These notes consist of a detailed line by line analysis of each poem. They are color coded and are very easy to understand. There are questions and answers for some of them.
,Index
To the public…………………………………………………………………..pg 3- 5 (removed)
The sun rising…………………………………………………………………pg 6-10
Touch………………………………………………………………………………pg 11- 16
The Tenant………………………………………………………………………pg 17-19
Cockroaches…………………………………………………………………… pg 20-23
Strangers Forever…………………………………………………………….pg 24-27
Ozymandias of Egypt……………………………………………………….pg 28-31
pg. 2
,‘To the public’-Louise Macneice (1907-1963)
Why hold that poets are so sensitive? 1 M’s view of true poet
A thickskinned grasping lot who filch and eavesdrop,
Who enjoy ourselves at other men’s expense, Pronouns
Who, legislators or not, ourselves are lawless,
We do not need your indulgence, much less your pity; 5 Reference to romantics
With fewer qualms, we have rather more common sense
Than your Common Man, also of course more freedom,
With our burglars’ and gunmen’s fingers, our green fingers.
So, crude though we are, we get to times and places
And, saving your presence or absence, will continue 10
Throwing our dreams and guts in people’s faces.
Title: from the beginning we can see that it's a confrontation (stern message)
-the title introduces the poem as an open letter to society (which will confront what poets are
really like)
SENSITIVE
1.alert/concerned about other people’s feelings
Why hold that poets are so sensitive? 2.Easily hurt or offended by other people
? rest of poem deals with this misconception
o This is a rhetorical question suggesting that the public thinks poets are so sensitive.
o Tone of the rhetorical question: patronizing (look down on someone), and it creates
hostility (cold, unfriend)
A thickskinned grasping lot who filch and eavesdrop,
o ‘thickskinned’= insensitive tocriticism & insults; ‘grasp’=grab; ‘finch’=steal
o ‘eavesdrop’ = listen to private convos -> AGGRESSIVE DICTION (which
subverts/overturns poets being sensitive.)
Who enjoy ourselves at other men’s expense,
o They used the pain of other’s experiences to create their art
o this is the opposite of sensitive. Positions the poet as cold.
Who, legislators or not, ourselves are lawless,
o ‘legislators’ create and follow the rules. ‘lawless’= on limited by principles/morality
o poets are vigilantes - they make their own rules& don't follow societal norms.
We do not need your indulgence, much less your pity;
o Poets don't care what others think of their work& don't need societal approval
o they do not care if they are accepted or not
pg. 3
, With fewer qualms, we have rather more common sense He doesn’t have to be a leader
o ‘qualms’=regrets- they take what they need (from public) & I have no regrets of their
actions
Tone of o He is very arrogant&suggests he is superior.
distain=
Disrespect
& disregard Than your Common Man, also of course more freedom
o He looks down & degrades society
o ‘Freedom’ -> poets are truly free because they disregard societies laws.
With our burglars’ and gunmen’s fingers, our green fingers.
o ‘burglars’= thieves; ‘gunmen’s fingers’= show society is a target that that can and is
open to being attacked
o ‘green fingers’ = people who want/need money links to the fact that they steal
experiences from people and therefore become wealthy and rich.
o Powerful and aggressive diction emphasizes how insensitive poets are (in reality vs
what people think)
So, crude though we are, we get to times and places
o ‘crude’= rude- poets use their rudeness and arrogance to get to where they want to go.
And, saving your presence or absence, will continue
o They will continue doing what they do with the public respond positively or
negatively or not at all.
Throwing our dreams and guts in people’s faces.
o There is no care for public support. ‘throwing’= very harsh/strong word -> forceful
o ‘guts’= raw impulses/instincts – they forcefully throw themselves in the publics faces
w/out care.
▪ Pronouns- ‘you & your’ create: distance& separation between the public and
the poet.
Romantics: (Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelly)
▪ So, poets as the ultimate legislators of the world (and glorified the nature in their
work)
▪ Believed in ideals of the French Revolution
▪ Believed poets should be the voice of the people
▪ Wordsworth said that a poet is a man speaking to other men.
▪ poetry should be written in the language of the common men.
BUT
o Macniece disagreed with this!
o He was a MODERNIST
He believed:
o Poets should not be bound by rules but should write instinctively
o Poets shouldn’t write for a political/social purpose but for a NEED → they have to do
so whether the public appreciate their words or not.
pg. 4
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