Book Group Notes for "Dart" by Alice Oswald

Discussion points for “Dart” by Alice Oswald

1)     What did you think about the form of the poem? Did you like it/dislike it? Would you have felt differently if it had been set out in a more conventional way?

2)     What did you notice about Oswald’s use of language?

3)     How did the writing make you feel?

4)     Did the book leave you with any overriding sense of place?

5)     Does the use of multiple voices within one long poem work? Did you find it easy to follow who was speaking?

6)     How did you find the mixture of real voice and fictional voice? Did this work? Could you tell which was which? Did it matter.

7)     Did the tiny subheadings work? Would they have been better as titles?

8)     Did you have a favourite/least favourite part of the poem?

9)     What did you think of Oswald’s use of rhyme? Did you notice it? Would you have like more/less?

10) What did you think about the length of the poem?

11) There are some short passages, which can only really be described as prose – did these fit in? Could they have been more poetic? Why do you think that she left them as prose?

12) How did you feel about the religious references? Did they fit with the overall tone of the book?

Difficult/unusual words

Clitters (p11) - make a shrill creaking noise by rubbing together special bodily structures (i.e. cricket’s legs)

Hylas (p12) – son of Hercules he was kidnapped by a nymph Dryope, he fell in love with the nymphs and stayed with them.

Salamacis (p12) – a naiad – the only nymph rapist in Greek mythology (she tried to rape Hermaphroditus).

Syrinx and Ligea (p18) – Syrinx was beautiful river nymph who was pursued by Pan, the gods heard her cries for help and turned her into a reed. Ligeia – one of the three nsirens who sang to the Argonauts.

Theodore Scwenke (p20) – Theodor Schwenk – an anthropologist and pioneering water researcher – wrote the book “Sensitive Chaos”.

Slammicking  (p21) – long limbed and ungainly.

Shrammed (p21) – shrivelled or huddled up with cold.

Bivvering (p21) – shaking and trembling

Scrudging (p33) – squeezing

Proteus (last page) – an early sea god – Homer calls him “Old Man of the Sea”.

If you liked Dart you might also like:

River – Ted Hughes

The Water Table – Philip Gross

Sleepwalk on the Severn – Alice Oswald

The Thing in the Gap Stone Stile – Alice Oswald

Wood Etc. – Alice Oswald

Weeds and Wild Flowers – Alice Oswald