Refrains of Cruelty: A Stylistic Analysis of Raymond Antrobus’ Poem Heartless Humour Blues

Abstract

This essay presents a stylistic analysis of Raymond Antrobus’s poem “Heartless Humour Blues”. Through the close examination of form, sound, imagery, tone, themes, stylistic devices, pragmatics, and discourse, the essay shows that Antrobus’ use of repetition of the refrain “heartless sense of humour” speaks about cycles of trauma, cruelty, and generational inheritance. Antrobus’s refrain becomes a curse, uniting family members in the patterns of neglect and abuse. It also shows how discourse patterns and pragmatic speech acts transform laughter into a weapon of cruelty and avoidance. In addition, the final analytical line alienates the narrative cycle with straight hostility. Ultimately, the essay argues that Antrobus subverts traditional villanelle repetition to expose the entrapment of trauma, making language itself the carrier of generational pain.