Technique/idea Key Quotes and analysis
Key themes: What does Labour The poem starts off with the theme
this poem explore? Purpose of labour, when the men are ‘driving
Manhood a new pile into the pier’. There is
also the listing of ‘chains, pulleys,
cranes and ropes’.
The speaker notes that ‘for all their
strength and experience, these men
were up against a great difficulty.’
The men are stereotyped as
traditional ideals of masculinity, with
their ‘strength’, ‘silence’ and
‘massive’ physique.
Language: Any patterns Metaphors The feelings of the speaker are
of language? Poetic Juxtaposition highlighted through metaphors such
techniques? Eg: similes, Repetition of plosive sound as ‘monsters’, ‘mystic’, ‘original
metaphors, verbs, etc. Listing thinker’ and ‘majesty’.
Extended metaphor The physical strength and activity of
Monster imagery the workmen ‘driving a new pile into
the pier, juxtapose the passive
observer who is just ‘left’ there.
Repetition of the ‘p’ sound, such as
‘pier’, ‘paraphernalia’ and ‘pulley’
gives a sense of power and effort,
highlighting how these men are hard
at work.
‘A wooden pile, a massive,
swinging’, the asyndetic list
highlighting the greatness of it all.
The pier is used as an extended
metaphor for life’s fruitless efforts
and the fact that a pier goes
nowhere. In addition, a pier
symbolises wealth and luxury, which
is heavily ironic as those building it
are likely to not be the ones
enjoying it.
The speaker uses words like ‘silent’
and ‘powerful’, which have
connotations of machinery, which is
often thought to be monstrous. He
also explicitly calls them ‘monsters’.
Ideas: What is the poem The poem explores ideas of The poem juxtaposes stereotypical
about? What are the main masculinity and what ideals of masculinity such as
ideas here? What does manhood means. It also ‘powerful’, talking in ‘monosyllables’
the poet want you to feel? explores ideas of the and ‘smok[ing] a cigarette’ to the
working class. speaker who is noting his ideas
Is there a message here?
down in a ‘journal’, whilst expressing
how he is ‘disappointed’.
Key themes: What does Labour The poem starts off with the theme
this poem explore? Purpose of labour, when the men are ‘driving
Manhood a new pile into the pier’. There is
also the listing of ‘chains, pulleys,
cranes and ropes’.
The speaker notes that ‘for all their
strength and experience, these men
were up against a great difficulty.’
The men are stereotyped as
traditional ideals of masculinity, with
their ‘strength’, ‘silence’ and
‘massive’ physique.
Language: Any patterns Metaphors The feelings of the speaker are
of language? Poetic Juxtaposition highlighted through metaphors such
techniques? Eg: similes, Repetition of plosive sound as ‘monsters’, ‘mystic’, ‘original
metaphors, verbs, etc. Listing thinker’ and ‘majesty’.
Extended metaphor The physical strength and activity of
Monster imagery the workmen ‘driving a new pile into
the pier, juxtapose the passive
observer who is just ‘left’ there.
Repetition of the ‘p’ sound, such as
‘pier’, ‘paraphernalia’ and ‘pulley’
gives a sense of power and effort,
highlighting how these men are hard
at work.
‘A wooden pile, a massive,
swinging’, the asyndetic list
highlighting the greatness of it all.
The pier is used as an extended
metaphor for life’s fruitless efforts
and the fact that a pier goes
nowhere. In addition, a pier
symbolises wealth and luxury, which
is heavily ironic as those building it
are likely to not be the ones
enjoying it.
The speaker uses words like ‘silent’
and ‘powerful’, which have
connotations of machinery, which is
often thought to be monstrous. He
also explicitly calls them ‘monsters’.
Ideas: What is the poem The poem explores ideas of The poem juxtaposes stereotypical
about? What are the main masculinity and what ideals of masculinity such as
ideas here? What does manhood means. It also ‘powerful’, talking in ‘monosyllables’
the poet want you to feel? explores ideas of the and ‘smok[ing] a cigarette’ to the
working class. speaker who is noting his ideas
Is there a message here?
down in a ‘journal’, whilst expressing
how he is ‘disappointed’.
