What is the form of prayer before birth
Dramatic monologue which directly addresses god-apostrophe
-free verse and is uncrontrollable
What is the purpose of prayer before birth
-an appeal to human kind on behalf of future generations
-innocence of the speaker appeals to our empathy as it shows that innocent civilians are affected by global issues
-critiques the adults in society
-praying and appealing to a higher power on behalf of all humans
-disgust from baby of world
What is the structure of prayer before birth
-repetition makes it prayer like and anaphoric becomes a refrain across the poem
-first line establishes the unique perspective of the unborn child
-imperatives used to urge god for help
-increasing size of stanzas shows lack of control and inability to stop humanity and prevent disaster
-cascading lines gives sense of disorder
-final stanza is prose not poetry as there is no more beauty in the world so they don’t want to live
What is the tone of prayer before birth
Desperate and pleading
‘Let not the bloodsucking bat or the rat or the stoat or the club-footed ghoul come near me.’
-imperative and plosive soundscape shows anger and disgust of baby and also creates a terrifying image
-supernatural listing shows excessive things to fear in the world
-repetition of or is childlike and shows the innocence
‘O hear me’
-links to prayer
-end stop shows that no one listens to
‘Console me.’
-imperatives shows desperation yet no one consoles him shown by end stop
‘I fear that the human race may with talk walls around me.’
-fetus is immediately scared
-humans are to blame
-‘tall walls’ internal rhyme. Humans choose to create divisions and imprisonment
-‘may’ shows that it is not inevitable and it is down to free will
‘Strong drugs dope me, with wise lies lure me, on black racks rack me, in blood baths roll me.’
-drugs-misinformation we are fed by the government. Shows passiveness of fetus and how it is forced emphasised by dental alliteration
-wise lies- oxymoron, again shows the propaganda and facade that people are shown
-black racks- reference to evil and torture devices
-blood baths- shows the mass killings and death that people face in the world
-the previous fairytale and imaginary issue the baby faced are now gone as children are presented with adult issues too soon
Stanza 3
Focuses on natural imagery and shows that nature is peaceful and beautiful and the humans are the issue
‘Water to dandle’
-nature nourishes the child
-the natural supports the child and is a connecting force between humans
‘Sky to sing’ ‘trees to talk’ ‘grass to grow’
-Different types of alliteration show simplicity and beauty
-personifies the nature of
-nature shows strength virtue and hope
‘White light’
-refers to the sun which provides beauty and life contrasting with the humans
-white has connotations of purity and innocence
-light also is a symbol of hope
‘Forgive me’
-shows the pre determined sinning of the fetus and it is inevitable
‘My thoughts when they think me’
-the worlds control the fetus’s thoughts and spread propaganda
-fear conditioning
‘My treason engendered by traitors beyond me’
-surviving in a society which the fetus didn’t make
-dental alliteration
‘My life when they murder by means of my hands.’
-if the child is brought into the world it will be forced to fight to survive
-the world is making it kill others
‘My death when they live me.’
-individuality dies when they are born
-symbolic death of baby shows loss of identity and free will
Stanza 4
-back to destruction and contrasts with stanza 3
‘Rehearse me in the parts I must play.’
-semantic field of theatre
-imperative-it mice perform a role to conform to societal expectations
-agency vs lack of free will
-he must fine tune his role
‘Old men lecture me’
-people in power outdated view
-poet criticises the patriarchal setting
‘Mountains frown at me’ ‘white waves call me to folly’ ‘desert calls me to doom’
-personification of nature as it now turns against him
-natural world has become contaminated and corrupted by society
-polysyndetic listing present how he us overwhelmed by rejection
‘O hear me’ stanza 6
-epiphora
-repeated again as still no one listens to the fetus
‘I am not yet born’
Anaphoric becomes a refrain throughout the poem
