Uncertainty in the Poem 'but These Things Also' by Edward Thomas

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‘Spring’s here, Winter’s not gone’ – Discuss ways in whichThomas presents uncertainty in ‘But these things also’ Uncertainty is a a huge theme that runs throughout the entirity of Thomas’ poetry, particularly in the poem ‘But these things also’. He does this by using a variaty of techniques suchas his choice of imagery, language and also the lack of rhyme. Thomas used this lack of a rhyme scheme to show the reader that he felt poetry shouldn’t be twisted to fit a certain mould. Thomas often used nature as a topic for his poems, because as a poet he felt he could relate to the uncertainty of it, and this becomes clear to the reader within ‘But these things also’. Immediately as a reader we are thrown into the theme of uncertainty due to the ambigious title. The word ‘But’ for the start of a poems title gives the reader the idea of Thomas being halfway through a sentance, and therefore they feel as if they have missed something so they do not have a full understanding. The word ‘these’ tells the reader nothing about the poem because it doesn’t refer to anything in particular therefore giving the reader a sense of uncetainty as they had no idea of what they are about to be thrown into by reading this poem. The fact that Thomas has chosen to start the poem with the title is also a clever way of introducing the theme of uncertainty , because even though he is repeating the line, as a reader we still do not have an understanding of this poem. Thomas also uses a wide variety of imagery in order to inflict the theme of uncertainty upon the

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