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History vs Genetics - Coggle Diagram
History vs Genetics
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LANGUAGE & IMAGERY
[History]
semantic field of the sea with various references to creatures including “jellyfish” and “carp”, and also the scenery of the beach and sea, such as “dune slacks” and “tideworn stone”
could be seen as representing the diversity of human life demonstrating how despite everyone being different there are still factors that hold them in common, therefore creating a shared bond.
effective for a reader because they would likely recognise how easy it is for division to arise from any sad or horrific event
links to universal ideas rooted in the natural world such as “tethers us to gravity and light” midway through the poem -designed to further highlight the shared experiences of humanity within the world
reference to “light” is used to bring a more positive and hopeful tone through its connotations; positive light imagery also is part of a semantic field... = “gold” and “bright” helping reinforce these positive elements further
backdrop of more uncertain and war related ideas to ensure that there is still a general sense of unease felt by a reader, e.g. “war planes” encourages reader to consider the global and military repercussions
also smaller references “petrol” and “states”, not directly about military or conflict, but effective because it can be seen as representing the permanence of forms of conflict in the world.
[Genetics]
possessive noun 'my' littered throughout - demonstrates a desire to maintain a certain level of intimacy with her parents AND reveals a subtle claim of desperation at the thought of losing them to 'separate lands; or 'hemispheres'
also asserts the speaker as an intrinsic part of their relationship and allows her to establish a temporary sense of belonging amongst the chaos.
in the final stanza, 'my' is replaced with 'we' - she has found a way to let go, recognising that her parents' legacy will forever be imprinted on her hands/herself, even if not physically evident
connective in 1st line - reference to father as fingers 'but' mother as palms, suggests relative importance; mother is a central pillar (symbolic for life in general) and father holds a more functional role - perhaps suggests emerging power struggle
soft, alliterative 'f' when referring to 'father' being in her 'fingers; and use of consonance when referring to 'mother' in her 'palms' all culminate in a fond and loving tone.
softness could represent the integrity and innocence of their relationship, aspects which the speaker is desperately trying to preserve throughout the poem
imagery of couples' friend's quarrying 'their image by a river' represents society at large, attempting to reconcile the mother and father
quarrying creates a sort of harsh and industrial image - perhaps suggestive of the brash, untactful nature of society and their threat to the comparatively gentler river (representative of the unpredictable yet serene nature of her parents' relationship
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STRUCTURE
[History]
Highly irregular, free verse, no metre
no consistency in stanza/line length helps to create confusion & strong emotional changes experienced when hearing shocking, horrific news - reflects the erratic thought process
could also visually represent the destroyed twin towers or society's collective shock/horror/disorientation
'H' in title overshadows lower case letters, could be seen as the twin towers
occasional stanzas deliberately more organised/structured - shows society's collectively shared thoughts, though poem is still dominated by vague ideas to maintain uncertainty
mix of condensed/fragmented stanzas - different disintegrating elements of society damaged over time as a result of collective loss
enjambment in many lines to emphasise unfinished feeling of acceptance of the horror - overflowing lines; encourages reader to think about when the line (everlasting conflict) will pause/end, drawing attention to the tragic horror of 9/11
Middle stanza entails intangibility of dreams and the way that our striving for dreams is meaningful - message to continue to seek out what we care for but also do what is possible to protect it and bring others under our wing as well
[Genetics]
'villanelle' form - 5 tercets connected by rhyme, and 2 repeated lines which alternately appear at the end of each stanza; rigidly conveys immersive nature of divorce .
Speaker is caught in a constant cycle of deliberation, revisiting the past and holding onto fond memories of the pair until a final cathartic release in the final stanza from constriction.
5 consistent tercets, last stanza quatrain - perhaps mimics the speaker's desire for stability & consistency in such domestic chaos, as shown by the previous stanzas.
quatrain holds significance because the speaker makes an emotional break and demonstrates a newfound perspective which shifts the focus of the poem to the future - her stable past is disrupted and she instead focuses on the importance of creating a stable future
well punctuated throughout - perhaps symbolic of emotional and physical boundaries of the speaker's wishful thinking
(half) rhyme between last word of each stanza and end of 1st line in subsequent one & general ABCCDE scheme e.g. 'hands' and 'lands', 'hands' and 'stands', 'palms' and 'psalms' - emphasising glimmers of hope for the speaker in that they give the impression of continuation.
rhymes are split over 2 stanzas - a stark reminder that however close unity may seem, it's always slightly out of reach
use of end-stopped lines helps create a more even rhythm; comma breaks the flow, alluding to the breaks in a relationship and the process of separation/divorce
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