lament

• What does Clarke show about the nest in line 3?

  It has become a place of sickness and death
• What literary device is used to describe the turtle's habitat?

  Oxymoron
• What do the words ‘silk’ and ‘veil’ represent in stanza two?

  They reflect the fragility of the natural world
• What themes do the words ‘funeral’ and ‘shadow’ convey in stanza two?

  Presence of death and darkness
• What does ‘funeral silk’ metaphorically represent?

  Black oil clogging the cormorant's feathers
• What do the phrases ‘veil of iridescence on the sand’ and ‘shadow on the sea’ refer to?

  They refer to the oil slick's spread
• What does the metaphor of the ‘mortal stain’ signify in stanza three?

  It reinforces the inevitability of death
• Who does the name ‘Ahmed’ evoke in the poem?

  A civilian trapped at the closed border
• How does Ahmed's situation relate to the natural world?

  He is unable to escape conflict like animals
• What does the poem imply about soldiers in the conflict?

  They are also victims of the conflict
• What does the metaphor ‘uniform of fire’ suggest about the soldier?

  He suffers great pain and is wreathed in flame
• What naive desires lead soldiers to conflict according to the poem?

  Desires for company or music
• How does Clarke shift focus in the poem after discussing soldiers?

  He returns focus to creatures and nature
• What is the form of the poem and its purpose?

  • The poem is an elegy
  • Lists damage to nature and human life
  • Caused by the First Gulf War
• How does the structure of the poem reinforce its themes?

  • Each stanza begins with ‘For the…’
  • Connects to the title ‘Lament’
  • Reinforces emotions of regret and grief
• What does the first stanza focus on regarding the green turtle?

  Her ‘pulsing burden’ of eggs
• What does the last stanza suggest about nature's battle against mankind?

  Nature has lost its battle against mankind
• What is the term used for the imagery in line 5?

  Veil of iridescence
• How does the repetition of the 'veil' imagery affect the poem's theme?

  It emphasizes mankind's destructive impact on nature
• What does the phrase 'put out' signify in the context of the poem?

  Effects of conflict are becoming irreversible
• What happens to the whales in line 15?

  They are 'struck dumb'
• What tone does the phrase 'struck dumb' create regarding the whales?

  It creates a chilling tone of loss
• What does the phrase 'ashes of language' symbolize in the poem?

  Failure of peace talks and dominance of arguments
• What historical event is referenced in the context of the poem?

  First Gulf War
• What action did retreating Iraqi troops take during the First Gulf War?

  Opened oil valves and pipelines
• What was the consequence of the oil spill caused by the Iraqi troops?

  Devastating effects on marine life
• How much crude oil flowed into the Persian Gulf?

  At least 240 million gallons
• What type of images did Clarke use as source material for the poem?

  Media images connected to the First Gulf War
• What specific media images are mentioned as sources for the poem?

  Cormorants covered in oil and a soldier on fire
• How does the imagery of cormorants covered in oil contribute to the poem's message?

  It illustrates the environmental devastation caused by war
• What does the image of a soldier on fire symbolize in the context of the poem?

  The horrors and consequences of war