Compare and contrast 'Slough' and 'Belfast Confetti' - Comment on the poetic devices used and their effects.
Compare and contrast 'Slough' and 'Belfast Confetti'. Comment on the poetic devices used and their effects. I am going to study two poems based on conflict. The first poem is "Belfast Confetti" by Ciarán Carson and the second poem is "Slough" written by John Betjeman. 'Belfast Confetti' From what I understand, Carson comes from an Irish background and possibly used to be a local reporter. His attitude to conflict is that he feels war and conflict is confusing, so by associating with something he understands he can relate to, for example: 'journalism', he uses punctuation to explain the confusion in the riot. Belfast Confetti is a poem, which is from when Carson was a journalist in Belfast. It is a bleak picture of modern society and it's about when he became stuck in the middle of a riot - It describes how Carson runs down alleys to escape but is always trapped. He compares the riot, an unknown experience, to journalism a familiar experience. This is done by metaphorically describing the explosions, gunfire, and thrown missiles, linking them to punctuation and he describes it and his feelings to the reader. Carson also experiences an explosion while in the riot and is unfortunately deeply affected by the explosion-he loses his sense of identity because of what happens and he feels confused and disorientated. The poet doesn't actually mention whether he thinks the
An Appreciation Of Rhythm
An Appreciation Of Rhythm This poem by Ian Crichton Smith is a poem about a boy who is sitting in a classroom feeling very frustrated. He begins to stare out beyond the classroom window and imagines where he wants to be. The poem is written in first person speech, as it begins with 'I'. The mood of the poem at the start is frustration 'I smack the ball right through the goals.' This is a very aggressive piece of text and you can really feel the boy's frustration and anger. The boy feels very misunderstood as he cant do his work and nobody can help him because they don't understand, 'But they dunno how the words get muddled in my head.' The writer uses school boy slang which makes you think a bit more about what the boy is trying to say and the different way he conveys his feelings. The boy begins to loose concentration on what he is doing and 'looks through the window' and sees a wall and begins to imagine what he really wants to do. The Poet then brings in a character, 'Old Jerry'. Old Jerry is the boys English teacher and the boy doesn't like Old Jerry because in real life Old Jerry knows that the boy isn't good at English. However when the boy uses his imagination he can make Old Jerry to be who ever the boy wants him to be. The boy imagines him playing Old Jerry at the boys speciality, football, 'Old Jerry he cant play, he's too flicking small.' He begins to insult Old
Comparison of Titles "The Field-Mouse""Cold Knap Lake" and "Catrin"
Comparison of Titles "The Field-Mouse" "Cold Knap Lake" and "Catrin" The poet Gillian Clark majority of the time uses innocuous sounding titles to engage the readers more for example; in "The Field Mouse", "Cold Knap Lake" and "Catrin" they all have similarities because they present the poems as being harmless, safe and not guilty through the poet's typical uses of innocuous sounding titles. However, instead of the poems following the sound of their titles as being out of harm's way, the poet's explore aggressive and disturbing subjects which will create the sense that this particular poem is like an inscription on a tombstone. Firstly, in the poem "The Field-Mouse" the title will deliberately mislead a reader who is new or unfamiliar with Gillian Clarke's use of boring not the most appealing title technique. On the other hand, those who have already interpreted Gillian Clarke's poems wouldn't be given the wrong impression or wouldn't be unaware about Gillian's uses of safe-sounding titles which is contrasted from the poem for example, in "The Field Mouse" the first line "Summer, and the long grass is a snare drum" appears peaceful but is a form of a play on word because the word "Snare", contains a double meaning because "snare" also means "trap" this also happens in the poem "Cold Knap Lake" and "Catrin". In addition, in the poem "Cold Knap Lake" personally gave me the
'The Eighteenth Emergency' - Look closely at the words used by Byars by analysing the words used in the quotes.
English Essay 'The Eighteenth Emergency' Target: Look closely at the words used by Byars by analysing the words used in the quotes. At the beginning of the novel 'The Eighteenth Emergency' Byars presents Mouse as being scared because Marv is after him. In the middle Byars describes encounters between Marv and Mouse in a way that creates tension. Later on in the novel Byars presents Mouse as beginning to change because he was only thumped in the mouth by Marv. At the end of the novel Mouse is shown to be bold and strong, and therefore Mouse is shown to change from being weak and minute in the world to being courageous and confident in himself. At the beginning of the novel Mouse is presented as being really scared and weak because Marv is after him. The text 'Some boys are going to kill me' shows that he is scared and exaggerating. Also 'He started thinking again about Marv Hammerman' is showing he is always thinking about him, which shows he is worried. 'He came up in his mind the way monsters do in horror movies, big and powerful with the same cold, unreal eyes.' This shows you what Mouse thinks Marv looks like, big and a person who doesn't care how scruffy he is, despite his power to frighten people. Monsters in horror movies tend to be strong, scary characters. 'Cold, unreal eyes' suggests that Marv Hammerman has no feelings which is
Touch with Fire Notes
Touch with Fire Notes Section E Mid-Term Break * The author is recalling an incident from his childhood. * In the first verse, given a hint of something wrong by the word 'Knelling' and the fact that he is taken out of school and driven home early. * His father is actually crying. * In the third verse, we have the contrast between the baby's innocently happy greeting and the old man's embarrassment. * Hints become stronger after third verse and worse. An ambulance, a corpse... * He's lying in a box = coffin. * The poet does not put it into words directly, but the mention of 'the bumper' tells us that the child, his brother was killed in a road accident. * The boy's age, final horrifying detail in the last line. " a four-foot box, a foot for every year" * The story told is through the eyes of the boy, bit by bit allowing the truth to reveal. * Tone restrain * Language plain * The poem is not a lament (to cry for) but it is deeply moving. Snake * The poem is set in Sicily, and the poet tells us how on a very hot day he went to fetch a drink and found that a snake was there before him drinking the water. * A poisonous snake * The poet believes that he should kill the snake but he cannot do so. Was it because the snake was quite? No harm? He was too cowardly? Drinking as if it was an invited guest? Or because he felt honors that such a creature should
Analysis of "Slough" by John Betjemen
Transfer-Encoding: chunked In Slough, Betjemen presents many ideas about his views on technological advancement. Most of these views are negative, and he comes off as being very cynical of the system, and also portrays a sort of violent hatred towards the industrialisation and rise of capitalism in Slough. However, he also seems to have some hope for the future. Initially, Betjemen uses lots of repetition of words such as ‘tinned’ to emphasise his views. The phrase ‘tinned mind, tinned breath’ could possible be used to suggest even the very things that make people human - such as the mind and the breath - have too become commercialised and artificial due to the growth of industry and capitalism in Slough. Furthermore, he compares mind and breath to ‘tinned milk, tinned beans’, which could possibly be used to symbolise how ‘mind and breath’ have lost all value or meaning.In addition, he refers to ‘peroxide hair’ and ‘synthetic air’. This could possibly be used by Betjemen to portray the artificial nature of modern living and how unnatural and superficial it is. This cynicism is emphasised by the way in which this poem makes use of lots of enjambment. This could possibly suggest that this poem is a sort of ‘rant’ by Betjemen, and that he releases all his views in a sort of ‘stream of consciousness’. Alternatively however, the fact that full
Compare and Contrast the Ways in Which the Two Poets Present Their Memories
Compare and Contrast the Ways in Which the Two Poets Present Their Memories "Parliament Hill Fields" and "I Remember, I Remember" are poems involving memories of the poets. They approach nostalgia in different ways, however, therefore producing contrasting results within the poems. In "I Remember, I Remember" the situation he is in forces the poet into his memories, whereas, in "Parliament Hill Fields", the poet is looking back of his own accord. This results in a difference between the moods of the poems, giving "I Remember, I Remember" a more resentful tone that comes from being forced into his memories by visiting his birthplace. This is ironic, as, the title suggests "I Remember"-a voluntary act, but the feeling given is that the poet does not want to remember these things. Also, the repetition in the title suggests a certain level of wistfulness that demonstrates yet more irony, as these are definitely not fond memories for the poet. The tones of the two poems contrast one another for the duration of the poems. "I Remember, I Remember" is a bitter poem, depicting the poet's unhappy memories of childhood or even his sour feelings towards his memories. These feelings were apparent at the start of the poem as Larkin travels "by a different line for once". The use of "for once" was not a necessary phrase in his description of the journey but insinuates that his childhood
Comparing ‘Slough’ with ‘Belfast Confetti’.
Comparing 'Slough' with 'Belfast Confetti' 'Belfast Confetti' is questioning violence with many rhetorical questions, whereas 'Slough' is calling for violence to level the city. "Why can't I escape?" he doesn't want to be a part of this action, "come friendly bombs, and blow to smithereens." He wants rid of Slough. Despite this both poets love their countries fiercely- John Betjeman wants to protect the country from unwelcome change like the staleness of Slough. Ciaran Carson has written many poems about troubles in Belfast. His tone on these topics is always of anger, disbelief and regret. In 'Slough' the writer instantly establishes that he despises what Slough has become. "Come friendly bombs", he would be grateful for Slough to be destroyed. Like the bombs would be doing him a favour. At the end of the poem it is clear that he still holds the same views, "The earth exhales." The world is rid of the parasite that dogs it at the heels. The phrase "friendly bombs" is an oxymoron. Bombs are tools of destruction and thus not friendly. Betjeman likes rural aspects; there is a lack of nature in Slough. Everything is manufactured and tinned, even the minds and breath of the inhabitants. Betjeman criticises people like landlords and factory owners, stereotypical capitalist. He dislikes these pigs because they are evil, they "wash... in women's tears" and "always cheat and
Compare the Content, Style and Techniques of an "Ode on the Death of a Favourite Cat" With That of "To a Mouse".
Name: Nick Claydon Title: Compare the Content, Style and Techniques of an "Ode on the Death of a Favourite Cat" With That of "To a Mouse" Category: Pre 20th Century Poetry Comparison Date: 26th January 2004 The two poems I am comparing; "Ode on the Death of a Favourite Cat" by Thomas Gray and "To a Mouse" by Robert Burns were both written in the eighteenth century, which makes it interesting to make a comparison of their content, style and techniques, to see how poems of the eighteenth century differ from each other. Both of the poems feature an animal as the main subject of the poem. In Gray's poem he has a house cat as the main focus of the poem whilst Burns dedicates his poem to a field mouse. Both these animals come to an unfortunate end. The cat due to curiosity "tumbled headlong" into "a tub of gold fishes" This supports the well known phrase "curiosity killed the cat" In the poem it refers to the cat as actually loosing 9 lives: "Eight times emerging from the flood She mew'd to ev'ry watry God". No one arrives to save her: "No Dolphin came, no Nereid stirr'd : Nor cruel Tom, nor Susan heared". The dolphin is included in the list of possible rescuers because it is a reference to the classical legend of the harpist, Arion, being saved by a dolphin which had been entranced by his music, much in the same way the cat wanted to be saved by someone who heard its
Compare and Contrast the Poetry of James Berry and John Betjeman, with particular reference to the Cultural Differences. Refer to at Least two Poems by each Poet
Compare and Contrast the Poetry of James Berry and John Betjeman, with particular reference to the Cultural Differences. Refer to at Least two Poems by each Poet James Berry's poems are written from the perspective of a lady named Lucy. Lucy moved to England because she had heard the streets were practically paved with gold there. She writes letters to her friend Leela in the form of poems. Lucy regrets her move to England in a lot of ways and finds it gloomy and cold. She misses Jamaica and doesn't really like London but she is too proud to admit that, so her letters also contain a number of positive yet vain sounding points about the advantages of living in England, such as, "An' doctors free." Lucy writes of how she has, "turned a battery hen," in the poem 'Lucy's Letters' because she feels trapped in London. She was used to a relaxed and friendly way of life in Jamaica so the culture in London came as a big shock to her. London is a lot bigger and much less friendly than Jamaica. In Jamaica everyone knows each other so Leela asked Lucy in a letter to her if she'd ever met the Queen. Lucy is used to the unspoilt beauty of the Jamaican scenery so London comes as a big change. She describes it to Leela as: "A parish Of a pasture-lan what Grown crisscross streets." In Jamaica Lucy could leave her door unlocked but write of how she can't do that in London: