Read the following poem, and answer the question that follow (96-100)
‘This was Mr bleaney’s room he stayed
The whole time he was at the bodies, till
They moved him, ‘flowered curtains, thin and frayed,
Fall to within five inches of the sill.
Whose window shows a strip of building land,
Tussocky littered. ‘Mr bleaney’s took
My bit of garden properly in hand.’
Bed, upright chair, sixty-watt bulb, no book
Behind the door, no room for books or bags—
‘I’ll take it. ‘So it happens that I lie
Where Mr bleaney lay, and stub my fags
On the same saucer-souvenir, and try
Stuffing my ears with cotton, wool, to drown
The jabbering set he egged her on yo buy,
I know his habits——what time he came down’
His preference for sauce to gravy, why
He kept on plugging at the four aways__
Likewise their yearly frame: the Frinton folk
Who put him up for summer holidays
And Christmas at his sister’s house in stoke
But if he stood and watched the frigid wind
Tousling the clouds, lay on the fusty bed
Telling himself that this was home, and grinned,
And shivered, without shaking off the dread
That how we live measures our own nature,
And at his age having no more to show
Than one hired box should make him pretty sure
He warranted no better, I don’t know.
Philip Larkin
The poem, ‘Mr bleaney’, is written in a ______form.
Correct Answer :
Dramatic
Solution :
The correct option is Dramatic.
Step-by-step Explanation:
1. Understanding the Dramatic Form in Poetry:
A poem is said to be in a dramatic form when it establishes a specific scene, utilizes a distinct speaker or persona, and unfolds a scenario that reveals character or psychological depth through situational details, similar to a theatrical monologue or play.
2. Analyzing the Poem's Setup:
In "Mr Bleaney," the speaker is placed directly in a concrete, dramatic situation: he is taking over a small, rented room formerly occupied by a man named Mr. Bleaney. The poem begins with direct speech ("This was Mr Bleaney's room...") and immediately sets the scene with vivid, physical props like the "flowered curtains, thin and frayed" and the "sixty-watt bulb."
3. The Dramatic Development:
The speaker acts out a routine, physically stepping into the life of the previous tenant by lying where Bleaney lay and stubbing cigarettes on the same saucer. The poem operates as a dramatic monologue where the speaker narrates his habits and gradually shifts from examining Bleaney's life to confronting his own existential dread.
4. The Psychological Climax:
The drama culminates in the final stanzas, where the speaker wonders if Bleaney faced the same paralyzing fear that one's living space measures one's worth. This projection of self-analysis onto the absent character of Mr. Bleaney creates a powerful dramatic irony, making the poem a classic example of a modern dramatic poem.
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