1. THE HANGMAN
Now that you understand what is literally happening in the poem, it is important to fully annotate the poem for literary devices and stylistic techniques. These will help guide you to the poem’s theme.
Devices you will find in the poem are
Connotation
Imagery
Irony
Metaphor
Synecdoche
Personification
Simile

2. Connotation
Keeping in mind that connotation is the emotional attachment to or implied meaning of a word. What words or phrases in stanza 4 stand out to you?
“And innocent though we were with dread, we passed those eyes of buckshot lead. Till one cried,
“Hangman, who is he, for whom you raised the gallows tree?”

3. When analyzing a poem, it is important that you look up the definitions of words with which you’re unfamiliar. What is buckshot lead? You won’t understand the connotation of the word until you know the denotation (the literal or dictionary meaning)
Denotation of Buckshot: Buckshot is used for hunting larger game, such as deer.
Consider why the speaker would use this hunting term to describe the hangman’s eyes. What is the connotation of “buckshot”?

4. Describing the hangman’s eyes as “buckshot lead” creates a violent depiction of the hangman, even though at this point he has not enacted any violence at all. Attaching this phrase to his physical appearance creates a sense of foreboding in the reader and leads the reader to associate hunting with the hangman.
“And innocent though we were with dread, we passed those eyes of buckshot lead. Till one cried, “Hangman, who is he, for whom you raised the gallows-tree?”
Connotation: violent, hunter, foreboding
Now your turn, I want you to find a few examples, in your group each person work on one section of the poem and then share your connotations.

5. Imagery
Imagery appeals to all five of the senses – not just sight.
Stanza 1
Into our town the hangman came, smelling of gold and blood and flame. He paced our bricks with a different air, and built his frame on the courthouse square.
What line in this stanza appeals to your senses?

6. This example of imagery appeals to the reader’s sense of smell
This example of imagery appeals to the reader’s sense of smell. The strong descriptors allow the reader to smell the hangman (however unpleasant that may be).
In this case, it’s important to consider why the speaker uses these adjectives to describe the hangman.
While blood and flame suggest violence once again gold implies that the hangman is greedy.
“Into our town the hangman came. Smelling of gold and blood and flame.
Now your turn

7. Irony
There are three types of irony: dramatic, situation, and verbal. In “The Hangman,” verbal irony is used to characterize the hangman. Verbal irony occurs when what is said is opposite (or different from) what is meant.
Stanza 11. What is ironic here?
He laughed a laugh as he looked at us,
“Do you think I’ve gone to all this fuss,
To hang one man? That’s the thing I do
To stretch the rope when the rope is new.”

8. Since the hangman sarcastically responds to the townspeople with this quip, you must consider his purpose for taunting them in this way.
Why do you think the hangman says this?
He laughed a laugh as he looked at us,
“Do you think I’ve gone to all this fuss,
To hang one man? That’s the thing I do
To stretch the rope when the rope is new.”

9. The example here further enhances the cruelty of the hangman
The example here further enhances the cruelty of the hangman. He taunts the townspeople, seemingly uncaring of the many killings he has already committed in the poem.
He laughed a laugh as he looked at us,
“Do you think I’ve gone to all this fuss,
To hang one man? That’s the thing I do
To stretch the rope when the rope is new.”
Now your turn : what other examples can you find?

10. Metaphor
Metaphors are used to make comparisons between subjects in order to help the reader understand an unknown subject by way of a subject they know.
Stanza 12. What is being compared?
Above our silence a voice cried “Shame!”
And into our midst the hangman came;
To that man’s place, “Do you hold,” said he,
“with him that was meat for the gallows-Trees?”

11. Several times in the poem, the speaker refers to the gallows as a tree
Several times in the poem, the speaker refers to the gallows as a tree. In order to fully understand the significance of this metaphor, consider the nature of a tree. What do you think of when you think of a tree?
Trees are symbolic of growth, and this is no different in “The Hangman.” However, in our poem, the gallows’ growth becomes a perversion of what is normally a positive symbol.
Notice how the metaphor develops in stanza 14
That night we saw with dread surprise
The hangman’s scaffold had grown in size.
Fed by the blood beneath the chute,
The gallows-tree had taken root. – your turn

12. Synecdoche
Synecdoche is the literary device in which a part characterizes the whole. (Like when you say “the crown” in reference to a king. A crown is only a part of the whole king.)
Stanza 13
He laid his hand on that one’s arm
And we shrank back in quick alarm.
We gave him way, and no one spoke,
Out of fear of the hangman’s cloak.

13. Synecdoche
In this instance, the speaker refers to the whole hangman by only one part of him – his cloak. Other than to complete his rhyme scheme, why do you think the speaker does this?
He laid his hand on that one’s arm
and we shrank back in quick alarm.
We gave him way, and no one spoke,
Out of fear of the hangman’s cloak.
Your turn

14. Other devices
With your group, spend a few minutes looking at any other devices you see (like repetition, personification or simile)
Keep in mind that finding examples is the easy part - your job is to examine how the devices develop the meaning of the poem!

15. Take a look at stanzas 4 and 14. What tone is exhibited here?
Attitude
Now that we’ve looked at the author’s use of literary devices in the poem, it’s time to consider the speaker’s tone. What is his attitude toward the subject?
Take a look at stanzas 4 and 14. What tone is exhibited here?
And innocent though we were with dread, we passed those eyes of buckshot lead. Till one cried, “Hangman, who is he, for whom you raised the gallows-tree?”
That night we saw with dread surprise
the hangman’s scaffold had grown in size. Fed by the blood beneath the chute, the gallows-tree had taken root.

16. Several times throughout the poem, the speaker references “dread” and other words developing his sense of cowardly fear toward the hangman and his actions.
What other words or phrases develop the cowardly fearful tone in the poem?
And innocent though we were with dread,
we passed those eyes of buckshot lead.
Till one cried, “Hangman, who is he,
for whom you raised the gallows-tree?”
That night we saw with dread surprise
the hangman’s scaffold had grown in size.
Fed by the blood beneath the chute,
the gallows-tree had taken root.

17. Shift
Shifts or transitions in the poem include shifts in subject, attitude, mood, point of view, speaker, rhythm, or motif.
Santza 20 to 23 Read
Consider the description of the gallows in the first two stanzas. The speaker evokes violence in the descriptions of the gallows in the fast, frenzied pace of his syntax.
And so we ceased and asked no more
As the hangman tallied his bloody score……
The gallows grew to monstrous height.

18. Do you see any other shifts in the poem?
They do not have to be shifts in attitude. You might also see changes in subject, mood, point of view, speaker, rhythm or motif.
Mark and label them on your copy.
Lastly revisit the title.
Does the meaning of the title change?
Can you apply the title to the poem?
Do you think there is a better title? If so, why?

19. Theme
The purpose of analysis, of picking out the minutia in any literary piece, is to discover what the author is trying to tell us with his writing. What is his message? What can we learn from the poem?
In your groups discuss the question.
1. what is the overall theme of “The Hangman”?