Disgrace
Title analysis-deteriorating subject title 'Disgrace' evokes feelings of
displacement - the couple's house once a symbol of love and connection,
has now become a physical metaphor for its failure, and shame, felt by
the speaker, becoming more evident as time progresses. Ambiguous
meaning reflects upon how no disgrace can be a main cause, but an
amalgamation of reasons is what causes the destruction of a relationship.
The central conceit of the poem is that the house takes on characteristics
of the disintegrating relationship.
“But one day we woke to disgrace”- in media res- suggests they are past
the point of conflict and there is no return- continual cycle of violent
hatred. Starts with conjunction to emphasise the break in the relationship,
abruptness reflects sudden recognition of a failing relationship. Disgrace
noun reflects the idea of the couple’s relationship being frowned upon and
the personal pronoun 'our' explains the idea that the speaker herself
realises that their relationship is dishonourable- 'our disgrace' is the idea
that they have both lost respect from others and have lost their
reputation.
“Our house/a coldness of rooms”- caesura draws attention to house not
home as it would be expected in a loving relationship, void of love
represents decline in relationship, abstract noun emphasizes emptiness.
'Each nursing/ a thick cyst of dust and gloom'- maternal verb contrasts
disease imagery, images of stagnation and decay consonance amplifies
the sense of growth, sickness and infection. "Cyst" and "dust" are
consonant rhymes, creates a negative atmosphere, cyst has connotations
of abnormality and hollowness. Personified House- extended metaphor for
their relationship. “cyst”- lack of transparency, reminiscent of a tumour or
a hardening. Strengthened -personifying each stanza, room, to be
admonishing and 'nursing...' as a result of their own deterioration.
Cacophony creates a pathetic fallacy, sharing of a building once
flourishing with memories, is now decaying with anguish and regret.
'Thickening cyst' evokes theme of loneliness - noun 'cyst' - images of
decay/anguish - physical reminded of the issues within the r and its failure
that partners denied until these feelings become undeniable/personified/...
question.'thickening' - pre modifier symbolises the passing of time and
that relationship has been crumbling over a long period- hatred is
growing. A cyst is an abnormality that shouldn't be there reflecting
feelings of unease- microcosm- 'dust' links to idiom to let the dust settle
and have death connotations. Disturbing medical imagery/metaphor,
parasitic imagery.
'We had not been home in our hearts for months'-alliteration twists cliche,
build up contrast w/ abrupt end, theme of alienation as they lose
themselves. Aspirant sounds create almost a sigh, perhaps of acceptance
at the end. Allusion/Playing on the idiom "home is where the heart is" as a
, contrasting metaphor for the relationship. “home" and "hearts" alliteration
reflects isolation felt by the persona in their own home, home shouldn’t be
"cold" shows how enwrapped the persona is as home can be abstract.
Subverts idiomatic phrases to suit her purpose.
'And how our words changed'-conjunction to start sentence highlights
theme of broken communication, emptiness- volta.
'Dead flies in a web.'-metaphorical web suggests feeling of being trapped
together w/o love, theme of death and decay. ‘web' has connotations of
lies and a trap, maybe the 'words' are the trap. Shows the power of
language. Idiom- web of lies. Imagery of spider and its prey has no hope,
inevitability of nature- love will be overruled by a more powerful force
swallowing them up.
“How they stiffened and blackened.'-slow decay of flies reflects slow
decay of relationship, evokes ideas of misery and pain. Synthanaesia-
makes words tactile and visual, significant of the potent cruelty. This
quote shows the impurity and contamination of the relationship, hinting at
the unfaithfulness and deceit hidden between them.
'Cherished italics/ suddenly sour on our tongues,'-positives of love are now
negative, sibilance shows emotion narrator feels for losing relationship,
theme of communication. Synthanaesia- extra emphasis- power of the
image, evocative- sours the love language of words of affirmation.
'obscenities/ spraying themselves on the wall in my head'-graffiti =
symbol of rebellion, 'themselves' - natural and routine anger, 'spraying' =
uncontrollable, trapped in own head, vandalism and graffiti imagery- anti
social and unwanted- represents lack of care and neglect. Metaphor.
'Woke to your clothes like a corpse on the floor,' - simile, deterioration of
relationship feels like the death of their identities, immediate and constant
from the start of the day. Consonant sounds.
'The small deaths of lightbulbs pining all day/ in my ears, their echoes
audible tears;'- pining for lost love or escape as small parts of the
relationship die each day, personification of lightbulbs as symbols of
happiness replaced by sadness. Synthanaesia- a Duffy esque technique.
'Nothing we would not do to make it worse/ and worse.'- enjambment onto
new stanza reflects endless pain, double negative, they can't stop hurting
themselves and each other, caesura makes it emphatically clear it is
destined to fail. Repetition- continuation of suffering. Modality of word
would- desire to hurt and demean one another.
'Into the night with the wrong language,'- theme of language, it should be
exciting, but they can no longer be that way together, nothing is right and
easy.
Title analysis-deteriorating subject title 'Disgrace' evokes feelings of
displacement - the couple's house once a symbol of love and connection,
has now become a physical metaphor for its failure, and shame, felt by
the speaker, becoming more evident as time progresses. Ambiguous
meaning reflects upon how no disgrace can be a main cause, but an
amalgamation of reasons is what causes the destruction of a relationship.
The central conceit of the poem is that the house takes on characteristics
of the disintegrating relationship.
“But one day we woke to disgrace”- in media res- suggests they are past
the point of conflict and there is no return- continual cycle of violent
hatred. Starts with conjunction to emphasise the break in the relationship,
abruptness reflects sudden recognition of a failing relationship. Disgrace
noun reflects the idea of the couple’s relationship being frowned upon and
the personal pronoun 'our' explains the idea that the speaker herself
realises that their relationship is dishonourable- 'our disgrace' is the idea
that they have both lost respect from others and have lost their
reputation.
“Our house/a coldness of rooms”- caesura draws attention to house not
home as it would be expected in a loving relationship, void of love
represents decline in relationship, abstract noun emphasizes emptiness.
'Each nursing/ a thick cyst of dust and gloom'- maternal verb contrasts
disease imagery, images of stagnation and decay consonance amplifies
the sense of growth, sickness and infection. "Cyst" and "dust" are
consonant rhymes, creates a negative atmosphere, cyst has connotations
of abnormality and hollowness. Personified House- extended metaphor for
their relationship. “cyst”- lack of transparency, reminiscent of a tumour or
a hardening. Strengthened -personifying each stanza, room, to be
admonishing and 'nursing...' as a result of their own deterioration.
Cacophony creates a pathetic fallacy, sharing of a building once
flourishing with memories, is now decaying with anguish and regret.
'Thickening cyst' evokes theme of loneliness - noun 'cyst' - images of
decay/anguish - physical reminded of the issues within the r and its failure
that partners denied until these feelings become undeniable/personified/...
question.'thickening' - pre modifier symbolises the passing of time and
that relationship has been crumbling over a long period- hatred is
growing. A cyst is an abnormality that shouldn't be there reflecting
feelings of unease- microcosm- 'dust' links to idiom to let the dust settle
and have death connotations. Disturbing medical imagery/metaphor,
parasitic imagery.
'We had not been home in our hearts for months'-alliteration twists cliche,
build up contrast w/ abrupt end, theme of alienation as they lose
themselves. Aspirant sounds create almost a sigh, perhaps of acceptance
at the end. Allusion/Playing on the idiom "home is where the heart is" as a
, contrasting metaphor for the relationship. “home" and "hearts" alliteration
reflects isolation felt by the persona in their own home, home shouldn’t be
"cold" shows how enwrapped the persona is as home can be abstract.
Subverts idiomatic phrases to suit her purpose.
'And how our words changed'-conjunction to start sentence highlights
theme of broken communication, emptiness- volta.
'Dead flies in a web.'-metaphorical web suggests feeling of being trapped
together w/o love, theme of death and decay. ‘web' has connotations of
lies and a trap, maybe the 'words' are the trap. Shows the power of
language. Idiom- web of lies. Imagery of spider and its prey has no hope,
inevitability of nature- love will be overruled by a more powerful force
swallowing them up.
“How they stiffened and blackened.'-slow decay of flies reflects slow
decay of relationship, evokes ideas of misery and pain. Synthanaesia-
makes words tactile and visual, significant of the potent cruelty. This
quote shows the impurity and contamination of the relationship, hinting at
the unfaithfulness and deceit hidden between them.
'Cherished italics/ suddenly sour on our tongues,'-positives of love are now
negative, sibilance shows emotion narrator feels for losing relationship,
theme of communication. Synthanaesia- extra emphasis- power of the
image, evocative- sours the love language of words of affirmation.
'obscenities/ spraying themselves on the wall in my head'-graffiti =
symbol of rebellion, 'themselves' - natural and routine anger, 'spraying' =
uncontrollable, trapped in own head, vandalism and graffiti imagery- anti
social and unwanted- represents lack of care and neglect. Metaphor.
'Woke to your clothes like a corpse on the floor,' - simile, deterioration of
relationship feels like the death of their identities, immediate and constant
from the start of the day. Consonant sounds.
'The small deaths of lightbulbs pining all day/ in my ears, their echoes
audible tears;'- pining for lost love or escape as small parts of the
relationship die each day, personification of lightbulbs as symbols of
happiness replaced by sadness. Synthanaesia- a Duffy esque technique.
'Nothing we would not do to make it worse/ and worse.'- enjambment onto
new stanza reflects endless pain, double negative, they can't stop hurting
themselves and each other, caesura makes it emphatically clear it is
destined to fail. Repetition- continuation of suffering. Modality of word
would- desire to hurt and demean one another.
'Into the night with the wrong language,'- theme of language, it should be
exciting, but they can no longer be that way together, nothing is right and
easy.
