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100 Greatest Poems Ever Written
 

Unseen Poems

Exam Poetry Question

‘Sleep’ (Slesssor)  and planning notes for the exam question

‘For Nicholas, One Year Old’ (Strauss) and sample essay

'A Walk on the Beach' - Sample essay 1 and Sample essay 2

 

Exam Poetry Question

Write a critical commentary on the relationship between form and content in ONE of the following poems.  Show also how features such as  imagery, diction, structure and tone contribute to the meaning of the poem you select.

Activity 1 – ‘Sleep’

Read ‘Sleep’, then plan an exam answer.  Add to your notes from the planning notes which follow.

Sleep

Do you give yourself to me utterly,

  Body and no-body, flesh and no-flesh,

Not as a fugitive, blindly or bitterly,

  But as a child might, with not other wish?

Yes, utterly.

 

Then I shall bear you down my esturary,

Carry you and ferry you to burial mysteriously,

Take you and receive you,

Consume you, engulf you,

In the huge cave, my belly, lave you

With huger wave continually.

 

And you shall cling and clamber there

And slumber there, in that dumb chamber,

Beat with my blood’s beat, hear my heart move

Blindly in bones that ride above you,

Delve in my flesh, dissolved and bedded,

Through viewless valves embodied so –

 

Till daylight, the expulsion and awakening,

  The riving and the driving forth,

Life with remorseless forceps beckoning –

  Pangs and betrayal of harsh birth.

 

Planning notes

What is poem about? – Sleep

Purpose of poem? – To show sleep as a complete surrender and a return to the unconsciousness of an unborn child in its mother’s body.  An escape from the harshness of being awake. The poem concludes with a sense of pain and loss with the return to consciousness and being awake.

Achieved chiefly by?  Sound especially contrasts in rhythm and repetition of sounds and half-rhymes; point of view; personification

Form related to content/structure

Four stanzas of varying length – those describing going to sleep and being asleep the longer two – Slessor emphasising the comparative peace, serenity and importance of that state.

Tone

Hypnotic, calming in first three stanzas

Harsh, cold, terrifying in last stanza.

Imagery

First stanza – apostrophe to sleep ie a speech addressed to a person, idea or thing 

Second stanza – image of going to sleep like being taken down a river and then into the womb – image of protective motherhood.

Third stanza – can almost hear the sound of heartbeats in the first two lines

Simile – “as a child might”

Personification – “in that dumb chamber”

Metaphor – “Life with remorseless forceps beckoning” – awaking from sleep compared to the forceful separation of mother and child and child entering a very harsh world

Sound and rhythm

Slessor described this poem as an “experiment in the narcotic effect of the repetition of certain consonant structures and vowel sounds.”

Gentle and unobtrusive rhythm of first stanza

Steady, hypnotic rhythm of second and third stanzas – suggestion of waves advancing and retreating. Achieved by repetition of ‘you’

Steady, harsh, driving rhythm of final stanza – assonance of harsh ‘a’ and repetition of ‘i’, together with insistence of half-rhymes.

The contrast in rhythm shows the contrast between sleep as a sanctuary and the harsh world one faces with inevitable reawakening.

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Activity 2 – ‘For Nicholas, One Year Old’

Read the following poem, and then the sample essay which follows it.  Draw up an plan for the essay.

For Nicholas, One Year Old

Across my shining table top,

Engulfing vegemite and honey,

Wholemeal crusts, squeezed orange rinds,

And other remnants of a balanced breakfast,

The morning paper

Spills its daily due

Of blood and bastardry—

The Hand is Firm on the Trigger

The Doves are Plucked

Starved Bellies Swell

The Markets Rise.

I bundle up the rubbish savagely

Thrust all from sight into the pedal bin

And flee towards your comfort.

For in your nursery

Sunlight rides buoyant

On golden horses dancing at the window,

Clutching at them, your laughter shakes the cot,

Breaks like a benediction* on the day,

Compelling my response.

Though wide awake, the smell of sleepy warmth

Dwells in your wisps of hair

So fine they drift aside beneath my breath

To show the sculpted curving of the skull—

 

How shall I ever brace my heart to bear

This eggshell burden of delight?

Dark in the quiet pulsing of your blood

I hear the jackboots thud the wild world over.

 

 

     Jennifer Strauss

     (1933 –        )

 

 

*benediction – a blessing

 

Sample answer (I have edited it slightly – Lyn)

Jennifer Strauss’s “For Nicholas, One Year Old” effectively portrays the contrast between the adult world and the infant world through use of clever stylistic devices and contrasting diction.

The poem is in free verse.  This is appropriate to the subject matter as it allows the poet to change her rhythm, pace and line length as she looks at two contrasting worlds. When describing the content of the newspaper, for example, she uses headlines such as “The Hand is Firm on the Trigger”.  By indenting the headlines and giving each its own line, Strauss creates a confronting image – both of the newspaper and the world outside the nursery.  The separation and indentation of the last stanza emphasises the mother’s love for her baby and her fear for it in the future.  The first and main stanza presents the contrast between the harsh adult world which threatens to intrude on the peaceful and joyous infant world.  The final stanza shows that the outside world will inevitably intrude and effect the innocence and naïve world of the nursery. 

Straus uses effective imagery to enhance her description and emphasis the contrast between the two worlds presented.  The poem’s opening image is one of routine.  The listing of the breakfast components reminds the reader of a routine, structured, often repeated event.  Strauss’s first really confronting image is a description of the newspaper which “Spills its daily due/Of blood and bastardry.” This image is harsh and severe and indicates resentment of the adult world. The use of the work “spills” creates an image of mess: the newspaper is a symbol of the pollution of the adult world.

The imagery used to describe the baby’s world is highly effective:

Sunlight rides buoyant

On golden horses dancing at the window

This is a beautiful description of the magic and pleasure of the child’s world – a stark contrast to the messy and harsh description of the adult world. The lines have a faster pace and a dancing rhythm and again contrast to the previous lines.  The nursery is a sanctuary.  The description of the child’s laughter as a “benediction” show the power the child has to create happiness and draw a response of love from the mother. In describing how the mother feels about her baby, the poet uses imagery appealing to various senses: there is “the smell of sleepy warmth”.  The alliteration in this phrase appeals because of its soft sound and reminds the reader of the quiet, gentle, passive world of the baby.

The tone varies throughout the poem.  The tone of harshness and resentment in the first part of the poem is created by the negative imagery and the harsh diction.  Words such “squeezed”, “engulfing”, “spills” and “bastardy” describe the negative, unappealing attributes of the world.  In the three lines following the headlines there is a change in tone.  It is now one of anger, almost desperation – the poet is trying to escape. Words such as “thrust”, “flee” and “savagely” indicate the rush and desperate anger.  In the final stanza there is a contrast to the vicious feeling and the fast pace as the tone eases into the beautiful and magical imagery of the nursery. The baby is described as an “eggshell burden”, this oxymoron summing up beautifully the protective, positive, overwhelming feelings the mother has towards her infant. The feeling is one of relief, pleasure, wonder and comfort tinged by a nameless and undefined fear.  In the final two lines the worries of the adult world intrude into the sanctuary of the nursery.  The tone is one of concern for the future. This concern is emphasised by the repetition of harsh consonants and the insistent rhythm (almost like a drum beat or marching feet) in the final line.  

Throughout “For Nicholas, One Year Old” Strauss uses form, structure and contrast in imagery and diction to contrast, evaluate and describe the world of the adult and the infant.  

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'A Walk on the Beach'

Sample answer written under exam conditions

 'A Walk on the Beach' is essentially looking at the price paid for freedom.  The simple walk along a beach is coupled with the trampling of millions of crabs. It deals with the notion that some people continue through life taking freedom for granted whilst others suffer and sacrifice to pay for theirs. Scott uses imagery, diction, structure and tone to develop a relationship between form and content.

 The imagery is suggestive and beautifully contrasts the luxury of freedom with the brutality of oppression.  Descriptions of the beach are pleasant: "the pale, flickering margin of the sea".  Images such as these create an atmosphere associated with freedom.  The air is perceived as "soft", an image which is comforting and not threatening.

 The imagery used to capture the "simple freedom" of a stroll along a beach is juxtaposed with the images surrounding the price which has to be paid.  The image of crabs is used to represent the human population which suffers in order to give others freedom.  At the beginning of the poem, the crabs are "scattered like seed/over miles of puddled sand."  This negative image portrays the crabs as meaningless masses with no individual worth.  They are "scattered", a harsh work which has negative connotations; they have no sense of place.  The sand is "puddled", an image which is not pleasant, thus representing the dreadful conditions people survive in.

The final lines of the poem are a prominent example of the juxtaposition of negative and positive imagery:

" …  Let's smile in each other's eyes
as the crabs writhe and splinter underfoot
in the long, murderous barrage of our tread."

The first image is of the human's freedom; they smile and are happy.  This is immediately contrasted with the crabs' sacrifice.  They "writhe" and "splinter" as they are trodden on.  The effortless destruction of the crabs represents those who live with freedom, taking those who sacrifice for granted.  The poem recognises this, describing the life of freedom as a "long, murderous barrage", with the crabs serving as a metaphor for the people who die for others.

 There are many examples of effective diction in 'A Walk on the Beach'.  The noise of thongs is depicted as "scuff and flap", two words which create a sound of thongs.  The poet's choice of words is also effective in capturing the tone of the poem.

The tone changes throughout the poem, however.  When comparing the simple freedom of walking along a beach with the hardships endured to be able to do so, the tone verges on mockery.  The people walk along the beach in their "tee-shirts from Taiwan" "swinging … [their] woven Filipino beach-bag".  The word "swinging" is prominent and captures how the people take their freedom for granted.  That the articles depicted are from "Taiwan" and the Philippines is also significant.  These garments are used without recognition for those who slaved to produce them.

The irony of the poem is that although the people walking along the beach are aware of others who suffer, they are able to continue regardless and simply not think about them.  It is simply a matter of "don't talk today … not today, let's walk in the soft air".  Those who experience freedom have the ability to be complacent.

Tone and diction are effective in capturing the complacency of those who have freedom.  They "stroll" along the beach "leisured" and "well-fed", adjectives which depict their lifestyle.  They are unhurried and have no pressure or hardships.  This is captured in the clever use of diction.

The structure is of one unbroken stanza with run-on lines and no obvious separations.  The structure allows a close combination of freedom and oppression and because there is only one stanza, the close relationship between the two elements is emphasised.  The run-on lines capture freedom and the price that is paid for it.  This device reflects how freedom and deprivation work in unison.

The crab metaphor is used structurally as a linking device which gives the poem a sense of a true beginning and ending.  The crabs open and close the poem, suggestive of the notion that the suffering of millions of people is perpetual, that the fight for justice is a long one with no obvious conclusion.

The poem 'A Walk on the Beach' is essentially a comparison between those who live with freedom, and those who live to give others freedom.  Tone, diction, structure and imagery are all used effectively to reinforce the contrast between the horrific nature of oppression and the luxury of freedom and how easily people take it for granted.

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'A Walk on the Beach'

A second sample answer written under exam conditions

Margaret Scott's 'A Walk on the Beach' masterfully describes a paradox that is crucial to our time.  Through evocative imagery and clever description, Scott contrasts two worlds and presents a significant and moving message.

The form of the poem is free verse with extensive use of enjambment.  This form allows Scott to create a rhythm appropriate to her subject matter.  The effect of the run-on lines is that the poem flows and maintains a flowing rhythm.  This assists in the presentation of a tranquil beach, as it reflects the movement of the sea.  However, Scott cleverly uses enjambment to achieve an opposite effect as the poem continues.  As the tone of the poem changes, the poet uses punctuation to crate a harsh and disjointed sound.  The run-on lines here create a rhythm that reflects a change in matter: Scott is now dealing with an uncomfortable, disconcerting issue.  This is particularly noticeable in the line:

"we could never stroll, leisured, well-fed,
in our … "

Scott punctuates the end of the line to interrupt the flowing rhythm and thereby alter the effect of the words.

 Throughout 'A Walk on the Beach' the form of free verse and in particular the use of enjambment allows Scott to create a rhythm which reflects her subject matter.  Through punctuation, Scott alters this rhythm as her matter changes.

The poem's structure is very effective.  It begins with a description of the beach, and the scene is set vividly in the mind of the audience.  The poet creates a highly effective setting before the tone changes dramatically, and a dampener is put on the beautiful, tranquil scene.  This negative issue is quickly put out of the reader's mind as they return to the setting of the beach, before the final image again suggests something negative.  Through this structure, the poet presents a message about people.  The structure of the poem reflects the thoughts of human beings.  We enjoy our luxuries, and are aware of people who are suffering, but we say "don't talk today" of the problems, and they are never solved.  We return to our wold of tranquility and end up, as the final line of the poem states, murderers.  By enjoying our luxuries and forcing our consciences away, we are not solving problems, and this process in many human beings is reflected in the structure of 'A Walk on the Beach'.

 'A Walk on the Beach' evokes vivid images for the audience, and the poet creates beautiful descriptions.  Important to these descriptions is the poet's use of imagery.  Scott uses similes to combine her message with description:

 "my blood will rise to meet you like a wave".

 This simile combines the images of the poet's love for her companion, as well as the images of the beach.  Comparing aspects of her love to aspects of the sea assists Scott in the creation of a tranquil beach atmosphere.

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