imagery:
Good-looking, of course, dark hair, rather matted;
the reddish beard several shades lighter; (6-7): The imagery used in these lines is to describe the man the speaker has woken up next to. The audience invisions this good-looking man with dark hair, but when the speaker says "reddish beard" their is confusion. Confusion because beards are normally the same colour as hair. This then leads the audience to believe there may be blood inside the beard of this man.
and a beautiful crimson mouth that obviously knew (10): Imagery in this line is used to again describe the man. The speaker says that the man has crimson lips. Lips are usually not crimson in colour. This gives the effect that this man may actually be dead as when someone dies their lips change into a purple colour which the speaker is describing.
how to flatter...
which I kissed...
Colder than pewter (11-13): There are various uses of imagery in these lines. Firstly after the first line with the punctuation used. The dot dot dot makes the audience invision the speaker moving towards the man as the dots represent a longer pause than usual. The second dot dot dot in the next line makes the audience invision the speaker moving even closer to the man and kissing him. These images give the effect that the speaker is mesmerised by this man, and cannot take her eyes off of him. The audience then invisions her pulling back to tell us how cold his lips are. Comparing his lips to be colder than a pewter, helps the audience to feel how cold his lips were. This also makes the audience invision that maybe this man is dead as normally living people are warm and not cold.
I knew I'd feel better
for tea, dry toast, no butter (15-16): The imagery of breakfast gives the effect that maybe the speaker is not crazy. As the speaker enjoys the same breakfast as an average person. In addition it will make her feel better about what has happened.
so rang for the maid (17): Imagery makes an impression that the speaker is from a wealthy family that are able to afford a person maid that brought Salome a breakfast
And, indeed, her innocent clatter
of cups and plates,
her clearing of clutter,
her regional patter (18-21): This imagery shows calm actions of her maid,while she was cleaning up. Speaker uses adjective "innocent" to show that maid is unaware of things that were going on last night. Speaker says: "were just what needed" (22), implying that she is happy that the night is over and she is happy to be back home.
hungover and wrecked as I was from last night on the batter. (23): The speaker explains that she was drunk and uses concrete detail to show that the setting took place in the night, therefore she has a hungover, as she consumed too much alcohol last night. It also shows that it is the next day after "the batter".
cut out the booze and the fags and the sex (27): As speaker says: "cut out" which means that she wants to forget everything that happened last night, she gives a little overview of the things that were going on last night. She recalls, the cigarettes, alcohol and sexual relation with someone. This may be an intertextual reference to her stepfather, Herod Antipas.
it was time to turf out the blighter, (29): This line referes to the sexual contact between the speaker and another person. She uses a word "blighter" to describe a person. The word "blighter" has a negative connotation, as it means someone who is rude and irritating person. Therefore, she had to "turf out" which means dismiss or eject in the colloquial language, because the sexual contact with that person was unpleasant to her.
who'd come like a lamb to the slaughter
to Salome's bed. (31-32): "a lamb to the slaughter" is a reference to the phrase in the bible. It is mentioned in Isaiah 53:7 & Jeremiah 51:40. It means to be unaware of something bad coming up, in this case it is death. The speaker of the poem uses this phrase in an ironic manner, because John the Baptist was already executed by the orders of her stepfather and brought as a gift to her bed. She uses concrete detail to show that the head of John the Baptist was brought to her bedroom, which makes it intimate and important.
In tile mirror, I saw my eyes glitter. (33): The speaker personifies eyes, as they literally can't glitter. She does that on purpose, to show her happiness and excitement for the gift from her stepfather.
I flung back the sticky red sheets, (35): The phrase "flinging back" means to throw something backwards. It is used int he past tense to describe that the speaker was excited to see her gift, therefore she rapidly threw the sheet that covered the gift. She says: "sticky red sheets" which means that they were in blood from the execution.
the reddish beard several shades lighter; (6-7): The imagery used in these lines is to describe the man the speaker has woken up next to. The audience invisions this good-looking man with dark hair, but when the speaker says "reddish beard" their is confusion. Confusion because beards are normally the same colour as hair. This then leads the audience to believe there may be blood inside the beard of this man.
and a beautiful crimson mouth that obviously knew (10): Imagery in this line is used to again describe the man. The speaker says that the man has crimson lips. Lips are usually not crimson in colour. This gives the effect that this man may actually be dead as when someone dies their lips change into a purple colour which the speaker is describing.
how to flatter...
which I kissed...
Colder than pewter (11-13): There are various uses of imagery in these lines. Firstly after the first line with the punctuation used. The dot dot dot makes the audience invision the speaker moving towards the man as the dots represent a longer pause than usual. The second dot dot dot in the next line makes the audience invision the speaker moving even closer to the man and kissing him. These images give the effect that the speaker is mesmerised by this man, and cannot take her eyes off of him. The audience then invisions her pulling back to tell us how cold his lips are. Comparing his lips to be colder than a pewter, helps the audience to feel how cold his lips were. This also makes the audience invision that maybe this man is dead as normally living people are warm and not cold.
I knew I'd feel better
for tea, dry toast, no butter (15-16): The imagery of breakfast gives the effect that maybe the speaker is not crazy. As the speaker enjoys the same breakfast as an average person. In addition it will make her feel better about what has happened.
so rang for the maid (17): Imagery makes an impression that the speaker is from a wealthy family that are able to afford a person maid that brought Salome a breakfast
And, indeed, her innocent clatter
of cups and plates,
her clearing of clutter,
her regional patter (18-21): This imagery shows calm actions of her maid,while she was cleaning up. Speaker uses adjective "innocent" to show that maid is unaware of things that were going on last night. Speaker says: "were just what needed" (22), implying that she is happy that the night is over and she is happy to be back home.
hungover and wrecked as I was from last night on the batter. (23): The speaker explains that she was drunk and uses concrete detail to show that the setting took place in the night, therefore she has a hungover, as she consumed too much alcohol last night. It also shows that it is the next day after "the batter".
cut out the booze and the fags and the sex (27): As speaker says: "cut out" which means that she wants to forget everything that happened last night, she gives a little overview of the things that were going on last night. She recalls, the cigarettes, alcohol and sexual relation with someone. This may be an intertextual reference to her stepfather, Herod Antipas.
it was time to turf out the blighter, (29): This line referes to the sexual contact between the speaker and another person. She uses a word "blighter" to describe a person. The word "blighter" has a negative connotation, as it means someone who is rude and irritating person. Therefore, she had to "turf out" which means dismiss or eject in the colloquial language, because the sexual contact with that person was unpleasant to her.
who'd come like a lamb to the slaughter
to Salome's bed. (31-32): "a lamb to the slaughter" is a reference to the phrase in the bible. It is mentioned in Isaiah 53:7 & Jeremiah 51:40. It means to be unaware of something bad coming up, in this case it is death. The speaker of the poem uses this phrase in an ironic manner, because John the Baptist was already executed by the orders of her stepfather and brought as a gift to her bed. She uses concrete detail to show that the head of John the Baptist was brought to her bedroom, which makes it intimate and important.
In tile mirror, I saw my eyes glitter. (33): The speaker personifies eyes, as they literally can't glitter. She does that on purpose, to show her happiness and excitement for the gift from her stepfather.
I flung back the sticky red sheets, (35): The phrase "flinging back" means to throw something backwards. It is used int he past tense to describe that the speaker was excited to see her gift, therefore she rapidly threw the sheet that covered the gift. She says: "sticky red sheets" which means that they were in blood from the execution.
Apostrophe:
Definition: A technique by which a writer adresses an inanimate object, an idea, or a person who is either dead or absent (Quizlet)
and there, like I said - and ain't life a bitch -
was his head on a platter. (35-36): She is talking to the person's head that was on a platter, saying "and ain't life a bitch" which makes her sound evil and unlikeable. This is an intertextual reference to John the Baptist, he was beheaded under orders of Herod Antipas for his stepdaughter as a gift.
was his head on a platter. (35-36): She is talking to the person's head that was on a platter, saying "and ain't life a bitch" which makes her sound evil and unlikeable. This is an intertextual reference to John the Baptist, he was beheaded under orders of Herod Antipas for his stepdaughter as a gift.
Hypophora:
Definition: Raising a question and proceeding to answer it. (Quizlet)
What was his name? Peter?
Simon? Andrew? John? (14-15): The speaker has asked a question and is now trying to answer this question by making a list. By not sully being able to answer the question and answering the question with more questions, it gives the effect that the speaker in uncertain, and is not reliable. Not being able to fully answer the question also shows that the speaker is inconsiderate, as she cannot remember the name of the man she has slept with. Making the audience view the speaker in a negative light.
What was his name? Peter?
Simon? Andrew? John? (14-15): The speaker has asked a question and is now trying to answer this question by making a list. By not sully being able to answer the question and answering the question with more questions, it gives the effect that the speaker in uncertain, and is not reliable. Not being able to fully answer the question also shows that the speaker is inconsiderate, as she cannot remember the name of the man she has slept with. Making the audience view the speaker in a negative light.
Simile:
Definition: The comparison of two unlike things using the words "like", "as" or "than". (Quizlet)
Colder than pewter. (13): This simile is used to describe the lips of the man who she has just kissed. In other words she is saying that they are literally dead cold. The comparison of the tin is used because tins are made of metal which can become very cold if they are placed in a fridge. This simile gives the effect that the man might actually be dead as his lips are so cold, and when someone says they have kissed someone the description is usually using words of a positive connotation, like warm. But for this case the word cold is used which has a negative connotation.
Colder than pewter. (13): This simile is used to describe the lips of the man who she has just kissed. In other words she is saying that they are literally dead cold. The comparison of the tin is used because tins are made of metal which can become very cold if they are placed in a fridge. This simile gives the effect that the man might actually be dead as his lips are so cold, and when someone says they have kissed someone the description is usually using words of a positive connotation, like warm. But for this case the word cold is used which has a negative connotation.