Can I have a detailed analysis of Jennings's poems "Poem in Winter" and "Fishermen" in terms of language/structure/tone/ imagery/symbols?
Jennings's 15-line poem "Poem in Winter" uses winter snow as a symbol to stand for the simple hopes of children as they look for "auguries." Using simple language, she compares their hopes to adult hopes, as adults wait "behind a pane of glass." The pane is a metaphor representing the way in which adults protect themselves from the world. She also uses alliteration in lines such as "falling of flakes" to create a lyrical tone. The image of children waiting for the snow to fall evokes the idea that children are ready to experience the world in a way adults are not, as they hide behind glass.
Jennings's "Fishermen" is also simple in its language and also evokes a tone of peace and patience. In this poem of three stanzas (the first composed of seven lines and the second two composed of six lines), fishermen sit patiently by the river and exult in the uncertainty of their catch, not caring if they catch a fish or not. The fishermen are compared to boys who have no patience and often draw up empty nets. The poem uses a number of images, including that of the fish once they are caught, "so solid and on the bank and still." This line uses alliteration, or the repetition of the initial sounds of words, to create a lyrical and peaceful feel ("future frogs" in the third stanza is also an example of alliteration).The poem also uses a metaphor in which the fish are compared to "inquiries in the river." While swimming around, the fish represent promises and questions that are not yet answered.