Anne Killigrew Literary Elements

Anne Killigrew Literary Elements

Speaker or Narrator, and Point of View

The narrator is the poet himself using the third-person perspective

Form and Meter

Iambic pentameter

Metaphors and Similes

The metaphor "daughter of the skies" refers to the comparison which the poet made between Anne to be as an angel's son.
The simile "But, like a harden'd felon" compares Anne to a criminal whose crime is to kill with beauty.

Alliteration and Assonance

Alliterations: "palms... pluck'd," "spreading... sublimely," "Mov'd... majestic," "mortal Muse."
Assonances: "did practise," "flight,...mind," "Let...Heav'n."

Irony

The poet describes Anne as a candidate of Heaven which is somehow ironic as he exaggerates in praising her. The poet used a lot of angel descriptions to refer to Anne and her family which could also be considered ironic.

Genre

Elegy

Setting

Landscape where the poet describes Anne

Tone

Respectful, compassionate, loving

Protagonist and Antagonist

Anne Killigrew is the protagonist and the whole subject of the poem while there is no antagonist

Major Conflict

Describing the fabulous characteristics and attributes that Anne has

Climax

The line "O Gracious God!" marks the climax in which the poet is unable to thank God for the grace of poetry which enabled him to best describe Anne's unlimited advantages.

Foreshadowing

Through the line "Though roll'st above us," the reader can expect that the poet is going to talk about the excellent characteristics that Anne has.

Understatement

In the introduction of the poem, the praising of Anne's contributions to the world does not suggest that the poet is so fond of her attributes and advantages the thing which appears later in the poem

Allusions

Branches in the poem were used to refer to the great literary contributions that Anne gave to the world before she dies.
The poet also used fruits to refer to Anne's literary works which were as natural as the fruits that grow on the trees.
Using Heaven in the poem as being described to be happy when Anne was born indicates to the great talents that she has.

Metonymy and Synecdoche

"the best of Books" refers to the knowledge that Anne received from her father.
"Thy father was transfus'd into thy blood:" blood here is used as a part to refer to the whole which is genes.

Personification

"daughter of the skies" sky here is described as a human being who can give birth and have children

Hyperbole

The poet used a lot of images of Hyperbole in order to describe the great virtues and abilities that Anne has. For example, "youngest virgin-daughter of the skies," claiming that Anne is the daughter of angels, "And Candidate of Heav'n.", "So rich in treasures of her own,".

Onomatopoeia

The word 'majesty' when pronounced suggests the powerful meaning that it has.

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