Nettles (1980)

Written by Vernon Scannell 

• 1922-2007 fought in 2 wars 
• Deserted the army twice - arrested - Didn't like the horror of war
• Two of his children predeceased him -darkness to his life

Language 

• Emotive Language "with sobs and tears" make you feel sad as his little son is upset relates to his children predeceasing him
  
• Personification/Extended Metaphor of the nettles "Regiment of spite" saying that they're like an army of soldiers, he is trying to protect his son from the world.
• Sibilance - s sound "spears, seemed, son, spite, blisters" conveys harsher stronger emotions.

Structure

• Cyclical rhyme scheme (abcdefag) goes back to rhyming with the first line in line13 like a…