stanza 4

• "I served up the meal."

  • The everyday tone is an apparent attempt to maintain some normality.
• "Within seconds he was spitting out the teeth of the rich."

  • Imagery through metaphorical comparison. Serious realisation that he cannot eat
  • Greed for wealth, impacts on the more typical type of greed.
  • The rich often have gold teeth - not particularly sophisticated, but seen by them as a status symbol.
• "He toyed with his spoon, then mine, then with the knives, the forks."

  • The verb 'toyed' mirrors his childish understanding of the consequences of his gift, coupled with his dazed realisation of what is before him - shown by his moving between the cutlery, and the list emphasising how difficult the simple act of dining has become.
• "I poured with a shaking hand."

  • Conveys her fear as she begins to realise the severity of the situation. 'poured' reminds the reader of her very different emotional state during the opening stanza.
• "bone-dry"

  • Prophetic - symbolic of their future relationship?
• "glass, goblet, golden chalice"

  • Alliteration: harsh 'g' sounds realisation of the terrible consequences, as she watches the wine glass turn to pure gold in front of her eyes. The 'L' sound emphasises the idea of increased luxury of each of the nouns for drinking vessels, with 'golden chalice' being a literary allusion to Macbeth's poisoned chalice, suggesting the danger he now feels.