The Lammas Hireling Flashcards
(14 cards)
Duhig introduces his poem with a pleasant atmosphere, achieved through his description of the “___” and the farmer’s “___”. The lightness is juxtaposed in the following line with his “___” and the way he “___”. (The Lammas Hireling)
“fair”, “light heart”, “heavy purse”, “struck so cheap”
The hireling is presented to have an affinity for animals with how “___”. The caesura perhaps alludes to a separation of the hireling from humanity due to his unusual capabilities. (The Lammas Hireling)
“cattle doted on him:”
Profit ushered in by the hireling is demonstrated in the simile “___” and perpetuated by the following line, “___”. Duhig’s further use of caesura emphasises the rapid benefits the farmer obtains with the hireling. (The Lammas Hireling)
“fat as cream.”, “Yields doubled.”
A foreboding atmosphere is introduced at the end of the first stanza, emphasised by the use of caesura when the farmer “___”, suggesting an eerie isolation on the farm. (The Lammas Hireling)
“grew fond of company / That knew when to shut up.”
The second stanza begins with plosive alliteration, “___” to emphasise the abrupt disruption the hireling causes to the farmer’s isolated, quiet life and introduce a desperate search. (The Lammas Hireling)
“Disturbed from dreams of my dear late wife, / I hunted down her torn voice to his pale form.”
A queer reading could be debated, as the hireling is found “___” and described as having a “___”, and the farmer’s guilt towards the end of the poem may be due to the conflict between ___ and homosexuality. (The Lammas Hireling)
“Stark-naked”, “lovely head”, Catholic Ireland
The oxymoron “___” suggests that despite the physical light cast on the hireling’s true form, our understanding remains in the dark, creating a sense of ambiguity. (The Lammas Hireling)
“dark lantern”
The hireling is dehumanised in his captivity in the “___” and the description of his hare-form as “___”. (The Lammas Hireling)
“fox trap biting his ankle”, “a cow with leather horns”
Duhig’s use of dialectal terms, such as “___” and “___” further cultivate the atmosphere of mystery through the unfamiliarity of the language he uses to audiences outside of rural Ireland. (The Lammas Hireling)
“muckle”, “elf-shot”
The farmer “___” to kill the hireling under the moonlight and its “___”, suggesting his acts are being scrutinized by an undefined higher power and implying he may be hiding the truth in his retelling of events. (The Lammas Hireling)
“blew the small hour through his heart”, “yellow witness”
The end of the third stanza introduces the farmer’s remorse, as he “___” in a manner that suggests affection or guilt, before dropping him “___”. (The Lammas Hireling)
“carried [the hireling]”, “from a bridge”
Duhig’s mysterious atmosphere continues through his use of enjambment to emphasise that when the hireling dropped, “___”. (The Lammas Hireling)
“There was no / Splash”
The farmer’s initial profit is made useless by his fear and paranoia, leading him to spend his nights “___”, or using his money to make bullets. (The Lammas Hireling)
“casting ball from half-crowns”
Duhig ends his poem focusing on the farmer’s remorse and him seeking help from faith, closing with “___”. His repetitive search for absolution suggests his confession is insincere, reinforcing the poem’s ambiguity and unreliable speaker. (The Lammas Hireling)
“Bless me, Father for I have sinned. It has been an hour since my last confession.”
