Question

Collocation is the co-occurrence possibilities of words. Cup and saucer, chair and table are acceptable collocations. But poets use marked collocations. Poets take liberties and use unusual collocations for effect. ‘Clinic heart’ (line 15) is an example of this. The poet uses it to describe the emotionless state of the heart.

In the table below are listed a few more instances of such collocations in the poem. Write down the effect of each in the space provided. Write the effect this has on the poem.

Marked collocation	Effect
laced fingers
shrunken sense
frosted flowers

Answer 1

Marked collocation	Effect
laced fingers	Suggests the lovers’ close, intimate connection; their loosening makes the separation physically vivid.
shrunken sense	Conveys how grief and shock have dulled the speaker’s senses, leaving them unable to hold on to the experience.
frosted flowers	Combines beauty with coldness and lifelessness, suggesting that warmth and tenderness in the relationship are fading.