A* level arguments, language analysis and themes regarding John Burnside's 'History' - from Poems of the Decade for A-level English Literature, Unit 3: Poetry.
Themes Literary/Dramatic Devices Techniques of whole poem
Antithesis of childhood ‘St Andrews: West Sands; September 2001’ – 3 weeks after Structure mirrors mode of thought –
innocence/adult experience 9/11 confused and unsure
‘Today’ – importance of moment
Existentialism ‘gasoline smell… gusting across the golf links;’ – plosive In stanza ‘At times I think’ – shift to
alliteration suggests anger, links global oil businesses and organised structure shows him
Earth and sky reactional activities organising his thoughts. Tone also
Tangible vs, intangible ‘the tide far out’ – physical boundaries shifts to more didactic voice. (teaching)
‘people’ – separated structurally, disruption to normality
A father, by the sea with his son, ‘grey..light’ – war and peace, history is build on antithesis, Ends poem positively, sharing intention
is trying to “locate coherence in a juxtaposes present from what is to come to be attentive
world of ‘muffled dread’” – Jack ‘muffled dread of what may come –‘ – future, enjambed and Could end negatively,
Palmer abruptly finished stanza, too terrifying to contemplate counterintuitively he vows to be
‘evidence of life’ – 9/11 rescue attentive and but the problem is
Indicates the importance of ‘shreds of razorfish;’ – destruction, fragments of bodies uncontrollable, lost faith in humanity
personal histrories (father/son ‘makes us who we are’ – existentialism
and communities) not just in ‘what we dream about behind the names’ – unites humans Structure shows diverse society,
America with ability to dream, countries or labels? Language shifts fragmented society and the turmoil
rom description to reflexive reasoning caused
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