Lawrence's "Bats" is a

Analyze the question: The question asks what form or genre D.H. Lawrence's poem "Bats" (often titled "Bat") belongs to. This is a question about poetic types.

Explain the concept: Let's define each option:

• Sarcasm: a bitter, mocking remark, not a poetic form.
• Satire: a work that ridicules human folly or vice in order to criticise it.
• Dramatic dialogue: a poem or piece in which two or more speakers talk to each other.
• Dramatic monologue: a poem in which a single speaker addresses a silent listener (or the reader), revealing their thoughts, feelings and character, usually in a specific situation.

Work through the poem: D.H. Lawrence's "Bat" is set at dusk in Florence. The speaker watches creatures flying about, first assuming they are swallows, then realising they are bats. His reaction moves from admiration to disgust:

• "Swallows" turn out to be "bats".
• He describes them as "wallpaper" shapes and "hanging upside down like rows of disgusting old rags".
• He ends with a reversal of the Western view: in Chinese culture bats are symbols of happiness and long life, and he declares, "Not for me!"

Here, there is one speaker who narrates his own experience and reveals his attitudes and prejudices as he speaks. There is no second voice and no real attack on society's vices, so it is not satire or dialogue. The poem is in the speaker's own voice, reflecting on a scene in the moment, which fits the dramatic monologue.

Answer: The poem is a single speaker's reflective address, which makes it a dramatic monologue.

Exam tip: For form questions, count the voices.

• One speaker revealing himself = monologue.
• Two speakers = dialogue.
• Ridicule aimed at society's faults = satire.

Also note that "sarcasm" is a tone, not a poetic form, so it is rarely the correct answer for a "type of poem" question.