Prayer before birth

Question 1

Themes in prayer before birth?

Answer 1

1. Innocence vs Corruption
2. Loss of identity
3. Dehumanisation
4. Moral responsibility

Question 2

Main structure in prayer before birth?

Answer 2

1. Dramatic monologue spoken by an unborn child - powerful/unusual
2. Written in free verse - reflects chaos and unpredictability of world speaker fears

Question 3

Repetition structure?

Answer 3

1. The repeated use of “I am not yet born; O hear me.” creates desperate, prayer like tone
2. Emphasises helplesness and depseration of speaker- plea for protection

Question 4

Cumulative structure?

Answer 4

1. Poem becomes increasingly intense/disturbing as it continues
2. Represents how there is no respite as you progress throught life
3. Theme of totalitarianism become more prominent as the poem continues

Question 5

Final line significance? structure

Answer 5

1. Breaks pattern - shorter and stark
2. Structure collapses into final despair where death seems better than dehumanisation
3. Short declaritive final sentence “otherwise kill me” shocks reader

Question 6

Theme of totalitarianism?

Answer 6

1. “Let not the man who is beast or who thinks he is God come near me” - symbolises dictators/opressive regimes - abuse of power and dehumanisation
2. “Let them not make me a stone and let them not spill me” - fear of being emotionally numbed by the restraints of society - people reduced to tools like “stone”
3. “Let me not be guilty of murder or suicide” - world maniuplates into betraying morals