Winter Swans by Owen Sheers

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Content, meaning and purpose
Describes a troubled couple walking around a lake. Captivated by two swans. Swans are a metaphor for companionship. By the end the couple's problems begin to heal.
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Language - clouds
"The clouds had given their all - two days of rain" - personification, pathetic fallacy, two days of arguments between the couple.
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Language - earth
"The waterlogged earth gulping for breath" - drowning in their problems, personification.
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Language - slow stepping
"Slow-stepping in the lake's shingle and sand". Dancing, sibilance creates a slow calm movement.
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Language - wings
"like a pair of wings settling after flight" they are reunited. Present participle settling conveys they still need to work on their problems.
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Context
Owen grew up in South Wales
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Form and Structure - stanzas
tercets, no rhythm or rhyme - represents the turbulent nature of their relationship.
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Form and structure - first 4 stanzas
portray troubles
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Form and structure - last 3 stanzas
portray healing
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Form and structure - final stanza
a couplet
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

"The clouds had given their all - two days of rain" - personification, pathetic fallacy, two days of arguments between the couple.

Back

Language - clouds

Card 3

Front

"The waterlogged earth gulping for breath" - drowning in their problems, personification.

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

"Slow-stepping in the lake's shingle and sand". Dancing, sibilance creates a slow calm movement.

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

"like a pair of wings settling after flight" they are reunited. Present participle settling conveys they still need to work on their problems.

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
View more cards

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