Prayer before birth Flashcards
(4 cards)
Themes of prayer before birth
I… vs c…:
-the unborn speaker r… innocence while the o… world is portrayed as c…, v… and d…
F… & d… for p…:
-the poem c… a d… fear of being born into a w… filled with s… and h… people
L… of i… & d…:
-the speaker p… not to be m… or turned into something i…, showing a… over c…, o… and loss of f… will
-references to d…, lies and m… point to the d… forces in modern …
R… on r…:
-there is frequent use of r… references paired with a …-like … to make it seem that the child is asking … for help
Innocence vs corruption:
-the unborn speaker represents innocence while the outside world is portrayed as corrupt, violent and dehumanising
Fear & desperation for protection:
-the poem conveys a deep fear of being born into a world filled with sin and horrible people
Loss of identity & dehumanisation:
-the speaker pleads not to be manipulated or turned into something inhumane, showing anxiety over conformity, oppression and loss of free will
-references to drugs, lies and mechanisation point to the dehumanising forces in modern society
Reliance on religion:
-there is frequent use of religious references paired with a prayer-like structure to make it seem that the child is asking God for help
Tone of prayer before birth
-poem is a s… of u… pleas, creating a tone of r… desperation, as the unborn child b… for s… from h… he has not yet e…
-the imagery is d… contributing to a f… and dark tone displayed throughout the e… poem
-there is a sense of m… for the lost … and a tragic r… of what the w… has become
-poem is a series of urgent please, creating a tone of raw desperation, as the unborn child begs for safety from horrors is has not yet experienced
-the imagery is disturbing contributing to a fearful and dark tone displayed throughout the entire poem
-there is a sense of mourning for the lost innocence and a tragic reflection of what the world has become
Purpose of prayer before birth
-MacNeice uses the .. child to c… the cruelty, v… and moral d… of the modern …
-the poem acts as a w… against becoming c… in a world that s… people of their h…
-MacNeice uses the unborn child to condemn the cruelty, violence and moral decay of the modern world
-the poem acts as a warning against becoming complicit in a world that strips people of their humanity
Structure of prayer before birth
-written as a d… monologue from the p… of an … child, allowing the speaker to d… express its f… in a p… and emotional way
-written in f… verse with no consistent … scheme or …, reflecting the c… and unpredictable n… of the world the … is being born …
-r… of “I am not born yet” e… the speakers i… and vulnerability
-most … start with the use of i… creating a tone of d… and s…
—>these mirror the structure of t… prayers u… the poems r… tone
-as the poem p… the stanzas grow … and more i… reflecting the increasing a… and fear of the …
-the use of the final … couplet creates a s… and abrupt ending to emphasise how the child would prefer … to a c… life
-written as a dramatic monologue from the perspective of an unborn child, allowing the speaker to directly express its fears in a personal and emotional way
-written in free verse with no consistent rhyme scheme or meter, reflecting the chaotic and unpredictable nature of the world the speaker is being born into
-repetition of “I am not born yet” emphasises the speakers innocence and vulnerability
-most paragraphs start with the use of imperatives creating a tone of desperation and supplication
—>these mirror the structure of traditional prayers underlining the poems religious tone
-as the poem progresses the stanzas grow longer and more intense reflecting the increasing anxiety and fear of the child
-the use of the final rhyming couplet creates a short and abrupt ending to emphasise how the child would prefer death to a corrupted life
