A level literature exam questions and answers with notes

Literature AS Paper 1:

Poetry:

Eat Me (Patience Agbabi) & Chainsaw Versus the Pampas Grass (Simon Armitage)

Eat Me Chainsaw VS Pampas Grass
Abusive, destructive, toxic male dominance Destructive, violent, brutal masculinity
Gender differences – power relationships Man VS nature – nature is feminine therefore
between couple unbalanced/unfair fight
Autobiographical from POV of the female Autobiographical from POV of male
Triumph of female at the end – she killed her Triumph of nature at the end – the pampas
abusive boyfriend grass grew back, and it wants to live on
Techniques
Symbolism: Symbolism:
 Cake symbolizes the beginning of the  Chainsaw used as a symbol for
end of her life masculinity
 The candles symbolize her weight  Pampas grass is a symbol of femininity
Alliteration: Alliteration:
 “Bigger the better”  “Double doors”
 “Broad belly wobble”  “Blur of the blade”
 “Fast food”  “But the blade became”
 “Judder like a juggernaut”  “The chainsaw seethed”
Semantic field: Semantic field:
 Liquid  Human organs
 “Jacuzzi”  “Teeth”
 “Island”  “Nose”
 “Beached whale”  “Joints and threads”
 “Tidal wave”  “Heart”
 “Drowned”  “Throat”
Imagery: Imagery:
 The cake  “Juices ran from its joints”
 “Swell like forbidden fruit”  “Ludicrous feathers and plumes”
 “Poured olive oil down my throat”  “Flamed for a minute, smoked for a
minute more”
Repetition: Personification:
 “Fat”  “Grinding its teeth in a plastic sleeve”
 “Girls”  “Drumming in its heart”
 “The chainsaw seethed”


Mention:

 Objectification of women
 Control, relationships, power, imprisonment, free will, freedom, punishment, gender
 Frustration, reclaim of life and survival
 Female VS male
 Triumph of femininity
 Brutality, violence



Chainsaw Versus the Pampas Grass (Simon Armitage) & The Gun (Vicki Feaver)

, Chainsaw Versus the Pampas Grass The Gun
Explores the destructive, brutal nature of Gun used as a symbol for masculinity
masculinity
Chainsaw – a tool designed by men to destroy Gun – tool designed by men to show power
(phallic symbol)
Man VS nature where nature/femininity Difference of males and females position in the
triumphs household (male dominance)
Death of the pampas grass Death of the rabbit
Techniques
Symbolism: Symbolism:
 Chainsaw used as a symbol for  Gun used to symbolize
masculinity masculinity/male dominance
 Pampas grass is a symbol of femininity  The gun is a phallic symbol as it is
designed by men to demonstrate
power
Alliteration: Alliteration:
 “Double doors”  “Green-checked cloth”
 “Blur of the blade”  “Practice perforating tins”
 “But the blade became”  “Fur and feathers”
 “The chainsaw seethed”  “Slicing, stirring and tasting”
Semantic field: Semantic field:
 Human organs  Home
 “Teeth”  “House”
 “Nose”  “Kitchen table”
 “Joints and threads”  “Green-checked cloth”
 “Heart”  “Garden”
 “Throat”  “Fridge”
Imagery: Imagery:
 “Juices ran from its joints”  “Grainy polished wood stock”
 “Ludicrous feathers and plumes”  “A rabbit shot clean through the head”
 “Flamed for a minute, smoked for a  “King of Death”
minute more”  “His black mouth sprouting golden
crocuses




Mention:

 Triumph of femininity VS persona’s role in ‘The Gun’
 Regular stanzas in both
 Dynamics of relationships
 Objects made by men to portray the male dominance and power
 Personification of the gun and the chainsaw




Material (Ros Barber) & Effects (Alan Jenkins)