Grandfather- Mahon Flashcards
‘They brought him in on a stretcher from the world’
‘from the world’ separating from society
Retreating to his own life
‘wounded but humorous: and he soon recovered’
Contradictory- but give the first impressions of the Grandfather in a positive light- isn’t dampen his spirits
Melancholy rhyme
Moralising his humour and resilience
‘row upon row of gantries rolled away to reveal a landscape of a childhood only he can recapture’
The assonance ‘o’ adds o the idea that the Grandfather was confided to life in Harland and Wolff
Even though he recovered physically he reverted ‘to the childhood only he can recapture’
‘as cute as they come’
Colloquial language
Alliteration
‘his shrewd eyes bolt the door and set the clock against the future’
Ward off death
The grandfather has retreated into childlike behaviour as a way of avoiding his advancing years. With remarkably few words, Mahon has given us a rich and multi-faceted portrait of a thought-provoking character.
Octet very formal and doesn’t have too much
Nothing escape shim he escapes us all’
Powerful ending
” This is the only line in the poem that forms a complete sentence. Between this, and its prominent position, it is clearly set out as the final word. It reinforces the notion of voluntary senility that Mahon has been playing with in the sestet.
‘banging around the house like a four year old’
Personal quality not usually seen in Mahons work. The grandfather has retreated into childlike behaviour as a way of avoiding his advancing years
