Poetry Flashcards
(21 cards)
What are the themes of basking shark?
Evolution, man’s ‘supposed’ superiority over the animal kingdom
“Roomsized monster with a matchbox brain”
Metaphor - compares the shark to a monster suggesting it is grotesque and violent, something to be feared. Matchbox brain suggests the sharks lack of intelligence- shows human superior spot on the evolutionary tree. (Theme of human superiority)
“So who’s the monster?”
Rhetorical question - asks the reader to consider their own heritage and consider if they really are superior. (Human superiority + evolution/character of shark)
“To stub an oar on a rock where none should be”
Metaphor - compares the shark to a rock, paints it as without feeling and perhaps intelligence. (Man’s superiority/character of shark)
What are the Assisi themes?
Hypocrisy of the church, suffering, poverty
“The dwarf”
Word choice - no name was given, dehumanising effect which paints the dwarf as a no one just a poor beggar that people ignore (suffering /character)
“Like a half filled sack”
simile - just as the sack is a worn bag, so to is the beggars body. Depicted as a mere container to fill. (Suffering/character)
“I understood the explanation and the cleverness”
Tone - bitter tone suggests the speaker has their own sense of what is going on in this scene. They are angry that the art is being admired but the message of st Francis ignored (hypocrisy of the church)
What are the themes of aunt Julia
Identity, connection with nature and loss.
“Stained with peat”
Word choice -aunt Julia is connected to the land. Stained has connotations of permanent or not coming out. Aunt Julia is thus becoming the landscape around her. (connection with the land)
“Listening to crickets being friendly”
Personification- emphasis how maccaig is comfortable with his aunt and how how even the crickets are nice. Maccaig associates his happy memories of childhood holidays with the crickets being loud at night
“She was winds pouring wetly/round house ends”
Metaphor - emphasise aunt Julia’s connection with nature because it highlights the closeness she has with the landscape - they’re the same.
what are the themes of visiting hour?
loss and isolation
“green and yellow corridor”
these colours have connotations of sick and pus - this word choice emphasises his discomfort and the unpleasantness of the visit.
“trundled”
word choice, suggest the lack of care taken by the porter - as the poet thinks there is no longer a point in taking care of the patient if they are dead. reflects his feeling of hopelessness.
“vanishes heavenward”
the patient is simply going up in the lift, however this quote reflects the fragile state of mind that McCaig has as he views the patient going in their last journey. W.C how he is worried sick about his wife and is scared to lose her.
what are the themes of Brooklyn cop?
the thin line between civilisation and savagery,
“with two hieroglyphs on his face that mean trouble”
metaphor - suggests he seeks out violence and is a threatening character. the hieroglyph are ancient carving, suggests the cop has a face like stone/ is hard.
“the thin tissue over violence”
metaphor - suggests the divide between civilisation and violence is only ever paper thin, people can snap at any moment
“plunge”
word choice - suggest the sudden impact of violence as well as the cops impulsive nature to attract/aggravate a situation.
