Nettles

Context

• Vernon Scannell fought in WW2 and his poems often reflect this
• He had six children
• One of his children died in a motorcycle accident

Subject

• A child falling into nettles and seeking comfort from their parents.
• The parent destroys the nettles to protect the child but finds they gor back quickly, showing how a parent can never fully protect their child from the real world

Stucture

• The poem is composed of a single stanza with alternately rhyming lines
• From the perspective of the father

Language

• Maritial (relalting to War) Themes are found throughout the poem, This gives a contrast to the orginal domestic setting.
• The nettles are compared to 'spears' and a 'regiment of spite'. This makes the nettles look like an aggressive group of attackers, reflecting the poets need to protect his child from the attacking force.
• The exaggeration of the 'attack' of the nettles shows how parents see the world as entirely risky and want to protect children from possibly harmless situations.
• Personifies the nettles to justify getting revenge on them, but also says they are a fiece enemy that cannot be defeated because new 'tall recruits' have been 'called up'
• The child is preseted wiht emotive language, That shows the compassion and the sympathy the speaker feels towards his son. 'white blisters beaded on his tender skin…