comparison w others

• What is the main theme of both Grace Nichols' 'Like an Heiress' and George Eliot’s 'In a London Drawing Room'?

  Both poems critique their environments through the speakers' feelings.
• How does Nichols' poem differ from Eliot’s in terms of setting?

  Nichols describes a rural, coastal setting, while Eliot describes a joyless urban environment.
• What are the similarities in the critiques of the environments in both poems?

  • Both poems critique their environments.
  • Nichols uses imagery to comment on pollution.
  • Eliot describes a gloomy urban setting.
  • Both speakers express unease and concern about their surroundings.
• What imagery does Nichols use to comment on pollution in the sea?

  She describes it as a “wave of rubbish.”
• What does the list in Nichols' poem represent?

  It presents the extent of litter in the sea.
• How does Eliot describe the urban environment in her poem?

  She comments on the “cloudy” sky and buildings like “solid fog.”
• What emotional state does Nichols' narrator express due to environmental disruption?

  The narrator describes unstable emotions as a result of this disruption.
• How does Nichols personify the ocean in her poem?

  She describes the litter as “rightly tossed back by an ocean's moodswings.”
• What metaphor does Eliot use to imply that people are not thriving in her poem?

  She uses the metaphor that “No figure lingering/Pauses to feed the hunger of the eye.”
• What do both poems suggest about the bond between humans and nature?

  • Both poems suggest unease and concern.
  • They highlight a broken bond between humans and nature.
  • The speakers reflect on the sadness and despair caused by this disconnection.
• What does Eliot imply about isolation in her poem?

  She describes London as “All closed,” implying solitude.
• How does Nichols' speaker express isolation in 'Like an Heiress'?

  The narrator is on a “deserted beach” with “a lone/wave.”
• What warning does Nichols' poem convey about the future?

  It warns about the “fate of our planet.”
• How does Eliot describe the lack of compassion in her world?

  She describes it as a place “Where men are punished at the slightest cost.”
• What does Eliot say about the emotional state of her urban environment?

  She describes it as having the “lowest rate of colour, warmth & joy.”
• What are the main differences in the settings of Nichols' and Eliot's poems?

  • Nichols describes a rural beach across time.
  • Eliot describes the urbanisation of London.
  • Nichols contrasts past and present ocean conditions.
  • Eliot uses natural imagery to depict urban life.
• How does Nichols contrast the speaker’s memories of the ocean with its current condition?

  She portrays changes in a rural setting over time.
• What does Nichols seek comfort in during her poem?

  She seeks comfort in the “air-conditioned coolness” of a hotel room.
• How does Eliot describe the urban environment using natural imagery?

  She describes the sky as “cloudy, yellowed by the smoke.”
• What does Nichols question about the modern world in her poem?

  She raises questions about the comforts of the modern world.
• What does Eliot suggest about the limitations of urban life?

  She suggests it limits imagination and sense of mystery.
• How does Eliot describe the monotony of urban life?

  She describes it as “Monotony of surface & of form.”
• What are the main themes of 'Like an Heiress' and 'A Portable Paradise'?

  • Both explore responses to changing worlds.
  • Nichols ends pessimistically, while Robinson finds comfort.
  • Both convey emotional pleas within their criticisms.
  • Both comment on disconnected relationships in their environments.
• What does the dash in Nichols' poem represent?

  It represents the speaker’s shock in “wave of rubbish against the seawall.”
• How does Nichols reflect the speaker’s emotional thoughts in her poem?

  She uses an irregular rhythm and enjambment.
• How does Robinson convey the emotional response of his speaker?

  He uses enjambment and a sudden caesura.
• What does Robinson imply about choice in his poem?

  He uses imperative verbs and a list to imply limited choice.
• How is the narrator in 'Like an Heiress' presented?

  As desperate and isolated on a “deserted” beach.
• What do both poems suggest about the impact of corrupted environments on individuals?

  • Both poems describe homes as corrupted.
  • This corruption creates isolated individuals.
  • The speakers express desperation and a sense of loss.
• How does Nichols end her poem?

  With a sinister warning about the fate of our planet.
• What comfort does Robinson’s poem convey?

  It conveys how a sense of community can offer comfort in challenging times.
• How does Nichols use imagery to contrast the natural world?

  She contrasts the inheritance of “eye-catching jewels” with a “burning treasury.”
• What does Robinson suggest about nature in his poem?

  He suggests that nature can provide comfort in the present and future.
• How does Nichols portray urgency and despair in her poem?

  By reflecting on the declining state of the natural world.
• What does Robinson's repetition of “And if I” signify?

  It presents an individual defiant against pressures in their world.
• How does Nichols subvert the sonnet form in her poem?

  She uses irregular rhyme and lacks a rhyming couplet at the end.
• What are the main themes of 'Like an Heiress' and 'Thirteen'?

  • Both explore disconnections between the speaker and their world.
  • Nichols critiques neglect of the natural world.
  • Femi comments on discrimination in an urban community.
• How does Nichols describe the changes in the ocean from childhood to adulthood?

  She shows shock at the “wave of rubbish against the seawall.”
• What oppressive conditions does Femi describe in 'Thirteen'?

  The speaker relates a stop and search by an officer.
• How does Femi convey a lack of control in his poem?

  The speaker expresses powerlessness during the stop and search.