Sound

Sound comes into play in several aspects of a poem. There is onomatopoeia with words like ‘bang’ or ‘whimper’. Then there is the rhythm of the poem - does it flow or is it disjointed and irregular? When you read the poem aloud (which is a very good idea, by the way), think about how it sounds and how well it reads. Do you find yourself varying the volume and speed in different sections without even thinking about it, and, if so, why do you think this is the case? Do the words sound good - this may sound strange but some words by themselves sound especially good or juicy to most people, like ‘epiphany’ or ‘loveth’.

There is also the sound imagery to think about - do you hear the sounds of the poem in your head when you read it? Can you hear the guns firing, the baby screaming, the women mourning, the bull as it paws (scrapes) the ground in anticipation of the charge? Perhaps the poem is meant to convey silence - the silence after a storm when nature has been stunned into submission for a short while, for example.

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