I am very bothered

• Poet


  Simon Armitage
• Context

  Setting is suggested to be a school. Taken from a collection which focuses on Armitage's own school days. He went on to marry the girl in the poem
• Title


  Not elaborate and suggests the poem will be prosaic. Shows the theme of regret and remorse will be prevalent. The use of common place words shows informal nature
• Form

  Sonnet. Appropriate as this is a poem about his wife. The octave relays the build up to the burn and the sestet focuses on the incident and aftermath. Line 12 Armitage offers justification and changes the conventions of a sonnet
• Rhythm


  Irregular rhythm with only some iambic pentamete. Arguably quite unromantic
• Rhyme scheme


  Irregular and varies between internal, slant and exact rhyme. Adds to thestory like qualityof the poem and places emphasis on certain emotions
• Voice


  Simple language created an anecdotal tone, showing that it is not a traditional sonnet. 1st person narrative shown through the personal pronoun "I." This poem is a memory being recalled
• "scissors by the blades"


  Scissors act as a symbol of danger. The sharpness builds tension through the threat of violence.
• "played the handles"


  Connotes mischievous behaviour of an adolescent
• "naked lilac flame"


  Sensual imageryallows reader to understand the danger of the situation and to understand why he is full of regret of his actions. Poetic and romantic symbol of candle. Typical icons of romance but subverts theconventional symbolismassociated with them
• "flame/name"


  Playful nursery rhyme tone reminds the speakers of the young age and lack of maturity
• "O the unrivalled stench"


  Exclamatorytonal shift.This proclamation withassonance elongates the sentence creating alamenting, distressed tonesuggesting remorse
• "two burning rings. Marked,"


  Marriage imagery.Thescaris symbolic of fidelity and rings.Religious imageryas it mirrors a wedding ceremony...destined to be together?Enjambmentoutlines speakersflow of thought.Tumbling affectofassonanceslowly presentschaosunfolding
• "Don't believe me please"

  Imperative shows he has regret but offers the explanation that he was young and foolish
• "butterfingered way"


  Colloquialism reflects child like mentality and immaturity. Rhyming couplet emphasises sincerity and sweet outcome of the incident. Sincere, heartfelt tone