From A Long Distance By Tony Harrison Flashcards
Context
Harrison is from a working class background but he’s still educated
Most of his work deals with his memories of his past and family
Themes and tone
THEMES: Grief, longing, communication
TONE: elegaic, conversational, critical towards his father
Structure and form
Elegy
4 quatrains
ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GHHG (shift of rhyme scheme echoes the shift to a personal perspective in the final stanza)
First 3 stanzas focus on the father and the effect of the grief
Last stanza: IRONIC TWIST, now the narrator is in the same situation focus on his own experience
‘Though my mother was already two years dead’ (1)
THOUGH SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTION: shows the father’s dependence on the mother, the father should have moved on by now
‘Dad kept her slippers warming by the gas,
put hot water bottles her side of the bed’ (2-3)
INFORMALITY OF DAD: refers to both parents differently, shows the narrator was closer with dad
WARM FAMILIAR OBJECTS: shows she represented his home, emphasises the grief he is feeling by trying to keep her warmth and presence alive( looking for consolation)
REPETITION OF HER: emphasises his need to search for her on anything that was hers
‘and still went to renew her transport pass.’
STILL ADVERB: shows the eternal nature of grief that is inescapable to move on from
TRANSPORT PASS: suggests she’s just travelling and will come back eventually
‘You couldn’t just drop in. You had to phone.
He’d put you off an hour to give him time
to clear away her things and look alone
as though his still raw love were such a crime.’ (5-8)
CAESURE: emphasises the broken and distant relationship
IRONY OF LOOK ALONE: he really is alone
REPETITION OF STILL: eternal
RAW ADJECTIVE CHOICE: fresh, real, painful love (recent: he still feels strongly for her) hints at the depth of his pain.
CRIME NOUN CHOICE: societal expectations - feels it’s wrong given that men weren’t expected to show strong vulnerable emotions
‘He couldn’t risk my blight of disbelief
Though sure that very soon he’d hear her key
scrape in the rusted lock and end his grief.
He knew (italics) she’d just popped out to get the tea.’ (9-12)
RISK VERB CHOICE: suggests is dangerous; afraid he won’t understand
RUSTED ADJ CHOICE: old and abandonned- hasn’t left his house in forever (trapped in the past)
‘KNEW’ IN ITALICS: suggests he is convinced - depth of his grief
POPPED OUT VERB CHOICE: connotes she’ll be back soon JUXTAPOSES that she’s gone forever
‘I believe life ends with death, and that is all.
You haven’t both gone shopping; just the same,
in my new black leather phone book there’s your name
and the disconnected number I still call.’ (13-16)
CYCLIC: now the son feels the same
CAESURA: emphasises finality of life because of death
NEW WORD CHOICE: raw and he still feels the pain and calls his phone constantly
BLACK COLOR CHOICE: symbolizes grief
DISCONNECTED: double meaning: dad died and hes trying to reconnect with his father
STILL: eternal nature of grief
SHIFT TO PRESENT: his own grief
