Module C: Representation and Text - Auden

[pels]

Hey all.
For Mod C, I'm finding it difficult to find/ incorporate different techniques into the question below:

'Political motivations may be ambiguous, but control is the ultimate goal.'
Evaluate this statement with detailed reference to your prescribed text and ONE other related text of your choosing.

My texts are Auden's 'Spain' and 'O What Is That Sound', and the techniques that I have found are repetition, high modality, imagery, juxtaposition and symbolism, but seem to be repeating myself when using them.

I am perhaps in need of other techniques, any ideas to what I can add.

Also, what would be a good thesis to overall address this question well, as I have content in my plans, just find it difficult relating it to control, and then linking a technique.

Any help would be appreciated,

Cheers 

[birdwing341]

Hey all.
For Mod C, I'm finding it difficult to find/ incorporate different techniques into the question below:

'Political motivations may be ambiguous, but control is the ultimate goal.'
Evaluate this statement with detailed reference to your prescribed text and ONE other related text of your choosing.

My texts are Auden's 'Spain' and 'O What Is That Sound', and the techniques that I have found are repetition, high modality, imagery, juxtaposition and symbolism, but seem to be repeating myself when using them.

I am perhaps in need of other techniques, any ideas to what I can add.

Also, what would be a good thesis to overall address this question well, as I have content in my plans, just find it difficult relating it to control, and then linking a technique.

Any help would be appreciated,

Cheers 

Hey pels!

I'm happy to give some advice on Auden's poetry (although mainly on O What is that Sound because I really don't like Spain - but the stuff I can say can be applied to both poems).

So first up let's talk techniques! You've got a solid amount of stock-standard literary techniques, but what about some structural ones? Think about the composer's structural decisions in the poems - in O What is that Sound you can talk about his appropriation of the ballad structure, rhyme scheme of ABAB, even the antiphony between the two speakers leading to heightened tensions. Maybe think about Spain in this way as well!

In regards to O What is that Sound, there aren't really many innovative literary techniques, because it's a much simpler poem (you could even talk about that and how it allows a larger number of people to be exposed to his idea). Repetition is one you cannot go past here, but tone is something that clearly changes throughout the poem - the innocent first stanzas are contrasted greatly to the heightened tension in the final few stanzas (especially the last one 'O it's broken the lock and splintered the door...and their eyes are burning' is very different to 'only the scarlet soldiers dear, the soldiers coming').

Also remember to talk about the Spanish Civil War for Spain!!

With regards to that question...my thesis is really difficult to match to that question as my overarching idea is the inextricable link between authority and individuals (state vs private etc.) so I demonstrate the imposition of the state on the people, and the subsequent need to respond to this imposition with political action.

Personally if I was to create a thesis for this question it would have some stuff like this;
- Both the state and individuals are inextricably linked to the political landscape
- Authority wishes to maintain its political power, thus its actions ARE motivated by a desire to control
- On the other hand, individuals are motivated by a desire to remain free, and thus their political actions are NOT motivated by control
- Therefore while political motivations are ambiguous, control is not always the ultimate goal (and maybe add a bit contrasting authority and individuals)

Hope this helped!!

[elysepopplewell]

Hey all.
For Mod C, I'm finding it difficult to find/ incorporate different techniques into the question below:

'Political motivations may be ambiguous, but control is the ultimate goal.'
Evaluate this statement with detailed reference to your prescribed text and ONE other related text of your choosing.

My texts are Auden's 'Spain' and 'O What Is That Sound', and the techniques that I have found are repetition, high modality, imagery, juxtaposition and symbolism, but seem to be repeating myself when using them.

I am perhaps in need of other techniques, any ideas to what I can add.

Also, what would be a good thesis to overall address this question well, as I have content in my plans, just find it difficult relating it to control, and then linking a technique.

Any help would be appreciated,

Cheers 

Something I suggest is remembering that you aren't just a student of texts,  but a student of language. So look at things that are deliberate decisions by the composer in their language, but may not be an official literary technique. First, second or third person narration. Everything is in one of these categories, so you can always talk about why they chose first person (to give insight to the protagonist?) or third person (perhaps to create a detached feel?) Also tense, past present or future. This is also a deliberate decision made by the composer in the composition of their text. Why did they choose that tense? You can talk about the connotations of particular words or you can talk about the syntax: active voice or passive voice? Is the verb driving the noun or the noun driving the verb? Look through the quotes you already have and then see if you can pick out some of these language things so that you get double bang for your buck!

What's your current thesis? Perhaps if you post that then I could give you some feedback and help! Birdwing has suggested some brilliant thesis ideas!

[pels]

Thanks so much once again :