Work Anthology

Subject - based on a friend's experience of watching a reaper in a field. shows the comforting and rthymic nature of work. idealised view of work and rural life which reflects pastoral tradition - lack of appreciation for pain and suffering of manual labour.

Tone - ignorance towards the work. simplistic attitude which focus on what he gains from watching her and how it enriches him.

L/F/S - neat and simple. four regular stanzas reflects organised structure of working day, regular rhyme scheme = song like, lyrical ballad, suggests harmony with the work. iambic tetrameter = upbeat rhythm that mirrors the action of reaping, conveys positive cycle of work in its harmonious and natural setting. imagery to describe works actions - "cuts and binds" - appears restricted and confining. imagery of songs melody suggests spiritual liberation within work. semantic field of nature - "arabian sands", "cuckoos", "seas" = hyperbolic, comparing reaper's song to exotic birds and landscapes.

Subject
- strong division between two social classes
- compares manual labour of a black maid with luxurious lifestyles of u/c white women

Tone
- mocking tone that teases u/c women for their airs and graces "they drop excretement as daintily as handkerchiefs"
- hardships of work using sensory image "alive with perspiration
- but a positive mood through maid's sparky and rebellious persona

L/F/S
- irregular stanzas - reflect maid's care-free nature
- language creates an exotic atmosphere
- exotic names "Beulah" "Evening of Paris"
- contrast between maid's intimate duties "the iron shoves gently into a gusset" oxymoron