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  1. The central idea of the poem revolves around the exploration of cultural differences and power dynamics between European settlers and the native people in Canada. The poem uses the metaphors of animals to symbolize the settlers and explores the clash of customs, manners, and the impact of colonizatiRead more

    The central idea of the poem revolves around the exploration of cultural differences and power dynamics between European settlers and the native people in Canada. The poem uses the metaphors of animals to symbolize the settlers and explores the clash of customs, manners, and the impact of colonization on the indigenous culture. It delves into the concepts of identity, the oppression of refined manners over simplicity, and the transformation of the native way of life in Canada after European settlement. Overall, the poem reflects on the consequences of cultural encounters and the dominance of one group over another.

    The Animals in That Country Summary

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  1. The poem explores the themes of cultural differences between European settlers, particularly the English, and the native people in Canada. It touches on historical contexts like colonization. Some of the other themes explored include identity, power dynamics, manners, customs, and the contrast betweRead more

    The poem explores the themes of cultural differences between European settlers, particularly the English, and the native people in Canada. It touches on historical contexts like colonization. Some of the other themes explored include identity, power dynamics, manners, customs, and the contrast between refinement and simplicity. The first part talks about the “refined” attitude of the settlers through personified animals, highlighting their customs. This is set against the simpler indigenous culture. The second part emphasizes the shift of the indigenous people from a simpler native lifestyle to a more refined one after English settlement, shaping the course of history.

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  1. Alliteration - Alliteration is repetition of the same letter or sound in a line. In the poem alliteration occurs in lines like “his name/ stamped on him, heraldic”, “sand, sword”, and “human/ he”. Irony - irony is used when what the poet says is in contradiction to what they actually mean. In this pRead more

    1. Alliteration – Alliteration is repetition of the same letter or sound in a line. In the poem alliteration occurs in lines like “his name/ stamped on him, heraldic”, “sand, sword”, and “human/ he”.
    2. Irony – irony is used when what the poet says is in contradiction to what they actually mean. In this poem, the poet uses irony when comparing the face of animals to human faces in the lines “In that country the animals/ have the faces of people”.
    3. Repetition- Repetition is a literary device in which a word, phrase, or line is repeated for emphasis or effect. The word “their” is repeated multiple times in the last few lines of the poem.
    4. Metaphor- metaphor is used when the poet makes an undercut comparison between two things without using the words “like” or “as”. In the, the poet compares the snobbish manner of the white settlers to “ceremonial cats”. She also uses metaphor when talking about the “human-like teeth” in the “blue mouth” of the bull.
    5. Enjambment – enjambment is when the line is continued onto the next line without any pause. In the poem, the poet uses enjambment to create a connection between the concepts talked about in the stanzas.
    6. Personification- personification is used when the poet gives human-like qualities to non-human objects. The poem personifies animals like “cat”, “fox” and “bull” in the poem.
    7. Litotles- Litotes is the ironic usage of a negative to highlight the positive aspect of the idea. In the poem, the poet makes use of the negative sentences like “Their deaths are not elegant” and “They have the faces of/ no-one” to emphasise on the condition of the natives in the country.

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