stanza 3

• "He came into the house. The doorknobs gleamed."

  • 2 simple statements.
  • The first an action - the second the impact of the action.
  • To enter the house, he must touch the handles - altering the natural reason for the gleaming - being polished.
• "the Field of the Cloth of Gold"

  • Historic reference: a meeting place near Calais where the Kings of England and France met in 1520.
  • They both made elaborate temporary palaces in an attempt to outdo each other in their display of wealth.
• "Miss Macready."

  • Literary allusion: Miss Macready is the housekeeper in Narnia, who is well known for her love of material possessions which she values over all things, including the children in her care.
  • Mrs Midas makes this comparison because she believes his greed is more important than his love for her.
• "strange, wild, vain."

  • List of (negative) adjectives
  • 'wild' and 'vain' convey the extremities of each trait.
  • Presents the mixture of emotions in his face as he begins to realise the impact of his gift and the power he now has.
• "He sat in that chair like a king on a burnished throne."

  • Simile: literal reference to the chair turning to gold, so throne-like, as he sits on it.
  • Connection to the myth of 'King Midas' and the Egyptian metaphor to follow.
  • 'burnished' - something polished and gleaming - vivid imagery, extreme and as such symbolic of his greed.
• "What in the name of God is going on? He started to laugh."

  • An empathetic interrogative sentence.
  • 'God' also an interesting reference as his powers could be seen as deity-like.
  • His laughter provides juxtaposition in relation to the visual scene and their contrasting moral standing. She is clearly frustrated and exasperated with his behaviour.