In her poem We Remember Your Childhood Well, Carol Ann Duffy narrates as an abusive parent who emotionally manipulates and brainwashes their child. The poem implies the child of the narrator has been emotionally abused as a child and are questioning the abuse of their childhood as an adult. Employing the use of tone, structural techniques and imagery, Carol Ann Duffy demonstrates the behavioural patterns common in abusive relationships and through that, communicates her disparage for such behaviour. Duffy effectively uses the tone of the narrator to describe the patterns of abuse and, by the utilisation of structural techniques, Duffy is able to communicate to readers about certain patterns of abuse she has disdain for. The author uses a …show more content…
Duffy demonstrates the emotional manipulation and abuse of the child by the use of juxtaposition of imagery. Visual imagery is used as the primary form of imagery by Duffy. The author juxtaposes the imagery such as “...nobody left the skidmarks of sin on your soul and laid you wide open for Hell.” (lines 16-17) and “Look at us, smiling and waving, younger.” (line 9) in the poem. Juxtaposition of imagery such as this demonstrates the emotional manipulation by the parents. The demonstration of the emotional manipulation persuades readers to take Duffy’s disparage for such behaviour. With the use of tone and mood, Duffy constructs a tragic atmosphere used to describe the pattern of abuse. Usage of tone varies between alternate stanzas to convey different ideas. The first and the following alternate paragraphs are passive and mild. On the other hand, the other paragraphs are aggressive and hostile. Duffy intends to describe the patterns of manipulation and emotional abuse many children face. The mood in the poem is dark, intended to highlight the abusive parts of the parent-child relationship. Duffy uses harsh language in the poem such as when she says, “What you recall are impressions; we have the facts.” (line 10) and “No. That didn’t occur.” (line 4) are a pattern of abuse used to make the reader realise that they may previously have been
The tone in these lines are often humorous and at the same time genuinely loving. In short, the tone of this poem is as complex as the subject with which it so memorably
Katharine Brush uses literary techniques in Birthday Party to convey the sense of helplessness an abused person feels in an abusive relationship.
Three poems written by Harwood that emphasise the idea of memory’s importance and its ability to alter and determine perceptions are ‘Father and Child’, ‘The Violets’ and ‘At Mornington’. Each of these poems reminisces on pivotal experiences that modify one’s assessment
There are many devices used in this poem to emphasize the emotions going through the mind of a parent when sending their child off into the world. Of such device used is imagery, the use of imagery is used abundantly in the
From the beginning of the poem, the reader can tell that the tone of the poem is consistent. There is no shift in tone, it’s simply sad and bitter. The father notices the innocence of his daughter and knows that there is bad luck that is coming for her future. The reader is able to see the father’s concern throughout the poem when he says that the “night’s slow poison” will change her. He knows that this issue cannot be changed, so he is doing what he can to avoid it becoming a bigger dilemma. By the end of the poem, it’s easy to notice that the father has become angry about the situation that is brought upon him. In the last two lines, the father decides that he doesn’t want to have children because of all the things he sees in their future, nothing but pain and suffering. His decision is expressed in the way he says “These speculations sour in the sun. I have
As a child one of the most traumatic experiences you can witness grow up is seeing your parents abuse one another. Imagine these two towering figures expressing love to each other then simply exploding into massive contorting images of chaos in the matter of seconds. It is not a memory forever recorded and never forgotten. The inability to rationalize the situation or figure out who is right or wrong just wanting it to stop. In the poem “My Mother Woke a Rooster”, award winning poet. Laurie Ann Guerrro reveals the aftermath of physical abuse and her mother’s fighting will to continue to persevere by personifying her mother as that of a rooster.
The tone of this poem is established by the way the lines seem flat and void of emotion. The
A major tone that is present throughout most of the poem is a reminiscent tone. The speaker begins the poem by stating “The first time I walked with a girl, I was twelve…” It is easy to notice that the speaker is indulging in past events. The speaker also tells his story in past tense. The speaker describes the little details that bring him joy while reminiscing. He states that the girl’s face was “...bright with rouge.” and there was “...Light in her eyes, a smile starting at the corners of her mouth.” The speaker is reminiscing and mentions the details so he can indulge in past events wholly. There is shift in tone present when it becomes a conflicted tone. This occurs when the girl choses a chocolate that costs a dime, but the boy only carries a dime and two oranges. When the speaker realizes the fact that he will not be able to play for the chocolate he states that he “...didn’t say anything.” He took the nickel and an orange and “...and set them quietly on the counter.” He then looks up at the sales lady “...knowing very well what it was about.” The speaker is so uncomfortable at this point he does not even talk. He is conflicted because if he can not buy his girl the chocolate, he will not be able to make her happy, and making her happy is his ultimate
The tone is the speaker’s attitude toward a certain subject (Johnson, Arp 887). When describing the tone of this poem many would say is it depressing or tragic. However, once encountering this poem and being through the very experience that the speaker is going through others would describe this poem as calm, relaxed, and tender. This poem is calm and relaxed because the speaker is ready for death to take over his body. The speaker is more relaxed than ever due to the very potent response that the speaker is ready to kiss the river. If this character in this poem was not contemplating suicide, then he would of never even wrote this poem. This speaker is ready to give up life as he/she dies. This poem is tender being the author implements a feeling of control for the reader, which makes you feel like if you do or say one wrong thing then the speaker’s life would come to an end. The author puts the life of the speaker into the audience’s hands to decide what they will do with it, thus why leaving the poem as an opened ended poem. The speaker portrays a tone of tenderness, but also helps portray mood throughout this also.
Susan Griffin, a feminist writer and finalist for the Pulitzer Price in non-fiction, explores the concept of forgetting in her chapter “Our Secret”. Unlike Foer, Griffin (1992) doesn’t seem to be too much a fan of remembering, describing memory to be like “a long, half-lit tunnel, a tunnel where one is likely to encounter phantoms of a self, long concealed, no longer nourished with the force of consciousness, existing in a tortured state between life and death” (p. 258). In fact, Griffin might argue that there are several benefits to forgetting, and that the collective memories of a traumatic past should not be remembered or preserved. Failure to retrieve memories may not always be a bad thing, in fact, unwanted memories – of childhood trauma, emotional rejection, or any of life’s inevitable disappointments - have the ability to torment and mentally exhaust a person. Throughout her essay, Griffin explores the hidden shame and pains that several characters carry, herself included, and the consequences they bring. She writes of one woman’s memories of the cold war, who, as a young child, witnessed “shoes in great piles. Bones. Women’s hair, clothes, stains, a terrible odor”, all of which left her sobbing and screaming in fear (Griffin, 1992, p. 233). Another gruesome account Griffin (1992) writes of, is as
Another tool in developing the effectiveness of the poem is the use of compelling figurative language in the poem helps to reveal the reality of war. In the first line, the metaphor, ?Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,?(1) shows us that the troops are so tired that they can be compared to old beggars. Also, the simile "coughing like hags"(2) helps to depict the soldiers? poor health and depressed state of mind. Owen makes us picture the soldiers as ill, disturbed and utterly exhausted Another great use of simile, ?His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin,?(20) suggests that his face is probably covered with blood which is the color symbolizing the devil. A very powerful metaphor is the comparison of painful experiences of the troops to ??vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues.?(24) This metaphor emphasizes that the troops will never forget these horrific experiences. As you can see, Owen has used figurative language so effectively that the reader gets drawn into the poem.
The bond between a mother and child is often spoken of as being unlike any other. Yet there are always exceptions to the rule where this connection isn 't as impenetrable as one might assume. This book is an example of this bond gradually becoming weaker over time. It shows how it affects the child, Bone, and leaves her vulnerable to the abuse of her step-father. Bone’s mother, Anney, had fallen in love with a man who abused her which at first, she’s unaware but eventually comes to realize but still chooses to stay with him. Throughout the book there are instances of Anney’s negligence in recognizing her daughter’s abuse and being of aid to her but wasn 't. In having to deal with her
Repression of memories is a psychological concept that has haunted modern psychology for years. Repression of memories also known as “rememory” defined by the mind pushing away traumatic or shocking experiences into a dark corner of a person’s unconscious. As this idea developed and began to be studied more thoroughly, slavery became an institution in which researchers saw promise in drawing conclusions about the dangers of repressing memories. In Toni Morrison’s novel, Beloved, the character narratives of Paul D and Sethe exemplify the dangers of repressing memories. Both disconnect from and push away unwanted emotional traumas or experiences from their past. However, this effort doesn’t pay off and their repression of memories is not successful. Through the use of symbols such as Paul D’s tobacco tin and Sethe’s scars and lost child, Morrison demonstrates how repression of the past isn’t effective and how it always comes back to haunt a person who doesn’t correctly cope with their trauma. Paul D and Sethe live unfulfilled lives as a result of repressed memories.
has lots of tone. Tone is the attitude of a poem but not only just the attitude but also the
The tone of this story is one of fear, regret, and guilt. The story first leaves the reader with impression that it may be a recount of the life of a daughter who was lost due to neglect. Soon it is evident