The poem is written in heroic couplets, which usually use a masculine rhyme, emphasising the dramatic nature of the monologue and making a series of logically progressing statements and ideas. The second couplet sets the tone of the poem by creating imagery of a scene of destruction through the use of the adjective ‘levelled’, drawing on connotations the responder may have - such as destruction, conflict, equality, annihilation and slaughter. In the fourth couplet, emphasis is placed upon the word ‘alone’ due to the use of an emdash as a caesura. This highlights the persona’s attitude and mental state further, the next line using the idea of him speaking ‘within (his) heart’ to develop significance in relation to his feelings of isolation. The process of his discovery is then indicated as reaching another stage, as the sixth couplet begins with the word ‘but’. This couplet signals a discovery being brought on by a sense of wonder. This is catalysed by the butterfly, a symbol of transformative change, joy and movement to the next phase of being. The ninth couplet repeats the phrase ‘and then’ to suggest the butterfly’s persistence, the use of ‘tremulous’ bringing forth feelings of
The poem is written in heroic couplets, which usually use a masculine rhyme, emphasising the dramatic nature of the monologue and making a series of logically progressing statements and ideas. The second couplet sets the tone of the poem by creating imagery of a scene of destruction through the use of the adjective ‘levelled’, drawing on connotations the responder may have - such as destruction, conflict, equality, annihilation and slaughter. In the fourth couplet, emphasis is placed upon the word ‘alone’ due to the use of an emdash as a caesura. This highlights the persona’s attitude and mental state further, the next line using the idea of him speaking ‘within (his) heart’ to develop significance in relation to his feelings of isolation. The process of his discovery is then indicated as reaching another stage, as the sixth couplet begins with the word ‘but’. This couplet signals a discovery being brought on by a sense of wonder. This is catalysed by the butterfly, a symbol of transformative change, joy and movement to the next phase of being. The ninth couplet repeats the phrase ‘and then’ to suggest the butterfly’s persistence, the use of ‘tremulous’ bringing forth feelings of