The Affliction of Margaret - analysis
a a a a ah! aid alas! alas! all all all am among an an an and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and answer any appears apprehensions art art as as as as as at attend back base be be be beauteous bed been been been been beguiled behold being believed beloved better between beyond beyond blame blasts blind bliss! blush bold born breathed bred bring brings but but by by by can cannot cares catch chains chance child childish clouds come come comfort crowds darkness day dead dead? deep delight! den desert despaired despise dew distress do do do door doth down dread dread dream dungeon earthly end ensued ever ever ever evermore eyes face falsely find find flight for for for for for force forth fortune fowls friend! from full gain ghosts gifts grace grandeur grass grave grief grief groan guess hast hath have have have have have have have have he he he heard hears heave heaven heaven help her her him him him his his honour hoped hopeless how humbled I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I if if if if ignorant ill in in in in incommunicable infinite ingenuous inheritest inhuman innocent intercourse is is is it I've keep kind kind knew knows land left less lie lies like like lion's little living long longings look love love maimed make mangled mates may may may may me me me me me! me me me me men mind mine miss mother mother mother mother's mount my my my my my my my my my my my name? neglect neither never night no no no no none nor not not not not not not not now now object of of of of of of of of of of of of oh oh! on one one one only or or or or or other pain participation pass path perhaps pity play poor power power pride prime prosperous question received relief rest rustling said said said same scream sea see send sent seven shadows shake shall short should sigh sight sleep some some sometimes son son son sorrow suffered summoned surely tears than that that that that that that that that the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the thee thee their their their them then then then there they they they they things things think this? thou thou thou thou thou thou thought thoughts thrown thy thy thy thy tidings tidings tie 'tis to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to troubles true unawares! undone! unkind upon us vain very very voyage wait wanderers wanted was was was was way weeping well well were wet what when when where where why wildest will will will wings wishes with with with with with with woes world worldly worse worth wrong years years young
These words comprise ‘The Affliction of Margaret’. Exclamations and question marks have been left in; other punctuation marks omitted. Use a highlighter (real or electronic, depending on whether you have a version on paper or using a word-processor), to bring out aspects of the vocabulary. Such as:
- Positive words; negative words
- Words referring to the mother (including ‘I’ and ‘me’); words referring to the son (including ‘thou’).
- Abstract nouns; concrete nouns (these will overlap with previous selections, so students will need to find other means, such as bold and underline).
What conclusions might be drawn?
Another, or complementary, approach might be to sort some of the words into the categories below. The function of some words will depend on context, of course. But it is the overall feel we get from the collection that is important. This example shows what the noun cells might contain.
- Is it normal to have so many abstract nouns?
- What connotations do they have?
- What connotations do the concrete nouns have?
- What conclusions can be drawn from this – e.g. about the tone and subject matter of the text?
Verbs / Adjectives
Nouns: concrete / Nouns: abstract
bed chains crowds clouds child den desert dream door dew dungeon fowls eyes face friend ghosts gifts grass grave heaven heaven mother mother mother mother's lion's land path shadows scream sea sleep son son son tears things things tidings tidings voyage wanderers wings wishes years years world / blame answer apprehensions bliss darkness comfort cares dread chance distress day grief grief delight fortune dread end longings honour flight grace grandeur love love pain participation pity power power pride prime question relief sight troubles woes
When you go on to look at the poem itself, you may like to consider how many of the seemingly concrete nouns are actually used in a metaphorical sense. (There is very little in the poem which is concrete or descriptive. Could we draw either of the characters? Could we draw the dwelling of Margaret?)
© Teachit 2007