It was not Death, for I stood up: Structure & Language Techniques

It was not Death, for I stood up: Structure & Language Techniques

Structure

• The poem consists of five quatrains following an ABCB rhyme scheme.
• Uses short, abrupt lines to suggest a fragmented mental state.

Language Techniques

• The poet uses metaphor extensively: “I could not see to see—” suggests the overwhelming nature of her mental or emotional state.
• The poet uses dash to illustrate pauses in thought or a striving for words, often linked to the theme of mental struggle.
• The use of hyperbole, as in “Like the Stillness in the Air—”, amplifies the intensity of emotion and feeling.
• Use of paradox illustrates the confusion and chaos of the mental state the speaker experiences.

Word Choice

• Use of words like “dead” and “numb” to suggest desolation and emotional detachment.
• Use of language reflecting the natural world suggests a desire for items of stability and familiarity in a tumultuous mental state.

Imagery

• The poet uses dark and foreboding imagery to convey the seriousness of the speaker’s mental state.
• Repetition of the words ‘And then’ at the beginning of stanzas 2, 3 and 5 emphasises the continuing, unending sense of despair and isolation.

Sound Devices

• The use of alliteration and consonance adds a musical quality to the poem, contributing to the overall melancholic tone.
• The choice of words with harsh sounds, such as “broke” and “dead”, lends a jarring, discordant rhythm to the poem, mirroring the speaker’s mental or emotional struggles.