the captain of the 1964 top of the form team

Question 1

summary

Answer 1

• in this poem, the speaker remembers his youth as the captain of the trivia team in the 1960’s.
• the speaker looks back on the popular music of that time, his specific academic achievements, and how he felt as captain of the team.
• the sense of nostalgia turns into sadness as the speaker feels as if he’s past the time in his life where he’s going to be knowledge for his accomplishments.

Question 2

what is the poetic voice?

Answer 2

• the speaker is a former captain of a school team, looking back on his accomplishments.
• delusional and ego-driven man.

Question 3

how is the poetic voice created?

Answer 3

• dramatic monologue ->structure allows the reader to witness the narraters inner thoughts and feelings directly.
• Duffy’s satirical approach ->uses her writing style to critique his arrogance.

Question 4

themes

Answer 4

• memories
• childhood
• regret
• time/ attitudes to the past
• reflection/ change
• disappointment
• obsession