Genetics - Sinéad Morrissey
Stanza/ Quotation Theme Analysis Device
Line
1/1 ‘My father’s in my The possessive pronoun ‘my’ is
fingers, but my used four times in the first line. The
mother’s in my accumulative effect suggests self
palms’ absorption, pride in genetics and
feeling possessive over family.
1/1 ‘father’ Formal but still quite affectionate.
‘mother’
1/1 ‘fingers’ Gender imagery used. Fingers are
‘palms’ hard and male, whereas palms are
soft and female.
1/1 ‘,but’ The comma and connective doubly
separates the parents.
1/2 ‘look at them with Happiness and closeness to
pleasure’ parents - they are still with her.
1 11 personal pronouns are used in
the first stanza. Immediately
suggests that this is a poem that is
very centred on family.
2/1 ‘repelled’ A strong emotional verb. The
opposite of magnetic attraction - it
hints that the parents were too
alike to love each other.
2/1 ‘separate’ Line break emphasises how
‘separate’ they are.
2/2 ‘hemispheres,’ Escalation from ‘lands’ to
‘hemispheres’. The caesura
emphasises their separation.
2/2 ‘other lovers’ Adult narrator speaking in the
poem.
2/3 ‘fingers link to Like ‘palm to palm as holy lovers’
palms’ kiss’ in Romeo and Juliet. Not quite
as romantic because the palms are
not fully touching.
3/1 ‘nothing left...but Husband and wife are now only
friends’ ‘friends’. On the other hand, it
could be that only the parents’
circle of friends are left.
3/2 ‘river’ Inevitable change and division -
nature imagery suggests that it was
natural, like erosion. Could also be
biblical and a reference to Moses.
3/2 ‘quarry’ Pun on ‘quarrel’. Contrast to
Stanza/ Quotation Theme Analysis Device
Line
1/1 ‘My father’s in my The possessive pronoun ‘my’ is
fingers, but my used four times in the first line. The
mother’s in my accumulative effect suggests self
palms’ absorption, pride in genetics and
feeling possessive over family.
1/1 ‘father’ Formal but still quite affectionate.
‘mother’
1/1 ‘fingers’ Gender imagery used. Fingers are
‘palms’ hard and male, whereas palms are
soft and female.
1/1 ‘,but’ The comma and connective doubly
separates the parents.
1/2 ‘look at them with Happiness and closeness to
pleasure’ parents - they are still with her.
1 11 personal pronouns are used in
the first stanza. Immediately
suggests that this is a poem that is
very centred on family.
2/1 ‘repelled’ A strong emotional verb. The
opposite of magnetic attraction - it
hints that the parents were too
alike to love each other.
2/1 ‘separate’ Line break emphasises how
‘separate’ they are.
2/2 ‘hemispheres,’ Escalation from ‘lands’ to
‘hemispheres’. The caesura
emphasises their separation.
2/2 ‘other lovers’ Adult narrator speaking in the
poem.
2/3 ‘fingers link to Like ‘palm to palm as holy lovers’
palms’ kiss’ in Romeo and Juliet. Not quite
as romantic because the palms are
not fully touching.
3/1 ‘nothing left...but Husband and wife are now only
friends’ ‘friends’. On the other hand, it
could be that only the parents’
circle of friends are left.
3/2 ‘river’ Inevitable change and division -
nature imagery suggests that it was
natural, like erosion. Could also be
biblical and a reference to Moses.
3/2 ‘quarry’ Pun on ‘quarrel’. Contrast to
