“At Executions: A Found Poem” - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

“At Executions: A Found Poem”

From Hardy’s

The Mayor of

Casterbridge

and Shakespeare’s

HamletSlide2

At Executions (stanza one)

T

he

nineteenth century had reached

one-third of its span,

now

screwed up and pasted over –

manufacturing towns which are like

foreign bodies set down –

a

man is said to be worth so much a

minute.

The sun no sooner shall

The mountains touch, but we will ship him

Hence. (IV.i.29-30)

At

executions the waiting crowd stood in a meadow,

moved

on into the dark dense old avenues –

the

subtle-souled girl asking herself

why

she was

born.

We know what we are but know not what we may be. (IV.v.43)Slide3

(stanza two)

The

coldness soon broke out into open chiding.

Had

she watched, she would have been

surprised –

an

antagonistic force in exercise.

I have shot [my] arrow [over] the house and hurt my brother. (V.ii.215-216)

Well

, well – never mind

–

(Act. Scene. Line)

it is all over and past.

Here

and everywhere be folk dying before their time

like frosted leaves

,

happiness but the occasional episode

in a general

drama of pain. Slide4

The Theme:

One’s identity is greatly affected by the physical, geographical, and social circumstances of one’s birth.Slide5

“execute”

ex·e·cute

[

ek-si-kyoot

] Show IPA

verb

(used with object),

ex·e·cut·ed

,

ex·e·cut·ing

.

1

.

to carry out; accomplish: to execute a plan or order.

2. to perform or do: to execute a maneuver; to execute a gymnastic feat.

3. to inflict capital punishment on; put to death according to law.

4. to murder; assassinate.

5. to produce in accordance with a plan or design: a painting executed by an unknown artist. Slide6

Figurative Language

now

screwed up and pasted over

–

manufacturing towns which are like

foreign bodies set down

–

a

man is said to be worth so much a

minute.

I have shot [my] arrow [over] the house

METAPHOR

SIMILESlide7

Comparisons

now screwed up and pasted over

– time passing (“pasted over” like an old poster)

manufacturing towns which are like

foreign bodies set down

–

Out with the old agricultural ways – factories like “foreign bodies” that don’t belong

a man is said to be worth so much a

minute.

Finding one’s worth through one’s work

I have shot [my] arrow [over] the

house –

physical violenceSlide8

Diction:

The

coldness

soon broke out into open

chiding.

(p. 148)

Had she watched, she would have been

surprised – (p. 161)

an

antagonistic

force in exercise. (p. 207)

Well, well – never mind –

it is

all over

and

past.

(p. 365)

Here and everywhere be folk

dying before their time

like

frosted leaves

, (p. 369)

happiness but the occasional episode

in a general

drama of

pain

. (p. 386)Slide9

Connections:

The negative diction underscores the displacement of the girl:

Coldness

chiding

Antagonistic

all

over

Past

dying before their

time

frosted

leaves

pain

.Slide10

Alliteration:

a man is said to be worth so much a

minute

.

“m” sound repeated

The sun no sooner shall

The mountains touch, but we will ship

him

“s”

sound

repeated

dark dense old

avenues

“d”

sound

repeated

We know what we are but know not what we may

be

– “w’ sounds repeatedSlide11

Connections:

“d” and “w” and “s” –

all HARSH sounds;

Adds to the TONE

(dark and foreboding)

Adds to the SUBJECT (

executions

)Slide12

In Summation:

FIRST STANZA:

Figurative language = changing world

SECOND STANZA:

Words and phrases = displacement/loss of identity

Ultimately, one cannot escape the effect of one’s environment and will only wax or wane because of it.Slide13

The

End