3rd Assignment

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Marwah Ali Ba-Sunbul
441
This poem "prayer before birth" is written by Louis MacNeiceis. It is written at the height of the Second World War. It shows the fear of the speaker from the war and describes his feeling. He ask God to help and protect him:( O hear me- console me- provide me -forgive me- rehearse- me O fill me ). Also, the speaker think about the children and how the war affect them. We see this now in Palestine and how this war kill thousands of people and children and its affect especially on children and undo them. The tone in this poem is sad.

Posts : 16 Join date : 2010-03-13

Hi there ..
this is what i hve .. it took along time with me ! maybe becaues i don't like it.. Exclamation

the pictuer that he give me makes me afried!!... umm that's what i feel when i read it every time. Idea

The speaker looks for the fears that face humanity through eyes of a child,who isn't born yet!. Drawing apicture for his/her future,and what afuture he/she will have!!.
The speaker talk like if he is a child.he show us the main thing that he fears of bloodsucking bat,rat,stoat and the club-footed.Also he mentioned another things that he fears of "with strong drugs dope me, with wise lies lure me,/
on black racks rack me, in blood-baths roll me", being afraid of participate in war in spite of him. he see the massacre as a blood-baths.
he talks about good thing he could see infront of him, a pure water , a green grass and tress, a blue clear sky .. without smudgy smog kill birds and humans, a white light as a guide for him.
As achild not born yet, he asks for forgiveness!.becaues he know what the world will make from him.He could be a killer, a human without his humanity!.he is just a child but, thats what he will be after coming to this world which full of monsters and selfishness.
This child asks to take him to the right place that he should be in.Not the war, or any other place makes him the devil himself!.

"Let them not make me a stone and let them not spill me/Otherwise kill me"
his last words are "don't turn my heart to a stone.. no feeling or beating for what the world would be like if the war draw out.

I know its so simple.. and my lines are not fair enough for his words.

=)

Posts : 6 Join date : 2010-03-06

Salam everyone..

Louis Macneice was affecteted by the second war so, he tries to exppress his feelings in the voice of unborn infant .
becous people do not usualy listen or understand adults feelings .For that he speaks in the child's voice may be it will attract other people attentions . In the poem the child prays for many things . He prays to be full of pnwer that maks him able to stand up against those who would freeze his humanity ,and they would make him a lethal automaton ,and also make him does all eviml deeds. They want him to loos his entity ,and controle him like controling a cog in a machine . So, if we can not make the world a good place for child , he dosenot want to live so we should abrat him to not come in to this world . We should make the world beeter for infant to live in.

Posts : 9 Join date : 2010-03-07

hii girls .. hi mrs.Ohoud Very Happy

I hobe all of you had a nice vacation cheers

This poem was written after the second world war. It is talking about an unborn baby who's afraid of the world around him because of the damages that happened in the second world war, he is afraid of getting out and see the world that he does not know, so he is asking for a consolation ,he asks them to give him the secure to come to the world and live in it because he is so scared of the circumstances. Also, in this poem we can see that the writer is trying to give a hint of the bad things that happens in the world like lies, drugs etc .We can also see in the poem that this unborn baby is asking for. A support from the people whom out side, and asking for forgiveness of the sins that unborn baby want to be ready for this world , he wants to be aware of everything that he may face because he is scared and not ready yet.

Posts : 5 Join date : 2010-03-26

Prayer before Birth

It is an elegy poem, that means, it is a poem of mourning. The poet lived around the year 1930 and his father was an Irish clergyman, with experiences of this period he was deeply affected by the politics of his period and by the Second World War. He wishes for a world where people respect each other and show human kindness. The poem Prayer Before Birth creates a varied rhythmic affect, this is a prayer like and it has ritualistic quality that: If the world can't be like that ‘otherwise kill me’. He would rather be aborted than be born. The poem is about an unborn child and the implied listener is: God, to whom? The mother, while the politicians were responsible for warfare.

Each stanza begins with the phrase, ‘I am not yet born’ and this repetition mirrors a ‘prayer’. Words such as ‘may tall walls wall me’ and, ‘black racks rack me’ also creates a rhythmic flow to the poem. It also gives the poem a sense of momentum, as those ‘prayer before birth’ is urgent and desperate and afraid.

The poem is filled with images of wild animals and monsters, that ‘O hear me,’ for protection from these monsters. The words ‘bloodsucking bad’ creates a harsh sound, as does the second line, which stresses that the child wishes to be kept physically safe.

As the poem moves, the fears grow wider. Fears are of ‘the human race,’ who may trap him: ‘with tall walls wall me’ and ‘with wise lies lure me.’ This could be a reference to the World Wars – MacNeice lived during the war and politicians asking people by ‘wise lies,’ leading them to ‘blood-baths.’ The child is a metaphor for the renewal of society after the horrors of the war.

The idea of the sins that the world commit while the sins were not his but through him. This is how soldiers are killing people but they are excused as they follow orders. The poem distances him from his actions: ‘my words / when they speak me, my thoughts when then think me.’

Everything turns against him; even a ‘beggar refuses my gift and my children curse me.’ It’s like the shame and isolation a soldier must feel when returning from the battle. He is much older with ‘children’ of its own.

The persona doesn’t wish to become ‘a lethal automaton’ – a great metaphor for a solider. An ‘automaton’ is a robot, and so it is literally a killing robot – emotionless and unthinking about its action, as soldiers have to be. It pleads for the courage against those who would ‘dissipate my entity’ (rob his identity, make him just another soldier) and then ‘blow me like thistledown.’ This is a metaphor for the slaughter seen in the First World War – the commanders threw soldiers ‘over the top’ to die, just to soak up the enemy’s supply of bullets, worthless cannon-fodder.

The poem ends on a very depressing not considering the persona is not even born yet: ‘Otherwise kill me.’ Life would not be worth living if the same atrocities were to happen in the future, if they turn him into ‘a stone’ (heartless and emotionless) and ‘spill’ him – waste his potential, and also having the connotations of death in spilling blood.

Posts : 5 Join date : 2010-03-10

Prayer before Birth by Louis MacNeice is a poem written at the time of the second war. The speaker in the poem a baby not yet born warred of the live he will face. In the first stanza the speaker shows that he is afraid and asks them to stop all the bloodsucking whether for people or animals. After that He talks about miserable situation; the Barriers which people mad, the destroyed and Brutal.
I am not yet born; provide me, a glimmer of Optimism, he describe the world full of live, energy and happiness with sings and dances and that what he wish live that normal life. The speaker also asks to forgive him that sins that he not yet do. Fill me, with strength to save his humanity and to against the difficult in his live. And take car of me. At the end he asks him not to make his hart like stone because of war or kill me.

Guest

Hi
A poem written by Lois MacNeice at the height of the 2nd World War. During that time, people all over the world feared it as if it was the end of life. The poet began each stanza with the same phrase " I am not yet born " that makes us expect to read about someone who is asking about the world not describing it. First of all, like any baby, he feared animals and beasts. Then , he turns to be afraid of the human race all people. Next, he asks for supplies which enables him to live . Now he is a grown up person who commits " sins " and asks for forgiveness. What happens next is that he asks to be trained so that he can do good things . The poet resembles men who acts cruelty with those who has got power and thinks themselves as Gods. He doesn't want to be close to them . Now he feels weak and wants ( strength ) to be able to face those who wants to turn him into a ( stone ) a murderer . He says he would rather be killed than killing others.
For me, I think the poet is describing the world from its beginning . First, there were only animals and beasts. Then , humans were born. They were divided into ; powerful, strong and destructive people and weak ,helpless people who need the support and help from their God. He wishes to live in a world of humanity and raise his children in peace.
To conclude , I say we live in a world where we expect War every day and we face dangerous actions from powerful nations.

Posts : 5 Join date : 2010-03-26

Hi,

This poem is about the difficult life of the poet, an Irishman, who lived during the World War and. During his time the politics of his country affected by the war. The poem ‘Prayer Before Birth’ is about the birth of a child and it was written in a form like a prayer and contains words such as ‘otherwise kill me’ wishing to disappear from this life than to be born. The poem might indicate that politicians were responsible for the war rather than normal people.

The poem has phrases such as, ‘I am not yet born’ and repeated like in ‘prayers’. Words such as ‘may tall walls wall me’ and, ‘black racks rack me’ are all like a prayer in their rhythm. Like during birth of a child the situation become critical and desperate and people feel afraid of the outcome, the death of the mother or the child.

The poem has different images of giant animals and monsters and therefore there is a need for help and for protection ‘O hear me’. The words ‘bloodsucking’ creates an image of a frightening situation.

Fears gradually grow wider in the poem . Fears of ‘the human race’ who may kill him or ‘with tall walls wall me’ and ‘with wise lies lure me.’ This can be seen as a prison and the soldiers surrounding him. The politicians mostly say ‘wise lies’ while they aim for making ‘blood-baths’. Mentioning of killing and the birth of a child were associated with wars to say that life never stop by killing people.

The idea of killing people by military men ‘a lethal automaton’ like a killing machine while they are never been blamed because they are only doing their jobs ‘my words when they speak me, my thoughts when they think me’ as it is here that he is not the one who is responsible but society is making all of this and he has no control over himself. It is like the soldier in the battle field emotionless and unthinking about his action. Soldiers in wars are usually slaughter people ‘dissipate my entity’ and ‘blow me like thistledown’ and throwing people ‘over the top’ to kill them.

This theme of this poem is a very depressing especially when it is about a new born child who thinks of ‘Otherwise kill me’ and his life worth nothing like a ‘stone’ that has no heart or feelings and when death become a precious thing to achieve.

Posts : 11 Join date : 2010-03-06

Prayer before Birth By Louis MacNeic was written at the same time of the second world war . as we know it influced in every thing at that period of time .the speaker in the poem is a child who doesn't born yet.the poem shows the fears of this child from getting out to the world.he discribe a world without any kind of mercy , love and punishment.he said that the world will not correct itself.and this child will live in world full fears and life of of treason. He lists many fears of human.that shows very clearly by using a negtive vocablary and a sad tone .the peom has effective themes .

Posts : 6 Join date : 2010-03-26

Hello,

My comment,

The second world war was a war that happen with alot of conflicts ,problems and millions of people were killed.

This poem speaks about speaker's fear of the war and what happens around him.He describes his feeling that he misses and wants water ,grass ,trees that destroy by the war.Also,he asks God to forgive and protect him.At the end, he requests who has the authority to make his life better or kill him.

Guest

[left]Salam every one
This poem ( Prayers before Birth) by Louis MacNeice is written at the height of the Second World War . As we know people from that era suffered because of this war. The speaker is an unborn baby who wants everyone hear him and stop the war. He wants humans live in peace. Also he asks God for protection and forgive people because they do mistakes. The speaker wants to send a message to people to live in peace . Also he thinks that the other generation must live in peace not war.
Muneerah Zaid Al-Kharan

Posts : 5 Join date : 2010-03-13

"Prayer before Birth" is a poem written by Louis MacNeice. In this poem the speaker express his feelings and emotions about the Second World War through an unborn child. This child is sad and afraid of a lot of things. He is afraid of the human race because he thinks that the human race is the cause of all fears and problems in the world. This child asks the God to protect him from dangerous that could hurt him. Also, he asks for forgiveness for all bad things that happened in the world. In addition, he want to live in peaceful life with full of love in clean environment.

Posts : 4 Join date : 2010-03-20

hi,girls
This poem "prayer before birth" is written by Louis MacNeiceis. Louis Macneice was born in Belfast in 1907. Maneice was educated at Marlborough College
"Prayer before birth" talk about unborn child yet and describe the feeling of children when they see the world, war and killing .
In addition, the speaker is afraid from killing, war and night and he describe
feeling about abasement. . child in the end of the poem want to die instead of live in war those people need to reassurance that find in player
’monearah al- othman
442

Posts : 5 Join date : 2010-03-12

“Prayer Before Birth “
this poem talks about the second world war. and unborn baby when he afraid from the war and blood. He want from people to hear his voice and help him. He a fried from the life ana death, He does not know what will happend in the future. the bloodsucking bat, the rat, the stoat or the
club-footed ghoul, all these things affect on his thoughts. Also the human race, strong drugs and black racks, fear from people. He asks God to forgive him from all sins that he will do in his life.

Subject: Re: 3rd Assignment Fri Apr 30, 2010 2:39 pm

Hi

"Prayer before birth” is a poem written by Louis MacNeice, a British poet. MacNeice contemporized at the period of the Second World War, which affected people. MacNeice tries to send his message to the world in voice of unborn child, involving variety of tone, imagery and metaphorical meaning.

In the first stanza, the speaker is a baby, unborn baby, expresses his fears, his tiny body shivering inside his mother`s womb from wild creatures either real ones or imaginary ones out. He actually fears of night, darkness of human sight and heart at that age. He does not feel safe when he comes to the real world. By going back to the title of the poem, it starts with the word “prayer” which shows how the baby asks for help from God, and concedes troubles to himself. In the second stanza, the speaker has another fear, he fears human race, as if he separating himself from them , from their dark drugs and controlling him by lies. In this stanza the unborn child has a negative image of human beings. Then, the speaker turns into begging when the baby calls for a neat globe, where the sky keeps its fantastic blue color ,birds are there flying and singing and the purity leads him to the right, all the beauty of life started to disappear. The child asks for forgiveness for all the sins that the world is going to make him commit in the future: bad words or wrong thoughts. In a negative image the child asks to be guided into the part he taken in this life so that he is able to perform his role correctly, and that he be given all the right lessons on how to react when important people lecture him or laugh at him. In the following stanza, a plea is made that the person who’s causing this war thinking of himself as god, while he is the devil, I think the speaker means (Adolph Hitler Twisted Evil

), may not be allowed to come near him. In another begging tone, another plea, the speaker asks God to give him power and courage to stand against those whom would kill his sense of human, make him as a robot, a senseless soldier. Here a metaphor, he describes life as a wild plant with prickles, that hurts everyone touches or even comes near. That wild plant by its force will send him out in random directions, unorganized ways. He describes himself as some water holding in hands with no container, which at any moment would spill at any place. This stanza has a clear view of the way of life at that age, which it was chaos time. In the last stanza the speaker finds out, in a disappointed tone, the best solution to keep him as he wants himself to be. He prefers not to become a robot doing what they command; he wants to know where to go what to do as a real person, so he comes off to this: as soon as he comes to this devil life kills him directly. With this, he can keep his purity, his feelings not to be controlled, and leave with no sins.

MacNeice uses much imagery in this poem. At the beginning he mentioned “ bat , rat, stoat, blood sucking” these creatures come out at night which means the dark of life it was, people killed each other, spilled their blood everywhere. Also, the poet says” white light” which refers to the purity they lost.
Additionally, MacNeice uses repetition to convey his feeling how hateful life. He repets “ I am not yet born” to show the innocence of the child coming to a devilish world.

MacNeice uses unusual, irregular structure of his poem. The different legth between lines mirrors the chaos of the world.

These fears we see in this life again as Ruba & Abeer mentioned before. Most of the countries face these harsh feelings. Hope peace for them.

I read that the thistle is the national emblem of Scotland study

.

Posts : 4 Join date : 2010-03-15

'Prayer Befor Birth' is apoem written by Louis MacNeice. This poem carries alot of wars meaning. Because it is written at the hieght of the Second World War. Throygh the poem,the poet imagines feelings and imotions of unborn child who lives in his mothers bowels in peace and safety and then he comes out to world which full of destruction and inequality. This child during his prayer trys to remove all sins from his life and bask in guiltless childhood.

Posts : 9 Join date : 2010-03-09 Age : 33 Location : R!Y@dH

This poem Prayer before Birth written by : Louis MacNeice in the 20 century during the world war II , and one of his characteristics is pessimistic.
We know that he lived during the world war and this affected him its obviously seen in his poetry .
this poem is a clear example of his fear , in the first stanza he sayed that he is unborn baby ,he still insid his mother he doesn't want to come to the world in this circumstances and he asks god to protect him from many kind of dangerous
"Let not the bloodsucking bat or the rat or the stoat or the
club-footed ghou."
He refers to evil people who commit bad deeds to the humanity . wars, murder and drugs

" With water to dandle me, grass to grow for me, trees to talk
to me, sky to sing to me, birds and a white light
in the back of my mind to guide me. "

He asks god to forgive their sins ." I am not yet born; forgive me
For the sins that in me the world shall commit", my words

he hops the new generation to be pure and safe and every one live in peace .
The unborn baby prefers to die instead of being a part of this ugly world,
Let them not make me a stone and let them not spill me.
Otherwise kill me
This is the general idea of the poem

Posts : 3 Join date : 2010-05-01

"Prayer before birth” is a poem written by Louis MacNeice. He starts off by asking God to protect him from various dangerous animals that could harm him such as blood sucking bats and land rats. The poet uses vivid language through the child's fears through words such as hear me and not come near me which also rhyme. Moreover, the poet tries to emphasize the unborn fears through metaphors such as human race may with tall walls wall me, being afraid of being taken control by other people who use wise lies to make believe something that is not true .The tone of fear despair and sadness.

Guest

Hi teacher really I feel sorry but I have problem with my conect , I hope you accept my comment :$ en sha allah.
'Prayer Befor Birth' is apoem written by Louis MacNeice . He is talking about the second war and his emotions and feeling about it . he is afraid from night and animal on night . the speaker is a baby not born yet who afraid from life and what he will face on it .
He asking God to protect him from dangerus humanity .and the unborn baby know thant he will born is time no one care about other and the people will kill each other .he watches around him to the water, sky, trees, grass, birds and all natural aspects around him which guides him to the life. wants to send a message to people to live in peace . the tone is afraid and sad.

Posts : 4 Join date : 2010-03-25

This poem ( prayer before birth ) was written by Louis MacNeice . He imagine he is a child at birth. He fear to see the blood around his . He is very sad . He ask God to prodect his . He remember all thinks that are beautiful such as water , grass, trees, birds, and a white light. However, He see every things frown at his and hate his . He ask God to forgive his . If he live with a Dangerous, he prefers die to live.

Admin Posts : 131 Join date : 2009-09-10

Hello Najla, Lulu and Anfal,

I'm sorry but you have exceeded the deadline given for this assignment. It was open for three weeks which means you do not have an excuse. Make up for it by doing assignments 4 and 5.

Regards,

Posts : 4 Join date : 2010-03-14

stanza1:
The first fear refers to all the frightening things of the night, both real and imaginary,

Stanza 2:

Next is the fear of being closed in by lies and persuasion, being led by drugs, tortured both mentally and physically, and being made to participate in warfare and other massacres,

Stanza 3:

The poet makes a plea for the good things of life which today are fast disappearing: clean water, love, forests, birds and purity (white light) as a guide,

Stanza 4:

The child asks for forgiveness for all the sins that the world is going to make him commit in the future:

his wrong words his evil thoughts those times when he is led to commit treason the times when he will be forced to kill other people ultimately for his own death of spirit because he has been forced to give into these social pressures,

Stanza 5:

The child asks to be guided into the part he must act in this dramatic performance of life so that he is able to perform his role correctly, and that he be given all the right clues on how to react when important people lecture him or laugh at him,

Note the metaphor of the stage. Note too the extended personification: mountains frowning, deserts calling, etc,

Stanza 6:

A plea is made that tyrants and autocrats (like Adolph Hitler) may not be allowed to come near him,

Stanza 7:

He asks for the strength not to become a killing machine (ethal automaton") or just a part in a machine (cog in a machine)

he pleads that he be not allowed to become inhuman (a thing) or something that is completely at the mercy of others (blow me like thistledown hither and thither) or spilt as if he were just water,

Stanza 8:

His final plea is that his heart may not turn to stone, or his life be wasted.

Failing that, he would rather be aborted right away, cheers

Admin Posts : 131 Join date : 2009-09-10

Hello Azhar,

You probably did not read the post above yours but the deadline for this assignment was 2 weeks ago. I'm sorry I cannot accept it. Anyway, you still have 1 week 2 do the 4th assignment.

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