Higher English Essay - Shooting Stars

Introduction

“Shooting Stars” by Carol Ann Duffy is a challenging and thought-provoking poem which through the poet’s ideas and techniques allows the reader to develop and deepen their understanding of the holocaust. Duffy adopts the persona of a Jewish woman who details her horrific experience during the Holocaust. Through clever techniques such as word choice and imagery, Duffy allows the reader to empathise with the woman and therefore gain a deeper understanding.

The title “Shooting Stars” is double entendre. The star of David is a symbol of Judaism and the yellow star of David was an identification badge worn forcibly by Jewish people during the Third Reich. So this is a metaphor for the Jewish targets of Nazi murder; the “Final Solution”. But shooting stars are also meteors — not stars at all.

"Rebecca Rachel Ruth

Aaron Emmanuel David, stars on sll our brows"

All these names are examples of Jewish female names alliterated to show the connection between themselves.

Stars on their brows highlights the title and how the star is becoming a target for soliders to aim at. (Star

Listed without commas to show unity with Jews that died. Differenciate Jews from others showing they are targeta. “R” for girls names almost sing songish - light hearted for dark topic

List of individuals Duffy names them to show that these were real people and not just anonymous Jews. This is an attempt to restore to them their identify and dignity which has been removed. \n Lack of commas speeds up the pace of the line which creates a rushed effect and suggests the huge number of dead Jews \n Enjambment suggests the interminable (unending) catalogue of names and how the list would go on and on, emphasising the number of persecuted Jews. The lack of commas is also suggestive of the idea that they are not viewed as separate people but rather as a collective people. It takes away their individuality and everything that makes them the person that they are - unique.

"I say

Remember

Remember these appaling days which make the world forever bad."

Capital letter gives force to the command.

Remember is perhaps the most important word in the poem as the purpose of the poem is to make us remember the atrocities of the war.

End stopped line, repetition on the following line shows how the incident stayed with the speaker. Capitlisation of R emphasises this.

Another command/imperative telling us to remember the war.

The speaker asserts that no amount of good can change what happened and has made the world “Forever bad”. Nothing can undo the atrocity that was committed.

"My bowels opened in a gagged gape of fear."

The “ragged gape” refers to the open-mouthed scream or gasp of fear. It also results in the physiological reflex response to extreme terror.

Rape is to further dehumanise the persona and is an exertion of power. 

An inversion of the words “ragged gape” could be read as “gagged rape” — an example of ironic spoonerism, but far from the usual comic application

There are a number of long vowel sounds in this line which lengthens the line and slows the pace. This means that the reader is forced to consider the horrors and cannot just skip over it.

"How would you prepare to die, on a perfect April evening with young men gossiping and smoking by the graves?"

Poet asking what we would do in this situation knowing that we will pass. "Perfect" iromic as it is far from the matter. Highlights cruelty of the german men, two sides to the conflict - Germans living like nothing happened. Direct adress to the reader using pronoun "you" is a way to directly identify and reason with us. Rhetorical question used to make us feel shame.

"After the history lesson children run to their toys the world turns in their sleep the spades shovel soil Sara Ezra"

Pain terror and anguish have been boxed into a harmless history lesson showing people dont care. Reasonable that children should go and play instead of reflexcting. World ignores and personification of the "World" suuggests that people ignore the true horror of the place they live in. Spades burying the bodies - structured oddly with a full stop not being used to show that names keep on going - shows the scale. The sibilance and the sound of S and SH to imitate the sound of the shovel

"Turn thee

Unto me with mercy, for i am desolate and lost."

Allusion of a psalm / payer where David puts trust in God and Jews continued to do so. Emotional weight of psalm make it an important conclusion. "me with mercy" assonance shows connection between words and "desolate and lost" reminds you of the lives lost. Leaves u wondering if prisoners stayed firm in faith.