Poison tree

Structure

1. Blake uses an AABB rhyme scheme, which allows his more complex ideas to be
foregrounde

2. Anaphora “and” mirrors the growth of the speaker’s anger.

3. Meter
Blake uses two types of meter in the poem:

 ●  Trochaic trimeter - three stressed syllables in each line, each followed by an unstressed
syllable.
 ●  Iambic tetrameter - four unstressed syllables, each followed by a stressed one
(traditionally used in English ballads).

He alternates between the two types, using trochaic trimeter in the first line and iambic
tetrameter in the second:

The Apple

Blake uses the apple as a manifestation of the repressed anger that the speaker is experiencing.
He allows us to empathise with the speaker’s foe however, as he uses a semantic field of beauty
when describing its appearance. The adjectives “bright” and “shine” appear at the end of their
respective stanzas which draw attention to its allure. This causes the reader to understand the foe’s
temptation which means they can sympathise with his character.

The Garden
This symbol may reference the speaker’s literal and therefore physical garden, however it may also be
a metaphorical representation of the speaker’s mind. This interpretation is supported by the
fact that the speaker’s anger grew into a tree which presents the idea that their thoughts and
emotions manifest within their metaphorical garden.

The Tree

Blake subverts common tropes surrounding natural imagery within the poem which creates a
sinister tone. This is seen most notably through the symbolism of the tree, which is often used
in literature to symbolise growth and life. Blake chooses to subvert this trope, however as the
speaker watered the tree with their juxtaposing “fears”.
The theme of religion is introduced from the offset of the poem through Blake’s references to the
speaker’s “wrath”, as this was a term often used to describe the anger of God in the Old Testament.

“'And I water'd it in fears./ Night and morning with my tears' “

“ And it grew both day and night,/ Till it bore an apple bright “

Cousin Kate

Structure

Iambic Meter
The lines are written in pairs of unstressed then stressed syllables

Oxymorons are used to demonstrate the complex situation and how the speaker has a tricky time
deciding how to cope with her emotions. For example, the oxymoronic phrase “my shame, my
pride”, used to describe her son shows how she finds it hard to decide how she feels about her baby.
On one hand, she is ashamed of her situation in society as a ‘fallen woman’ because she is a single
mother, but she is also happy that she bares the nobleman’s son whereas Kate cannot.

Another oxymoron Rossetti employs is the phrase “shameless shameful life”, which implies a
differing opinion from the speaker on her relationship with the Lord and society’s perspective of their
relationship

“ changed me like a glove”

Verbs
Rossetti uses passive verbs to describe the speaker and Cousin Kate in order to comment on the
powerlessness experienced by Victorian woman. This compares to the active verbs used to
describe the nobleman’s behaviour such as “He wore me”, “He saw me”, “He chose you” and
“He watched your steps”.

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Half-caste

The poem begins with a three line stanza to emphatically introduce the topic of the poem, it also
ends with a three line stanza, creating the sense that the speaker has found some sort of resolution in
the process of writing the poem.

Much of the language used is contrasting. The juxtaposition between “light an

This repetition of “whole” contrasts with the ending “half”. This serves to conclude the poem with the sentiment
that the speaker is sufficient as he is

Agard uses Caribbean dialect throughout to highlight this aspect of his heritage.

“yu mean when Picasso mixed red and green”

“black key, white key”

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Catrin

2 clean stanzas

Enjambment
The enjambment used by Clarke throughout the poem reflects the changing dynamic in relationships
between mother and child as time passes and the child grows up. In the case of lines such as:

“hot white room”

“the red rope of love”

“ still im fighting you off”

“our struggle”

As you ask mai I skate In the dark for one more hour

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poppies

There is no rhyme scheme or meter as well as a lot of variety in stanza length. This shows that these
are the speakers uncensored thoughts through which she desperately tries to make sense of the
situation.

Weir’s use of free verse also creates the impression of the poem being an outpouring of
emotion or a stream of consciousness which is common in modern poetry. The chaotic
structure of the poem reflects the narrator’s lack of control over her emotions as well as the events
she has endured and shows that they chaos created by war is much further reaching than the
battlefield.

The poem takes the form of a dramatic monologue. The speaker uses a second person
narrative to directly address their son however, he never replies, implying that he is no longer there
which creates a sense of death and loss. This form serves to focus the listener on the mother

Weir interweaves domestic imagery with violent military metaphors throughout the poem.
This is evident when the speaker describes leaving the house “without a winter coat or
reinforcements of scarf, gloves”. The lack of protection from the cold shows how violence has
left a mark on all parts of her everyday life. This could also imply that she feels she needs
reinforcement to face seeing the memorial for her son as it is still difficult to face the reality of her
situ

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Suffering
The use of enjambment between stanzas in “all my words flattened, rolled, turned into
felt // slowly melting” breaks the structure of the poem to correspond with the mother emotionally
breaking. Hints of the mother’s suffering are heard throughout the poem as she is repeatedly assaulted
by painful memories.

Poppies catrin comparison

1. Popies no rhyme scheme or meter as well as a lot of variety in stanza length to show messy
thoughts - trauma / catrin two clear stanzas separating before and after

2. Emotional conflict of a loss leeting go – catrin : conflict of giving birth watching a baby grow

3. The enjambment used by Clarke throughout the poem reflects the changing dynamic in
relationships between mother and child as time passes and the child grows up. - Weir’s use of
enjambment is seen in “rolled, turned into felt // slowly melting” which gives the
sentences a fragmented feeling. This alludes to the narrator having to grasp at incomplete
memories

4. Poppies narrator brave throughout carrying on with her daily life despite what she is
suffering. The narrator is also brave because despite her fear of losing her son to war, she still
lets him go. Catrin normal question “ may I skate in the dark more hour”

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 5. Weir interweaves domestic imagery with violent military metaphors throughout the
poem. This is evident when the speaker describes leaving the house “without a winter
coat or reinforcements of scarf, gloves”. The lack of protection from the cold shows
how violence has left a mark on all parts of her everyday life metaphotr catrin red rope

“hoping to hear your voice”

“without a inter coat”

“played the little ezkimos”

“I was brave”

What where they like