Half-past Two

• free indirect discourse

  from a third person point of view, not from his pov because this boy is young and cannot communicate his experience/thoughts/feelings.
• title (half-past two)

  immediately introduces the theme of time which is alien to the boy.
• use of compound words

  there is blended lexis and innocence. the audience connects to the child. child like way of thinking .
• Once upon a schooltime

  stock phrase, emphasising youth/child-like.

  fairytales - happy endings (conventionally)

  school time - juxtaposes the happy opening, it is a harsh, uncaring compound words
• He did Something Very Wrong (i forget what it was)

  ambiguity + capitalisation - authority and the teacher's lack of understanding but the teacher was too harsh, the gravity of the words.

  
  

  parenthetical line makes it seem less grave and juxtaposes the capitalisation - if it was severe or very wrong she would have remembered it

  
  

  repetition of something very wrong - still cannot understand it.
• Being cross, she'd forgetten

  she hadn't taught him Time

  anger/disregarding

  ineffective as a teacher

  emotions can overpowr, cloud your logic

  she rules with fear
• He was too scared at being wicked to remind her

  too scared - power dynamic between the teacher/child.

  connotes evil

  parenthesis - internal thoughts of both characters - the teacher and the student
• gettinguptime, timeyouwereofftime


  compound verbs - neologism - a child's perception of time - his daily routine - grammar errors - unaware of concepts such as half past 2.
• All the important times he knew,

  But not half-past two.

  home = a happy environment

  contrasts school life

  the only rhyme

  creates insecurity
• he knew the clockface, little eyes and two long legs for walking But he couldn't click its language,

  personification, a cartoon-like image anf expresses innocence and lack of understanding.

  click - onomatopoeia of time passing, he can sense it but not understand it
• 3rd person

  adult speaking, not himself, experiencing nostalgia
• beyond onceupona

  his fantasy/imagination transcends beyond the classroom.
• out of reach ... he'd escaped for ever.

  
  

  into ever

  hyperbole - immature

  for ever - the few non compound words, he cannot connect it as he does not understand the concept of time. a timeless word

  
  

  image of freedom
• into the

  into the

  into the

  'outside'

  anaphora of prepositional phrases - emphasis/hypnotic

  escaping conscious and mentally
• smell

  silent

  air

  sensory language helps escape the punishment
• my goodness

  scuttling in

  i forgot all about you

  run along or you'll be late

  she slotted him back into school time

  italicised clause - realisation

  scuttling in - dehumanises

  careless with no apology

  goes back to reality - confined by time

  dismissive

  animal/insect like

  
  

  compound words - back to his routine
• never forgot

  clockless land

  time hides tickless waiting to be born

  an important moment

  metaphor - an adult looking back at the freedom of childhood

  personification - universality as everyone is born
• structure

  11 tercets
• free verse/enjambments

  irregular line length

  child like memories

  stream of consciousness

  a child's inability to measure/confine to time.

  fluidity and flow of time.
• Themes

  power/authority

  universality

  childhood

  memories

  punishment

  time

  critical of the education system
• blended lexis

  innocence
• what is the message through the compound verbs.

  the poem criticizes the irresponsibility of the teacher and simultaneously emphasizes the innocence of the child through made-up compound verbs, neologism and grammar errors; the child-like way of thinking.