The document provides an analysis of Gillian Clarke's poem "The Field Mouse". It summarizes that the poem uses imagery of hay making and the killing of a mouse as a metaphor to discuss the horrors of war, particularly the Bosnian war of the 1990s. Though titled after a mouse, the poem surprisingly uses vivid nature descriptions and violence to represent the cruelty and bloodshed of armed conflict. Key quotes from the poem are highlighted relating to both the death of the mouse and the references to warfare.

1. The Field Mouse by Gillian Clarke

2. Listen to the poemDraw what you see

3. The structure of the storyThe first stanza sets the scene- hay making.The second stanza- a mouse is killed as a resultThe third stanza- Clarke’s views on the world and how awful it is

4. The languageThere is no rhyming structure or set rhythm structure. It is filled with metaphors to disguise a darker meaningThere are many references to war, and other violent imagary

5. The contextThis poem was inspired by the late 1990s Bosnian war and is relevent to all warsThe title refers to the field mouse in the second stanza that is killed as a result of the hay makingThe title suprises readers as they would not expect a poem with that title to be about war.

6. Look at the poem in front of youFind quotes relating to a mouse being killed and highlightFind quotes relating to the war and highlight in a different colour

7. Quotes relating to the mouseSummer, and the long grass is a snare drumIts wave breaks before the tractor bladeHis hands a nest of quivering mouseIts two black eyes sparks burningWe know it will die and ought to finish it offThe star goes out in its eyeBefore day’s done the field lies bleeding

8. Quotes relating to the warSummer and the long grass is a snare drumThe air hums with jetsFar from the radio’s terrible newsWe can’t face the newspapersThe air stammering with gunfire, my neighbour turnedStranger, wounding my head with stones

9. FinallyThink about… How the poet uses metaphors and the title to distract you from the darkness of the themeHow you wouldn’t expect a title with The Field Mouse to talk about something as horrific as warHow you took this poem – as a story of a mouse, or a story of man?