Approaching An Unseen Poetry - The Letter Miriam Lo

Approaching an Unseen: Poetry: A letter
Key questions to consider:
 Who is speaking, and who are they speaking to? What situation are they in? Are they doing
anything in the poem?
 What tone of voice is the poem’s speaker using?
 What does the poem seem to be about? Themes/main concerns? (…keep this in mind at all
times when considering language effects)
 Language: figures of speech and diction, images of the senses etc
 Structure: how is the poem organised? Where does it begin, what happened next, how and
where does it conclude? Does it work up to a climax of some sort or become more
philosophical – moving from particular to general?
 Verse form? Metre, rhyme (if there is any).) Pace. Special sound effects eg alliteration,
onomatopoeia etc?
 What sort of atmosphere is created through the words, images, tone used?
Some Points to Consider? Your Response?

Subject and Situation Who is the voice of the poem and what The voice is the mother, and she
are they doing? describes the actions of her son and
Are there other characters? If so, what the setting that they are in – a coffee
are they doing? shop. However, this setting slowly
Where is the poem set? Are there any fades away towards the end of the
other settings? poem. The effect – internal
monologue, not a lot of direct speech
shows the distance
Structure Free verse or formal verse with strict Poem starts with a one-line stanza
metre and rhyme? and there is no rhyme scheme
How many stanzas? throughout; the verses are free. At
Are there different stages of the poem, the beginning there are lots of full
what are these and how are they stops and commas and the lines are
represented in these stanzas? short and concise however they
Examples of short lines, enjambments, progressively get longer, and
enjambment is introduced.
parallelism, repetition, direct speech
Parallelism – the mother does not
etc.
want to lose her son and the things
she wants to say to him, she keeps
as thoughts vs her losing her son to
the words on the letter.
Versification: rhythm, Particular emphasis on rhyme or No rhythm or rhyme which makes
rhyme, and sound rhythm? the poem unexpected. The
effects Phonological effects (sound effects) progression of sound in the second
Alliteration, assonance etc stanza – after the few words that
mother and son exchange, the
people in the coffee shop go silent
and the only sounds that can be
heard are the ‘sizzle of the wok’ and
the ‘traffic roars’ these sounds
emphasise the emotional distance
and clash between the two
protagonists.
Imagery and Figures Simile, metaphor, personification, Metaphor in Stanza 5 – the walls of her life.
of Speech hyperbole, onomatopoeia, idiom, Walls are a barrier; they close something
euphemism etc off. Irony – she feels everything, however,
Irony? she is choosing not to speak about it. She is
Sense images – sight, sound, smell, allowing the girl in the letter to affect the
touch – how do they help create the relationship with her son.
setting?
Diction Pronouns – first/third person? Effects…?
Focalised on the speaker?
Past or present tense?
Lexical field?
Repeated words?
Effects of specific words?
Tone and Atmosphere What words could you use to
describe the tone of the poem?
Atmosphere – how would you
characterise this?
Theme/Concern What is the poem about?

Where do your How does the poet help you
sympathies lie? empathise?
What aspects of the poem do you
find effective in evoking your
sympathies?
Repetition of stranger – the mother is afraid of her son being a stranger, it shows the alienated
feeling that she feels towards him.
Name at the beginning and no name at the end – her son is drifting off the the Australian girl
‘He looks away’ – the son as if he knows what his mom’s reaction would be, she looks away. The son
answers with a one-word answer: ‘Susan’
Cinematography – the people in the coffee shop are not talking.
Desperation – words are personified. Repetition of ‘come home’

Approaching An Unseen Poetry - The Letter Miriam Lo

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Approaching An Unseen Poetry - The Letter Miriam Lo

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Approaching an Unseen: Poetry: A letter

Key questions to consider:

Some Points to Consider? Your Response?

Theme/Concern What is the poem about?

Cinematography – the people in the coffee shop are not talking.

Desperation – words are personified. Repetition of ‘come home’

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