Lisa+Brown


 * __The Domesticity of Giraffes By Tom and Lisa__**


 * Questions:**


 * 1.** This poem is about the uneventful everyday life of the domesticity of this giraffe (Miss Marigold). It contrasts a life in the wild compared to the zoo life which she is forced to live out. The life in which she lives leaves her to find satisfaction by //endlessly licking the wire for salt,// it also shows the mindlessness of the zoo creatures routines //she circles the pen and licks the wire. Miss Marigold// shows that the zoo classifies her as their property whereas in the wild she will be categorised as 'a giraffe'.


 * 2.** The tone of this poem is gloomy as the giraffe has been dejected from her natural habitat, examples of the tone are//she has the loneliness as smoke// and //she is a wire cripple.// These quotes express the need in which a giraffe requires their herd. Each daily routine is boring and repeated, in the wild things will change each day, this is an obvious contrast to the audience. The mood of this poem fills the reader with despair and allows them to sympathise as it is cruel to have the giraffes out of their natural homeland.


 * 3.** The poem relates to the concept of change through the use of imagery and contrast. //I see her head framed in a leafy bonnet// and '//'her hide is a paved garden of orange''//, these both compare the city life to that of the wild and how the giraffe has had to adapt to the world it has been regretfully placed into.

4. The first poetic technique which we have identified in this poem is the use of imagery. We can identify this in the third stanza, //here a wire cripple// strongly suggests that she is caged behind a wire. The term cripple refers to her being disabled behind the wire and unable to perform her natural, regular wildlife routines. The second poetic technique which we have examined is the use of constant similes which are identifiable throughout the poem. Examples are //she languorously swings her tongue like a black leather strap..// and //this shy Miss Marigold rolls out her tounge like the neck of a dying bird.//


 * 5.** The form of the poem conveys the ideas by developing through each stanza. Not only do the ideas develop throughout the poem but the poet also develops the character so we can have a deeper meaning about them by the end of the poem. This allows the reader to sympathise with the wire crippled giraffe as she continues to grow in the pen.


 * 6.** The poet has been able to use techniques and a tone of voice which lets the reader connect with the experience which is occurring throughout the poem. The use of language makes the readers want to sympathise with the giraffe as she is trapped in the zoo. The giraffes daily routine does not change which would be very boring, we can't relate to this feeling as everyday our routine changes. The text invites you in so we can follow the experiences of the giraffe including the emotion journey in which it may be experience being trapped in the zoo rather than being in the wild. It makes us think 'How would i feel if i was in the same situation?'


 * 7.** This poem puts us in a position where we must respond to the mis-treatment of animals, and we should question whether it is in their best interests to put them into a zoo. //'Her gaze has the loneliness of smoke'// this quote describes to us that she is not very happy in the position that she is in, she would probably prefer to be out in the wild with the rest of her species. It also positions the reader to realise that the majority of animals don't belong in captivity- thus describing her as a "//Wire-cripple".// The use of language here "cripple" is associated with being restricted.


 * 8.** The related text connects to the poem by showing the same ideas through a new poem. It shows the loneliness which the zoo animal is experiencing seeming as they are locked up. It explores change by showing the emotional roller coaster an animal can go through once they are captured from the wild and then placed in a zoo. It would be hard for the animals to adapt to a new environment, especially if they were captured and placed their rather than born into the zoo.


 * 9.** This poem is very similar to the Domesticity of Giraffes as they are both trying to send the message across that animal cruelty is not acceptable and taking them out of their natural environment can do extreme mental damage and result in a loss of identity. Both the poems are using the technique of sympathy to persuade the audience, hoping that the strong, significant meaning will be able to connect with the viewers


 * 10.** We believe that the poem 'The Jaguar' is more successful in demonstrating the understanding of change. This poem enters more into the deep feelings of the animals and really expresses how they feel about changing from their natural habitat to the zoo. It shows the loneliness they are feeling from being away from their own kind and how they have adapt to the new environment.

Hello lisa :)