This document contains detailed analysis, context and in-depth literary conventions for the Poetry section of the Edexcel A-Level English Literature course. Further support is given to students with the inclusion of quotation banks providing students with the foundations to be successful in essay q...
The poem title can be interpreted as alluding to the idea of either a ‘safe’ passage or
a ‘rite of passage’ associated with the idea of growing up and transitioning from one
experience and existence to another.
Structure:
The most notable aspect of the structure of this poem is that it is free verse in a
single stanza. This choice helps to impart a sense of fluidity and movement to the
poem
lack of sentences. While there is a wide variety of punctuation and extensive use of
commas, the first sentence continues for nearly a third of the poem, and the final
sentence for the last third, with only five sentences in total.
The decision to have long sentences sandwich shorter ones in the middle of the
poem could be interpreted as helping to demonstrate the shift in narrative and
development of the girl, as she continues her ‘passage’ from innocence to
experience
Line lengths are similar which allows for the reader to have a better understanding of
the poem but it still appears daunting and challenging reflecting the maturity and
experience
Wide variety of punctuations and commas. The first sentence continues for almost a
third of the poem and the last sentence for the final third. There are only five
sections. Demonstrates shift in perspective as the girl develops as she goes from
innocence to experience
Turning point signified a rhetorical question as the poem returns to extended
sentences
Structure represents her childhood and a turbulent adolescence before returning to a
more stable adulthood.
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