How the narrator is portrayed in "Nettles" by Vernon Scannell.

The narrator uses an imagery of the war showing that “nettles” are the enemies describing them as “blisters beaded” it’s alliteration using heavy “b” to show how harmful the pain is to carry for an young child “his tender skin” shows that his son is soft and slender, the a connotations of war contrast with his son innocence and the fierce nettles.

“we smoothed him” he has an experience to treat people injuries as he was in the military .He feels so angry and thinking about taking revenge from the nettles and to get rid of them, that’s why he “slashed them in fury” it sounds like an action, it’s onomatopoeia, he is so violent and upset, it gives a reference of conflict and violence. He described them as “fierce parade “is a personification and it’s really a harsh description of the nettles to show that the nettles are soldiers in a fierce war.

He is still furious at the nettles; he tries to eradicate them completely. “Fallen dead” it’s personification to the consequences of the war and that there is always one winner at the end, he also hates “Sun and rain” as they provide the nettles with food and light and they’re “busy” it’s a personification that they are busy on feeding the nettles and backing them up at fighting. “Tall recruits” it’s a metaphor to give us the imagery of a fierce war.

I think the narrator is a really traditional father because he cares too much about his son more than normal “slashed in fury” his response was abnormal. I think that’s what any father would do in our generation, The poet has lost two children and that’s why he is influenced of his feelings, that’s also why we can see how he is angry. He says “my son” shows ownership and responsibility “I took” uses first person narrator to show his anger and I think that he is not succeed with this because his son is not safe now because he even knows   that the nettles will grow back again , so he is not feeling comfort  about his son future .”My son would often feel sharp wounds again “it’s a metaphor reminds that it will be a memory for the child every time he sees them. The father is still worried about his son future because nettles will come back and war might start again.