PLASTIC Poetry Notes – GCSE English Literature Past and Present: Poetry Anthology – Love and Relationships – Winter Swans P. 20

Poetic devices and their effects – form

(ballad, sonnet, free verse, dramatic monologue),

alliteration, rhyme, rhythm, onomatopoeia,

Free verse Suggests the complicated and unorganised nature of their relationship – lack of organisation.

The slow sibilance of ‘slow-stepping in the lake’s shingle and sand’

There is a sense of peace and relaxation at this point, which suggests the move back to ease in their relationship and reconciliation.

Juxtaposition of their distance as a couple and the togetherness of the swans

Showcases the issue of humans having complex, difficult relationships in opposition to the straightforward nature of the relationships in nature.

Language and its effects – what sort of words

are in the poem? Violent, loving, colloquial, archaic,

semantic fields, diction, religious, romantic language

Dialogue of ‘They mate for life’ Reiterates their commitment to each other. Shows that love can and should be forever.

Language of swimming – ‘gulping’ ’tipping’ ‘swum’ Sense of drama and suddenness at the start – gasping for breath could reflect the desperate nature of their relationship. The gentle nature of tipping is again carefree and fun and their hands mirror the swimming of the swans.

Contrast of light and dark – ‘dark water’ and ‘afternoon light’

Sense of the depths of a relationship when things can get sinister and angry in opposition to the brightness that they move into as they reconcile through this moment about the swans

Alternative interpretations – Can quotations

be read in two ways for different meanings?

The waterlogged earth Could be the muddiness of their relationship. The sticky nature of the arguments or it could be waterlogged from the tears of both or one of them – the emotional torment

Gulping for breath Their relationship is on its last legs, drowning. Or they are fighting for its survival.

Icebergs of white feather They both have hidden depths that the other doesn’t understand or they both can cause damage to one another

Structure and its effects – tonal shifts, pace, Starts off with a sense of stasis – clouds haven given their all. Swans in the middle act in unison

Narrative of problem – complication – resolutionSense of wrongs having been righted

PLASTIC Poetry Notes – GCSE English Literature Past and Present: Poetry Anthology – Love and Relationships – Winter Swans P. 20

caesura, what rhyme stresses, beginning, middle, end,

repetition, dialogue and where it happens, enjambment

but right themselves after being ominously underwater. The slow movements of the hands back towards each other

Caesura of ‘stilling water.’ Allows the moment to settle and resonant as they enjoying the majesty of these swans

Tone and its effects – talking about moods

which are evoked and where, narrative voice

Silent and apart Sense of isolation, fraught and separated

‘They halved themselves in the dark water, icebergs’

Sinister tone – plunging alone into the deep, hidden depths that could hurt or destroy.

Gentle tone of the ‘wings settling after flight’ Sense of co-operation. Sense of peace. Sense of calm at the end. In contrast to the rain and clouds of the start

Imagery and its effects - metaphor, simile,

personification, visual sense

Metaphor – clouds had given their all Represents the tempestuous relationship of the couple who had perhaps been arguing

Imagery – hands...swum the distance..and folded Sense of coming together in co-operation. Bridging the emotional gap between the two of them

Simile of boats righting in rough weather Comparison suggesting the couple could fix their issues after the ‘rain’. They have the ability to sort themselves.

Waterlogged earth – Imagery Sense of being bogged down. The mud of their relationship is sticky

Context – authorial, social and historicalOwen Sheers is an award-winning poet, novelist and playwright. In his poetry Sheers often writes about places, landscapes and the people who live in them. His work explores history, identity and relationships and he likes to explore the difficulties people face in simply trying to live.

PLASTIC Poetry Notes – GCSE English Literature Past and Present: Poetry Anthology – Love and Relationships – Winter Swans P. 20