Notes created by an A-level English Literature private tutor + A* student.
All topic notes for Please Hold (poems of the decade)
Edexcel English Literature A-level
Key context
Seen as a critique of the demanding modern world, everyone seeks instant grati cation
Riots sparked in 2011, three years after the poem was written, there was a big nancial
crash because people in nance roles didn’t know how things work, despite poems like
these being written people are still ignorant to the dangers that come with the modern
world and advancements in technology.
Structure
The last line mimics the title- cycle of daily tasks and frustrations being perceptual and
inescapable. The poem does not use enjambment, instead uses full stops or commas-
lack of uidity or freedom in a capitalist society everything is controlled and manipulated.
’Grow old. Grow cold’ - numerous caesuras- highlights the speakers boredom and the
sense of time passing slowly/ 2 stanzas one long compared to the other which is three
lines, mirrors the long phone call- its never-ending yet the speaker keeps hitting dead
ends. Attempt at navigating the maze that is modern society.
Key quotes
‘This is the future, my wife says’
Repetition of ‘this is the future’ mimics a mantra or a tragic chorus in a greek tragedy
- foreshadowing the future. There is irony in this repetitive refrain as it imitates the cold, at
tone of the robot she is trapped in a capitalist society- contrasting her partner’s de ance-
he attempts to ght it- isolating the speaker. The more it is repeated the more the sinister
tone builds. Heteroglossia- human struggle- futility of human life- inevitable technology
takeover/ wife’s voice becomes more robotic, as if its just the speaker and the robot.
‘Eine Kleine Nachtmusik’
Song composed by Mozart in 1679- the song is known for being repetitive and translates
to ‘a little night music’
Used by corporation- facade of caring or that they cater for all but don’t actually provide-
re ective of politicians and their empty promises- political diatribe - anticapitalist poem.
Dehumanisation in modern life- faceless corporations- employment of vulgar, colloquial
language ‘fucking’ juxtaposes the controlled repetitive nature- this is a very human
quality-power of language- something robots do not have the capacity to comprehend.
Value of language vs robotic nature.
Well known music allows people to relate which represents the frustrations among adult life
are universal. - ‘looting’ foreshadows the nancial crash in 2011- despite not knowing of
these events at the time it was written, O’Driscoll’s anti-capitalist poem presenting the
building frustrations of the average man allows us to predict the fall or failure of these
criticises institutions.
1
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