Now Let No Charitable Hope

Orla's English Literature GCSE Poetry Analysis

Poem & Question

Now Let No Charitable Hope (Elinor Morton Wylie)

Now let no charitable hope
Confuse my mind with images Of eagle and of antelope:
I am by nature none of these.
I was, being human, born alone;
I am, being woman, hard beset;
I live by squeezing from a stone
What little nourishment I get.
In masks outrageous and austere
The years go by in single file;
But none has merited my fear, And none has quite escaped my smile.

In what ways does Wylie use words and images to striking effect in this poem?

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Orla's Answer

Wylie’s poem ‘Now Let No Charitable Hope’ comments on resilience and stoicism in the face of hardship. Wylie uses rhyme and imagery to create a striking impression on the reader.

Alternate rhyme is used within the four-line stanzas, apart from the first stanza which uses an ABAC rhyming scheme. This subverts the expectations of the reader, which is used to punctuate Wylie’s point and make it stand out within the stanza. This creates a striking effect and immediately captures the reader’s attention.

Metaphor is used in the second stanza when the speaker says she lives ‘by squeezing from a stone’. The stark imagery of this seemingly futile task strikingly conveys to the reader the hardship the speaker endures to survive. This is contrasted in the third stanza when the speaker says no years have ‘merited my fear’ or ‘escaped my smile’. This speaks to the resilience of the speaker and the importance of stoicism – despite her hardship, the speaker remains resolute and content. Wylie’s language and imagery strikingly convey this point to the reader throughout the poem.

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The response mentions the rhyming scheme and provides a specific reference to the metaphor used in the second stanza. It identifies the structure but would benefit from more direct quotes to exemplify the "striking impression" the poem makes. 

The analysis picks up on the themes of resilience and stoicism and interprets the metaphor of squeezing sustenance from a stone as a depiction of hardship. The mention of the speaker's enduring smile despite challenges demonstrates an understanding of the poem's deeper meanings. 

The answer discusses the poem’s alternate rhyming scheme and how the subversion in the first stanza contributes to the poem's overall impact. However, to achieve a higher score in this category, further exploration of the language, rhythm, and other poetic devices in addition to the rhyme would be beneficial. 

The answer suggests that Wylie’s use of language and imagery successfully conveys the speaker's resilience, hinting at a personal engagement with the text. To reach the top band, the response might include a more in-depth personal reflection on how the poem resonates with the reader emotionally. 

The response is insightful and shows a good understanding of the poem's themes and structure but stops short of offering a deeply personal reflection or a comprehensive textual analysis that includes varied literary devices. The answer would likely be placed in Band 6, with a score in the range of 17-20 out of 25. It captures key elements of the poem but could be enhanced by more detailed references and a richer personal engagement with the text.