POETRY

• attitude,• mood and• tone

THE DEATH OF AN ELANDHenry Barlow

Those eyes!Those liquid green eyesTearless yet cryingTerrified and silentImploring for mercyThose eyes haunt me.

We stood and looked at herEmaciated with hunger and painLying on her side with the festering legDripping with pus held in the airTrying in vain to heave itself up with her other

legs. Those eyes!The terrified liquid eyes fervently transmitted

pleas for mercyAnd the body shook with terror and painThe emaciated legs kicked feeblyTrying to get her up

Where she had tripped and fallen.There were ticks on her bellySome were fat and bluish greenAnd there were numerous small brown onesThe eyes begged!Those haunting eyes. The hunter said in a matter of fact wayIt is kinder to shoot her And raised his gun.There was a kick and a feeble neighThe body relaxed; the neck fell back.The eyes looked at meStill pleadingAs if the hunter had not been mercifulAnd I stood thereFeeling foolishI noticed the ticks –Still sucking.I walked awayWith liquid eyesAnd followed the hunter.

THE DEATH OF AN ELANDHenry Barlow

Those eyes!Those liquid green eyesTearless yet cryingTerrified and silentImploring for mercyThose eyes haunt me.

We stood and looked at herEmaciated with hunger and painLying on her side with the festering legDripping with pus held in the airTrying in vain to heave itself up with her other

legs. Those eyes!The terrified liquid eyes fervently transmitted

pleas for mercyAnd the body shook with terror and painThe emaciated legs kicked feeblyTrying to get her up

Where she had tripped and fallen.There were ticks on her bellySome were fat and bluish greenAnd there were numerous small brown onesThe eyes begged!Those haunting eyes. The hunter said in a matter of fact wayIt is kinder to shoot her And raised his gun.There was a kick and a feeble neighThe body relaxed; the neck fell back.The eyes looked at meStill pleadingAs if the hunter had not been mercifulAnd I stood thereFeeling foolishI noticed the ticks –Still sucking.I walked awayWith liquid eyesAnd followed the hunter.

Who is the persona in the poem?

What is the poem about?

The persona is an observer.

The poem is about a person who observes an injured eland and its struggles. The hunter then kills the eland so as not to suffer any more.

‘We stood and looked at her’

‘I noticed the ticks’

ATTITUDE

• This refers to the way someone feels about someone else, thing or a character in the poem. This depends on the words used to describe that person or thing.

Words used for Attitude

• It may be described as amusing, patronizing, contemptuous (hateful), critical, hostile, sympathetic, disapproving, harsh, kind, serious, cruel or adoring

Let us think again…

• What is the persona’s attitude towards the eland?( i.e. how does he feel about the eland?)

Which words in the poem bring out this feeling?

THE DEATH OF AN ELANDHenry Barlow

Those eyes!Those liquid green eyesTearless yet cryingTerrified and silentImploring for mercyThose eyes haunt me.

We stood and looked at herEmaciated with hunger and painLying on her side with the festering legDripping with pus held in the airTrying in vain to heave itself up with her other

legs. Those eyes!The terrified liquid eyes fervently transmitted

pleas for mercyAnd the body shook with terror and painThe emaciated legs kicked feeblyTrying to get her up

Where she had tripped and fallen.There were ticks on her bellySome were fat and bluish greenAnd there were numerous small brown onesThe eyes begged!Those haunting eyes. The hunter said in a matter of fact wayIt is kinder to shoot her And raised his gun.There was a kick and a feeble neighThe body relaxed; the neck fell back.The eyes looked at meStill pleadingAs if the hunter had not been mercifulAnd I stood thereFeeling foolishI noticed the ticks –Still sucking.I walked awayWith liquid eyesAnd followed the hunter.

THE DEATH OF AN ELANDHenry Barlow

Those eyes!Those liquid green eyesTearless yet cryingTerrified and silentImploring for mercyThose eyes haunt me.

We stood and looked at herEmaciated with hunger and painLying on her side with the festering legDripping with pus held in the airTrying in vain to heave itself up with her other

legs. Those eyes!The terrified liquid eyes fervently transmitted

pleas for mercyAnd the body shook with terror and painThe emaciated legs kicked feeblyTrying to get her up

Where she had tripped and fallen.There were ticks on her bellySome were fat and bluish greenAnd there were numerous small brown onesThe eyes begged!Those haunting eyes. The hunter said in a matter of fact wayIt is kinder to shoot her And raised his gun.There was a kick and a feeble neighThe body relaxed; the neck fell back.The eyes looked at meStill pleadingAs if the hunter had not been mercifulAnd I stood thereFeeling foolishI noticed the ticks –Still sucking.I walked awayWith liquid eyesAnd followed the hunter.

Attitude

• The persona is sympathetic towards the eland

‘Terrified and silentImploring for mercy’‘Those eyes!The terrified liquid eyes

fervently transmitted pleas for mercy’

‘I walked awayWith liquid eyes’

MOOD

• This is the general feeling or atmosphere in a poem. It depends a lot on what the poem is about. For example, a poem describing a loved one will most likely have a loving mood.

Words used for mood

• Mood can be described by such adjectives as happy, quiet, desperate, tense, thankful, sad (melancholic) solemn, silent, violent, jubilant, assertive, ironic, lively, remorseful, optimistic, and pessimistic

What is the mood of this poem?

Which words bring out this mood?

THE DEATH OF AN ELANDHenry Barlow

Those eyes!Those liquid green eyesTearless yet cryingTerrified and silentImploring for mercyThose eyes haunt me.

We stood and looked at herEmaciated with hunger and painLying on her side with the festering legDripping with pus held in the airTrying in vain to heave itself up with her other

legs. Those eyes!The terrified liquid eyes fervently transmitted

pleas for mercyAnd the body shook with terror and painThe emaciated legs kicked feeblyTrying to get her up

Where she had tripped and fallen.There were ticks on her bellySome were fat and bluish greenAnd there were numerous small brown onesThe eyes begged!Those haunting eyes. The hunter said in a matter of fact wayIt is kinder to shoot her And raised his gun.There was a kick and a feeble neighThe body relaxed; the neck fell back.The eyes looked at meStill pleadingAs if the hunter had not been mercifulAnd I stood thereFeeling foolishI noticed the ticks –Still sucking.I walked awayWith liquid eyesAnd followed the hunter.

Mood

• The mood is sad. • ‘Imploring for mercyLying on her side with the

festering legDripping with pus held in the airTrying in vain to heave itself up

with her other legs.The emaciated legs kicked feeblyTrying to get her up

I walked awayWith liquid eyes’

Conclusion

• Attitude• the way someone feels

about someone else, thing or a character in the poem

• Mood• the general feeling or

atmosphere in a poem. It depends a lot on what the poem is about.

• Any Questions or reactions?

ASSIGNMENT

• What is the mood of the poem THE BREWING NIGHT?

• The end

Tone

This is the manner of speaking in a poem. Depending on the words used we can tell the poet’s tone and that way know how he or she feels about that which he or she is describing

• Tone may be expressed as: cold, eager, harsh, gleeful, proud, satirical, doubtful, hostile, surprised, assertive, ironical, grateful, commanding, pleading and reprimanding

• In poetry, the persona’s attitude towards the subject or characters can be revealed through tone.

What is the tone of this poem?

• i.e. how does the poet feel about that which he is writing about? (The eland)

• Which words bring out this feeling?

THE DEATH OF AN ELANDHenry Barlow

Those eyes!Those liquid green eyesTearless yet cryingTerrified and silentImploring for mercyThose eyes haunt me.

We stood and looked at herEmaciated with hunger and painLying on her side with the festering legDripping with pus held in the airTrying in vain to heave itself up with her other

legs. Those eyes!The terrified liquid eyes fervently transmitted

pleas for mercyAnd the body shook with terror and painThe emaciated legs kicked feeblyTrying to get her up

Where she had tripped and fallen.There were ticks on her bellySome were fat and bluish greenAnd there were numerous small brown onesThe eyes begged!Those haunting eyes. The hunter said in a matter of fact wayIt is kinder to shoot her And raised his gun.There was a kick and a feeble neighThe body relaxed; the neck fell back.The eyes looked at meStill pleadingAs if the hunter had not been mercifulAnd I stood thereFeeling foolishI noticed the ticks –Still sucking.I walked awayWith liquid eyesAnd followed the hunter.

CONCLUSION

• Attitude: the feeling of one towards another.• E.g. sympathetic attitude• Mood: the general feeling in a poem.• E.g. sad or melancholic• Tone: the feeling of the poet towards his or

her subject matter.• E.g. sympathetic