Nettles - Scannell

Nettles - Scannell

1. Context

   • The author, Vernon Scannell, was famous for his war poetry, as he had fought in World War Two. His poems also brush over his past, such as this one, Nettles.

2. About

   • The poem is about one of Scannell's six children, who had fallen into some nettles and seeked comfort from his parents. Making sure his son was alright, the speaker in the poem talks about destroying them, getting rid of this harmful thing, however it would just return after "two weeks".

3. Techniques

   • 1) The poem alternatively rhymes and is within one stanza, and what with the poem being a narrative account, an experience encountered by the speaker of the poem, it is no wonder that it only consists of one stanza. Short enough to describe the tension of the young boy, experiencing the pain of the nettles.
   • 2) The nettles are described as being "regiment of spite" which is the opposing force, and are described using the metaphor 'spears'. In the first three lines, the nettles are described as aggresive and harmful, which are soldiers that the speaker needs to protect his child from, relating to his past war experiences.
   • 3) Emotive language is used to present the child, "White blisters beaded on his tender skin" - his skin is described as tender, giving the reader a feeling of sorrow at the child's innocence. The alliteration on the letter 'b' emphasises the blister which had inflicted upon the child's skin, making the reader feel sympathy for the child and also shows the amount of care and love the father has for this boy, because of what pain he is going through.