English advanced help-[poem] (1 Viewer)

k150764

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can anyone help me with this poem...??

i need to know poem techiniques, structure and the meaning(Theme) of the poem.

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TItle:
A Brown Paper CarrierBag By Roger Mcgough


IN THE TIME....

a spider's web woven across
the plateglass window shivers snaps
and sends a shimmering haze of leathal stars
across the crowded resturant


IN THE TIME IT TAKES....

jigsaw peices of sharpnel
glide gently towards children
tucking in to the warm flesh
a terrible hunger sated


IN THE TIME IT TAKES TO PUT DOWN....

on the pavement
people come apart slowly
at first
only the dead not screaming


IN THE TIMES IT TAKES TO PUT DOWN A BROWN PAPER CARRIERBAG.

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if anyone could help...thanks!!
 

bored of sc

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k150764 said:

A Brown Paper CarrierBag By Roger Mcgough


IN THE TIME....

a spider's web woven across
the plateglass window shivers snaps
and sends a shimmering haze of leathal stars
across the crowded resturant


IN THE TIME IT TAKES....

jigsaw peices of sharpnel
glide gently towards children
tucking in to the warm flesh
a terrible hunger sated


IN THE TIME IT TAKES TO PUT DOWN....

on the pavement
people come apart slowly
at first
only the dead not screaming


IN THE TIMES IT TAKES TO PUT DOWN A BROWN PAPER CARRIERBAG.
Meaning: The subject matter is ambiguous. A tragic, physically destructive event is taking place. In a very short amount of time the glass window of a resturant breaks and pieces of glass are thrown across the room, killing and injuring many people. The aftermath is just as frightening as a universal feeling of terror and "screaming" dominates the vicinity.

Themes: the physically destructive nature of man-made facilities, mortality (death) by injury, how time goes quickly during tragic events. <--- It's really hard to think of decent themes.

Structure: 3 x 4 line stanzas (quatrains), 4 x 1 liners in between the stanzas.

Techniques:
> Present tense is used to increase the dramatic effect on the responder. It is as if we are experiencing the event as it takes place. Thus, the atmosphere/ mood created when read is more intense and horrid than if it were written in past tense.
> Repetition of "in the time" occurs with the addition of more words until finally the sentence is complete at the conclusion of the poem. The use of ellipsis builds tension and foreshowing. The sentence is incomplete and as the poem continues more information is provided until the final complete sentence which provides a cadence - a sense of closure. The noun "time" is significant. In the case of the poem it is connotative of the speed and emergency of the situation.
> Alliteration is used to develop rhythm and pace, reinforcing the fast tempo of the event. For example, "the plateless window shivers snaps and sends a shimmering haze of lethal stars" repeats the 's'. This 's' sound is relatively soft. It is used to emphasise the ease and quickness at which the glass travels across the room and brutally cuts bystanders (like a knife through butter).
> The metaphor "jigsaw pieces of shrapnel" is used in conjunction with the personification "tucking into the warm flesh a terrible hunger sated". The reference to a jigsaw puzzle and the delicate nature of the word "gently" fabricates a child-like setting of playfulness, safety and happiness. The window glass is transformed into a vampire-like being, given the characteristic of eating human flesh. This terrifying description of a violent, murderous vampire creates strong aestetic juxtaposition against the weakness and innocence of the children at the resturant. The quote "jigsaw pieces of shrapnel glide gently towards children tucking into the warm flesh a terrible hunger sated" captures the aforesaid comments clearly. The children have no hope. They will be killed by the sharp pieces of glass.
> The title of the poem becomes the centre of the poem; underpinning the theme "how time goes by quickly during tragic events".
 

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