The Game

Introduction

The Game is a poem which compares the game of football to the Faustian Legend. Abse uses gothic imagery to portray a vivid contrast between the two teams of football players and also between angles and demons. His home team is good which of the side of God, he shows this by using angelic phrases such as 'cherubs' which is referring to angles wings. The away team is bad which is the side of the devil  and refers to 'Mephistopheles'.

Themes 

• Sport 
• Religion
• corruption 
• passing time

Structure

The poem is nine stanzas long each with 5 lines in them. The rhyme scheme of the poem consists of ABCBC. 

What happens in each stanza:

1. gives of an impression in the scene
2. gives of an impression in the scene. Talks about facts and legends of the past. 
3. The game starts. Personal experience made universal. Use of Hellish imagery (heaven vs. hell)
4. There is a superb save by the opposing goalkeeper and then the signal for half timr 
5. Thinks of a past game that happened 
6. the game recommences 
7. Game is continuing. reference to distance in the poem. 
8. The game ends. 

The Faust Legend 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faust_legend#Summary_of_the_story