Form and Structure:

 
If 

 
Four 8-lined verses with a regular rhyme and meter
 
This is where the father groups his advice into sets.
 
The first four line all rhyme. Ending in; you, you, you, too.
 
Stressing the personal nature of the poem.
 
From line 5 onwards there is a rhyme scheme; ababcdcd
 
This maintains the momentum of the repetitive structure.

The poem develops through a series of suggestions, using opposites to clarify themessage.
 
There is only one complete stop in the poem: the exclamation mark at the end.

The poem develops through a series of suggestions, using opposites to clarify themessage

Prayer Before Birth

Free verse 

8 verses

No rhyme scheme,

But does contain internal rhyme

The shape of the poem resembles the shape of Pslams.

Repetition of as a ritualistic refrain

The structure is:

 
Statement: “I am not yet born, console me”
 
Imperative tense command
 
Ends with a final commandLanguage:
 
If 

Each stanza begins with “if”. This is a conditional word so makes the reader feel
that
what’s coming isn’t a command but advice.
 
Second person throughout the poem.
 
This has a universal appeal because it could be addressing the man’s son, or
it could be directed to the readers.
 
Being directly referred to helps maintain the reader’s atten
tion
 
There are a lot of imperatives
 
These are not intrusive or strongly commanding, making it look more like afather giving advice to his son.

Enjambment
 
Makes the poem flow, this continuous flow makes it seem like it will take along time to achieve this.
 
Imagery
 
Personification

Triumph and Disaster”, “Will

which says”
  
This personification emphasises the importance of these.
 
Metaphors

Prayer Before Birth

Assonance

Displayed in verse 2
 
Creates a rolling, inevitable pace.
 
Rhyme

Internal
 
“Wise lies lure me… black racks rack”
 
Has a fearsome chant like quality adds emphasis to the terror andfear
 
Oxymoron
 
“Wise lies”
 
Enforces the idea of trickery

 
Short-syllabled words

 
Verse 3, imitates the language used but the baby and emphasises theinnocence.
 
Contrast

 
Verse 3 is happier and focuses on the joys of life which adds effect as itcontrast with the rest of
the poem and the next verse, making what alreadysounded ad sound worse.

 
Short sentence to end

 
End the poem dramatically

 
Simple language instilling finality

 
Last verse.

 
This is very effective as it shows that the unborn child would chose deathinstead of life, but the life
described seems worse than death.Tone

If 

 
The tone is positive as it makes the reader think that being a “man” is possible if you

vercome life’s hardships.

 

 
Prayer Before Birth
 
The tone helps the reader sense the horror of modern day society and they begin toquestion the
selfishness and cruelty portrayed by the ''unborn child''.Content
 
If 

If is
the advice of a father to his son about what it means “be a man”.
 
 
 
He tells his son that there are certain characteristics needed to be a man. Theseinclude; self-belief,
patience, kindness and modesty.
 
The advice is given by a series of statements each b
eginning with “if”. This is a
conditional word that shows that the poem is advice as it is not commanding.

Each statement is built up on using opposites that are paired together to build astrong knowledge or
understanding of what the father is saying.

 
Prayer Before Birth

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