Poems Of The Decade

We are studying Poems Of The Decade (newest version) for our AS levels, and I was wondering if anybody else was also. I have been asked to analyse the poem eat me by Patience Agbabi, there is absolutely nothing online and I just think it's rather a strange poem! Feel free to have a look at it, poetry is not my forte hence why I am asking for help so much.

When I hit thirty, he brought me a cake, three layers of icing, home-made, a candle for each stone in weight.

The icing was white but the letters were pink, they said, eat me. And I ate, did what I was told. Didn’t even taste it.

Then he asked me to get up and walk  round the bed so he could watch my broad  belly wobble, hips judder like a juggernaut.

The bigger the better, he’d say, I like  big girls,soft girls, girls I can burrow inside  with multiple chins, masses of cellulite.

I was his Jacuzzi. But he was my cook, my only pleasure the rush of fast food, his pleasure, to watch me swell like forbidden fruit.

His breadfruit. His desert island after shipwreck. Ora beached whale on a king-size bed craving a wave. I was a tidal wave of flesh

too fat to leave, too fat to buy a pint of full-fat milk, too fat to use fat as an emotional shield, too fat to be called chubby,cuddly, big-built.

The day I hit thirty-nine, I allowed him to stroke  my globe of a cheek. His flesh, my flesh flowed. He said, Open wide, poured olive oil down my throat.

Soon you’ll be forty… he whispered, and how  could I roll over on top. I rolled and he drowned  in my flesh. I drowned his dying sentence out.

I left him there for six hours that felt like a week. His mouth slightly open, his eyes bulging with greed. There was nothingelse left in the house to eat.

(edited 8 years ago)

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Reply 1

BestWingmanEver

Damn that's a pretty cool poem. I've noticed a couple of things in it but I didn't take English or anything for A-levels. Well she tells us in the first line she's 30 stone in weight. In the second line, it sounds like she believes there's nothing wrong with her/in denial, since she claimed she was 'just doing what she was told (the letters didn't actually read 'eat me')' aka she's not to blame for her weight problems. 'My only pleasure the rush of fast food'...I think it's a play on words, for normal people it'd be 'the rush of fast cars', whereas she says fast food cos she's a fatty. Her boyfriend or whatever is obviously feeding her up for his own pleasure, then she kills him :O That last sentence is quite disturbing..'There was nothing else left in the house to eat.' She also compares herself to a whale and whatnot, more fat references. This isn't A-level quality ofc, just my thoughts

Reply 2

username1696923

Original post by BestWingmanEver

' aka she's not to blame for her weight problems. 'My only pleasure the rush of fast food'...I think it's a play on words, for normal people it'd be 'the rush of fast cars', whereas she says fast food cos she's a fatty. Her boyfriend or whatever is obviously feeding her up for his own pleasure, then she kills him :O That last sentence is quite disturbing..'There was nothing else left in the house to eat.' She also compares herself to a whale and whatnot, more fat references. This isn't A-level quality ofc, just my thoughts

Thank you for the reply though! and yeah it is weird isn't it :smile:

Reply 3

mikasalevi

I'm also studying this poem! tbh i'm not really sure how to put all of the ideas in a concise reply here, as the way i've annotated it in my poems of the decade book is just crazy lmao. I don't mind emailing you an attached picture of my annotation?

Reply 4

skwonc

I'm studying this poem too. My notes are lacking as my class is too big (almost 30!!!) and we're all really quiet. My teacher doesn't really feed us answers and notes either so I'd be super grateful if you guys sent me some of yours. Especially since my first sixth form report is coming out and I've been predicted a B (FML!) for English because of the way I coast my studies :frown:

thanks

Reply 5

skwonc

Original post by mikasalevi

ahh would you mind sending it to me? thanks :smile:

Reply 6

username1696923

Original post by mikasalevi

That'll help! we have barely done anything on poetry :s

Reply 7

miastr

I'm also analysing this poem, I'm planning an essay on it at the moment! It's on the use of sensual/sexual language which is quite a hard topic with this poem, I'm comparing it to Vicki Feaver's 'The Gun' which is also in the anthology.

Reply 8

Theawesomejem

Hi everyone,
I am rubbish at english lit and I'm really struggling with the poetry side I need help!!! Is there anyone who's good at understanding poetry who can help or who's doing the same thing who can offer any advice? :s-smilie:

I want to cry please help me

Reply 9

ata2ud

Original post by Theawesomejem

I want to cry please help me

Hey,

I've done like 8 of the 14 poems so far, and I'm alright when it comes to poems - what do you need help with? specifics?

Reply 10

Theawesomejem

Original post by ata2ud

Hey,

I've done like 8 of the 14 poems so far, and I'm alright when it comes to poems - what do you need help with? specifics?

Omg ALL OF THEM IM SLOWLY DYING

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Reply 11

Theawesomejem

Original post by ata2ud

Hey,

I've done like 8 of the 14 poems so far, and I'm alright when it comes to poems - what do you need help with? specifics?

Any that you'll be gracious enough to help with just message me when you can. Thank you soooo much!!! The main thing is annotating the poems with appropiate terminology and what effect it has i only know a few terms and so it's hard. Also I never understand what any of the poems mean :frown:

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(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 12

Theawesomejem

Also i have very thorough annotations for Material, Inheritance, A leisure centre is also a temple of learning, An easy passage, The deliverer, To my nine year old self, effects, genetics, look we have coming to dover, fantasia on a theme of james wright, you shiva and my mum I'd be happy to swap and share any and all 😊
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Reply 13

gortz1o1

Original post by Theawesomejem

can you share some with me please??????

Reply 14

willowtheweird

please could you share your notes with me for a leisure centre is also a temple of learning? ☺️

Reply 15

Theawesomejem

Original post by willowtheweird

please could you share your notes with me for a leisure centre is also a temple of learning? ☺️

Here you go

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Reply 16

Theawesomejem

I'm happy to share my annotations but it's only fair if i get some back lol :yes:

btw they are my opinion and if you interpret it differently that's fine but please let me know if you have any improvements! Thanks everyone😊

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Reply 17

markjames98

Could you share your analysis of An Easy Passage and To My Nine Year Old Self, I'm really struggling with them and mocks on it on Monday

Reply 18

willowtheweird

I'd be happy to share my annotations too, my English folder is at school this weekend though for work scrutiny. I can post everything I have on Monday if anyone wants me to? 😊

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