Pearson Edexcel · A-Level · English Literature
Course version: 9ET0 · Version from Sept 2015
Poetry – Section A: Post-2000 Poetry – Poems of the Decade: An Anthology…
Full specification wording
Component 3: Poetry – Section A: Post-2000 Poetry – Poems of the Decade: An Anthology of the Forward Books of Poetry 2002–2011: The Gun Vicki Feaver
Vicki Feaver’s ‘The Gun’ explores the transformative and corrupting influence of violence when a firearm is introduced into a domestic space.
Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 9ET0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 10 of 20
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Vicki Feaver’s ‘The Gun’ explores the transformative and corrupting influence of violence when a firearm is introduced into a domestic space. The poem traces a shift from initial apprehension to a disturbing fascination with the primal power the gun brings. Feaver employs visceral, sensory imagery and stark juxtaposition to contrast the sterile domesticity of the house with the raw, bloody reality of hunting. The use of enjambment and irregular stanza lengths mirrors the unpredictable, disruptive nature of the weapon. Ultimately, the poem examines the intoxicating, almost sexual thrill of destruction, culminating in the chilling personification of the ‘King of Death’, suggesting that proximity to mortality paradoxically heightens the characters' sense of being alive.
What earns the marks
- Analyse the use of stark, declarative opening lines to establish the disruptive presence of the gun.
- Evaluate the juxtaposition of domestic imagery with visceral, violent language such as 'entrails' and 'blood'.
- Explore the psychological shift in the speaker, moving from detachment to complicity in the violence.
- Examine the personification of the 'King of Death' and its connection to primal, life-affirming energy.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Assuming the poem is purely an anti-gun protest.
Put it right: Recognise the nuanced exploration of the intoxicating allure and power the gun provides.
Ignoring the gender dynamics.
Put it right: Analyse how the gun alters traditional masculine and feminine roles within the household.
Overlooking the structural shifts.
Put it right: Discuss how the changing stanza lengths reflect the escalating tension and disruption caused by the gun.
Exam tips
- Compare the intrusion of the wild into the domestic sphere in 'The Gun' with similar themes in other anthology poems.
- Focus on the sensory language in the final stanzas to demonstrate how death paradoxically brings the household 'alive'.
- Use specific terminology like 'enjambment' and 'caesura' to explain how the poem's pacing mimics the suddenness of a gunshot.
Try the lesson
The start of the Component 3: Poetry – Section A: Post-2000 Poetry – Poems of the Decade: An Anthology of the Forward Books of Poetry 2002–2011: The Gun Vicki Feaver lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
In Vicki Feaver's poem 'The Gun', how is the initial arrival of the weapon into the domestic space described?
Listen
Vicki Feaver’s ‘The Gun’ explores the transformative and corrupting influence of violence when a firearm is introduced into a domestic space. The poem traces a shift from initial apprehension to a disturbing fascination with the primal power the gun brings. Feaver employs visceral, sensory imagery and stark juxtaposition to contrast the sterile domesticity of the house with the raw, bloody reality of hunting. The use of enjambment and irregular stanza lengths mirrors the unpredictable, disruptive nature of the weapon. Ultimately, the poem examines the intoxicating, almost sexual thrill of destruction, culminating in the chilling personification of the ‘King of Death’, suggesting that proximity to mortality paradoxically heightens the characters' sense of being alive. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Analyse the use of stark, declarative opening lines to establish the disruptive presence of the gun. Evaluate the juxtaposition of domestic imagery with visceral, violent language such as 'entrails' and 'blood'. Explore the psychological shift in the speaker, moving from detachment to complicity in the violence. Examine the personification of the 'King of Death' and its connection to primal, life-affirming energy. A common slip: Assuming the poem is purely an anti-gun protest. Instead, recognise the nuanced exploration of the intoxicating allure and power the gun provides. Exam tip: Compare the intrusion of the wild into the domestic sphere in 'The Gun' with similar themes in other anthology poems.
Key words
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Power and control
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The natural world vs domesticity
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Violence and death
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Gender and sexuality
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See every definition
- Power and control
- The transformative and corrupting influence of violence when a firearm is introduced into a domestic space, and the disturbing fascination with the primal power it brings.
- The natural world vs domesticity
- The stark juxtaposition contrasting the sterile domesticity of the house with the raw, bloody reality of hunting.
- Violence and death
- The intoxicating, almost sexual thrill of destruction, culminating in the personification of the 'King of Death'.
- Gender and sexuality
- How the gun alters traditional masculine and feminine roles within the household, alongside the almost sexual thrill of destruction.
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