flag

• What does the description of the flag as a 'piece' of fabric imply?

  It suggests a fragment needing context for understanding
• How do people misinterpret the flag according to the poem?

  They see it as representative of the whole
• What literary device is used when the flag acts as a synecdoche?

  It represents the whole country and culture
• Which verbs characterize the movement of the flag?

  'Fluttering', 'unfurling', 'rising', 'flying'
• What does the movement of the flag symbolize?

  It symbolizes power above mankind
• How are people depicted in contrast to the flag?

  As mere body parts emphasizing mortality
• What does the alliteration in 'nation to its knees' emphasize?

  Flags hold power over large groups
• What historical context does the image of the flag 'rising over the tent' suggest?

  Warfare influenced by flags has a long history
• What does the flag 'flying across a field' signify?

  Nationalism tied to land ownership and power
• How does the alliteration in 'blood you bleed' affect the poem's pace?

  It slows the pace, echoing a dying pulse
• What is the worldly voice's attitude towards jingoism?

  It expresses scorn for blind nationalism
• What does the phrase 'the flag will outlive the blood you bleed' imply?

  Nationalism encourages sacrifice for nothing
• How does the repetition of 'just' in the first four stanzas affect the flag's portrayal?

  It diminishes the flag's perceived power
• What change occurs in the use of 'just' by the final stanza?

  It highlights the ease of blind allegiance
• What is the form of the poem?

  • A dialogue between two personas
  • One worldly and one naive
• What is the rhyme scheme used in the poem?

  • First four stanzas: lines 1 and 3 linked
  • Stanza 1: full rhyme 'breeze/knees'
  • Stanza 2: assonance 'pole/bold'
  • Stanza 3: full rhyme 'tent/relent'
• What is the rhyme scheme in stanza four of the poem?

  Lines 1 and 3 have a half-rhyme
• What does the alternation between full rhyme and alternatives signify in the poem?

  It reflects differing views on flag symbolism
• How does Agard change the rhyme scheme in the final stanza?

  The first line is unrhymed, last two lines rhyme
• What is the purpose of the unrhymed first line in the final stanza?

  To emphasize a definite conclusion in dialogue
• What is the structure of the poem regarding the personas?

  • Each stanza starts with a question from the naïve persona
  • The worldly voice answers the naïve persona
• What refrain is used in the first four stanzas of the poem?

  “It’s just a piece of cloth”
• What tone does the refrain carry in the poem?

  A mixture of anger and incredulity
• What does the reworked refrain in the last stanza signify?

  The naïve persona has learned nothing
• What does the question “How can I possess such a cloth?” indicate?

  The naïve persona's lack of understanding of dangers
• When was Agard born?

  In 1949
• Where was Agard born?

  British colony of Guiana
• What significant event occurred in Guiana in 1966?

  It gained independence
• Where has Agard lived after his home country?

  In Britain
• What themes are prevalent in Agard's poetry?

  • National identity
  • Cultural effects of patriotism