Compare how the theme family is portrayed in Genetics and one other poem.
Family is represented through the use of form and structure throughout the poem Genetics.
This is seen through the multiple use of enjambment, showing genetics can never be
stopped and continue to carry on. There is also the use of villanelle (which is very structured
and has a strict rhyme scheme) which can show how genes can be complex and original and
how they can make us unique. It also represents how it can be a link, even though they are
in different parts, it is a link; showing how even though they are on ‘separate lands’, she still
is the link between them with her hands. The villanelle is also a circular form, coming back in
the final couplet to where it began. It creates an almost marriage-like image in the reader’s
mind. Additionally, it also expresses a mix of separation, however that sense of
togetherness which runs through the poem. The parents’ relationship with each other and
their child is expressed through this structure. The interlacing of words and rhyme suggest
the complex form, relating back to the complex structure of genes, which she compares to
her hands. There are 6 stanzas, each with 3 lines, however in the last stanza, there are 4
lines, representing the family members. Furthermore, through the use of half-rhymes such
as ‘palms/hands’, it signifies how the words echo each other and almost sound the sane but
are not. This is similar to genetics as they don’t produce exact ‘copies’ as the previous
generation, so the rhyme and repetitions in the poem aren’t exact. The word ‘demure’ in
stanza 5 is caesura from the previous stanza which symbolises the feeling of hope, and the
fact that she will not give up on her parents finding love again. Lastly, in the last stanza, the
repetition of ‘bequeath’ delineates how despite she faces negativity whilst growing up
(divorce of her parents), she still has hope of for her own future.
The theme of family is similarly portrayed in the poem Effects through the use of form and
structure. The irregular rhyme scheme starts off as a normal rhyme and then ends in
couplets which shows how he is left in a state of uncertainty when his parents die. As the
poem goes on, he regains some of his ‘old self’ back and comes to terms with the deaths.
The irregularity mirrors the nature of the relationship and the distance between him and his
parents. The rhyming couplet brings emphasis to the end and the words ‘see’ and ‘me’
imply how he is finally able to see his parents in a completely different light now that they
are dead. Whereas before they may have conflicted with each other, they are now at peace
and so is he. This irregularity of the rhymes could symbolize the child’s unstable relationship
with his mother as the only place it rhymes within the first part is with the words ‘knew,
stew’ which could be said to highlight the mothers methods and efforts to show her love. It
could also be said to signify the child gaining closure with his mother even after she dies and
coming to terms with her death. From this the reader can say the sons attitudes towards his
mother had changed as he was more accepting and understanding creating a better
relationship for them. Jenkins' use of enjambment in the poem suggests to the reader that
the speaker is in an unstable state of mind. The sentence structure may perhaps show the
change in the speaker's relationship with his mother, which vary as the poem progresses.
Additionally, the fact that there are only two full stops in the entire poem, may represent
that each one is one life ended. The first full stop reiterates his father’s death, and the
second shows his mother’s death. This may also suggest how the son’s life may have
dramatically changed due to these occurrences and how it is now disrupted.
Family is represented through the use of form and structure throughout the poem Genetics.
This is seen through the multiple use of enjambment, showing genetics can never be
stopped and continue to carry on. There is also the use of villanelle (which is very structured
and has a strict rhyme scheme) which can show how genes can be complex and original and
how they can make us unique. It also represents how it can be a link, even though they are
in different parts, it is a link; showing how even though they are on ‘separate lands’, she still
is the link between them with her hands. The villanelle is also a circular form, coming back in
the final couplet to where it began. It creates an almost marriage-like image in the reader’s
mind. Additionally, it also expresses a mix of separation, however that sense of
togetherness which runs through the poem. The parents’ relationship with each other and
their child is expressed through this structure. The interlacing of words and rhyme suggest
the complex form, relating back to the complex structure of genes, which she compares to
her hands. There are 6 stanzas, each with 3 lines, however in the last stanza, there are 4
lines, representing the family members. Furthermore, through the use of half-rhymes such
as ‘palms/hands’, it signifies how the words echo each other and almost sound the sane but
are not. This is similar to genetics as they don’t produce exact ‘copies’ as the previous
generation, so the rhyme and repetitions in the poem aren’t exact. The word ‘demure’ in
stanza 5 is caesura from the previous stanza which symbolises the feeling of hope, and the
fact that she will not give up on her parents finding love again. Lastly, in the last stanza, the
repetition of ‘bequeath’ delineates how despite she faces negativity whilst growing up
(divorce of her parents), she still has hope of for her own future.
The theme of family is similarly portrayed in the poem Effects through the use of form and
structure. The irregular rhyme scheme starts off as a normal rhyme and then ends in
couplets which shows how he is left in a state of uncertainty when his parents die. As the
poem goes on, he regains some of his ‘old self’ back and comes to terms with the deaths.
The irregularity mirrors the nature of the relationship and the distance between him and his
parents. The rhyming couplet brings emphasis to the end and the words ‘see’ and ‘me’
imply how he is finally able to see his parents in a completely different light now that they
are dead. Whereas before they may have conflicted with each other, they are now at peace
and so is he. This irregularity of the rhymes could symbolize the child’s unstable relationship
with his mother as the only place it rhymes within the first part is with the words ‘knew,
stew’ which could be said to highlight the mothers methods and efforts to show her love. It
could also be said to signify the child gaining closure with his mother even after she dies and
coming to terms with her death. From this the reader can say the sons attitudes towards his
mother had changed as he was more accepting and understanding creating a better
relationship for them. Jenkins' use of enjambment in the poem suggests to the reader that
the speaker is in an unstable state of mind. The sentence structure may perhaps show the
change in the speaker's relationship with his mother, which vary as the poem progresses.
Additionally, the fact that there are only two full stops in the entire poem, may represent
that each one is one life ended. The first full stop reiterates his father’s death, and the
second shows his mother’s death. This may also suggest how the son’s life may have
dramatically changed due to these occurrences and how it is now disrupted.
