To My Brothers (13)

Description

A level English Literature (Keats) Mind Map on To My Brothers (13), created by Caitlin McFadyen on 06/11/2017.
Caitlin  McFadyen
Mind Map by Caitlin McFadyen, updated more than 1 year ago
Caitlin  McFadyen
Created by Caitlin McFadyen over 6 years ago
3
0

Resource summary

To My Brothers (13)
  1. A sonnet for his brother Tom's birthday; Keats relays how he wants a calm life with his brothers - notes the fragility of life and how death can occur at any point
    1. Petrarchan Sonnet
      1. Love
        1. 'busy flames play... faint cracklings o'er our silence creep like whispers of the household gods that keep a gentle empire o'er fraternal souls'
          1. Fire and warmth are comforting, symbolic of the fraternal love between the siblings. Alternatively fire can also be a destructive force which may be somewhat of an underlying link to mortality and the fragility of human life - combined with 'play' creates a lighthearted image of frivolity and friendship
            1. Keats is engaging the senses in the first half of the sonnet (prior to the volta) - 'crackling', 'silence', 'whispers' etc...
              1. 'flames', 'cracklings', 'whispers' they are working together to create an atmosphere almost like a system - ' a gentle empire'
                1. Household Gods is a protective force - Keats maybe highlighting the bond of family by elevating the importance to a higher level
                2. Keats acknowledges the contrast of character between himself and Tom - there is a sense of admiration in the way that Tom conducts himself
                  1. 'I search around the poles, Your eyes are fixed, as in poetic sleep'
                3. Mortality
                  1. Contextually: The family have experienced a lot of loss and suffering (death of both parents); and, Keats's time as a doctor has likely reinforced his awareness of human fragility
                    1. At the VOLTA (The last 6 lines), the tone of the poem switches and becomes almost appreciative - a contrast to the earlier lines, more of a sense of gratitude for their good fortune
                      1. 'I rejoice that thus is passes smoothly, quietly'
                        1. 'smoothly' & 'quietly' implies that life has previously been hectic or disruptive, Keats wants peace for his younger brothers
                        2. Keats directs the poem to Tom for the first time
                      2. Would work well with O! Soltude
                        Show full summary Hide full summary

                        Similar

                        An Inspector Calls Revision Notes
                        Noor Sohail
                        The Captain of the 1964 Top of the Form Team
                        Summer Pearce
                        Hamlet - Character Analysis
                        Jess Watts
                        Sheila Birling Quotes
                        Joe Blockley
                        The Duchess of Malfi Critics Quotes
                        Biha Saeed
                        The Merchant of Venice - Act 1 - Plot
                        bill fingleton
                        The Merchant of Venice Relationships
                        Antonia Blankenberg
                        Relationships in Pride and Prejudice
                        Antonia Blankenberg
                        Macbeth Act One - scene summaries
                        Ashleigh Huddart
                        A Taste of Honey - Characters
                        Evan Barton
                        Romeo and Juliet plot
                        Jadey Gemini