TMA02 - Literature

TMA 02
Part 2: Literature
In no more than 300 words, write an analysis of Robert Edward Thomas's sonnet 'February Afternoon'

‘February Afternoon’ is a standard 14 line sonnet, written in iambic pentameter. The twelfth line, however, has eleven syllables. - Note 1 - It is divided into two parts, the first part an octave and the second a sestet. The rhyming scheme is ABBA, ABBA, CDD, ECE. The division of the octave into two quatrains using the rhyming pattern shows the sonnet is Petrarchan although the two rhyming tercets in the sestet do not follow the usual CDE, CDE or CDC, DCD pattern of the Petrarchan sonnet. - Note 2 - The sonnet also contains many examples of enjambment. And what is the effect of enjambement? It gives the piece a contemplative reading and contrasts with the pauses, which give it a somewhat jarring feel. The turn of the sonnet is the split between the octave and the sestet.

The imagery in the sonnet is all based around the author’s experience during the First World War. - Note 3 - It begins by showing the reader how 'all encompassing' war is by bringing nature into the military arena.ü The birds are black and white, good and evil, like pieces on a chess board. They chatter and command. A thousand years is mentioned three times, showing the seemingly never- ending conflict the author finds himself in, along with the eternity of all war and nature.ü interesting The author ends with two lines showing the godlessness of war, the absence of what must surely have been seen in 1916 as a force for good. Discuss Thomas’s portrayal of God a bit further. There is bitterness here.

The sonnet uses many words we do not commonly use these days. Such as? Cite and explain examples. Punctuation is used correctly, however, showing the enjambment by not ending lines with full stops and adding commas and hyphens where necessary. The sonnet does have a definite end, a conclusion of sorts. Well…you need to discuss punctuation much more fully rather than just writing it is used ‘properly’. What effect does the punctuation have on the overall mood and meaning of the sonnet? And does the sonnet have a ‘definite end’? It doesn’t end with a rhyming couplet which suggests that there is dislocation of sorts; something is not quite right at the end of the sonnet.

‘February Afternoon’, like other war poetry, uses metaphor and symbolism to demonstrate the hopelessness and heartlessness of battle. It also helps to convince us, that even in the midst of such horror, the human soul is still capable of creating beauty. Not clear how this final message is conveyed in the sonnet. And you haven’t really discussed metaphor even though you mention it in the conclusion.

Stephen Regan. (2005) Unit 2 - Form and meaning in poetry: The sonnet, An Introduction to Humanities, Form and Reading, Second Edition. pp. 50-93

Josh Robinson. (2006) 'Petes' Radical Poetry Site' - http://wwwpetepoetry-bullybuster.blogspot.com/2006/12/february-afternoon.html
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Note 1 - And why is this important?

Note 2 - This section could be further edited – You could mention that the sonnet is Petrarchan in the opening sentence. It would also be a good idea to discuss the importance of unorthodox rhyme scheme in the sestet. It is rather jarring and suggests dislocation and complements the theme of the poem.

Note 3 - This is what the imagery reveals. The imagery itself is very much based on nature.