National 5 English - Poetry - Mrs Midas

Verse 1 and 2: Setting the scene for the conflict

"We grew Fondante d'Autumne"

Word choice:
Connotations of a golden pear.
Makes them sound a bit posh/full of themselves because of French name
Shows she is pleased with her life

"Sat in his palm like a lightbulb. On"

Simile:
Compares the pear to a lightbulb because they are similar shape and it has turned to gold
Single word sentence "On" suggests her surprise and shock, emphasised

"A glass of wine, began to unwind

Assonance:
Long sound makes it sound she is beginning to relax and enjoying the routine of cooking

"I thought to myself, is he putting fairy lights in the tree?

Sentence Structure:
Question at the end of verse

Verse 3 and 4: Beginning realisation

Verse 3 and 4: Beginning realisation

"Doorknobs gleamed"

Word Choice:
Connotations of something shiny and precious

"Sat in his chair like a burnished throne

Simile
Compares his chair to a throne because when he sat on it, it turned to gold.
Suggests he thinks of himself as a king who deserves riches, feels like he is in control
Pompous

"The look on his face was strange, wild, vain"

List and Word Choice
List builds up adjectives which become more odd to show that he has lost all reason
So proud of being rich and powerful that he forgets the consequence of his wish

"Spitting out the teeth of the rich"

Metaphor
Compares corn on the cob to teeth made out of gold
Suggests danger as he can't eat anything because it turns to gold.
Shows greed because he would be likely to show off his wealth

"Picked up the glass, goblet, golden chalice, drank"

List and word choice
Colours are used effectively to show the theme of gold
"A fragrant bone dry white from Italy" suggests a pale, golden wine, a bit posh and what they were used to
Links to the glass which turns to gold the moment he touches it
Repetition of "g" sound implies that it has turned to metal
golden chalice

Verse 5 and 6: Her reaction

Verse 5 and 6: Her reaction

Repetition of "I" several time in the verse

This emphasises that she is beginning to take control over the situation
Needs to protect herself and anything that would keep her connected to her normal world
Ironically, the wish did not make him powerful, but left him without any control

"The toilet I don't mind"

Humour
Attempt at making a joke to try and rationalise what was going on
Shows her anger and loss of the relationship

"at least i said, you'll be able to give up smoking for good

Humour
Sarcastic comment
She refers to his addiction

"Look, we all have wishes; granted. But who has wishes granted? Him"

Sentence Structure
The comma changes the meaning; separates "granted" to suggest that she understands that people wish for things.
The lack of a comma in the next sentence emphasises how unreasonable he was about having the wish granted
Single word sentence "Him" sounds forceful and angry

"It feeds no one, aurum, soft, untarnishable; slakes no thirst"

Sentence Structure
The list emphasises how empty and pointless the gold is.
The latin word for the element makes it impersonal, like you can't do anything with it.
"Soft" suggests it serves no purpose as you can't do anything with it

"I gazed, entranced"

Word choice
"gazed"

"Near petrified"

Word Choice
Connotations of scared to death, but also like something turned into stone.
Double meaning

"Those halycon days"

Word Choice
Connotations of happy and calm, comfortable times
Creates a nostalgic and sad tone for what she has lost. Shows the dire consequence of his greed

"separate beds"

Sentence structure
Short minor sentence to highlight how panicky and quick her reaction is.
Followed by an almost "afterthought"

"Spare room into the tomb of Tutankhamun"

Metaphor
Golden pyramid to show how powerful he was, tomb suggests death, no escape.
Mrs Midas trying to avoid certain death. Mood of hopelessness
Assonance on long "oo" sound is melancholic to show the breakdown of the relationship.

"unwrapping each other, rapidly, like presents, fast food"

Simile
Simile compares their love making to presents and fast food

"his honeyed embrace"

Word choice
Connotations of the colour gold, like honey

"his child, his perfect ore limbs"

Metaphor
Compares the baby to a golden statue, perfectly formed and beautiful, but lifeless

"Its little tongue like a precious latch"

Simile
Compares the tongue to a latch, something that can attach to you.
"Precious" because it is her baby and she would love it, but also because it is made out of gold

"Its amber eyes holding their pupil like flies"

Simile
Shows the baby would be dead and emotionless, despite their beauty

"I woke up to the streaming sun"

Symbolism
Reference to the golden colour of the sun in the morning - it feels like she cannot escape the gold anywhere

Verse 9 and 10: Breakup

"so he had to move out"

Sentence structure
Short, blunt sentence with single syllable words emphasises the urgency to get away from him. Growing isolation because they have lost everything