Give (Simon Armitage)

Give (Simon Armitage)

1. Subject

   • About homelessness and its like the beggar is talking straight to you

2. Structure and Language

   • The poem is divided into 5 stanzas each of two or three lines with a eight sialible count which gives a strong metre
   • He uses repeated structure, so the 3rd stanza has three parallel lines and the final stanza has four short sentences
   • Setting it out this way makes the beggar seem educated
   • Sound
     • Alliteration is used throughout the poem, e.g. public places, chosen and choose this reinforces the tight structure

3. Imagery

   • Words and phrases that suggest a relationship between speaker and his audience
   • There are phrases suggesting discomfort of that relationship e.g. to make a scene which has negative connotations
   • It is directly addressed to 'you' e.g. either the reader or another character in the poem, this makes you think about your own reactions to beggars
   • The romantic image of 'under the stars' becomes paradoxical when contrasted with being 'on the street'
   • The images in the 3rd stanza are busking activities with the escape from locks and chains could mean that gold would enable him to escape from homelessness

4. Attitudes, themes and ideas

   • The tone of the poem is challenging
     • It gives voice to a member of a group usually unheard e.g. the homeless
     • It is sarcastic in places 'its not as if I am holding out for frankincense, 'that's big of you'
   • The references too frankincense and myrrh suggest links too religion because the infant Jesus was also born homeless

5. Les Grand Seigneurs

6. Singh Song