitates natural speech as opposed to sticking to a rigid rhythm, adding a personal element, also suggests elements of the relationship which are harmonious

Answer 14

4 stanzas of 5 lines: regular, reflects speaker's age, also foreshadows the poems tone of contentment, gives notion that everything will settle, regularity could make this experience seem universal and almost a regular experience for many parents. The hardships of seeing a child grow up being a painful experience for most parents, as if they are mourning the loss of their younger innocent child ABACA Rhyme: regular in it repeats, but irregular in its actual form, represents the conflict the father feels in letting his son go but also his worry that his son is too young and vulnerable to be released into the world The familiar yet unfamiliar repeated irregular rhyme scheme could mimic how parents have this comfort in know their child and keeping them close, but this pain and fear that theyre growing up into somebody they now don't recognise Every rhyming coupe is a monosyllabic perfect rhyme, which drives the metre and gives the sense of stability and normality - Day-Lewis is reassuring the reader that although these feelings are daunting, this is something that will become an easily acceptable part of life

Answer 15

Tone: gradually changes as poem progresses Tone at beginning is uncertain and guilty while at the end it becomes content and secure, shows the gradual realisation of the speaker that what he is doing is the right thing varying sentence structure: maturity is reflected through his language and syntax, they are confident in expressing themselves and secure in their emotions Dashes: frequent use makes speaker always sound willing to give more detail, makes him sound sentimental and reminiscent. He is living in the days that he can never get back. He is re-living the time he believes he wasted

Answer 16

Metre: iambic tetrameter with occasional lines that deviate Uneven metre creates eerie sense of foreboding and what initially seems like a fondly retrospective poem has an unexpectedly melancholic ending Rhyme: occasional rhyming couplets, and a few of which are half-rhyme, making rhyme scheme sound disjointed and unorganised, perhaps mirrors speaker's clumsy movements and also his desire to be like his father, but the half rhymes reflect how he never quite achieves that dream Quatrains: gives poem organised feel, reminding us and adult is speaking retrospectively Organised stanzas could reflect his organisation and poised nature as an adult, contrasting his father's more feeble and disorganised state. It shows the disparity between the older and younger generations and how, as people get older, they regress into a more infantile helpless state

Answer 17

Caesura/enjambement: the continuation of sentences over stanzas creates a break in the sentence and acts as a caesura but also contributes to the poems enjambment Makes it so that the poems structure mirrors the way the speaker physically and metaphorically followed his father End-stopping: makes him sound more decisive on stanzas that are end-stopped and are the ones where he is making decisions Reminds us that thought he is speaking about when he was a child, he is speaking about it retrospectively as an adult

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