"In Mrs. Tilscher's Class" by Carol Ann Duffy deals with one central theme. The theme of growing up is the main idea within the poem and is repeatedly imprinted throughout the poet's childhood

In Mrs. Tilscher's Class "In Mrs. Tilscher's Class" by Carol Ann Duffy deals with one central theme. The theme of growing up is the main idea within the poem and is repeatedly imprinted throughout the poet's childhood. This theme leads on to the more abstract idea of the child already maturing into a great poet. Her mind's eye is unbounded as she transforms her classroom into a place of riches and resides in her own world of imagination. Written improbably through the 2nd person viewpoint, the poem expresses these ideas personally to the reader, hence allowing us to empathise with the poet. The poet is able to recall several aspects of her primary school days, and is consequently able to paint a picture of her memories from the viewpoint of a young child. The writer not only conveys an inviting warm atmosphere of a 1960's classroom, but also unveils a liberal outlook to her childhood. A colourful classroom with numerous displays is made known to the reader: "The classroom glowed like a sweet shop." The classroom is made into a place of riches with this visual simile, used to radiate wonders of the child's mind. The word "glowed" in this line is a metaphor all on its own. The metaphor allows the reader to visualise the sweetshop gleaming due to the light refracting through the glass jars and translucent sweets. The poet can also bring to mind the teacher's

  • Word count: 2352
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

"A Chinese Sage" is a poem written by Elizabeth Jennings and is part of a collection called Growing-Points, written in 1975.

Poetry Commentary "A Chinese Sage" is a poem written by Elizabeth Jennings and is part of a collection called Growing-Points, written in 1975. It is written in a very unusual form that can be considered as free verse, using various different indentations and alignments for different lines. This is used by the author to put emphasis on the story in the poem. It consists entirely of 23 lines all in one stanza. It could be said that the poem is a mixture between didactic and narrative poetry. The poem reveals two significant characters: A wise Chinese Sage who likes to write poetry, and a dead simple, uneducated female peasant. Both of these individuals differ from each other in every way. The only way in which they can both relate to each other in any way is by adapting to each others level of intelligence on an emotional level. This turning point in the poem is also emphasised by the use of varying alignment and indentations and especially the use of more emotionally tuned words. The Chinese Sage is very peculiarly introduced: The way he writes his poems is described. He is introduced in this way because it displays the main difference between him and the peasant woman. She is unable to relate to any form of art due to her background. Basically, this shows how absolutely incompatible the two of them are. Natural human instincts play a big role in this, since it is the

  • Word count: 973
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

"Captain Corelli's Mandolin"How do the language and classical allusions in this chapter present Dr. Iannis and his way of thinking? In your answer you should: Look closely at the use of language and narrative method

Ioulia Samouilovskaia. 22.09.05. "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" How do the language and classical allusions in this chapter present Dr. Iannis and his way of thinking? In your answer you should: --> Look closely at the use of language and narrative method --> Comment on the place of issues such as Dr. Iannis's level of education and the importance of the past as part of the island's identity. Already from the first chapter the author introduces us to one of the most important characters of the book, Dr. Iannis. There are several factors that help the writer to present him to the readers. The most important ones are language (including the narrative style) and classical allusions. The diction in this chapter is very difficult and contains a lot of medical terminology. This shows us that Dr. Iannis is a very educated man and that probably most of the people on the island respect him due to this superiority. From the phrases that he uses we find out that he likes to impress people, especially if they are his patients. For example in the first chapter instead of telling his patient that the cause of his earache is a pea, he describes it as "an exorbitant auditory impediment"-this helps the doctor to create some mystery around his work and knowledge and therefore makes him a more interesting person in the eyes of Stamatis and his wife.

  • Word count: 1065
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

"Duffy expresses her social criticism by giving voices to characters who reveal their lives as being without purpose."

"Duffy expresses her social criticism by giving voices to characters who reveal their lives as being without purpose." How far do you agree? Carol Ann Duffy presents to the reader through her poetry many views she has on society. Her recent poetry portrays her views on the treatment of females and how in the past they have not been given true status in society. Duffy is a strong feminist and I think that the fact that she was not chosen poet laureate for both her sex and her sexuality has further strengthened her views on the rights females should have and the power they should have relative to men. Her feminist views are provoked even further when she is second choice in the running to be laureate and not until Seamus Heaney drops out of the race it is only then that she is the favourite to become the new poet laureate. It can be seen that again because Heaney was male and she was female the automatic choice would have been Heaney because of the stereotypical views in society regarding men being better then women. These could be some of the reasons why Duffy writes many poems from a female's point of view regarding the male gender. Carol Ann Duffy's ability to give voices to previously silenced figures helps her tell the reader her views on society. By using characters' voices rather than her own, Duffy identifies with the speaker and confers authority onto a voice which

  • Word count: 2396
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

Compare and contrast the poems 'I remember, I remember' and 'to the virgins to make much of time'

Compare and contrast the poems 'I remember, I remember' and 'to the virgins to make much of time' As humans we all face the passing of time and inevitably death but how each person deals with this is different. This essay will compare and contrast two poems, called 'I remember, I remember', and 'to the virgins, to make much of time'. A comparative essay will illustrate how differently different people can experience life, yet how connected we all are through this experience we share. Both of these poems deal with the theme of youth and looking back in wisdom, a regret for the passing of time and a longing for it return. The first poem ' I remember, I remember' is written in the point of view of the poet. As the title suggests, this poem is about a mans reflection on his past and his comments on his present. He explains what he felt like as a child growing up, and how he took pleasure with everything that surrounded him. This is highlighted when he writes "my spirit flew in feathers then" this portrays his happiness as a boy and how he felt so free. He doesn't speak much about his future, creating an impression that he does not want to think about it too much and this keeps the reader at a distance, or maybe he is not enjoying the present and going through deep depression. We assume this when he writes ' but now, I often wish the night had borne my breath away', this draws

  • Word count: 1695
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

Commentary on Maiden Voyage (1943) by Denton Welch.

Commentary on Maiden Voyage (1943) by Denton Welch Sam Bateman The passage begins with a clear and concise statement that indicates to us many things: the writer is not in their natural surroundings, the time is morning and there is another character, Mr. Butler and it is most definitely a British sphere of influence. It also gives us a sense of danger, with foreigners not being very popular. This also gives us a sense of isolation. This feeling is reinforced in the next paragraph, with the writer continually alluding to imprisonment and isolation; "I began to feel imprisoned". The writer also uses emotional language to enforce this, such as "hated", "fiercely" and "brooding". This paragraph also reveals to us that the subject is stubborn, as they do not want to be dependent on others, as they "would never wan to do what I wanted to do." This stubbornness plays a major role later. The symbolism of the moth-eaten balls and the old tennis racket gives us a sense that there is little fun that goes on here that these instruments of leisure go largely unused, adding to the sense of boredom about the place. It is this lack of excitement that drives the protagonist to their later actions. As time passes, the main character becomes more and more fed up with their apparent confinement, "I could stand it no longer". The stubbornness and boredom of their surroundings drives the

  • Word count: 992
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

From your reading of 'The Fenland Chronicle' discuss the farmers view of what life is like for girls in service. Consider the way the story is told, what is revealed about the narrator and the daily routines of a maid.

From your reading of 'The Fenland Chronicle' discuss the farmers view of what life is like for girls in service. Consider the way the story is told, what is revealed about the narrator and the daily routines of a maid. The 'Fenland Chronicle', by Sybill Marshall, is an oral history piece, and its various areas are interesting not only historically but also linguistically. These will be analysed below. The language and structure used in the piece links in with the narrator and the life for girls in service, which will be discussed later. The piece is not perfectly structured, as, being an oral history, which was spoken, recorded and then had it's transcript written down, did not allow the author time to carefully organise his or her ideas as one would when writing on paper. The piece does have a general structure, as the first paragraph appears to be an introduction to the life of girls in service, given personal opinions and basic descriptions of the "farmers", a "jumped up, proud lot". The paragraph becomes more specific towards the end as it focuses on a girl in service named Eva and an anecdotal episode. The second paragraph goes on to describe another girl named Shady, and then in the next two paragraphs, a chronological outline of her daily routine is given. In the final paragraphs, we see the seasonal changes to a girl's life in service and her timetable, and finally a

  • Word count: 1245
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

It Has Been Said That Carol Anne Duffy Often Portrays A Negative View Of Love. How Far Do You Agree? Refer To The Collection Rapture And Examine At Least One Poem In Detail:

It Has Been Said That Carol Anne Duffy Often Portrays A Negative View Of Love. How Far Do You Agree? Refer To The Collection 'Rapture' And Examine At Least One Poem In Detail: Carol Anne Duffy is one of the most significant names in contemporary British poetry, and has achieved that rare feat of critical and commercial success. Her work is widely read by critics and academics. Some critics have indicated that Duffy has been too populist in her work. However on the whole, her work is highly acclaimed in literary circles and lay readers. Carol Anne Duffy does portray a very pessimistic representation of love, as argued by reviewers. This negativity echoes throughout her notable collection 'Rapture' and is attenuated by the different stages of the relationship. Duffy clearly exemplifies the theme of love and affection in 'Tea' by illustrating how even a mundane noun, could imply that even something as ordinary as an everyday cup of tea could be used to represent and symbolise the early stages of a relationship. She starts off positively, 'I like pouring your tea' [1]. Already she is asserting her affection for her lover. The syntax of this sentence is extremely effective, at the beginning of the poem, she has shown us that doing anything for her partner, is more of hobby rather than a hindrance. Even in the first line, she is showing that, rather like a wife, she enjoys doing

  • Word count: 1297
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

Discuss the Character and Functions of Sandra

Discuss the Character and Functions of Sandra David Pickford "Beautiful Thing" is set in London this is used to illustrate what Sandra's character is like. Sandra Gangle is a tough middle class woman, who lives in a tidy council flat in South London. Sandra is house proud she likes everything in it to be nice looking. An example of this is the hanging baskets hanging on the wall out side her house. Sandra also looks after her self we can tell this by the Body Shop products on the floor. Sandra has many roles in this play, which include being mother, neighbour, barmaid, single parent, workingwoman and a girlfriend. Sandra is a survivor in the sense that she is bringing up a son all on her own and she has to pay for every thing her self. "When I had three pee in my purse I went robbing for that boy" This Indicates Sandra's loyalty towards to her son, and how much she cares for him and tries to provide for him. An alternative example of how deprived Sandra was that "I couldn't afford a cot" This proves that however much Sandra tried and robbed she still couldn't afford the basics. Sandra is also very abusive, using foul language to insult people. A good example of Sandra's abusive language is the first word of the play, which is "SLAG." This shows a major part of Sandra's character and is used to set the scene for the rest of the story. Although Sandra uses foul language

  • Word count: 1710
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

Little Red Cap revises Little Red Riding Hood in order to explore a rite of passage through puberty, the seductions of heterosexuality and initiation into the male-dominated world of writing. In light of this

"'Little Red Cap' revises 'Little Red Riding Hood' in order to explore a rite of passage through puberty, the seductions of heterosexuality and initiation into the male-dominated world of writing." In light of this comment explore whether 'Little Red Cap' is a fitting start to The Worlds Wife. In Carol Ann Duffy's collection of poems, The Worlds Wife, the first and last poems are vital to the collection. When viewing the book holistically, Little Red Cap's aim is to introduce the stylistic features of the poems to follow, whilst Demeter aims to conclude the collection. 'Little Red Cap' launches straight into issues addressed throughout The Worlds Wife regarding feminism, sexuality, male domination, and the growth from childhood, into adulthood. Although 'Little Red Cap' is revised from the classic fairytale Little Red Riding hood, Duffy flips the tale on its head introducing sexuality and seduction. The poem begins "At childhoods end" a metaphor used by Duffy to demonstrate the power of childhood, portraying it as a physical place. The landscape itself points towards a more aware, dangerous, sexual world that gradually becomes a metaphor for the stages of life, perhaps suggesting securities of childhood are slowly depreciating "The houses peter out into playing fields". Through use of enjambement in the third stanza, "a dark tangled thorny place/ lit by the eyes of owls"

  • Word count: 1273
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
Access this essay