Poetry revision and planning framework

Use the FLIRT structure to revise theanthology poems and plan your essays. It will help you to remember the features of a poem you need to comment on. Here’s one, completed as an example:

‘On My First Sonne’ by Ben Jonson (1616)

Evidence? / Effect?
Form / Elegy – poem of mourning,
twelve lines,rhyming couplets,iambic pentameter,
three quatrains (a quatrain is a section of four lines). / Rhyming couplets might represent the partnership of father and son; iambic pentameter might imply the continuation of life despite the death of the son.
Language / 1)‘Farewell, thou child of my right hand…’ – directed to son.
2)‘O, could I loose all…’ – lamenting.
3)‘For why will man lament…?’ – questioning.
4) ‘Rest in soft peace’ reminds us of agravestone. / 1)Suggests the father’s grief – talking to dead son.
2)The ‘O’ implies a cry – shows us that the poet is upset.
3)Now becomes philosophical and questions whether it is better to die young.
4)More accepting of the reality of his son’s death, wishes him peace.
Imagery / Metaphor of debt ‘Seven yeeres tho’wert lent to me, and I thee pay,’ / Compares child’s life to a loan – emphasises sense of unfairness at child’s early death.
Response / We feel sad for the death of Ben Jonson’s son. We can empathise with his feelings of despair and loss.
Tone / Changes in each quatrain / First quatrain: saying goodbye and lamenting the loss of the son. Second quatrain: philosophical musing on whether it is better to die young and escape miseries of old age. Third quatrain: more accepting of death and wishing for his son to be in peace.

Now complete this FLIRT outline for the poem ‘The Laboratory’ by Robert Browning. Some suggestions have been put in for you…

Evidence? / Effect?
Form / Twelve stanzas, regular meter and rhyme.
Language / 1)‘Which is the poison to poison her, prithee?’ – refers to poison throughout
2)
3)‘Quick – is it finished? The colour’s too grim!’–questions and exclamations.
4) ‘…dance at the King’s!’ – This is repeated twice. / 1)
2) Tells us she is jealous.
3) Implies that she is disappointed with the dull coloured poison – she wanted it to be more exotic.
4)
Imagery / 1)‘…yonder soft phial, the exquisite blue’ – vibrant colours of apothecary’s potions.
2)‘Elise, with her head/And her breast and her arms and her hands, should drop dead!’ – list of body parts.
3) / 1)
2)Creates the impression of ‘Elise’ as being like a puppet, with all her limbs collapsing.
3)Image of the man eating the gold contrasts with the girls being made to eat the poison.
Response / We feel…
Tone / Changes through the stanzas / Stanzas I-IV marvels at apothecary’s pastes.
Stanzas V-VI seems excited about the death of her rival.
Stanzas VII-VIII
Stanzas IX-X
Stanzas XI-XII – excited again, grateful to apothecary.

Now complete a FLIRT table, similar to the ones above, for a poem of your choice.

If you spend a little of your revision time on completing these tables (at least for the key poems) you will feel more confident and able to answer any question that comes up in the exam!

Why not find a revision partner and create your revision notes together?

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