Cockroach

Question	Answer
Structure	It is a sonnet, the change of rhyme scheme from ABAB could show a sudden realization
I watched a giant cockroach start to pace, Skirting a ball of dust that road the floor.	Hyperbole of giant, could be a metaphor of how things can be avoided but build up, dust ball is a symbol for this
At first he seemed quite satisfied to trace A path between the wainscot and the door,	Personification of the cockroach, could be a symbol for a journey through life
But soon he turned to jog in crooked rings, Circling the rusty table leg and back,	Continued personification encoding the theme of life. Could show how we become in-patient with the boredom of life
And flipping right over to scratch his wings- As if the victim of a mild attack	cacophony of back and attack showing tension and violence. Enjambment builds tension
Of restlessness that worsened over time. After a while, he climbed an open shelf	This is where the rhyme scheme changes indicating realization. Metaphor for the drive to accomplish something huge, like a mid-life crises. The diction used is very aggressive and violent
And stopped. He looked uncertain where to go. Was this due payment for some vicious crime	Caesura shows shock maybe. There is also a Buddhist allusion, could be symbol of what to do once you've reached the top
A former life had led to? I don’t know Except I thought I recognised myself	Caesura again, showing the break down of the poems structure. the repetition of I brings the focus back to the author

Resource summary

	Created by Reuben Veysey-Smith about 9 years ago