If and Prayer Before Birth

Form and Structure: If Four 8-lined verses with a regular rhyme and meter This is where the father groups his advice into sets. o The first four line all rhyme. Ending in; you, you, you, too. Stressing the personal nature of the poem. o From line 5 onwards there is a rhyme scheme; ababcdcd This maintains the momentum of the repetitive structure. o The poem develops through a series of suggestions, using opposites to clarify the message. o There is only one complete stop in the poem: the exclamation mark at the end. o The poem develops through a series of suggestions, using opposites to clarify the message Prayer Before Birth o Free verse o 8 verses o No rhyme scheme, But does contain internal rhyme o The shape of the poem resembles the shape of Pslams. o Repetition of as a ritualistic refrain o The structure is: Statement; I am not yet born, console me Imperative tense command Ends with a final command o

Language: If o o Each stanza begins with if. This is a conditional word so makes the reader feel that whats coming isnt a command but advice. Second person throughout the poem. This has a universal appeal because it could be addressing the mans son, or it could be directed to the readers. Being directly referred to helps maintain the readers attention There are a lot of imperatives These are not intrusive or strongly commanding, making it look more like a father giving advice to his son. Enjambment Makes the poem flow, this continuous flow makes it seem like it will take a long time to achieve this. Imagery Personification

Triumph and Disaster, Will which says o This personification emphasises the importance of these. Metaphors Prayer Before Birth o Assonance Displayed in verse 2 Creates a rolling, inevitable pace. o Rhyme Internal Wise lies lure me black racks rack Has a fearsome chant like quality adds emphasis to the terror and fear o Oxymoron Wise lies Enforces the idea of trickery o Short-syllabled words Verse 3, imitates the language used but the baby and emphasises the innocence. o Contrast Verse 3 is happier and focuses on the joys of life which adds effect as it contrast with the rest of the poem and the next verse, making what already sounded ad sound worse. o Short sentence to end End the poem dramatically Simple language instilling finality o Last verse. This is very effective as it shows that the unborn child would chose death instead of life, but the life described seems worse than death.

Tone If The tone is positive as it makes the reader think that being a man is possible if you overcome lifes hardships. Prayer Before Birth o The tone helps the reader sense the horror of modern day society and they begin to question the selfishness and cruelty portrayed by the ''unborn child''. o

Content If o If is the advice of a father to his son about what it means be a man.

He tells his son that there are certain characteristics needed to be a man. These include; self-belief, patience, kindness and modesty. o The advice is given by a series of statements each beginning with if. This is a conditional word that shows that the poem is advice as it is not commanding. o Each statement is built up on using opposites that are paired together to build a strong knowledge or understanding of what the father is saying. Prayer Before Birth o