eden rock Flashcards
themes?
Memories, Family/Parents, Bonds
Tones?
Light, Ethereal, Nostalgic
Context
-Charles Causley was (like Laura Dooley) from
Cornwall. He lived from 1917-2003.
-Published in 1988, the poem is thought to be
autobiographical: he is perhaps talking about his
parents.
-Causley said that he had made-up the location of Eden
Rock. It is a dream-like place, and perhaps reflects an
idyllic life rather than his actual life.
Content, Meaning and Purpose
-The speaker is reminiscing about his parents as a
young couple, as they picnic by a stream. It is written
in the present tense to make the memory seem real.
-They live a simple but happy life; conveying the
importance of family and how wealth is not important.
-They encourage him to cross the stream towards
them, possibly symbolising his birth or his death as he
joins them in the next life: “Crossing is not as hard as
you might think”.
Language
-Everyday nostalgia: the parents are presented as living
a simple but happy life. “She pours tea from a
Thermos, the milk straight from an old H.P Sauce
bottle”, “tin cups”.
-“Eden Rock”: Biblical reference to the Garden of
Eden; he holds his parents and their idyllic life in very
high regard.
-Language of light, conveying images of hope and
peace: “Her hair […] takes on the light”, “sky whitens
as if lit by three suns”.
Form
-Each line of the poem has ten syllables, and most
stanzas have four lines. This might reflect the secure
and reliable nature of this parent’s relationship.
-The first three stanzas present his parents, portraying
their idyllic existence. Fourth and fifth stanzas include
the speaker as they encourage him to cross.
-The poem uses half-rhymes to create a gentle, flowing
rhythm, adding to the laid back and ethereal tone.
-Enjambment after “Leisurely” slows pace, adding to
the feeling of relaxation.
-Monosyllabic final line is separated and the tone shifts
to mundane and disappointment. Perhaps his own life
failed to reflect this imagined/remembered existence
