Literature in English (0475) | Elizabeth Jennings, ‘The Enemies’

IGCSE Literature (0475): Elizabeth Jennings, ‘The Enemies’ Study Notes

Hello and Welcome to Your Poetry Guide!

This chapter focuses on Elizabeth Jennings’s thoughtful and slightly unsettling poem, ‘The Enemies’. This poem is excellent for studying how a writer uses simple language to explore deep, complex feelings of anxiety and fear. Don’t worry if the meaning isn’t immediately clear—Jennings is discussing a feeling that many people have, but which is hard to explain: the fear of things that might not even be real.

Our goal is to understand not just what the poem says (the content), but how Jennings makes us feel this anxiety using specific poetic methods (language and structure).

1. Context and Overview (AO2)

Who is Elizabeth Jennings?

Elizabeth Jennings (1926–2001) was a highly respected English poet. Her work is famous for its clarity, emotional honesty, and focus on inner life. She often wrote about religion, love, and, most relevantly here, psychological themes like isolation and anxiety.

What is ‘The Enemies’ about?

At first glance, the poem appears to be about a group of people ("we") who are being watched and attacked by mysterious adversaries ("they"). However, the central idea is that these "enemies" are more likely internal fears and anxieties, rather than actual, physical people.

The poem explores the psychological burden of constantly feeling threatened, even when there is no tangible threat.

2. Step-by-Step Summary and Analysis (AO1 & AO2)

The poem uses four stanzas (quatrains), each focusing on a different aspect of the speakers' fear.

Stanza 1: Defining the Invisible Threat

• Content: The speaker establishes the identity of "we" (the fearful) and "they" (the enemies). "They" are defined by their ability to wait and watch, and crucially, they are unseen ("They do not make their presence known").
• Key Idea: The fear is generated by absence and suspicion. Because we cannot see the enemies, we imagine them everywhere, turning silence into a terrifying wait.
• Quotation Focus (AO1): "They only wait, they watch, they listen, / And never in the open, but in disguise." The use of verbs emphasizes the enemies' stealth and calculating nature.

Stanza 2: The Physical Effect of Fear

• Content: The abstract fear now affects the physical world and the body. The speakers are constantly checking their surroundings, finding their senses heightened and twisted by paranoia.
• Key Idea: Fear causes paralysis and isolation. The speakers cannot trust anything or anyone ("Whom we might trust or who could be their friend"). This uncertainty stops them from acting normally.
• Analogy: Imagine feeling stage fright before a performance. Even if no one is booing, the overwhelming fear makes your palms sweat and your heart race. This is the body reacting to a purely psychological threat.

Stanza 3: The Threat Becomes Personal

• Content: The focus shifts to how the enemies attack the speakers' innermost sense of self, attacking their "best selves." The attack is silent and invisible, but deeply damaging.
• Key Idea: The "enemies" are critics of our deepest desires and weaknesses. They don't throw bombs; they attack our integrity and confidence. If they are internal, this means we are our own worst critics.
• Crucial Line: "The words we speak they twist them to their sense." This highlights how the enemies corrupt even harmless communication—a clear sign of deep paranoia.

Stanza 4: The Need for Defence and Endurance

• Content: The poem concludes with the realisation that since the enemies cannot be defeated conventionally, the speakers must simply endure, holding onto their true selves.
• Key Idea: The only defence against unseen, psychological attacks is inner resolve and authenticity. We must hold onto what we know is true, even when fear tries to break it down.
• Key Takeaway: The poem ends not with victory, but with a plea for resilience and patience.

3. Analyzing the Writer’s Methods (AO3)

Jennings uses careful structure, specific rhythm, and sharp imagery to make the feeling of anxiety palpable.

A. Structure and Form

• Form: The poem is written in four quatrains (four-line stanzas).
• Rhythm and Metre: Jennings often uses a steady, controlled metre (like iambic tetrameter). Why? The strict, regular structure contrasts sharply with the frantic, paranoid emotions being described. This contrast suggests the speaker is trying to impose order or control over their chaotic, fearful feelings.
• Rhyme Scheme: A regular ABAB or ABCB rhyme scheme (depending on the stanza) contributes to the sense of control, predictability, and perhaps even the monotonous, inescapable nature of the fear.

B. Language and Imagery

1. Pronouns and Division

The most striking linguistic feature is the clear division between "we" and "they."

• "We": Represents the speaker and those who share the fear—the vulnerable, isolated group.
• "They": Represents the unseen enemies. This pronoun immediately creates an atmosphere of alienation and suspicion. By avoiding specific names, Jennings keeps the threat vague and universal.

2. Sensory and Stealth Imagery

The poem relies heavily on descriptions of things *not* happening or things that are felt, not seen.

• Verbs of Observation: "wait," "watch," "listen." These verbs highlight the enemies' passive but intense surveillance, reinforcing the feeling of constant pressure.
• Imagery of Silence/Darkness: The attacks occur in "disguise" and "silence." This imagery links the enemies to the darkness of the mind—the unconscious fears and insecurities that thrive when we are alone or vulnerable.

3. Emotional Diction

Jennings uses emotionally charged words that reveal the speaker's deteriorating mental state.

Example: Phrases like "sense of being caught" and "twist them to their sense" convey a feeling of being manipulated and trapped by forces beyond one's control.

4. Universal Themes and Personal Response (AO2 & AO4)

A. Theme: The Nature of Conflict

This poem forces us to question: Is the conflict external or internal?

• The External View: If the enemies are real, the poem is about political or social oppression, where a small group (we) is being persecuted by a powerful, invisible force (they).
• The Internal View (The Stronger Reading): Because the attacks are silent and target the mind ("what we are"), the poem acts as a powerful exploration of paranoia and the self-critical voice that plagues many people. The “enemies” are the doubts that whisper in the back of our minds.

B. Theme: Vulnerability and Resilience

The speakers are intensely vulnerable because their defence mechanism is broken—they cannot identify the attacker. However, the end of the poem suggests a subtle form of resilience.

The final lines suggest that true strength comes not from fighting or running away, but from enduring and staying true to oneself, even under silent psychological siege.

C. Crafting Your Personal Response (AO4)

The syllabus asks for an informed personal response. When writing about ‘The Enemies’, consider the following questions:

• How effectively does Jennings make you feel the speaker's paranoia? (Mention the silence and surveillance imagery.)
• Does the idea of an 'internal enemy' resonate with modern life (e.g., self-doubt, social pressure)?
• What do you think is the strongest line in the poem, and why? (Perhaps the line about twisting words, or the final line about endurance.)