Aim: to revise poems for

Literature exam
Using the images you have been
given:
Paste into your book and for each
one put in your own words:
Theme, Language, Structure, Tone
and Message
 •Poem : Before you were mine
CAROL ANN DUFFY •
•Theme : Parental responsibility
•Language : Informal
(conversational), colloquial
(slang), similes (like or as),
metaphor (one image for another),
onomatopoeia (sounds like a
sound), alliteration (use of the
same letter)
•Structure : Enjambement makes
it conversational. 4 stanzas, 5
lines each
•Tone : Reflective, thoughtful,
tinged with regret that she did
not know her mother at the time
when she was so young and happy
•Message : The responsibility
that comes with parenthood is at
the price of youth and fun.
CAROL ANN DUFFY • Poem: Havisham
•
• Theme: Love, hate,
revenge, violence
• Language: Monologue,
oxymoron (contradictory
images), metaphor,
colour imagery, rhetorical
question, negative sexual
imagery, violent verbs
• Structure: 4 stanzas 4
lines each, one word
sentences for impact,
enjambement to show
thoughts running
together, hyphenated
words,
• Tone: resentful, sad, heart-
broken, vengeful
SIMON ARMITAGE
• Poem: Mother, any distance
•
• Theme: parent and child
relationship
• Language: monlogue spoken
to his mother, informal,
references to distance,
extended metaphor of tape/
kite string/ umbilical cord/
unbreakable connection
• Structure: 3 stanzas, mixture
of full rhyme and half rhyme,
assonance, one word
sentences for impact,
alliteration, enjambement to
add to conversational aspect
• Tone: appealing to her, like a
letter about his feelings
• Message: It is difficult for
parents to let go of their
children and allow them their
independence, however
 • Poem: Hitcher
SIMON ARMITAGE
•
• Theme: Violence, anti-social
behaviour, disaffectedness,
disempowerment
• Language: Monologue,
Informal, colloquial,
conversational, quoting Bob
Dylan song
• Structure: 5 stanzas, 5 lines
each, enjambement to add
to conversational aspect,
mixture of full rhyme, half
rhyme, assonance. Contrast
with rhyme and structure,
rhyme suggests control and
structure suggests outwardly
‘normal’ while inwardly
unstable.
• Tone: flippant, mocking
• Message: those who are
disaffected and rejected or
ignored by society will feel
PRE - 1914
• Poem: The Laboratory
•
• Theme: Revenge, Murder,
Jealousy
• Language: classical,
formal, monologue that is
one half of a dialogue
(speaking to the
apothecary) metaphor,
alliteration, colour,
adjectives, violent verbs
• Structure: Full rhyme and
jaunty rhythm to show
excitement, a spell-like
quality.
• Tone: Joyful, excited,
passionate
• Message: The lengths a
spurned woman will be
PRE - 1914
• Poem: The Man He Killed
•
• Theme: The futility of war
• Language: Classical “Had
he” with colloqiualisms
gives conversational tone
• Structure: Monologue, full
rhyme gives impression
of clarity of mind
however the use of
dashes and one line in
every four being off to
the left shows doubt and
state of mind.
• Tone: Reflective,
contemplative,
thoughtful
• Message: War is a
pointless waste of human
PRE - 1914
• Poem: Song of the old
mother
•
• Theme: The cyclical
(circular) nature of life,
getting old is natural
• Language: monologue,
classical, formal, lots of
verbs to reflect work,
extended metaphor of
fire= life
• Structure: 10 lines single
stanza full rhyme and
rhythm that gives the
sing-song effect (it is
called a song)
• Tone: resigned, accepting,
matter-of-fact
• Message: Getting old is
PRE - 1914
• Poem: Sonnet 130
•
• Theme: True love and
how to express it
• Language: Classical,
formal, defies
conventions of love
poetry
• Structure: classic
Shakespearian sonnet:
14 lines abab structure
with rhyming couplets
at the end
• Tone: Statement of fact,
direct and
unemotional, mocking
the other poets
• Message: True love is