The author, Vernon Scannell, was
famous for his war poetry, as he had
fought in World War Two. His
poems also brush over his past,
such as this one, Nettles.
About
The poem is about one of Scannell's
six children, who had fallen into some
nettles and seeked comfort from his
parents. Making sure his son was
alright, the speaker in the poem talks
about destroying them, getting rid of
this harmful thing, however it would
just return after "two weeks".
Techniques
1) The poem alternatively rhymes and
is within one stanza, and what with the
poem being a narrative account, an
experience encountered by the
speaker of the poem, it is no wonder
that it only consists of one stanza.
Short enough to describe the tension
of the young boy, experiencing the
pain of the nettles.
2) The nettles are described as being "regiment of spite"
which is the opposing force, and are described using the
metaphor 'spears'. In the first three lines, the nettles are
described as aggresive and harmful, which are soldiers that
the speaker needs to protect his child from, relating to his past
war experiences.
3) Emotive language is used to present the child,
"White blisters beaded on his tender skin" - his
skin is described as tender, giving the reader a
feeling of sorrow at the child's innocence. The
alliteration on the letter 'b' emphasises the blister
which had inflicted upon the child's skin, making
the reader feel sympathy for the child and also
shows the amount of care and love the father has
for this boy, because of what pain he is going
through.