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I am very bothered by Simon Armitage - Coggle Diagram
I am very bothered
by Simon Armitage
Versification
neatly divide sonnet into separate stanzas of
decreasing length to enhance meaning of poem.
main message is condensed into final stanza,
made up of one sentence in three lines.
stanza 1
narrative, recounting speaker's
memory at a fast pace (enjambment).
stanza 2
highlights shocking result of act.
stanza 3
quickly reveals speaker's lingering
shame at his actions as he confesses.
the short 3 lines stanza made up of 1 sentence
is a blunt and honest confession of his crime.
Structure
deliberate used
14 lines.
modern form of sonnet, unusual.
freeverse, irregular, usually for love poems.
it's written to glorify subject of speaker's affection.
could be a notion of love in this poem.
violent yet innocent form of love.
last 2 lines come as a surprise as the reader is shocked
that this act of wanton violence is born out of love.
Rhyme
true,
masculine rhymes.
skin, in.
1 beat, 1 syllable.
put your skin in these rings.
Rhythm
free verse.
form, rhyme, rhythm.
Armitage presents his ideas in free verse in order to reveal the lack of control he had over his actions and their outcome
Enjambment
runs lines into each other in the
first stanza helping to create the
sense of the speaker acting in impulse.
not thinking clearly or rationally about his actions.
the fast pace really helps the reader sense these are the actions if a young boy who is not fully aware of consequences of his actions or control of his behaviour.
enjambment between lines 1 and 2 in the second stanza imply that the incident occured before the speaker had time to realise what was happening or stop himself.
by running line 1 into line 2, the reader is driven quickly towards the dreadful realisation of the serious of the crime.
Caesura
the strong caesure before "marked" creates a strategic and significant pause in irder to emphasise the lasting impact of the event has on the girl but also the speaker.
Tone
interpretations: speaker seems to want to distance himself from his feelings by saying, in stanza 3, "don't believe me..."
Aural Imagery
Assonance
naked, flame, name,
nlades, played
"ay" sound: long repetitive moaning, regret, memory.
you can feel the pain in his voice; bothered.
speaker's mornful tone.
assonance running through the 2nd half of 1st stanza.
forces the reader to hear the pain the speaker is suffering as he relives the experience.
almost as if he is crying out in shame as he speaks,
cringing at the memory of what he did.
believe, me, please: "e".
Consonance
"b" sound in bad, lab.
there are a lot of "b" words.
sharp, short, blunt, hard, harsh.
you can feel the discomfort when
he's remembering the memory.
(you have to state what kind of consonance it is).
"b" peppered (sprinkled throughout the poem).
not least that time...
short, sharp monosyllabic words.
ending in repetitive short, sharp "t" sounds
suggest the speaker's disgust.
Alliteration
heavy, plosive 'b's at end of lines help create a tone of regret as they allow the reader to hear speaker's anger and disgust at himself.
Diction
"branded"
negative connotation.
permanent, possessive, "she's his"
like a slave, cattle and live stock.
hurtful, violent action, vicious.
diction: deliberately chooses to use it.
different to bothered we can see his regret.
"marked"
structure, caesura: adds weight to it.
can't take it back.
syntax (word order), cuts out useless words.
(you are going to be) marked for eternity.
male dominance; it's sinister thinking of
this girl walking around marked for eternity.
"butterfingered"
clumsy, not appropriate.
interpretation: put butter on burns.
"b" word, creares uncomfortable feeling.
it confirms that the accident was stupid, not malicious; emphasises the clumsiness of the boy's attention-seeking behaviour.
"don't believe me"
can't think of anything romantic.
no way to excuse himself.
unforgivable.
"two burning rings"
thumb and middle finger.
proposed of marriage.
wedding ring imagery, symbolism.
how the rings that she has been
left with should anyone associate with marriage.
marked, possession.
negative; unintentional.
"for eternity"
concludes sentence.
second stanza adds poignancy.
Imagery
played the handles in the naked lilac
flames of the Bunsen burner.
flame, lust, why naked?
lilac is the hottest flame.
raw, ready to burn.
unrivalled stench of branded skin.
then couldn't shake off the two burning rings.
Themes
complicated love.
power in balance.
Possible Pairings
Symptoms of Love
Context
"I was trying to get people to react... I just
wanted them to react." - Simon Armitage.
think about the way you behave.
want young boys to stop and think
before they make the wrong decision.