Moon on the Tides, Character and Voice

1. Poetry Across Time: Character and voice
Give
Of all the public places, dear,
to make a scene, I've chosen here.
Of all the doorways in the world
to choose to sleep, I’ve chosen yours.
I'm on the street, under the stars.
For coppers I can dance or sing.
For silver-swallow swords, eat fire.
For gold-escape from locks and chains.
It's not as if I'm holding out
for frankincense or myrrh, just change.
You give me tea. That's big of you.
I'm on my knees. I beg of you.
Dear - ironic, (‘old dear’);
speaking directly to
passer-by or shop owner
Scene – play on words:
scene is a view but also
unpleasant spectacle
Doorways in the
world – image of
universal suffering
Dear and here – force of
rhyming couplet reduced by
break; conveys disruption
World, yours and stars –
enjambed lines convey
sense of a conversation
Yours –second person
creates immediacy; it is
a direct appeal
Under the stars –
simultaneously
conveys freedom
and isolation
For, For, For – increasing
monetary value illustrates
growing desperation
locks and chains – a
metaphor for imprisonment
of homelessness
Whole stanza – short
stanza brings a sense of
realism: a stark contrast
Frankincense or myrrh –
allusion to the Biblical three
kings and history of charity
That’s big of you – a
mocking tone designed to
challenge reader’s views
I’m on my knees – image
of suffering (possibly
evocation of Christ)
‘big’ and ‘beg’ –
repeated echo of the
word to highlight
simple plea for
kindness
Two full stops –
breaks in each line
slow the poem and
draw out sympathy
for the speaker
Key
Language: connotation, imagery, metaphor, simile
Structure and form: stanzas, type, patterns, contrast, juxtaposition
Poetic methods: alliteration, caesura, assonance, rhythm, rhyme
Character and voice: who is speaking and to whom? Tone of voice
Links: comparisons to other speakers, methods and themes
Interpretations of the poem:
 A simple plea from a homeless man in need of help
 An attempt to evoke sympathy in the reader for all those people around the world
without a home or love
 A portrayal of the imprisoning nature of homelessness
 A critique of the way that people ignore instances of suffering on their own doorstep