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Unit 2: Poetry
Across Time

Learning Objectives
• To understand what is expected of you for this unit.
• To start to look at The Manhunt.

Unit 2: Poetry Across Time
• Exam (35%) 1hr 15 mins
• Section A: Poetry cluster from anthology
(relationships)
– 23%
– 45 mins

• Section B: Unseen poem
– 12%
– 30 mins

Section A
• One question from a choice of two on the relationships cluster.
• You will need to compare a named poem with another poem from the cluster, of your choice.
• E.g.

– Compare how feelings towards another person are presented in Hour and one other poem from
‘Relationships’.
– Compare how language is used to present feelings
Quickdraw and one other poem from
‘Relationships’.

Section A: The Assessment
• A01

– Analytical and imaginative comments on the poems – Relevant quotes chosen and commented upon • AO2

– Language, structure and form

• AO3

– Comparisons

A way to structure your response... • Subject matter (what is the poem about? Does the title provide a clue?)
• Themes
• Rhyme/Rhythm/Structure (and how does this link to the subject matter/themes)
• Imagery (metaphors, similes, personification, symbolism) • Vocabulary and Punctuation
• Effect on the reader
• Compare the two poems for each of these...

A way to structure your response... • Compare the subject of the two poems.
• Compare the themes of the two poems.
• Compare the rhyme/rhythm/structure of the two poems.
• Compare the imagery of the two poems.
• Compare the vocabulary/punctuation of the two poems.
• Compare the effect on the reader of the two poems.

The Manhunt

S=
• Physical, mental and emotional effects of war on a soldier and their loved ones.
• A wife trying to ‘find’ her husband again, after he returns home from
Afghanistan.
T=
• Love (patience, pain and caring).
• War
• Loss

Rhyme/Rhythm/Structure
• The repetition of ‘only’ ‘and’ = reflects a delicate, slow process  how she cares for him and is patient.
• The rhyme scheme breaks down as the poem progresses = as she delves deeper, she realises the extent of his pain, and this in turn affects her.
• Separate stanzas = reflects a step by step cautious process. How she is allowing him time to regain the relationship. She is understanding. Imagery
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

The way in which she describes his injuries. How could they be said the reflect the relationship. E.g. Distant, how she cares for him, how difficult it will be for them to get it back etc...
E.g.
‘Frozen river’ = scar? Tears? Emotional or physical pain? Or both? The obstacle to the relationship.
‘Blown hinge’ = doors need hinges. Won’t open up to her?
‘Porcelain’ = delicate, breakable, beautiful. What does this tell us about the way she sees him?
‘Fractured rudder’ = fractured means not fully broken, so hope for the future? Rudders give boats direction- does he now have no direction?
Does their relationship now lack direction?
‘Foetus of metal’ = the cause of the problem. Growing inside him. Does this mean it will get worse before it will get better? Also suggests a vulnerability (baby)
‘Unexploded mine’ = still active, could go off any second uncertainty.
Will their relationship survive if it does?

Vocab/Punctuation
• The vocab used could be said to reflect the delicate, patient way in which she tries to rebuild the relationship.
• E.g.
• ‘Only then would he let me’= he allows her to.
• ‘Trace’ ‘finger’ ‘hold’ = delicate, loving, cautious verb choices. • ‘his lower jaw’ = talking about him, not to him. Implies a distance between them.
• ‘Passionate nights and intimate days’= easier to regain a physical connection than an emotional one.
• ‘skirting along’ = barely touching, not close to each other.
Is she worried of getting too close? Why?
• ‘only then, did I come close’ = near, but not there yet. An ongoing process. Will it ever be the same?

Could be linked to...
• ‘Nettles’  tender feelings towards a loved one’s pain, and military imagery.
• ‘In Paris with You’ and ‘Quickdraw’  pain of love, though in the sense of being hurt by a lover, rather than feeling a loved one’s pain.
• ‘The Farmer’s Bride’  aware of partner’s emotional pain and remoteness, though powerless to heal it.

Hour

S=
• The speaker describes how their relationship with another is limited by time. • They describe the time that they have together. T=
• Love (traditional and non-traditional)
• New relationships

Rhyme/Rhythm/Structure
• Sonnet form – traditional love poetry.
But the use of iambic pentameter not strict, therefore suggesting that there is something untraditional about the relationship? Except in second stanza, which could reflect the perfection of the moment and love described here.
• Use of enjambment represents the flow of time.

Imagery
• The use of imagery appears to reflect the way in which they are limited by time, yet how in love they are. But is all as it seems...?
• E.g.
• ‘beggar’ = reliant on time. Is necessity. But not a particularly romantic image. An image of desperation.
• ‘dropped coin’ = links to beggar imagery, but is their a darker underlying meaning? Why are they limited by time? Why are there so many references to money? e.g.
‘millionaires’ ‘rich’ etc...
• ‘Midas light’ = valuable, but also dangerous?
• ‘Time hates love’ = personification shows they are fighting against time. Is love therefore doomed?
• ‘Spins gold, gold, gold from straw’ = Rumplestiltskin.
Happily ever after, or relationship built on a lie and fear?

Vocab/Punctuation
• The use of vocabulary tends to portray the relationship as perfect and romantic, but again, is all as it seems?
• E.g.
• ‘even a single hour’ = shows how valuable time is, but why?
Why are they so limited?
• ‘flowers’ ‘wine’ = traditional romantic images. Why don’t they want these traditional items?
• ‘Grass ditch’ = suggest secrecy, and maybe something sleazy? • ‘For thousands of seconds we kiss’ = sibilance makes it sound soft and sensual. But thousand of seconds isn’t actually that long...is all as it seems?
• Nature vs manmade world ‘jewel’ ‘cuckoo spit’ ‘chandelier’
‘spotlight’ = natural world wins. Why? Because their love is natural and organic?...

Could be linked to...
• ‘To His Coy Mistress’  focus on time.
• ‘In Paris with You’  compare the enraptured view of love with a more jaded view.
• ‘Sonnet 116’ and ‘Sonnet 43’  love surviving over a period of time.

In Paris with You

S=

• The speaker is in Paris, on the rebound from a past relationship.
• The speaker is with their partner in Paris. The relationship is breaking down.

T=
• Love (and pain as a result)
• Sex
• Anger
• Traditional images of love

• Interpretation 1
– The relationship in the poem is breaking down. • Interpretation 2
– The speaker is on the rebound from a past relationship. Rhyme/Rhythm/Structure
• Irregular rhyme  confused feelings about the relationship? Deterioration of the relationship?
Increasing anger?
• Internal rhyme ‘earful’ ‘tearful’  shows how deep the emotions run within the speaker?
• Rhyme ‘wounded’ ‘maroonded’  rhyme changed to meet the rhyme. Speaker not thinking straight? Are we intended to take the speaker comically?
• Rhyme ‘Champs Elysees’ ‘Sleazy’  rhyme emphasises the contrast between traditional
Paris and his intentions.

Imagery
• The use of imagery appears to reflect the way in which he views their relationship.
• ‘The little bit of Paris in our view’  hope in their relationship? Romance creeping through? • ‘There’s that crack across the ceiling/ And the hotel walls are peeling’  Does this represent their current relationship as falling apart? Could ‘peeling’ suggest his guard coming down?

Vocab/Punctuation
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

The use of vocabulary tends to portray his pain, but also hints that he might be moving on from this pain. (Remember it could also suggest anger at the current relationship – second interpretation!)
‘I’m one of your talking wounded’  in what way is this meant? Aimed at his companion or at a past relationship?
‘But I’m in Paris with you’  ‘but’ sets up a change. Happy to be there or not?
‘Resentful’  self-pity. Pain from love.
‘Louvre’ ‘Notre Dame’ ‘Champs Elysees’  landmarks typically associated with Paris, and therefore romance. What does his dismissal of these therefore say about his relationship?
‘Learning who you are./Learning what I am’  in what context? Is this an affection growing, or something more sexual? (Also remember second interpretation: is it them revealing their true colours?)
‘I’m in Paris with the slightest thing you do...I’m in Paris with you’  replacing the word ‘love’ with ‘Paris’? A growing affection, but not ready to admit it openly yet? OR (second interpretation) can’t get away from her...frustration and anger?

Could be linked to...
• ‘Hour’  contrast with a more optimistic view of love, or a more to the relationships than meets the eye.
• ‘Quickdraw’  both have less idyllic views on love.
• ‘Ghazal’ and ‘To His Coy Mistress’  seduction, and playing with romantic conventions. Quickdraw

S=

• A couple are having an argument. The extended metaphor of a western gunfight is used to describe the argument.
• The poem is taken from a collection written by Duffy, titled Rapture. The collection focuses on a love affair. ‘Hour’ is also taken from the same collection, and appears to describe the earlier stages of the relationship. ‘Quickdraw’ appears to describe a later stage. T=
• Disintegration of a relationship
• Struggle for power
• Conflict

Rhyme/Rhythm/Structure
• Free verse and use of enjambment  unpredictable and erratic pace reflects nature of an argument, creating a sense of start/stop to the poem. Also reflects the fragmented nature of the phone calls.
• Stanzas irregular in shape, apart from final stanza. More structured as argument has now been resolved?
• ‘You’ve wounded me’ ‘through the heart’  both the lines are separated, and could be argued to link to each other, echoing the speaker’s feelings about the argument.

Imagery
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

The poem uses the extended metaphor of a gunfight to represent the emotional aggression between the lovers.
‘Like guns’  phones/ words are being used as a way to emotionally hurt each other. The act of pulling a trigger is intentional, as are their words during this argument.
‘I twirl the phone’  as though it were a gun. Suggesting a confidence for the speaker. They are willing and ready to use their weapon.
Hurting each other is two-way.
‘Wide off the mark’  ineffective at hurting her lover, or did she not really want to hurt them?
‘Blast me’  the power of what has been said, and how it has affected the speaker.
‘Down on my knees’  surrender? Weakened by the argument?
‘Silver bullets’  only weapon against werewolves, so link to the only thing that can defeat the argument? Bullets=pain? Is it painful for her to give in? ‘Silver’ is a precious metal, how does she therefore view his kisses? Vocab/Punctuation
• The use of vocabulary also reflects the aggressive nature of the argument, whilst also showing the speaker’s pain as a result.
• E.g.
• ‘I’m all alone’  the alliteration emphasises it them versus each other. If you’re in a couple, you’re not supposed to feel alone. Is there a longing here?
• ‘High noon’ ‘calamity’ ‘hard liquor’ ‘Last Chance Saloon’  the language choices link to westerns, linking to the idea that the words are used to ‘injure’ each other. Also makes it appear dramatic, like a film, but films aren’t real so does this mean that the argument does not reflect truly on the relationship? • ‘Concealed’  suggests secrets being kept? Also suggest they are trying to get one up on each other.

Could be linked to...
• ‘The Manhunt’  both involve emotional pain and an attempt to get close to somebody. • ‘In Paris with You’  both speakers casualties of love, yet still continue to seek it.
• ‘Hour’  they both talk about different stages of the same relationship.

Ghazal

A way to structure your response... • Subject matter (what is the poem about? Does the title provide a clue?)
• Themes
• Rhyme/Rhythm/Structure (and how does this link to the subject matter/themes)
• Imagery (metaphors, similes, personification, symbolism)
• Vocabulary and Punctuation
• Effect on the reader
• Compare the two poems for each of these...
• PELI for ‘R’ ‘I’ and ‘V’
• Interpretations should be linked to the question (probably
‘relationships’) and the subject/themes.

Ghazal by Mimi Khalvati
S- Ancient Persian poetry similar to a sonnet. Talks of the poet seeking to secure the love of another.
T• Love and longing.
• Sexual desires.
• Power and dominace.

R
• ‘me’ is used throughout as a monorhyme. This also acts as a refrain, which is repeated throughout. It suggests that the poet does not see herself as creative or inventive and is self conscious of herself next to the greatness of the man she seeks.
• Each couplet can stand alone, as a poem in its own right, but develops the central theme of desired union.
• Made up of 10couplets, which is typical of the
Ghazal form.
• 12 syllables to each line. The repetitive nature is in itself persuasive, which echoes the nature of the poem.

I
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•
•
•
•
•

Each couplet is a metaphor- the encourages the reader to consider which couplet will be successful in the seduction.
‘iron fist’ vs ‘velvet glove’, contrasting images of the positive and negative sides of love: one the man, the other the woman. This is also an example of sexual innuendo.
Each metaphor is often linked e.g. “When the arrow flies, the heart is pierced, tattoo me.” This combines the two people as a whole.
Alliteration- “breeze", "blow”, “bird”: creates a lyrical and sensual tone and sets the scene for the rest of the poem.
“I’ll be twice the me” signature line, typical of Ghazals, which is playful. The line also suggests that she can be improved or restored by his love.
The last line ends with a ………. me, e.g. “bedew me”, “persue me”… This may show that it is not a conquest, but that the poet is subordinate and longs to be seduced.

V
• Using the vocabulary of poetry suggests that she is aware of the structure of the poem itself and also the structure of her relationship. The fact that she is
“refrain” (repetitive and boring) and he is
“rhyme” ( lyrical and creative) shows how self conscious she is.
• Word play- e.g. “marry” meaning match up and also the act of walking down the aisle creates a playful and seductive tone. Could be linked to...
• ‘In Paris with You’  both about sexual love. • ‘Hour’  the romantic mood.
• ‘Quickdraw’  similar imagery.
• ‘To His Coy Mistress’  a different, male approach to seduction.

Brothers

Brothers by Andrew Forster
S- The poem is centered around the poet and his younger brother and the poet’s friend Paul waiting at the bus stop. In the second stanza the younger brother realises he has forgotten his fare and has to go home to get it. As the bus arrives and the poet and his friend get on the younger brother chases for the bus and the poet is left pondering the nature of their relationship then and now.
T• Brotherhood
• Regret
• Isolation

R
• There is no rhyme or formal rhythmic structure throughout the poem. This is typical of modern poetry and also suggests the reflective style the poem encapsulates. • There are 2 stanzas of 5 lines and then the third has only 4 suggesting both the poem and the relationship is missing or lacks something.
• Could the relationship be fixed?

I

•

•

•

•

Youth vs experience: throughout the poem there are images of adult activities eg “talking over Sheffield Wednesday’s chances in the cup”, which are contrasted with images of youth and inexperience: “spouting six year old views”. The poet shows his disgust and embarrassment as his younger brother’s inexperience in his “ridiculous tank-top”.
It is suggested through the poet and his friend’s shared smile, that their relationship is much closer. “His smile, like mine, said I was nice and he was ten”. This metaphor shows the intimacy in their relationship which can only be craved by the younger brother.
“we chased Olympic Gold” demonstrated the competitive natures of young boys- they can not help but let it burst out of them, after all even the older boys are only children.
“I ran on, unable to close the distance I’d set in motion”- a metaphor for the brother’s relationship with a tone of inevitability. V
• Verbs play a big part in this poem in reflecting the personality and the moods of the brothers. Whilst the older boys “amble”,
“talk” and “stroll”, the younger brother
“spouts” and “windmilled home”. The younger brother’s verbs suggest that he is far more active whilst the older brother and his friend give the impression of them trying to act cool or like adults.
• The very first verb, “saddled” sets the tone for the rest of the poem. It suggests that the older brother (poet) feels restricted by his brother’s presence.

Could be linked to...
• ‘The Manhunt’ or ‘The Farmer’s Bride’  how emotional distances come about in relationships. • ‘Sister Maude’  about sibling relationships that become distant.
• ‘Praise Song for my Mother’  both look back in time, though in ‘Praise Song’ the relationship is still close.

Praise Song for My Mother

S=
• The speaker describes her mother’s emotional depth and warmth, and her positive, nurturing and encouraging influence...but is all as it appears on the surface (second interpretation)?
T=
• Mother-daughter love
• Looking back on the past.

Rhyme/Rhythm/Structure
• The first three stanzas conform to a set pattern (e.g. Each begins with ‘You were’, then followed by a metaphor from nature, which is then described in more depth...).  does this reflect the consistency of the relationship and of the love between them?
• Each of these stanzas builds up, from two syllables in the first line, to four in the second, and then six in the third.
This creates a sense of swelling and of growth of the love.
• The fourth stanza begins in the same way, but takes the technique of build-up further by having longer lines and four metaphors, one after the other.  this could be to emphasise how much her mother is to her, and in turn how important she has been in her life.
• A ‘praise song’ is a traditional African song/poem.

Imagery
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•

•

•
•
•

The images from nature relate to Guyana, suggesting that the poet also sees Guyana as her mother.
‘You were/water to me/deep bold and fathoming’  Water is a necessity to life. ‘Deep’ and ‘fathoming’ suggest mothers emotional depth and understanding, while ‘bold’ suggests she was a confident woman. ‘Moon’s eye’  the moon is a traditional feminine symbol. ‘Eye’ perhaps suggests the mother’s insight. The word ‘pull’ refers to the mother’s influence on her children. ‘Grained’ suggests depth, as well as nourishing grain, while ‘mantling’ suggest a protective cloak.
‘Sunrise’  see as a symbol of hope and new beginnings. ‘Warm and streaming’ suggest emotional generosity.
The three images in stanza 4 suggest the bright colours of nature, and nourishment HOWEVER, remember your second interpretation: is there more to this relationship than meets the eye? E.g. ‘fishes red gill’  implies the mother allows her to breathe, does this therefore mean that her mother controls the way she lives her life? Can you seen any other examples that could be interpreted more negatively?

Vocab/Punctuation
• ‘were’ is past tense. Does this mean that she has since died or that the relationship has changed?
• The direct address ‘you’ creates a feeling of intimacy, reflecting the relationship between the speaker and her mother.
• ‘wide futures’ suggests that the mother’s generosity. She does not want to hold her daughter back. • There is an absence of punctuation within the poem. The lack of punctuation could suggest that the love from the mother is ongoing. This is further emphasised by the use of repetition in
‘replenishing replenishing’.

Could be linked to...
• ‘Harmonium’ or ‘Nettles’  parent/child love • ‘Brothers’ or ‘Sister Maude’  to contrast the familial love.

Harmonium

Harmonium by Simon Armitage
S- The poet travels home to Yorkshire where he sets about rescuing the old harmonium from his local church. He calls upon his father to help him carry it away and in the process begins to consider the time they have spent together in the church…
T• Father and son
• Generations/ Age
• Death
• Music

R
• The poem has 4 stanzas of varying lengths: reflective of modern poetry but also in keeping with Armitage’s honest style.
• Internal rhyme is used in the final stanza: “will bear the freight of his own dead weight” suggesting a jokey/ lighthearted tone adopted by his father towards death. It also emphasises what is inside (internal) the box.
• Rhyming couplet to finish: “word” and “heard”, suggests that, as he tries to put the thoughts of his father’s death and his succession together the words gather together in a rhyming couplet.

I
•

•

•

The Harmonium- Personification “yellowed the fingernails…”, shows the instrument to be an important member of the congregation and the community. It is significant to Armitage. This image of the organ is reflected in the image of the father also
“through his own blue cloud of tobacco smog, with smoker’s fingers and dottled thumbs” linking them together.
Both the father and the harmonium are presented as aging, for example, we know that the instrument has been ‘pedalled and pedalled”. This repetition emphasises the number of times it has been played and also the effort required to make it create a sound. In the 3rd stanza, we see the image of the younger father and song standing in the choir stalls together “each in their time, had opened their throats/ and gilded finches-like high notes- had streamed out”. This combined metaphor and simile looks back positively on the past and creates a joyous image. The reference to ‘gilded finches’ suggests that the notes take flight, and the sound is ‘golden’ (‘gilden’ means decorated with gold leaf).

V
• Colloquial language of “bundled off to the skip” suggests an honesty. Could it be deceptively simplistic as the poem actually deals with very complex issues.
• Uses the brand name “Farrand Chapelette” , again for a sense of reality.
• Parallelism: syntax (sentence structure) is repeated as the son takes the place of the fathers as the time passes “And he, being him… And I, being me”. This intensifies their relationship and places the emphasis on the ageing process.

Could be linked to...
• ‘Nettles’  father/son relationship, though in ‘Harmonium’, both are depicted as adults.
• ‘Brothers’  unspoken emotion

Sonnet 116

Subject
• Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets
• The first 126 were addressed to a ‘Fair
Youth’ (a young man).
• The last 28 were addressed to a ‘Dark
Lady’.
• Platonic or sexual love? Alternative interpretations! • Homosexuality was a criminal offence at the time!

Subject
• This sonnet is about how love is everlasting and unchanging. Shakespeare explains how it can withstand time. He finishes by stating that he is staking his writing, and the fact that love exists on his argument.

Themes
• Romantic love
• Platonic love
• ...it depends on how you look at it!
• (you should be looking at both).

R = The Original Sonnet Form
Traditionally a love poem (man  women).
14 lines
First 8 lines (octave) = a problem posed
Last 6 lines (sestet) = the problem solved
Line 9 (volta) = the sharp turn which moves the poem towards the resolution.
• Abba rhyme scheme.
•
•
•
•
•

R = The Shakespearean Sonnet
Form (used here!)
• 3 quatrains
• 1 couplet (at the end) – the couplet here is intended to ‘prove’ his argument
• The volta is in the couplet
• Rhyme scheme:
• Abab, cdcd, efef, gg
• Alternate rhyme, with a rhyming couplet
• Iambic pentameter (mimics a heart-beat)

Rhyme/rhythm/structure
• Enjambment at start  dives the reader into the theme of the poem at a rapid pace. Imagery
•

‘Ever-fixed mark’  image of a lighthouse (could be argued as a phallic image that links into the sexual interpretation). Lighthouses are used by sailors to avoid danger, here love is the thing that will guide them through? Stand strong and be unmoving.
Also think about the nautical imagery, linked to homosexuality for your second interpretation. •

‘Tempests’  storms. Metaphor for the bad times in a relationship, and how love should get them through this.

•

‘It is the star to every wand’ring bark’  the north star used to guide sailors.
Therefore it is used to guide them in their relationship, stop them from getting lost.
Also more nautical imagery. However, a star is also remote and distant, does this suggest that the love is unrequited?

•

‘Love’s not Time’s fool’  compare to Hour where Duffy argues the opposite. Here
Shakespeare talks of how love can withstand and should be unaffected by time.

•

‘Bending sickle’s compass’  similar image to Grim Reaper with his scythe. Physical beauty may fall victim to time, but love does not.

•

‘Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks’  personification explains how love should withstand time.

Vocabulary and Punctuation
•

‘Marriage’  in terms of two minds belonging together (platonic) or the actual act of marriage (romantic)?

•

‘Impediments’  similar language to the marriage vows (‘I do solemnly declare that I know not any lawful impediment..’) supports romantic interpretation?

•

‘Which alters when it alteration finds’  ‘alter’ a homophone for ‘altar’, again brings ideas for marriage, and therefore romantic interpretation.

•

‘Though rosy lips and cheeks’  used to describe physical beauty. But used to show that true love is not about physical attraction, but something much deeper.

•

‘Doom’  judgement day, the end of the world. Therefore, love can withstand the test of time.

•

‘I never writ’  but he has written , so he argument must be true? (Is his line of thinking...) •

‘Nor no man ever loved’  does he mean any man had never loved, or that no man has ever been loved (romantic interpretation).

Could be linked to...
• ‘Sonnet 43’  in theme and form (sonnet)
• ‘Hour’  focus on time as well as love.
• ‘To His Coy Mistress’  which talks about the need to make love whilst there is still time, whereas Shakespeare’s sonnet s about love overcoming time.

Sonnet 43

Subject
• Browning wrote a collection of 44 sonnets, about the love she felt for her husband-to-be, Robert Browning.
• She named the series Sonnets From the

Portuguese.

• This is because Robert called her “my little Portugee”.

Subject
• Within this sonnet, Browning tries to describe her love, by explaining all the ways in which she loves her partner.

Themes
• Romantic love
• Religion

R = The Original Sonnet Form
Pertrachan sonnet
Traditionally a love poem (man  women).
14 lines
First 8 lines (octave) = a problem posed
Last 6 lines (sestet) = the problem solved
Line 9 (volta) = the sharp turn which moves the poem towards the resolution.
• Abba rhyme scheme.

•
•
•
•
•
•

• Does the more traditional form reflect a more traditional love? Think about the circumstances of the romance.

Imagery
•

‘To the depth and breadth and height’ (spatial metaphor).  to show the extent of the love that she feels for him. The repeated conjunction ‘and’ emphasises that she is trying to cover everything, emphasising this love.

•

‘My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight’.  ‘feeling out of sight’ shows that she doesn’t know what the future may hold, or that she is in unknown territory (this feeling is unfamiliar to her)

•

‘Sun and candlelight’  from morning until night, all day, all the time.
Again, emphasising the extent of her love.

•

‘I love thee freely, as men strive for Right,-’  use of simile to talk of the moral goodness in her love (‘right’). ‘Strive’ also gives a sense of determination. •

‘I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise’  ‘purely’ illustrates that traditional nature of the love that she is describing. ‘turn from praise’ shows that she is the simile to link to the fact that she asks for nothing in return.

Vocabulary and Punctuation
•

‘How do I love thee? Let me count the ways!-’  the exclamation mark shows the enthusiasm in which she will recount the ways to him.

•

‘I love thee’ (repetition)  8 times in the poem. Emphasises the love. Makes it clear to him.

•

Lack of gender.  more open to the reader, allowing them relate to it more easily.

•

‘Childhood faith’ – innocence. Reflecting the innocent, traditional nature of the love presented in the poem.

•

‘I love thee with the breath, smiles, tears, of all my life!’  all the emotions, and despite anything they can go through.

•

‘If God should choose, I shall but love thee better after death’  a spiritual love too. If one were to pass away, or both, in heaven. Love won’t end. Religious tone.

•

‘Love’  no synonyms used, so her feelings are clear.

•

‘I love thee with the passion’  we might typically associate ‘passion’ with a more sexual love, but she intends it in a more traditional and religious way (think ‘Passion’ in terms of Christianity)

Could be linked to...
• ‘Sonnet 116’  in content and form
(sonnet)
• ‘Hour’  also about love addressed to the beloved. • ‘To His Coy Mistress’  different views of love (Marvell insists that love must be enjoyed physically, before it’s too late, whereas Browning does not see death as an obstacle).

To His Coy
Mistress

Subject
• The speaker argues why the ‘mistress’ should give into his sexual advances.

Themes
• Lust
• Time/ Mortality
• Seduction

Rhyme/Rhythm/Structure
•

Metaphysical poetry

•

Rhyming couplets  link to the persuasive nature of the poem.

•

Iambic tetrameter  again, the consistent rhythm links to the poem’s persuasive nature.

•

3 stanzas

– 17th Century
– Argumentative structure
– Metaphysical conceit (elaborate metaphors, with far-fetched images)

– 1st stanza outlines what they could do if they had time. He does this to make his later argument seem more reasonable.
– 2nd stanza outlines the consequences if she does not give into his advances, due to them being limited by time.
– 3rd stanza outlines what they should do as result.
– The way in which the stanzas are structured gives the impression of a reasoned arguement. Imagery
•
•

•

•
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•
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•
•

‘Rubies’  in folklore rubies were be said to protect virginity. If they had the time, she could protect her virginity for as long as she chooses.
‘Indian Ganges’ ‘Humber’  in a sense he is comparing her to the Ganges (exotic, beautiful etc...) and himself to the river Humber (in the north of England, and note the similarity in the sound to ‘humble). He is using this imagery to flatter her, and put himself down.
‘Ten years before the Flood’ ‘conversion of the Jews’  ‘Flood’ referring to Noah’s
Ark (since near the beginning of the bible and therefore time) and the conversion of the Jews being judgement day (the end of time). If they had time, she could hold out forever.
‘Vegetable love should grow’  his love would grow and would be natural. However, also consider the phallic imagery here (and remember what his actual intention is)
‘Time’s winged chariot hurrying near’  mythological allusion (Apollo used the sun chariot to start/end a day), to stress that time is running out. Also think about how the speaker makes multiple allusions (biblical, mythological) emphasising his desperation. ‘Like amorous birds of prey’  the simile contrasts ‘amorous’ with ‘birds of prey’. He is trying to stir up passion within the ‘mistress’.
‘Iron gates of life’  as though they are trapped by life (or time), but their ‘rough strife’ can set them free.
‘one ball’  two bodies becoming one i.e. sex
‘Thus, though we cannot make our sun/ stand still, yet we will make him run.’  they may not be able to stop time, but they can make it chase after them instead.

Vocabulary and Punctuation
•
•
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•
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‘crime’  as though she is doing something criminal by abstaining.
‘you deserve this state’  ‘state’ could mean dignity. ‘Deserve’ makes it appear that he is thinking of what’s best for her...
‘marble vault’  her tomb once she is dead. Used to emphasise her mortality, and therefore why she should give in to him.
‘worms shall try/that long preserved virginity’  deliberately disturbing image to persuade her to avoid that fate.
‘quaint honour’  ‘quaint’ used to question her honour. Quaint can mean old-fashioned, but also odd.
‘youthful hue’  the image of youth in the third stanza is juxtaposed with the idea of death in the previous. This allows this stanza to almost act as a relief for her, and therefore makes his argument sound more appealing.
‘now let us sport us while we may’ ‘ball’  ‘sport’ and ‘ball’ make it sound as though it is a game. Makes the act seem more light-hearted and fun.
‘tear’ ‘rough’  aggressive word choices. Links to the idea of passion.

Could be linked to...
• ‘In Paris with You’  both lead to the conclusion that we should ‘seize the day’. • ‘Ghazal’  different approaches to seduction. The Farmer’s
Bride

S=
• The speaker of the poem is a farmer who talks of his relationship with his young wife. Shortly after marrying she appears afraid of him and hides herself away from men. The farmer speaks of her longingly.
• There are questions raised about why the girl might have run away. Remember your two interpretations! – is her withdrawal just a result of androphobia (a fear of men)? Could the speaker be descending into madness? Could this contribute to her fears? Don’t forget, we only get one side of the story in the poem; is the speaker telling us the full story?
• Mental illness affected the poet, Charlotte Mew. It could be argued that this is reflected in the way she presents the farmer/the bride/both?
T=
• Unrequited love.
• Abuse?
• Longing for intimacy.
• Madness?

Rhyme/Rhythm/Structure
• There is some form of rhyme within the poem; however it changes from stanza to stanza. The chaotic rhyme could reflect the madness of the farmer, or the wildness of the bride. • The poem contains a steady iambic rhythm. Stanzas 3 and
4 are in iambic tetrameter. The rhythm gives the poem a more conversational feel, as though the speaker is talking in a more straight-forward way. This may be what we expect of a farmer.
• The poem moves through seasons, beginning with ‘Three
Summers since...’ and ending at ‘Christmas-time’, this shows the relationship over a period of time. Does this help the reader to understand the build-up of his feelings, as she remains withdrawn despite the passing of time?
Does it also help to build up to the ending of ‘her eyes, her hair, her hair!’ (you could argue that he falls apart here).

Imagery
•
•

•

•

•
•

The imagery reflects the way in which the Farmer sees his bride, and the way in which she is treated.
‘More like a little frightened fay’ – simile. ‘Little’ emphasises her fragility. Maybe it implies a protectiveness that he feels for her? ‘Fay’fairy. Enchanted by her? Fairies are magical and rarely seenreflects how he hardly sees her? Why is she ‘frightened’?
‘We chased her, flying like a hare’ – simile. Rural (countryside) imagery.
She is running –why? They have to capture her like an animal-lack of freedom. Who does this make us feel sympathy for? Could you argue it makes sympathy for the both of them? ‘Flying’ suggests freedomjuxtaposed with the idea of being ‘chased’.
‘But like a mouse’ – simile. Another rural image. Quiet- not a sophisticated/inventive simile. Reflects farmer’s lack of education?
Why is she consistently compared to animals? Does this reflect the way he sees/treats her?
‘Straight and slight as a young larch tree’ – simile. Commenting on her physicality, suggesting physical attraction? Use of ‘young’ showing the age difference. More rural imagery.
‘Sweet as the first wild violets, she,’ simile. More rural imagery. ‘Wild’ relates to her nature, and wanting to run away. ‘Sweet’ shows an affection from the farmer. Violets thrive in the shade- reference to how she hides away?

Vocab/Punctuation
•
•
•
•
•
•

•

•
•
•
•

The choice of vocabulary also reflects the way in which she is treated and the way in which she behaves as a result of her relationship with the Farmer.
‘I chose a maid’ – ‘chose’ suggests a lack of choice from her behalf. What does this tell us about why she might be the way she is.
‘Too young maybe’ – shows that he understands why there may be problems in the relationship. Implies him feeling guilty? ‘Maybe’ show uncertainty, how guilty does he feel?
‘When us was wed she turned afraid’ – ‘afraid’- why might she be afraid? Androphobic, or is there something he is not telling us?
‘She runned away’ – ‘runned’ simple language, not grammatically correct. Reflects his education...would he be intelligent enough to manipulate the reader? Why did she run away?
‘We caught her, fetched her home at last’
And turned the key upon her, fast.’ – lack of freedom shown in ‘caught’ and ‘key’, as though she is a prisoner. Her lack of rights, as a woman. ‘Fast’ shows that she is wild and need to prevent escape, so must lock the door quickly. ‘Fast’ can also mean securely. Note how the punctuation draws attention to the word ‘fast’. ‘We’ other men? Society?
‘Happy enough to chat and play
With birds and rabbits and such as they.’ – seems happier with animals. ‘Chat’ and ‘play’ are quite relaxed verb choices, only way she can be herself. ‘Play’ has connotations of childhood.
Seen and treated as a child more than a woman? Again, why does he link her to animals?
(Because he is a farmer and why else?
‘But what to me?’ – Shows his loneliness. A need for her company.
‘The short days shorten and the oaks are brown’ – shows the passing of time. Tells it through rural imagery. The seasons are changing but the relationships are not.
‘Tis but a stair
Betwixt us.’ – ‘tis but a stair’ as though that is the only thing separating them. Us and the speaker know it is much more. He talks about her sleeping- hints at a sexual longing.
‘The brown of her – her eyes, her hair, her hair!’ – repetition and exclamation mark show a fixation with her physicality. Has the loneliness built up to a desperation? Does it show him falling into madness?

Could be linked to...
• ‘The Manhunt’  both involve the speaker seeking to become closer to their partner.
• ‘Brothers’  both deal with alienation.
Though the farmer has not done anything obvious to alienate his bride, but the poem does describe his moment of crisis when the bride runs away.

Sister Maude

S=
• The speaker describes how her lover’s death was partly caused by her jealous sister. Her hatred and anger towards her sister and made evident throughout the poem. T=
• Sibling relationships
• Revenge
• Death
• Love

Rhyme/Rhythm/Structure
• Ballad
• Iambic tetrameter  e.g. ‘who told my mother of my shame’. Often the stress falls on the most important words, such as
‘shame’ in the first line, and on ‘lurked’,
‘spy’ and ‘peer’ in line 4.
• The stanzas are all regular, except for the last stanza. This allows the speaker to comment on the fate of her parents, her lover, herself, and then finally her sister.

Imagery
• ‘as cold as stone’  not an entirely original simile, but used to make clear the condition of the lover, and to evoke guilt from Sister Maude/ pity from the reader.
• Religious imagery ‘Paradise’ ‘Heaven-gate’  suggests a religious household, and religion is used very much throughout the poem to highlight the sinful nature of that Sister Maude has done. Also makes clear that she will not be able to escape from what she has done as it will still affect her in the after life.
• ‘Golden crown’  used to describe a halo. Used to show how their parents have lived a good life, and to contrast to Sister Maude’s sins, therefore emphasising the anger felt by the speaker.

Vocab/Punctuation
• ‘dear’  shows an affection to her deceased lover.
• ‘sister’  the relationship is repeated throughout the poem, perhaps to emphasise the betrayal.
• ‘Who lurked to spy and peer’  the verbs used give immediately give a negative impression of Sister Maude, as though she was intentionally devious, making us understand the speaker’s anger.
• ‘Cold’  the repetition emphasises the death of her lover, and therefore her pain and anger. Repetition is also a common feature used with the ballad form.
• ‘Clotted curls’  the ‘c’ alliteration makes the tone more harsh. Again, emphasising the bitterness. Also think about the use of the word
‘clotted’. Is it to describe his hair in a nicer way (clotted cream) so that he seems more of an innocent victim, or is it because his hair is clotted with blood?
• ‘Comeliest corpse’  again, the use of the ‘c’ alliteration. The positioning of the two words together is ironic, and therefore emphasises the unjustness of his death.
• ‘He’d never have looked at you.’  suggests the possible circumstances of Sister Maude’s betrayal to do with jealousy.
• ‘Bide you with death and sin.’  the italicised ‘you’ emphasises the anger of the speaker at this point. The conjunction ‘and’ means that just death isn’t enough...she wants eternal damnation.

Could be linked to...
• ‘Brothers’  both about sibling relationships which have become distant. • ‘The Farmer’s Bride’  both deal with unhappy relationships
• ‘Praise Song for My Mother’  contrast between the two relationships.

Nettles

• S- A child falls in to a patch of nettles and seeks comfort from his parents. The father (and voice of the poem) sets out to destroy the nettles but they grow back…
• T• Father and son
• Protection- the impulse of parents wanting to protect.
• Inevitability
• Scannell himself fought in WWII and echos of war experience can be seen throughout the poem.

Rhyme/Rhythm/Structure
• A narrative account focused on the father’s perspective, the poem is a single stanza with alternate rhyming lines. • The rhythm and rhyme created reflects the fixed style and timing associated with regimental methods, linking the poem with ideas of war.

Imagery
•

•

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•

Images of war: “that regiment of spite”, “green spears”
“fierce parade”. Martial imagery is juxtaposed against the domestic setting. They portray the aggressive nature of the nettles but also signify the father’s perspective, as he sees the nettles as a threat against his son and therefore must protect him.
This metaphor is continued as the nettles ,“tall recruits”, are “called up” (echoing the language of conscription) and his “son would often feel sharp wounds again” suggesting that this army can not be defeated, or maybe simply that the father can not protect his son from the inevitable.
“white blisters beaded on his tender skin”: the alliteration of the ‘b’ sound is soothing and emphasises the pain he must feel on his “tender skin”.
“he offered us a watery grin”, shows the vulnerability of the son again showing the parents need to protect him.
Does it justify the father’s aggression as he “slashed in fury” to get rid of the nettles.

Vocab/Punctuation
• The poem begins and ends with the phrase
“My son”, the use of “my” suggests that the father is incredibly possessive of his son and will not let go easily.
• “Next task:” demonstrates that the father simply sees the nettles as the next job on his list of many to protect his son.

Could be linked to...
• ‘Harmonium’  different approaches to the father/son relationship
• ‘Praise Song for My Mother’  parent/child relationships
• ‘The Manhunt’  military imagery

Born
Yesterday

• S- The poem is written by Larkin to his novelist friend
Kingsley Amis, who had a baby girl. The poem was written the day after she was born, and within the poem Larkin talks of how people usually wish things such as beauty and love upon a child, but he wishes the girl be ‘average’ and
‘ordinary’ as it is these things (or qualities that are considered ‘dull’) that bring happiness.
• Consider if the poem is about the relationship between
Larkin and the child, or Larkin and Kingsley Amis.

•
•
•
•
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TPlatonic love.
Unrealistic expectations.
Happiness.
Hope.

Rhyme/Rhythm/Structure
• The poem is written in free verse, with no apparent rhyme scheme. This could reflect the informal nature and closeness of the relationship between Larkin and Amis. It could also reflect the unconventional nature of Larkin’s wish for Amis’ daughter.
• The poem is split into two stanzas. The first stanza talks of all the things his wish is not, talking of what is commonly wished upon a newborn child. The second stanza moves to what his wish is, the connective ‘but’ shows this turn. If Larkin feels comfortable enough to wish this upon his friend’s daughter, what does it tell us about their friendship?
• The poem ends on a rhyming couplet. This may be to emphasise the closing lines, and the idea of happiness that is such a key theme.

Imagery
• ‘Tightly-folded bud’ – metaphorical image. ‘bud’ of a flower, flowers are seem as delicate, beautiful, natural etc. ‘Tightly-folded’ means that the child has not yet bloomed (they have still to open up and become the person they are to become). Alternative interpretationtightly folded as in wrapped tightly in a blanked/parent’s arms...? Therefore protected.
• ‘Or running off a spring
Of innocence and love-‘ – metaphorical image. ‘spring’ (like a bouncy spring) suggests an enthusiasm, and excitement.
Reflect the enthusiasm of those surrounding the baby.
‘Spring’ also is a time of birth and growth, linking to the idea of a newborn child. ‘innocence’ and ‘love’ are things typically wished on a child, and associated with childhood.
• ‘To pull you off your balance’ – argues that she will be better off without things to stop her from being a grounded, well-balanced person. Suggests affection from him? Vocab/Punctuation
•

•

•
•
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‘Born Yesterday’ (title). – Literally because she was born the day before she wrote the poem. Also plays with the phrase ‘I wasn’t born yesterday’innocence and naivety. The baby doesn’t know how the world works yet, and this is why his wish for her is so valuable.
‘I have wished you something
None of the others would:’ – ‘I’ and ‘none of the others’ sets the poem up to offer something different and original. Builds up a relationship through him offering her something special/different.
‘Not the usual stuff’ – casualness of ‘stuff’ reflects the casualness of the relationship. ‘About being beautiful’ – ‘beautiful’ is sometimes seen a superficial quality.
Larkin dismisses this as less important. Something that may throw Sally off
‘balance’.
‘And should it prove possible,
Well, you’re a lucky girl.’ – ‘lucky’ implies that this would be down to luck, and therefore that the wishes given by others wouldn’t have an effect on how she turns out. ‘You’re’ shows that he is talking to her directly, again showing a closeness of the relationship. ‘Lucky girl’ could be argued to be patronisingyou could link this to who’s relationship is being shown- Larkin’s and
Kingsley’s?
‘May you be ordinary;’ – ‘ordinary’ is unexpected. Why does he want her to be ordinary? What does this tell us about his feelings towards her? Is there a lack of affection, or could you argue that this is more affectionate?

Vocab/Punctuation
• ‘Have, like other women,
An average of talents:’ – Could this be argued as sexist? Why does he just say ‘other women’? Letters found after Larkin’s death did reveal that he had some sexist opinions. ‘Average’ reinforces the idea of not standing out, and being ‘ordinary’.
• ‘Not ugly, not good-looking’ – repetition of ‘not’ to find the in-between.
Again, emphasises ‘ordinary’. Remember to link to the question/relationship. How does him wishing this for her show how he feels towards her? A lack of, or a lot of affection? Does he want to protect her?
• ‘In fact, may you be dull-‘ – the comma adds impact to the idea of being ‘dull’. Larkin knows that this hope for her is unexpected.
• ‘If that is what a skilled,
Vigilant, flexible,
Unemphasised, enthralled
Catching of happiness is called.’ – ‘If’ shows that he will end the poem on a positive note. He creates a list to show all the things that may be considered ‘dull’ but are actually what helps to bring happiness.
Comment on any words that you think would be worth commenting on.
‘Catching’ happiness, why use the verb ‘catching’? What does this make you think about the way people achieve happiness?

Could be linked to...
• ‘Nettles’  exploring fatherly feelings.
• ‘Praise song’  exploring some of the elements contributing to happiness, as provided by a mother in this case.
• ‘In Paris With You’  both talk about going against typical conventions.

Some Themes of Comparison
• Romantic love, intimacy

– The Manhunt, Hour, Ghazal, To His Coy Mistress, The Farmer’s
Bride, In Paris With You, Quickdraw, Sonnet 116, Sonnet 43

• Seduction

– Ghazal, To His Coy Mistress

• The pain of love

– The Manhunt, The Farmer’s Bride, In Paris With You, Quickdraw,
Brothers, Sister Maude, Nettles

• Parent-child protectiveness

– The Manhunt, Harmonium, Praise Song for My Mother, Nettles, Born
Yesterday

• Siblings

– Sister Maude, Brothers

• Time

– The Manhunt, Hour, To His Coy Mistress, The Farmer’s Bride,
Sonnet 116, Sonnet 43, Harmonium, Brothers

Past Questions
•

The following poems have come up in the past:
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–
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–

•

Manhunt
Nettles
Sonnet 43
Harmonium
Quickdraw
Praise Song
Hour
The Farmer’s Bride

The following poems have not come up:
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Ghazal
To His Coy Mistress
In Paris With You
Sonnet 116
Brothers
Sister Maude
Born Yesterday

Compare how love is presented in The
Manhunt and one other poem.

A Response
Two poems which deal with the theme of loving in contrasting ways are Simon Armitage’s ‘The Manhunt’ and Carol Ann Duffy’s ‘Hour’. ‘The Manhunt’ explores a wife’s relationship with her husband, an injured soldier. She loves him, but his injuries mean that she needs to try and find him again. On the other hand, ‘Hour’ presents a couple who are probably the first stages of a relationship, but similarly to The Manhunt, there is an obstacle to their love. In this case it is time.
As mentioned, love is a main theme within both poems. In ‘Hour’, the concept of traditional love is played with. In ‘The Manhunt’, the theme of war means that love here is also not presented in a straightforward way.
‘Hour’ is written using the sonnet form, which is typically used for love poetry. We might therefore expect to see a more traditional love being presented. However, Duffy’s use of this form is not strict as she does not consistently use iambic pentameter. Therefore the presentation of love may not be as traditional as initially thought. Thus there appears to be a darker side ( reinforced by the lack of a rigid metre) such as by referring to love as a ‘beggar’. The only time it is strictly kept to is in the
2nd stanza. Here the love Duffy talks about is seemingly perfect and romantic, such as when she describes the way she sees him as “like treasure on the ground”. The rhythm reflects this idea of putting a loved on a pedestal, a common convention of the sonnet form, and therefore the perfection of the relationship.
Within ‘The Manhunt’ the structure and form also represent the type of love presented in the poem.
Armitage starts the poem off by using rhyming couplets, but this rhyme scheme breaks down as the poem progresses. E.g. ‘phase’ and ‘days’ later turns to ‘mine’ and ‘which’ This could reflect how the speaker delves deeper into her husband’s injuries, and because of the love they share, they start to affect her too, therefore her poetic voice also breaks down. The poem is set out into 13 two line stanzas. This indicates a step-by-step process of her discovery, and her cautious attempts to heal him. This implies a gentle and delicate process; she is attending to him lovingly so as to inflict no further pain, but at the same time she also needs to go slowly so that she can understand him better herself. Vivid imagery is used within both poems to present the theme of love. Within ‘Hour’ Duffy personifies love, describing it as
‘Time’s beggar’. She extends this by using the simile of ‘as bright as a dropped coin’ to refer to the hour that they have together. Referring to love as a ‘beggar’ implies a lack of control for the couple. For some reason, time is working against them. By describing the hour as ‘bright’ shows just how valuable this time is to them. However, the reference to money, and making ‘love rich’ may also have a darker meaning. They only have an hour together, and the exchange of money suggests that maybe solicitation is the circumstance of this relationship. Therefore, this fits in with the idea that love is not being presented in a strictly traditional sense with the poem.
The imagery used with ‘The Manhunt’ by Armitage presents the pain of the speaker’s husband as a result of war. Similarly to
‘Hour’, the imagery can be interpreted to represent more than one thing. An example of this is when the speaker talks of
‘the frozen river which ran through his face’. The ‘frozen river’ is an image of nature, images of which are also used several times within Hour. This may be because both poets want love to be thought of as natural and beautiful. The ‘frozen river’ here could refer to a physical scar that runs down his face, or it could be a tear track. This presents both the physical and emotional effect that war has had on her husband. We can therefore understand the pain of both the speaker, and her husband, and their love does not just have the physical injuries to overcome, but something much deeper.
Duffy uses language within ‘Hour’ to express the softness and sensuality of the love presented. For example she says ‘for thousands of seconds we kiss’. The use of ‘thousands’ implies a timeless affection, however, thousands of seconds is not actually that long of a period of time, so again, it could suggest how their love is limited by time. The action of a ‘kiss’ is traditionally romantic. It is soft and sensual, without being too sexual, even though the poem may sometimes make reference to this e.g. ‘a grass ditch’. The sibilance of the repeated ‘s’ sound in the initial quote also represent the romantic element, as it sounds sensual as you read it. On the surface, Duffy is presenting the love as perfect in this line, and throughout the stanza (as supported by the strict use of iambic pentameter), but as discussed, the way love is presented as a whole not as straightforward as the surface meaning.
Armitage also uses soft and delicate language, especially his verb choice when describing how the speaker interacts with her husband. He uses verbs such as ‘trace’, ‘handle’, ‘finger’ and ‘thumb’. These verbs reinforce the idea of his healing being a slow, step by step process. They also show how she is not trying to force him to find their love once again; she is being patient, which is a sign of just how deeply she does love him. Similarly to ‘Hour’, sex is referred to with ‘passionate nights’, but once again, it only plays a minor role, as the emotion of love forms the main focus of the poem.
As discussed, both poems present the theme of love in interesting ways. Both poets present difficulties that each relationship must overcome. ‘The Manhunt’‘s presentation however, could be perceived as more emotional to the reader as the effects of war are very real and moving in a modern context. Armitage also explores the commitment needed within a relationship to maintain love, whereas Duffy presents her love as more idyllic. However, Duffy’s presentation of love may have more to it than initially meets the eye, which could illustrate how many relationships, and love in general, too has more to it than you might initially expect.

Section B: Example Unseen Poem
Slow Reader
He can make sculptures and fabulous machines, invent games, tell jokes, give solemn, adult advicebut he is slow to read.
When I take him on my knee with his Ladybird book he gazes into the air, sighing and shaking his head like an old man who knows the mountains are impassable.
He toys with words, letting them go cold as gristly meat, until I relent and let him wiggle free: a fish returning to its element, or a white-eyed colt - shying from the bit – who sees that if he takes it in his mouth he’ll never run quite free again.
Vicky Feaver

A way to structure your response... • Subject matter (what is the poem about? Does the title provide a clue?)
• Themes
• Rhyme/Rhythm/Structure (and how does this link to the subject matter/themes)
• Imagery (metaphors, similes, personification, symbolism) • Vocabulary and Punctuation
• Effect on the reader (link to the question)
• Link all sections to the question!

Actual A* Response from Exam
The poem ‘Slow Reader’ by Vicki Feaver is about a boy who is multi-talented at other things but who struggles to read. The poem explains the struggles and problems that they boy has and how he reacts to them. It explains the frustration at how he has given up and accepets that he has lost the battle, like a ‘fish returning to its elements’.
The first stanza is explaining the wonderful things the boy can do, how he can ‘make sculptures; and ‘tell jokes’. The start of the stanza is full of all these positive things but at the stanza gets nearer the end, the tone gets dropped into a negative atmosphere. It says that the barrier between the boy and being able to read is ‘impassable’ which ends the reader’s hopes for the boy, wishing him to succeed in his quest. The second stanza carries on in the same vein with cold and dark imagery such as
‘grisly meant’ which makes the reader empathise with the boy because the word ‘grisly’ plays with their senses.

Feaver uses real life situations to emphasise how the boy struggles with reading. She writes ‘toys with the words letting them go cold’. This suggests that maybe the boy is not trying learn hard, or as serious as we first thought. The word ‘toy’ suggests that it is just a game and the boy wants it to carry on in the same fashion. The word ‘cold’ could be interpreted as there is not joy for the boy when he is reading. Cold is the opposite of warm and warmth is often associated with comfort and satisfaction, so by using the word ‘cold’ it implies that the boy does not feel these emotions when reading the words, they don’t mean much to him. The last line of the quote also suggests that the boy has no or little desire to learn because he ‘lets’ it go cold. There is no fight in the boy to try and succeed.
The speaker also implies that they are trying to push the boy as hard as they can. They say ‘until I relent and let him wriggle free’. This shows the determination of the speaker to succeed in his mission to help the boy learn to read, but sometimes it comes to no avail. The speaker tries and tries to push the boy to the limits, but sometimes he has to let the boy ‘wriggle free’. The reader can empathise with the speaker because they feel his dismay and frustration at the boy’s lack of will and desire, or it could be interpreted that it’s not the boys fault and he is trying, but again the barrier is ‘impassable’.
In conclusion, Feaver is trying to get across the message that some people do struggle with reading. Maybe she does this due to personal experiences or she has seen this happen to someone else. She tries to make the reader understand the problems that, not only does the child face, but also the person that is trying to teach, whether it be a teacher, a parent or another family member.

What the examiner said:

This is a highly sophisticated analysis of the unseen poem. As well as developing a convincing interpretation of ideas, the candidate explores and analyses language and structure in great detail, in particular the use of the word ‘cold’, which is insightful in its interpretation. There is clearly a great deal of empathy and engagement with the overall theme as well as subtle, sophisticated interpretation of the speaker’s feeling. This response there achieves 18 marks.