This document covers the poem: 'Genetics' from the Poems of the Decade Poetry. I studied this poem for my A Level, Edexcel English Literature Exam as part of the poetry module. By constructing these summarises and notes these provided me with ideas and themes which I could for my essays and thesis....
• Genetics of each person.
• Not a carbon copy of her parents
• Both her parent's relationship still lives inside her
• Finding her own identity despite the divorce
Structure:
• Rhyme Scheme with the final word of each stanza rhyming with the final word of the first line in
the next stanza, creating the idea of a link over a gap of the stanza. Ideas of a joining factor (the
narrator) despite the separation of the parents.
• Rhyme scheme is forced because of the repetition of the same words in order to make this
pattern. Link between the mother and father is likely to have not been maintained without the
narrator.
• Five tercet stanzas and one quatrain stanzas. Could express the persona moving on. Equally with
one extra line highlights the child or relationship that she will have with someone else complying
with making her own family unit. Perhaps the suggestion that this is longer provides a sense of
hope that the personas relationship survives.
• ‘My father’s in my fingers, but my mothers in my palms’. Use of a caesura highlights the
separation between her two parents. Reflects from the beginning of the divorce and separation
of the relationship that has occurred between her parents
• ‘Pleasure-’ Dash exposing a sense of reassurance. Highlights the idea of comfort from the
persona in that she is a product of the love her parents used to share, and the marriage that
they use to have
• Use of end-stopped likes throughout the poem, majority of lines either having full stops or
commas at the end of them helping to create a more even rhythm and pace to the poem.
Between stanzas when full stops are used five times and the comma with remaining sixth which
breaks the flow of the poem. Full stops highlight the break in the relationship- transfer of
persona from one parent to another as a result of the divorce.
• Readers can interpret this as an allusion to idea of separation or the transfer of the narrator
from one parent to another.
• Circular structure alliterates that they will eternally be connected through the parents whether
they are together or not.
• Form of a villanella. 19 lines longs. 5x3 stanzas and 1x4 lines. Alternating rhymes at the end of
each stanza and two repeating lines. Cyclical structure. Frequently elegiac in nature. Allegory
poem- a poem that sounds monotonal. Reminiscent tone and reassuring. Circular structure
could represent that of a ling which could symbolise marriage. Equally it could suggest the
process off a relationship, marriage, children. Suggestion that although this experience may be
broken does not make it invalid.
• Villanelle atypical and use of half rhymes suggests separation. Focus on love, loss and challenge
, Language:
• Repetition through ‘fingers’ and ‘palms’ which has the effect of the rhythm as it creates a
childlike rhyme or song which is effective due to its religious or spiritual connotations which
suggests the significance of idea of the relationship between the narrator and the parents.
• The repetitive use of ‘my’ and the link to ‘father's’ and ‘mother’s’ expresses the idea of creation.
Yet by their assertive use of the possessive pronoun ‘my’ expresses that the persona is
attempting to regain the family connection with her parents that had been lost
• Possessive terms in the poem through ‘my’ and ‘I’ representing ownership of the narrator over
their body and the characteristics inherited from their parents. Use of ‘my’ often precedes
either ‘mother’ or ‘farther’ demonstrating the way in which the narrator brings the two together
in reality and the poem itself with frequently small visual space between the two worlds
emphasising the connection
• ‘I lift them up and look at them with pleasure’ imagery of the hands. The dynamic verb ‘lift’
expressing the admiration for genetic. The abstract noun ‘pleasure’ suggesting that despite her
parent's separation she is proud to be a part of them. Personal pronouns highlight the
ownership the persona has over her body while identifying characteristics she inherited from
her parents
• ‘I know my parents made me by my hands.’ expresses this idea of genetics to link with the title.
The persona acknowledges that she is not a carbon copy of her parent, so has her own identity.
Yet, equally expresses wonder and awe at the genetics from her parent which formed her.
Repetition of lexical cluster of hands- concrete symbol for abstract ideas of bonds that she likes
to see between the parents despite divorce.
• ‘Repelled to separate lands’ has pessimistic connotations, with the idea of backing away and
retreating, and the actual actions encouraging the individual to do so. Word often used for
different circumstances, such as war, or something physically rather than emotionally based.
Refers to locations as ‘lands’ indicates extreme distance, demonstrating the extent of
breakdown of relationship. Multiple layers of line make it an interesting example of language in
poem, and overall becomes notable for the reader.
• ‘Separate hemispheres’ continues idea of the division between her parents. Perhaps this
diversion highlights the struggles for the persona in remaining hope despite the sadness that
comes along with divorce.
• ‘May sleep with other lovers’ the idea of in the divorce that both her parent has moved on and
remarried. The idea that they ‘sleep’ suggests that she is stuck between two worlds. They are
now having children with other lovers to solidify their new relationship, alienating her as a
product of the old relationship. Yet, the idea of genetics suggests that the persona will always be
connected to her parents, despite the divorce, and is a symbol of the love that they used to
share between them. However, the lexis ‘may’ suggest that while they ‘sleep with other lovers’
it highlights the acceptance of this. The persona represents that over time the child impacted
from the divorce learns to accept that there may be step parents in their life.
• ‘They touch where fingers link to palms’ links back to the introduction. She is a product of the
love they used to share. While the dynamic verb ‘touch’ is liminal as while the genetics touch
through her as a product of their creation, they do not physically tough each other's. Expresses
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