GCSE English Paper 2 Revision (6)

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Night Of The Scorpion

  • What is the poem about?
  • about the night the poet's mother was stung by a scorpion
  • shows the contrast in people's reactions
  • written in 1st person - autobiographical
  • What do I need to know about the poet?
  • Born in Bombay
  • saw Hindu practices around him.
  • they believed in cleansing the sin - this is what the mother tries to do in the poem, ready for when she is reincarnated.
  • What poetic features are noteworthy?
  • "rice" and "dark room" and "mud-baked walls" - shows it was in a poor part of India.
  • "diabolic tail" - the scorpion represents the devil.
  • "the peasants came like swarms of flies" - makes the villagers seem panicky and illogical.
  • "they clicked their tongues" - they are not trying very hard to find the scorpion.
  • "may" is repeated at the start of some of the lines - sounds like they are praying - makes it seem unthinking.
  • "previous birth" and "next birth" - the peasants think she will be reincarnated. 
  • "the peace of understanding…

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ju44t4lif3

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well done!