The poem then continues with the protagonist trying to gain the astronomer’s attention, however this will only come when it is cloudy and they cannot see the stars as this is there priority. “…waiting for cloudy skies, for nights when constellations can’t be seen”. When this cloudy night opportunity arises she tries to regain power by dominating the men. She uses her sexuality to feel powerful and in control, therefore it makes no difference which of the astronomers it is. “She plucks this one or that among the astronomers,” the word “plucks” here sounds very seductive, instead of perhaps the word pick, pluck creates a more teased way of being chosen. Her power then is obtained when she begins sexual foreplay, “she sucks at earlobe, penis tongue mouthing the tubes of flesh;” Only then has she truly gained her power, using her sexuality as a weapon to put a male in the most vulnerable position, physically and mentally.
In both ‘Knife Play’ and ‘The Ex-Queen Among the Astronomers’ key similarities can be found that are typical of Fleur Adcock’s style. Both poems are written in the first person, with a dominant female voice. This means the reader only reads the female protagonist version. Also, both poems feature a regular four-line stanza length. This reflects the restriction theme featured in both poems, almost as if the protagonist does not have the power to adjust or vary. The structures in both are very formal and not open for change.
However, there is a difference in the rhyme scheme is different in the poems, in ‘Knife Play’ the second and fourth line in each stanza rhyme, however in ‘The Ex-Queen Among the Astronomers’ the first and last line in each stanza rhyme. With the first and fourth line rhyming it almost completes each stanza, leaving nothing open, as if each stanza was one section that then moved to the next section, a beginning to a rhyming ending. Where as in ‘Knife Play’ the second and fourth line rhyme leaving the poem open to flow from stanza to stanza a continuation of the story. Perhaps this is because ‘The Ex-Queen Among the Astronomers’ shows the sexual power struggle over a wider time, as she was wearing rings from a marriage years ago, so the protagonist is used to sexual powerful struggles, and is methodical in the stages she uses to achieve her power, as she knows how to act to attract male attention. Also, this protagonist’s power struggle is not with a current husband, or even one person as
‘She plucks this one or that among the astronomers,’ she does not care which male, she only cares that she will dominate and have the power.
Another feature of the structure that shows a difference in the flow is the use of enjambment between stanzas. In ‘Knife Play’ this is a key feature both in and between stanzas, keeping the poem continually running, not in separate parts. This use of enjambment disguises the regular rhythm and rhyme patterns. This helps the reader not be distracted by how well the words rhyme but keeping the interest continuing into the next stanza. As the structure reflects the restriction in both, perhaps the regular tight stanza structure is a representation of the scientific and precise astronomers in ‘The Ex-Queen Among the Astronomers’.
Language in both is very accessible, which means that anyone can read and interpret the poems. In both semantic fields are created in the theme of the poem, which creates very graphic ideas about power. Although the two expressions of power are very different. The semantic field in ‘Knife Play’ is one of abuse. Words such as ‘burn’, ‘razor marks’, ‘piercing’ and ‘cutting’. Which are very fierce and aggressive words that sum up the physical abuse this protagonist sustains. Where as the semantic field created in ‘The Ex-Queen Among the Astronomers’ is one of sexuality, which is used for the resurgence of female power. ‘she sucks at earlobe, penis, tongue mouthing the tubes of flesh;’ this is a very graphic and sexually charged style of writing; this sexuality is what this protagonist uses to gain power.
A similarity between these two Adcock poems is the way in which they are treated by the males dominating them. In “Knife Play” the female protagonist is treated cruelly throughout, however the way in which she describes her male abuser treating her is as if she is a piece of meat. “Carving and dissecting motives,” As these actions are what humans do to meat the reader is noticing this is how he treats the protagonist. The way in which the protagonist is seen by her male dominator can be noticed in “The Ex-Queen Among the Astronomers”. However instead of the male seeing the protagonist as a piece of meat he thought of her as a trophy wife, “…she walks as she was taught to walk for his approval, years ago.” She walked for a male’s approval this must be a reflection of the power he must have had over her and this is why later she is so desperate for power. However, the fact that she is still walking as she had been taught proves he still is dominating her and she has not really gained independence.
In both of these poems key themes can be found. The poems focus around the power of women and domination this then brings into reflection a question of identity. In ‘The Ex-Queen Among the Astronomers’ this comes in the form of a woman who had previously had power, as a queen, but is now ignored by men and so uses her sexuality to regain her power over men. “…swishing among the men of science…” The word swishing gives the impression of the protagonist trying to attract attention by parading herself to them. Where as the protagonist in ‘Knife Play’ has a power struggle with her abusive husband, but does not use her sexuality to recover power, but comes to a point of realisation about the relationship and uses her own will power to regain the power. “I have found some kind of favour:” She has found strength and power from herself, without having to use her sexuality.
The different stages in power are reflected in both of the poems through tonal shifts. Tonal shifts are the changes from one part of a subject to another, and in these poems tonal shifts change the power. In “The Ex-Queen Among the Astronomers” a tonal shift comes in the form of writing “they”, in terms of the astronomers to “she”. This is an example of the subject of who the poet is writing about, it changes to the protagonist. This is the same throughout “Knife Play” the protagonist is not noted as an individual noticeably until after the tonal shift when she gains her own identity. The beginning focusing on the male abuser, “you”, “we”, “your”, later after the tonal shift “I” is repeatedly used, even in sentences that everyday it would not be, perhaps the repetition is a signal that the protagonist is perhaps proud or inspired when she realises her self belief in an individual identity.
The poems both have detailed descriptions that create semantic fields. Also, the semantic fields and descriptions both change from one theme to a different one in both poems. “The Ex-Queen Among the Astronomers” begins with a description of astronomy, space and stars. “They serve revolving saucer eyes, dishes of stars;” however when the skies cloud over the tone and description shifts to a sexual steamy power. The protagonist takes the chance to use her feminine sexuality as dominance over men. “she seeks terrestrial bodies to bestride.” This is a sentence including both different topics in the poem. “terrestrial” keeping in with the space them as extra-terrestrials are aliens; the poet could have said she wanted a man. Also, she wants a man to “bestride”; this is a very dominant gesture. A woman sitting on top of a male, with her legs wrapped each side, trapping him face to face. Giving the protagonist the power and eye contact that is very intense and over powering.
The different semantic fields and tone in “Knife Play” are a beginning with abuse from a male, to the defence and war imagery of the female in retaliation. It begins with an abusive tone, which is the suffering the protagonist has suffered, “Inaccessible pain than could have been Caused by cigarette or razor-”. “Inaccessible” being a very important word, as the pain was not only physical (scars), but also mental, the mental pain that would remain. However, later after the protagonist realises her abuse, the tone changes to battle and war, as she has to defend herself against attack. “I can pull out, whet and polish Your weapons, and return the attack,” she explains that any weapons he attacks her with will only make her more determined to beat him.
“The Ex-Queen Among the Astronomers” and “Knife Play” both feature, what could be interpreted as marriage. The importance of this being both the discussions of marriage are male dominated. In “Knife Play” this suspected discussion of marriage is in the first stanza, “We talk of pledges, And holding out my hand I show The faint burn on the palm and the hair-thin Razor-marks at wrist and elbow:” In the place of where a wedding ring should be and the love and trust it symbolises, instead there are the scars of which he has given her.
Marriage in “The Ex-Queen Among the Astronomers” comes in the form of “She wears the rings he let her keep;” This line is very revealing of the relationship the protagonist was previously in. The word “let” being very telling, she needed permission to keep the rings, even though the relationship would have been finished when this was a problem. Therefore this is another way in which this male still has control over this female protagonist, making it different to the abused protagonist in “Knife Play.”
The resurgence of female power is the focus for these two poems. However, the ways in which the two protagonists achieve this resurgence is reflected in the imagery and language used.
In “Knife Play” the role reversal of the abused female and the male abuser mean the language is also changed. “I, by your example, Am well-schooled in contempt:” This shows how as the poem and relationship continues the female becomes transformed into defence by the example of the male. Language changes from being of pain and abuse, to war and defence. The language is then following the tone of the poem.
In the resurgence of power in this poem language becomes about war and defence, against the attack the protagonist has been bearing from the male abuser. Perhaps the most effective example would be the female vowing how she would fight until death, it would be a victory at a heavy price. “And, bleeding as I am from old wounds, Die like the bee upon a sting.” This simile is a very effective way of describing the length of self-sacrifice she would be prepared to go to. This would be a bee dying by its own defence, just as she would die in her own battle.
The language used reflects the imagery. For example, the imagery of abuse created by the language used in “Knife Play” is vital to the expression of feeling. The imagery used in the resurgence of power gives examples of the relationship. For example, the way in which it is seen as a dangerous game, with the possibility of hit and miss daggers. “Oh I could dance And dodge, as often as not, the whistling blades, Turning on a brave performance”. This imagery shows the reader that the relationship was a show and that the protagonist had to dodge things hurting her, perhaps physically and mentally, or perhaps accusations.
Sexual imagery is used in “The Ex-Queen Among the Astronomers” in the expression of the resurgence of female power. The ways in which the female is being described as being on top of his body and being the only thing I his eye line is an example of domineering imagery, such as the woman on top, therefore controlling movement. “and is become his canopy, his occultation;” The sexual imagery of foreplay is how the female has regained her power, the imagery is very graphic and almost dominating in itself of the reader. It grabs the reader’s attention and dominates the focus of the poem.
In the presentation of imagery in this poem language is used to create imagery. Words such as “penis” and “tongue” are the words that grab the attention of the reader, they help to create intriguing imagery.
