Terrible Angles

Terrible Angels

Theme/Content:
This poem is about war, and the effects on war. The poem reminisces on when they were younger and how their father used to fight in the war, collecting all these medals, has returned to show his son.

Analysis:

Terrible Angels is an oxymoron, a paradox that angels are meant to sent from heaven, the place of complete bliss and peace, a paradise to be, yet they are terrible, which suggests destruction and corruption. Angels are flawless, graceful and innocence, the opposite to terrible. The angels are prayed to by soldiers to save themselves from the enemy however this is ironic because to live, others must die, and this becomes a tragedy.

'One bedtime' suggests the persona is a child, yet this is written in past tense which could mean that Abse is reflecting on his childhood and his father. The medals had 'pretty coloured ribbons', like toys and play things, his father displays this as a prize, a proud possession. They are a symbol of achievement, and are there still as a memory of the war, something that is very much still in his life, represented by the metals.

'Elite and puissant expedition from God' is having great power/influence in higher class, the expedition given from God suggests that going to war was righteous, and this was seen as courageous and moral for men back then. Religion has a large influence on the soldiers that fought.
The 'angels of Mons', the Battle of Mons which was the first major battle in WW1, are described to make 'horses bolt and flocks of meat-snatching birds to rise'. The 'invisible presence' of the angels can symbolise the war itself, the nature of war or religion, how angels are seen as a comfort to protect the soldiers in difficult times and help them defeat the enemy however this is ironic because the angels scare the 'horses'. They symbolise death, from heaven themselves, the soldiers are looking for protection against death by wanting others to die. The 'meat-snatching birds' are vultures, watching over the soldiers waiting for them, 'circle around and around like a carousel'. Death is eternal, forever and part of the cycle of life meaning that the soldiers will never escape it. They might escape death in the war but will be haunted by others deaths.

'But war coarsens (he said) even genteel angels', suggests that war will make things vulgar and unpleasant because even the most kindest, gentle angels are corrupted by war, that fighting can scar them. 'When they spoke it was the silence of gas, amen; when they sang it was the shrapnel striking helmets', is a metaphor, that the soldiers would wish upon destructive deaths for the enemy to die and for them to live. Gas is a silent killer, that death can creep up slowly upon some unlike shrapnel striking helmets which is quite loud, metal clashing and sounds more painful. The protection of the soldiers relied on the death of the enemy to survive. 'Stealthily visible' is an oxymoron, that if you are stealthy you shouldn't be seen because you're quick and agile. The angels are stealthy because they can kill easily and unexpectedly, yet this is visible to everyone because a death man will just lay there, the remains of a life.

The angels are described as 'cold', 'bold and bloodthirsty' and 'thrilled' by the haunting 'screams' coming from the soldiers on the battlefield. This suggests that the angels are corrupt, they have evil elements about them but are still described as angels which is the complete opposite. The destruction and death of the enemy was comforting throughout the war because it meant survival for another, yet in any other case this would be shocking and terrible. The father says that these show 'true facsimiles of men', that satisfaction from death and selfishness of survival was what men were really about. Men were like this before civilisation, that their true madness was uncovered.

The final stanza is only two lines, an after thought because of the brackets used, which makes these lines stand out. (My father, invalided home, was told he know more about angels than was healthy.) The father seemed to be too aware of the angels, knowing too much of the war so that the haunting nature of war has scarred him. Though the war was behind them, the memory still remains, an obsession that he couldn't let go off. This is the real, horrific affect of war. War has taken a toll on him and left him weak and scarred.

Postcard to his wife

Description 

This poem is very personal to Abse’s loss of his wife, the structure, the exclamation marks and the emotions shown make it really realistic, like he is literally calling out for his wife, begging her to come back.

Links to Larkin

Abse is writing from his own experience, whereas Larkin seems to write as an observer of other people’s lives. However Larkin has explored the themes of love and relationships in some of his poems such as in Love Songs in Age, Talking in Bed and Wild Oats. Also in this poem a huge theme is loss, this is also a theme in Larkin's poems such as in Home Is So Sad.

 Analysis 

The tone of the poem is sad, loving but lonely and Abse shows desperation to his wife, for her to come back though the fact that there is no rhyme scheme implies she can't come back, that the pattern and purpose of his life is no longer existing without her.
Postcards are written to loved ones whilst away from them, usually on holiday, to tell them what they've been doing, a personal way to communicate with someone when there's distance between each other. Abse uses a postcard to talk to his wife, a more fun way to represent his feelings without grieving. Usually on postcards the phrase 'Wish you were here' is used, and this is very literal in the poem, in fact Abse uses it as the first line of his poem. The short sentence is powerful, a sense of longing and hope, but also like the short nature of a postcard. The caesura in the first line could present the bluntness of death, that all things can't change or go back and the full stop implies Abse has to move on but also the distance between Abse and his wife, that they are now separated.
'It's a calm summer's day and the dulcamara of memory is not enough'. 'Dulcamara is the treatment for certain diseases, and this is not enough to heal his broken heart. He still suffers the pain of his loss, and Abse doesn't find comfort in the calm summer's day. The day gives him a short happiness, the sun and calm all positive surroundings however he can't forget what has happened and he can not stop grieving. 'I confess' is the unveiling of Abse's emotions, the things he found hard to say but feels he can say in his postcard. 'I know the impoverishment of self', implies he is nothing without her, and she was the only thing that held value in his life. He feels like nothing, and has no purpose anymore, but also appreciates that he got to spend his time with her when she was alive. 'The Venus de Milo is only stone' is a reference to a Greek sculpture, that God (of love and beauty) is only stone now. That it is cold, cruel and hard to touch, presenting the harsh reality of what has happened. Stone can only be broken but can't be recreated by man, like his wife and his love for her. It is just a memory, not a reality. His wife made him believe without her things have no meaning.
'So come home. The bed's too big!'' shows the desperation, trying to hold onto her by relating the issue with daily life and objects in his life as a comfort. He is fooling himself to pretend she has just gone away, and the petty issues like having extra room in the bed is a jokey complaint. This sad humour shows his loneliness. He's mourning, unable to change what has occurred but wishing it wasn't that way. 'Make excuses', makes it seem like she has just gone away, or busy, and could come back to him. Abse is trying to be light-hearted and not show he's suffering but there is clear heartbreak underneath. The second stanza includes 'we are agents in an obscure drama', a comical view that she has gone away to venture and explore 'some cryptic message'.
Abse becomes more desperate in the fourth stanza as he says, 'Anything! But come home'. Abse is crying out for his wife, and there is clear pain and frustration. 'Then we'll motor, just you, just me' beginning to dream of it just them, that he needs no one else in his life. Abse just wants to be alone with his wife, and he can't cope alone. He describes the romantic adventure of following the 'twisting narrow lanes', the imagery so detailed he's already done this with his wife and wants to repeat the past. 'Wild business' implies to us that the flowers and people are free and able to go wherever they wish however business suggests control and restriction. Placing the words together implies that perhaps this enjoyment of going on a journey is out of their control. The 'roses and clematis' represent beauty, and she is beauty to him.
The fourth stanza shows this dream world that Abse longs for. 'Mimic the old gods who enacted the happy way to be holy' could suggest that love is the path to happiness and that the old gods who represent love were most happy, and he needs his wife to be happy again. 'Holy' and 'old gods', implies that religion places big role in life, that it's used as a comfort and to help cope with hard times. Abse refers to his wife as 'dear', an affectionate name to represent the closeness he had to her. He describes himself as 'uxorious', meaning wife in Latin, and he misses her greatly, 'absence can't make Abse's heart grow fonder'. This genetic saying is put ironically, that death is the biggest absence and it makes him desperate to have her back. This is the reality to life and love.

Two Photographs

Theme:

Abse looks at the passing of time and memories, old-age and identity and history compared to the present, using photographs to reflect on the past.

Content:

The persona looks through old photographs to find his two grandmothers, Doris and Annabella, and reminisces about them. Larkin compares the two women.

Analysis:


The rhyme scheme and structure of the poem is uneven and irregular, like memories and how time constantly changes things, like the portrayal of memories and people.
The two women are described in the first stanza. Annabella is described as 'slim', 'vulnerable' and 'pretty', compared to Doris who is 'portly', 'formidable' and 'handsome'. Abse lets the reader know straight away that the two women are different, recalling their appearance that reflects their personality. Annabella seems to be attractive, innocent and feminine unlike Doris who seems nice, pleasant but 'handsome'. Abse describes how both women dress, Annabella a 'demure black frock with an amber brooch', and Doris 'a lacy black gown with a string of pearls'. Annabella is more subtle and elegant, effortless in her clothes. She is reserved, modest and almost shy through her clothes compared to Doris who wears lace, a seductive material that's bold and extravagant with the pearls. Annabella wears a 'frock' whereas Doris wears a 'gown', suggesting that Annabella could be younger and more vibrant than the other grandmother that's older and mature. Doris's clothing description is in the second stanza, implying that there is a big separation to the women's likenesses. Abse only describes the physical memory of the photograph, only based on an image not by an actual memory.
In the second stanza Abse describes the date and location of the photographs. One 'marked Ystalyfera 1880 the other Bridgend 1890'. Both are from Wales, however the women aren't labelled to one location which suggests that Abse doesn't know, and lacks that memory of the women. The final line of this stanza, 'Both were to say, 'Cheese'; one, defiant, said 'Chalk!'', implies the different personalities, though we don't know which woman is 'defiant'. The women are like chalk and cheese, complete opposites. One woman is more eccentric, unlike the other who is reserved, mostly like Doris to shout 'Chalk!' Abse could be questioning the reader to see if they match appearance to personality, stereotyping people to dress how they act and likewise.
The third stanza focuses more on the personalities of the women. They talk in different accents and their eating habits are outlined. Annabella 'fasted - pious, passive, enjoyed small talk'. She is religious, feminine and polite, good company to be around. Doris 'feasted - pacy, pushy, would never pray. Ate pork!' The repetition makes Doris sound bold, rude, fat and quite rebellious. Eating pork was shocking to Jewish families, forbidden for their religion. Doris doesn't conform to religion, and Annabella 'told Doris she was damned', suggesting she didn't agree with her, or they didn't like each other. 'I liked Doris, I liked Annabella, though Doris was bossy and Annabella daft'. Abse loved them both, despite their contrasts and faults.
In the fourth stanza recalls a dream with both women in, standing 'back to back, not for the commencement of a duel but to see who was taller'. This suggests a rivalry and competition between the women. They don't to fight but constantly compare themselves with each other. The tone now shifts from being light-hearted to depressing. The sensory memory of 'Eat de Cologne', is part of the stereotypical view of old women, 'buns of grey hair, of withered rose'. These memories of their age 'seem illusory, fugitive, like my dream'. They are just memories, a dream that will only survive through just the photograph because they will be forgotten. 'Sieved through leaky curtains and disappears when and where that sunbeam goes', suggests that memories can go at any time, and come back in thin glances, or occasionally. Nostalgia is unpredictable, and ambiguous. 'Sieved' and 'leaky' imply that time covers memories and only old memories can seep through, details lost and forgotten.
The last stanza is cynical and philosophical, a depressing view of death. 'Two old ladies once uxoriously loved, what's survived?' The women were once loved now they are forgotten, a missed fondness that has come to an end when they die. Abse suggests that only physical items remain to keep them alive, like 'an amber brooch, a string of pearls, two photographs'. This view is sad, that everything is stored in material objects to only view their appearance and their personality is left behind. Abse talks about time, and 'my children's grandchildren' will not remember him, so he 'never lived'. Dead exists in the minds of people and within memories who knew and loved them, if you forget about your family and don't tell younger people then they no longer exist.

Links to Larkin 

Self's the Man links to this poem due to how the two women are contrasted together in the third stanza. The words of their descriptions are placed in the listing device to come across as being far more powerful.
 Larkins poem of Reference Back is able to be similar with Abse with how their is something that triggers of the memory before. For Larkin it was the music sheets whilst in Abse it was the two photographs.
Home Is So Sad and also Mr Bleaney link in well due to how they two women are portrayed as when time and age occur within the poem. Both poems link in due to the description of an unloved house that is messy and alone.
For Sidney Bechet- a celebration of life
love Songs in Age- memory through objects
Wild Oats- Comparing Women
Altogether we see various similarities between the two poets and also see the difference of Larkin placing a more negative aspect of women unlike Abse who is more positive.

The Death of Aunt Alice

Description 

The poem tells the tale of the deceased Aunt Alice, and how she did peculiar and odd acts in her lifetime, ultimately resulting into her death. Moreover, the poem also clarifies how many things used by us in our daily lives are but paths to death, such as Cars, Aeroplanes and Flowers. The poem concentrates on the paths to death and how they are all around us, but also how sometimes these can be quite odd, strange and funny- such as in the stanza 4. Overall, this poem is about the most things in life are waiting to pounce on us and kill us, in the many forms they may occupy- i.e Boeing Planes and how there are other ways to die, some of which are funny and odd-i.e falling down a lift.

Themes:

The Theme of this poem is death and the many paths to it, but the usage of Sarcasm and the touch of Humour is also important when considering the themes of this poem

Language (Effect on Reader):

Abse utilised an assortment of words in a well-considered style, to both introduce sarcasm and to further push this message across of death. Words such as "Spectacular" and "Fords" are most notably used for their easiness and commonness, and so as to further enforce the message. Overall, the language used gives of a casual effect on the reader, and makes the poem seem casual-despite the theme of death.

Imagery (Similes/Metaphors/Personification):

There are many, many images given off in the poem; from Fords to Concrete-Mixers: much imagery is created by Abse. Moreover, most (if not all) important events are accompanied with an adjective so as to give further depth to them, like "pale saints" and "tall stories".

Sound (Rhythm):

There is no rhyme scheme in this poem, all throughout out- such is the same for any sound effect; which is also non-existent.

Structure (Form):

The Poem is around the place- scruffy at times. While it does follow a strict 6 Line a Stanza rule, sometimes Stanzas are sub-headed as points and sometimes words are capitalised (i.e "SPECTACULAR"), whereas others are followed by a random exclamation mark. There are 5 of these Stanzas, all of which are similar in length.

Tone (Narrator):

The tone of the poem is somewhat casual, with notes of sarcasm to battle out the underlying theme of death and the many ways in which it looms over us. Moreover, it seems that someone who knew this "Aunt Alice" and was present at the Funeral is telling the story, one who knew much about her and her wish of an "opera-ending". The sarcasm in the poem accounts for the casual tone, and may itself be an indication of another path to death.

Imitations

Imitations

Theme/Content:

Imitations is a poem about relationships with father and son, and Abse looks at his son and sees himself, and is also reminded that he is a duplicate of his own father. The poem talks about ageing and how time affects relationships and the family as well as reflecting on the past.

Analysis:

'Imitations' means a likeness, impression, or clone of something, likewise what his son is to him.

'This afternoon room' is the the room between light and dark, between hope and darkness and shows the transition of growing up, seeing his teenage son in front of him. 'The other side of the glass' the invisible barrier of age that can make people less connected, stops the room from joining the cold outside. 'Snowflakes whitewash the shed roof and the grass', covered in a blanket of snow, so everything looks fresh, pure and clean. 'Surprised April' could be ambiguous, either the name of his wife or that the spring is surprised that this cold winter has lasted so long. 'An approximate man' at 16 shows he's closer to the actual, he's growing up and Abse feels no longer like much of a father anymore.
 He describes his son as a 'chameleon', changing colour to adapt to the background and fit in to society, his 'soft diamond' an oxymoron that makes him sound beautiful, hard but also forgiving and soft when you get to know him. 'My deciduous evergreen', deciduous meaning the falling of maturity or the dropping of a part no longer needed is the son growing up and blossoming, the evergreen staying green through all the seasons so his son will forever be his child no matter how much he changes, he's withholding the important things but losing his youth.


'Eyes half closed' half asleep, between reality and his dreams, he 'listens to pop forgeries' the upbeat unoriginal songs that the persona doesn't understand his son listening to. The persona doesn't really know his son, and they don't discuss his personal life, whether he 'dreams of some school Juliet I don't know', hoping his son has a romantic side in his youth. 'A blur of white blossom, whiter snow' is more innocent, the white resembling purity and youth, a more positive outlook.
The 'immortal springtime' is an paradox, springtime one season that can't last forever and changes. The future and the past however is immortal and must continue to move forward in life. He's thinking back to when he was his son's age, 'I'm elsewhere and the age my cool son is', realising how old his son is now is the reality. 'My father alive again' is the reminiscing of when his father was alive, them both being together. (I, his duplicate) suggests he's remembered that he is similar to his father. 'Two butterflies stumble' is how the past is untouched and clear, clarified with innocence and purity, and the butterflies symbolise the soul of the departed ones. 'Elastic' is the bond that will never break, even though he's lost his father their connection is still there, and they can move apart but come back together. The future must continue to repeat the past, the cyclical action when accepting differences. 'Pass' suggests it was just a daydream, and he returns to the reality of his son now.

Links to Larkin:

Dockery and Son - memories, past, father and sons, however it is different because the past is accessible this time, both realise how time has gone past in the last stanza
Broadcast - memories and using music to reignite past memories, it joins them together

Sons

Structure 

The poem contains 4 stanzas, each containing 6 lines. All of the stanza's have the rhyme scheme of ABCCDC. 

1. played,way,day
2. wash, clash, brash 
3. hide, abide, countryside
4. quite, night, bright 

Theme:

The poem is about the relationship between father and son, and is highlighted with themes of growing up, youth, time and memories.

Content:

In this poem the persona looks back on his youth but compared himself to his son and his younger self. The similarities between himself and his son make him remember his young self.

Analyzing the poem

The first line of the poem uses alliteration and sibilance, 'sarcastic sons slam front doors', a jokey tone towards his son's moody swings and anger. The persona finds his behaviour amusing, knowing that these teenage things were something he'd do. 'I think of Cardiff outskirts where, once, captured acres played', the persona looks back on how he was in his youth. The persona reflects on his childish, fun games, 'acres' are 'small tamed gardens' suggesting his imagination that his ran wild, still being naive and foolish. 'The concrete way', solid traditions and rules is like society's expectations and ideals that have 'supplanted grass, wild flowers', growing up replacing his youth and having to change. 'Now my son is like that, altering everyday', that his son is now acting like how he did. The son is constantly changing, maturing and growing up with time and this shows that nothing stays the same, that Abse's current self is different to his younger self.
In the second stanza, 'those new semis that seem ashamed' to describe himself. The new semi houses feel out of place and that they don't belong there. This is like the feeling of growing up and discovering yourself, something hard to do in your teenage years where you were confused and 'ashamed' if you didn't fit in. 'The frontier of Nowhere' could suggest in youth wanting to find yourself too. Nowhere is given a capital to make it a place, implying that it's somewhere everyone has been and can relate to. The 'chaos clash' of not knowing anything, of who you want to be and what you want to become. being adolescent was both 'prim and brash'. This juxtaposition of two opposites highlights the changing emotions, and a teenager's confusion of wanting to be independent but also wanting to be looked after, and being mature but acting childish. The question mark shows how uncertain growing up is.
The third stanza is quite philosophical, 'strange a London door should slam and I think thus, of Cardiff evenings'. The reference to London, where his son is currently slamming the door is the same as what he did in his hometown. In Cardiff his son shut the door because he wanted to grow up and explore the world, and the persona thinks it's strange for him to do this. Maybe it's because his son is uncomfortable and unfamiliar in this new place, an outsider. The son takes him back to his own past, and makes him remember his youth. Cardiff is described as 'ruins where ghost abide', an 'awkward Anglo-Welsh half town, half countryside', using opposites to describe his son, not knowing where he is and that he doesn't belong anywhere. He feels 'awkward', and out of place.
'Son, you are like that and I love for it', the persona empathising and understanding his son, representing the good relationship they have. 'In adult rooms the hesitant sense of not belonging quite' shows how his son is trying to be mature but is still in his youth, 'hesitant' to accept he is still a child.
The last three lines seem like a warning, 'Too soon maturity will switch off your night thrust fake electric roots, the nameless becoming wrongly named and your savage darkness bright'. The persona looks back with perspective, his warning is that this will happen to his son too and he should watch what he does. It could imply that his son is going down the wrong path, and the pessimistic view that he will turn out like his father makes it seem like the son's future is limited. 'Darkness bright' is an oxymoron, suggesting that they are together and similar people but are totally different and will have different futures.

Links to Larkin 

"Now my son is like that, altering every day" - Links to Dockery & Son because it links to how father and son are both alike in there youth.

"(The last stanza)"- Looking back with perspective could link to Reference back and Love Songs in Age. 


 This poem links well with Larkin's Dockery & Son because the son in both poems takes the persona back to their own youth, highlighting the similarities between them both. The poem also links to Reference back and Love Songs in Age, this is because the shared music reminds the mother of her youth, much like the persona in Sons.

In the Theatre

Introduction/Context

In the theater is a true story based on the notes of Abse's brother,a dresser to a well-known surgeon.it sets the action of the poem in Wales in 1938 In an operating theater,where the surgeon attempts to locate the brain tumor of a patient who was under local anesthesia. the patient low blood pressure and was lucky to receive anesthetic as usually,in those days a patient wouldn't receive anesthetic and finding the tumor was a "somewhat hit and miss" procedure that seems to have involved looking for it using just your fingers. A grotesque image, but all goes well until the patient, as a "ventriloquist" voice not his own, cries out, "Leave my soul alone, leave my soul alone!" The doctor withdraws from the brain, but the patient then dies, after which the mood in the operating room is shocked and speechless, as "silence matched the silence under snow."

Themes 

• disregard for human life  

Analyzing the text 

Language 

.this poem takes a rather graphic and sarcastic approach towards a very serious subject. examples of this is when in the first 2 lines of the 1st stanza,the nurse says one thing to reassure the patient but means something else. Also as the poem progress' the imagery becomes more graphic with regard to the operation eg

• the fingers of Lambert Rogers, rash as a blind man’s, inside his soft brain.
• more brain mashed because of the probe’s braille path;
• patient’s dummy lips moving to that refrain, the patient’s eyes too wide.

Key quotes 

"if items of horror can make a man laugh"- Abse is cynical as to why humans would find horrific things funny when they aren't.

"more brain mashed"- this is a very graphical image of the surgeon searching away in the brain.

"the cracked record in the brain,"- it is as if the brain now plays a cracked record due to the surgeons actions.

"that voice so arctic and that cry so odd had no where else to go." - this shows us his body is now cold and has nowhere else to hide so escapes through his mouth.

"the words began to blur and slow," - he is slowly dying, like a cracked record.

"to cease at last when something other died" - not just the record and the words have died, but now the patient.

"And the silence matched the silence under snow" - the events have left everyone silent, not just the patient, because he is dead

Use of Imagery 

"the growth still undiscovered, ticking its own wild time" - makes the tumor seem like a bomb

"patients dummy lips" - makes it seem as though the surgeon is a ventriloquist and the patient his puppet.

"antique gramophone"- this shows the voice sounds old now.

"silence under the snow" - it is lifeless underneath the snow which mirrors the atmosphere of the room

Structure 

The poem has 4 stanza's each containing 7 lines in them. The rhyme scheme is different with each stanza, this is because for each stanza the 1st and 4th line rhyme with each other, except the last stanza just repeats the the word on the last line. There are also some odd other rhymes  in the poem such as the 5th and 7th line in the first stanza, and the 6th and 7th line in the second stanza. 

It is a fairly solemn poem and is rather sarcastic as demonstrated by the nurses tone...however it ends rather sad with the repeated phrase "leave my soul alone". 

The Mistake

Introduction 

The Author is describing a strange tree, which is in his back garden. It is described as being ‘rare’ as ‘Welsh gold’. It is described of having healing powers, as it’ll ‘charm away your cold’. It is a treasure. Drought comes - lack of water. The tree is no longer special and 'ordinary walnuts' are sprouted from the tree, and it is 'shamelessly free of disguise.' However, the tree is 'Tired of lies', which shows that it has an enough of the fake fame it has been receiving by man

Themes 

• Nature 
• Life 

Analyzing the text

 Confront the green tree' - personifying the tree, bring it to life.
' Evodia danieli' - giving the tree's name, which is from Korea.
' It's rare as Welsh gold' - this is comparing the tree with 'Welsh gold', which emphasizes how 'Holy' the tree is.
' It'll charm away your cold.' - shows it has healing powers, medicine (powerful).
' Who, in all of Great Britain, possessed such treasure?' - this shows the rarity of this tree.
' Tired of lies' - the tree is 'Tired' of the fake fame it has been getting from humankind.
' Shamelessly free of disguise' - The tree is no longer special.
 Its rare as Welsh gold' - simile - Saying the tree is 'rare as Welsh gold'.
' Confront the green tree' - personification - In a way saying meet it, bringing it to life.

Structure 

The structure of the poem is 4 stanzas, each containing 4 lines. The rhyme scheme of the poem is ABCB 

The Boasts of Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd

Introduction 

 The title of the poem The Boasts of Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd has a context background to it.  Hywel ,  (d. 1170), Welsh warrior-prince and poet who was the first to develop the courtly love lyric in Welsh in the manner of the troubadours. Among his eight extant compositions is a gorhoffedd, or “boasting poem,” which gives exuberant expression to his love for his country. The son of Owain Gwynedd, Hywel played a major part in the occupation of Ceredigion (Cardiganshire) by the house of Gwynedd (c. 1153).

How this connects with the poem is that the speaker is boasting about all the different women he has been with in only a week

Themes 

• Love - He shows love for each women differently 
• Betrayal- He uses the women then betrays them 
• Unfaithfulness - He does not stay with one women 
• Sex/passion 

Structure 

The structure in the poem seems to be simple, yet unordinary. This as each stanza has different amount of lines in, making it ‘awkward’. Also the two words, ‘’her’’ and ‘’quiet’’ are on a line of there own, perhaps focusing the readers attention on them, specially as the poem is about all the different woman ‘her’, and how not any of them know just how much this man gets around, keeping ‘quiet’. A lot of end stop lines are also used along with enjambment and caesura allowing the speaker control of how the poem is supposed to be read. 

Analysing the text 

my busty next” – describes the first woman very physically, and describes her chest, what he can see and not how he feels and her ‘’whiteness’’, suggesting a pale woman, by comparing her to be better than ‘’pear blossom’’. 

“Not to love her is a sin” – talks about the second woman, and although love is mentioned, it perhaps refers to her physical appearance, and physical actions and not emotion – may not be respecting the woman at hand. The speaker himself also can be seen as a ‘flirt’ and ‘tease’, as she ‘’pigeon-coos” and he knows how to impress her ‘’woo’’ in turn making the woman’s cheeks ‘’flush like rosy apple skin’’.

“dry old hymns” – For the third woman he will go to extents but using hymns to ‘’please her”, as ‘boring’ as they maybe. 

“Friday, worried Hawis my epic regular” – suggesting how this is normally the woman he ‘has’ and thus refers to her being ‘regular’, therefore suggesting, the is your ‘ordinary, everyday woman’ that falls for his ‘’poetry of endearment’’.

‘’let her name be secret’’ – suggesting not only does the speaker go for single woman but also married and only keeping it secret for ‘’husband’s sake’’ – although he himself feels a sense of accomplishment, smug even in what he is doing. 

‘’lick up juices’’ – a sexual innuendo is used, to express his passion, and show his feelings for all the woman, and that he can have who ever he want, along as his ‘’busy tongue keeps quiet’’. 

Welsh Valley Cinema, 1930's

Introduction

This poem is about Abse remembering a trip to the cinema. The poem also talks about the idea that the cinema is in a poor area and is filled with working class families. As well as this is talks about  how the films portray the ideal lifestyle for the audience, however when the film has finished, the audience is brought back to reality and away from the ideal lifestyle.

Themes 

• Dreams/Ideals- This theme is presented by the speaker talking about hot the film being shown is like the life they want to live. "it sank to disappear, as dream, underground". 
• Memories-  this is because the poem is about the speaker recounting a time when they went to the cinema. "I remember it".

 Structure

the structure of the peace is four stanza's each with a different amount of lines. The first stanza has ten lines, the second stanza has 5 lines, the third stanza has 8 lines (including 2 bracket lines) and the fourth stanza has 9 lines. There is no rhyme scheme to the poem.

What each stanza is about (Quotes):

1. This stanza highlights the poverty of the people. " the thrill". This suggests they are exited about watching the film and also suggests their poverty because they are really exited  just to watch a film 
2. This stanza talks about what the films show."sank to disappear, a dream underground". This supports the idea that the audience are being shown their dreams through the films and when it is finished their dream to disappears.  
3. " poor ragged Goldilocks". The idea of a fairy tale being introduced  makes the dreams of the audience/ the film more fake. " Observed a miracle". This highlights  how they are seeing  their ideal life  because they think they are seeing a miracle. " dab away her glycerin tears". The fake tears emphasis how the film only talks about the dreams of the audience. 
4. "till THE END- of course, upbeat". This shows that the film has ended, their dreams have disappeared. The last few lines of the poem become negative e.g. dreary, glum damned ect. 

Extra context

The poem refers to Wales in the 1930's. Abse would be 17. "The Palace"  could be the name of the cinema and there is a Welsh cinema in Haverfordwest called "The Palace". The speaker could be Abse because he is young.  

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

Return to Cardiff

Return to Cardiff is about about Abse returning to Cardiff and how it is changed from when he left. the poems includes the the themes Journey, memory and change. In Return to Cardiff Abse looks back upon his life, growing up in Cardiff but he almost mocks  his immaturity and his anticipation of what to expect. There are 7 stanza's each with four lines in theme. The rhyme scheme of the poem is ABCA x7, which shows a sense that the the forth line always returns ti the same rhyme has the first line.

 the first stanza talks about " first everything" which is not a great time and quite a time for adolescents (  a young person in the process of developing from a child into an adult). The second stanza talks about "not as in... gothic dream" which shows that this is not what Abse remembers of Cardiff when he was a boy.  The third stanza of the poem talks about " unfocused voices" which could suggest either the people of Cardiff, or memories from the past that are unfocused . the forth stanza in the poem talks about the people in Cardiff are " strangers, alien and bleak". This shows that Abse is disappointed that the people in Cardiff have changed and are not what they are used to. The fifth stanza is just one big extended simile about the "city of strangers".  The sixth stanza talks about Abses memories which is Only real this smell of rip, damp earth when the some comes out. This is Abses memories of everyday smell.

Down the M4

Down the M4 

Down the M4 is about Abse who is going to south Wales to see his mother, who he thinks is dying and is afraid that there will be be bad news when he arrives. The themes of the poem include: 

• Journey 
• Old Age 
• Death 

  The poem contains 4 stanza each with four lines.

what the stanza's are about 

1. The first stanza is about Abse being surprised that he is going back to South Wales to see his mother, because he is afraid of what will happen. He also talks about his mothers friends and his Aunties/Uncles who are also dying " one by one" because they to are really old. He also says that his mother is in her " ninth decade". 
2. the second stanza talks about time however focus's on his mother. He says that every-time he visits she tells a boring story of clocks that makes him feel old. 
3. the third stanza talks about his " mother's mother, and reflects on her accent and what she said in the past. 
4. the last stanza links back to the title of the poem because it talks about " driving down the M4". He looks back at his life and talks about being Welsh and being a Jew. 

Links to Larkin 

• Here - journey of thoughts and they both talk Larkin talks about there surroundings and isolation.
• Old Age. This is because the women in 'Old Age' wants to go back in time because they dont want to die but in this they are not scared of death.  

Red Balloon

Red Balloon

In Red Balloon Abse talks about his beliefs in his religion which is Jewish. The poem talks about other peoples opinions on him because of his religion and the bullying that he it caused him. The structure of the poem is 10 stanza's, each with 4 lines in them.

The Red Balloon suggests a number of things for the poem:

• Vibrancy
• happiness
• Hope
•  freedom
•  innocence
• His Religious Beliefs about being a Jew 
• The red balloon could have a similarity to the girl in the red coat in Schindler's list

The Girl in the Red Coat

The girl in the red coat is the most obvious symbol in Schindler’s List, simply because her coat is the only color object, other than the Shabbat candles, presented in the main body of the film. To Schindler, she represents the innocence of the Jews being slaughtered. He sees her from high atop a hill and is riveted by her, almost to the exclusion of the surrounding violence. The moment Schindler catches sight of her marks the moment when he is forced to confront the horror of Jewish life during the Holocaust and his own hand in that horror. The little girl also has a greater social significance. Her red coat suggests the “red flag” the Jews waved at the Allied powers during World War II as a cry for help. The little girl walks through the violence of the evacuation as if she can’t see it, ignoring the carnage around her. Her oblivion mirrors the inaction of the Allied powers in helping to save the Jews. Schindler later spots her in a pile of exhumed dead bodies, and her death symbolizes the death of innocence.  (http://www.sparknotes.com/film/schindlerslist/themes.html)

The poem 

In the first couple of stanza's in the poem, Abse talks about the balloons journey over different places, until " it landed where I stood". At first Abse is confused about the balloon and therefore confused about his religion.  In the third stanza Abse says that " It was my same and it was my joy", this suggests that Abse is told to be a christian like his friends but he wants to be a Jew like his family.  It also suggests that Abse feels humiliated by people by being a Jew, however he really enjoy's being a Jew. The sixth stanza talks about Abse's best friend, who is christian and is saying the being a Jew is wrong and evil to God. The seventh stanza talks about being "circumcised" which is to purify spiritually, this means that he wants to purify Abse of Judaism.

The eighth stanza talks about boys trying to destroy his religion, however Abse is fighting for his religion and will not stop being a Jew just because people are threatening him. The last two stanza;s are about the boys destroying Abse's belief in being a Jew because he is different from them.          

Comparisons  to Larkin:

• Faith Healing because it also talks about religion. 

Leaving Cardiff

Leaving Cardiff is about Abse leaving Cardiff and he feels that he does not want to go. The poem contains  5 stanzas each with 4 lines in them. The themes in the poem include change and belonging because he knows he belongs in Cardiff and that when he comes back things would have changed. The rhyme scheme of the peom is ABAC,ABCC,ABAB,ABAB,ABAB. This change in rhyme scheme suggests the change in Cardiff and the change in himself.

The first stanza talks about his feeling towards Cardiff and that he finds the sea relaxing. The next stanza in the poem ,Abse questions why he is leaving Cardiff and talks about familliar souroundings as if he will never see them again  . In the third stanza Abse feels sad that he is leaving as he  says " my eyes,, like spaces, fill, and the knots of the water floww, pump to my eyes and spill".and he talks about leaving his childhood behind in Cardiff. The forth stanza says that if Abse stays in Cardiff, he cannot be the person he wants to be. In the fianl stanza, Abse knows that when he comes back to cardiff, things would have changed, wich is why he does not want to leave.

The poem makes links to Larkin poems:

• Whitson Weddings
• Here

The is because in these poems They also talk abou there sourroundings.
 
more info
http://poetryandsuchlike.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/leaving-cardiff.html