english lit poetry

Themes 

• Pain - the literal pain of the nettles or the physical pain of the grievances of life that you aren't aware of during childhood
• Family - the narrator knows he can't protect his son forever

Devices

• Extended Military Metaphor - The pain of life is relentless and efficient like an army?
• Alliteration- Blisters beaded' deadening sound of pain

Poem shows that throughout life danger will always keep coming and that nothing can be done because nettles will continue to grow back. It also shows that nature can be hostile. Compare with MANHUNT OR PRAISE SONGS FOR MY MOTHER

Themes 

• Relationships- The relationship between the well wisher(narrator) and baby
• Honesty- claims honestly what he would like the girl to grow up to be
• Women- challenges social conceptions of women

Devices

• metaphor 'tightly folded bud' shows the girl is protected from the world because shes not born yet and has lots of potential
• paradox- 'an average of talents' is this possible?

narrator claims he wants the daughter to be 'dull' and claims its a good thing and you can be happy being dull. there will be nothing to bring her off balance and nothing that she has to live up to. why should she have to feel this way? COMPARE WITH FARMERS BRIDE

Themes

• love- about how she loves somebody and how love works
• Mortality- determind to carry love on beyond grave if god will let her

Devices

• Rhetorical question - 'how do i love thee' why is it how not 'why' or 'when'
• Metaphor - 'depth and beauty and height' sees the physical factors have to effect on loving someone

the sonnets differ because in this one the narrator seems to be asking the question how does love work? where as in sonnet 116 skakespeare is stating what love is COMPARE WITH SONNET 116

Themes 

• love/lust - the male claims he in in love with the woman
• time- the male is stating that life is short and time is running out so they should live it whilst they can

Devices

• Rhyming couplets- give the sense of rush to have sex
• stanzas - the stanzas are split into 3, first charm, then anger and then becomes sarcastic and offensive as if the poem was written over time

about a man who wants to take a woman's virginity but she isn't sure, claims their time is short and ends up becoming frustrated with her, COMPARE WITH IN PARIS WITH YOU

Themes

• violence/weapon - many connotations of guns and weapons 
• heartbreak- man ending the relationship and woman left in pieces
• trust- no trust in relationship 

devices  

• metaphors - 'trigger of my tongue' attemps to inflict pain.. doesn't work
• structure - poem laid out in shape of a gun
• repitition- 'and this' shows he keeps hurting her and she can't take anymore

woman on recieving end of break up and possible affair angry and helpless as she continues to get hurt by the texts COMPARE WITH MANHUNT OR IN PARIS WITH YOU

Themes 

• unattainable love - can't be with the man she loves
• waiting - for thhe moment when he decides she's the one
• enchantment  - the mans love enchants her and she's happy to love him without the love bing returned

Devices

• stanza end in  me - wants the man to want her?
• metaphorical  violence - the fact she cannot have him hurts her

about a woman who loves a man but cannot experience his love and it can't be returned to her. she adresses him almost trying to pursuade him that they could be perf together ' i am the laurel leaf in your crown' compare with quickdraw