The Class Game

• What is the setting described in the poem?


  The suburban dream away from the gritty inner city
• What contrasting images are presented in the poem?


  Imagery between manual jobs and non-manual jobs
• What is the impact of the word "toil" in the poem?


  It serves as a strong noun choice for impact compared to softer adjectives
• What contrasts are highlighted in stanza 3 of the poem?


  • Urban vs suburban
  • Transport vs none (employment vs. unemployment)
  • Garden vs yard
• What does the speaker say about their living situation?

  They live in a "corpy," not in a "pretty little semi down Wirral way"
• How does the speaker commute?


  They commute into Liverpool by train each day
• What does the phrase "With an 'olly in me mouth" suggest?

  It indicates the use of colloquial language instead of standard language
• What does the speaker imply about their accent?


  It causes discomfort to others, as indicated by the line "So why do you wince when you hear"
• How does the speaker use colloquial pronunciation for effect?


  It humiliates other classes by contrasting their language
• What does the line "do I crook me little finger when I drink me tea?" imply?


  It mocks the upper class's mannerisms
• What are the occupations mentioned in the poem?

  A cleaner is the speaker's mother, and a docker is their brother
• What does "Bread pudding is wet nelly" refer to?

  It is an example of Liverpudlian dialect
• What is the final statement of the poem?


  "And I'm proud of the class that I come from"
• How does caesura affect the poem?


  It shows emotion and prepares the reader for the speaker's rant
• What is the structure of the poem?


  • One-sided question and answer format
  • Rhetorical questions that mock class divisions
• What rhyme scheme is used in the poem?

  • An AA BB rhyme scheme with couplets
  • Mirrors the simple way of life of the lower class
• Who is Mary Casey?


  A housewife from Liverpool who liked creative writing
• Where was "The Class Game" published?


  In a poetry magazine called 'Voices' by working class writers
• What was English society like in 1979?


  It was very aristocratic with class divisions
• What does the rhetorical question "How can you tell what class I'm from?" challenge?


  It challenges the reader to justify their categorization of the speaker
• What does the use of modal verbs in "I can talk posh" imply?


  It suggests the possibility of speaking posh but a reluctance to do so
• What does the allusion in "Have I a label on me head?" refer to?


  It alludes to the practice of labeling slaves or lower-class people
• What effect does exaggerated imagery in "And another on me bum?" create?


  It creates a childish atmosphere, mocking classism
• What does chiaroscuro in "hands are stained with toil?" signify?


  It provides a visual comparison of how society views different classes
• How does mockery manifest in "crook me little finger when I drink me tea?"


  It exaggerates upper-class behavior to highlight its absurdity
• What does the comical simile "Does it stick in your gullet like a sour plum?" suggest?


  It mocks how posh people may feel when reading the poem
• What does the rhetorical question "Why do you care what class I'm from?" imply?


  It suggests there is no valid reason for classism
• What is the effect of colloquial language in the poem?


  • Shows pride in class and identity
  • Creates familiarity and encourages sympathy
• What is the form of "The Class Game"?


  It is a dramatic monologue
• What is the persona of "The Class Game"?

  It is a 1st person Liverpudlian persona
• How many stanzas are in "The Class Game"?


  There is one continuous stanza
• What is the rhyme in "The Class Game"?


  There are frequent rhyming couplets that get stronger as the poem advances
• What is the structure of "The Class Game"?


  It has a hypophoric structure
• What is hypophoric structure?


  It is when the speaker asks and then answers their own questions
• What tone is used in "The Class Game"?


  It is a confident and opinionated tone
• What is the refrain used in "The Class Game"?


  "How can you tell what class I'm from?"
• At what line does the refrain change?


  It changes at line 20
• What does the refrain change to?


  "Why do you care what class I'm from?" and "I'm proud of the class that I come from"
• Why is the refrain used in the poem?


  To create a strong sense of argument
• What examples of juxtaposition are found in the poem?


  "toil" and "oil" AND "bread pudding is wet nelly"