small female skull

Question 1

summary

Answer 1

• what its like to be hungover.
• the poem starts with the speaker’s surprise as she balances the skull.
• she proceeds to compare its appearance to an ocarina and notes its inability to cry or breathe.
• the speaker reflects on the strange lightness of the skull, its potential to levitate, and her unexpected urge to kiss it.
• she rinses it and observes a scar.
• she also speaks to the skull, concluding with the realisation that while others might perceive her as having lost her sanity, she is simply connecting with a part of herself.
• she holds the skull tenderly and recognises it as a friend.

Question 2

what is the poetic voice?

Answer 2

• a women who is reflecting on decisions she has made throughout her life.
• in an asylum, mental health issues reflecting -(white walls)

Question 3

how is the poetic voice created?

Answer 3

• direct address and conversational tone -> establish a personal and intimate tone to emphasise the emptiness and fragility of existence. draws the reader in, to participate in the speaker’s reflections.
• sensory language and imagery ->soundscape, alliteration and, onomatopoeia creates a layered imagery and experience to show the speaker’s emotional state from grief.
• focus shift ->shifts between external observations of the skull and internal reflections on the speaker’s own experience, creating a sense of vulnerability.

Question 4

themes

Answer 4

• identity
• vulnerability
• suffering
• regret