owen sheers - winter swans

personification - “the waterlogged earth gulping for breath”

“waterlogged” creates an environment in which nothing can grow or survive suggesting that their relationship will not survive if action isn’t taken soon

“gulping” suggests desperate attempts to solve problems which are drowning them

metaphor - “icebergs of white feather”

symbolises an obstacle and a multitude of problems beneath the surface

also represents their solid foundation which is hidden by the current state of the relationship’s appearance

simile - “like a pair of wings settling after flight”

“pair of wings” one cannot work without the other

shift from “walked” to “flight” symbolising their progress and freedom

uneven line length + no rhyme scheme

feeling of discomfort as poem is disjointed and unconnected

tercets→couplet

tercets represent something coming between them and preventing them from feeling connected

couplet allows them to be fully together as there is no longer a barrier between them which gives an optimistic ending

enjambment

symbolic of their determination to keep trying to resolve their problems and heal the relationship by providing continuity throughout

end-stopped line - “like a pair of wings settling after flight.”

confirms the ending of this phase and that they managed to resolve their issues