Long Distance II (poem) Flashcards
What is the rhythm of this poem?
Rising (not consistent) iambic pentameter- could symbolise the disruption in routine and how grief got in the way between dad + son
What is the rhyme scheme of this poem?
Stanza 1,2, and 3 are even alternate rhyme scheme. Stanza 4 is ABBA
What does stanza one show?
The father in denial of losing his wife, he still does actions like keeping her ‘slippers warming by the gas’
Literary devices used in stanza one?
REPETITION- of the pronoun ‘her’
IMAGERY - of warm affectionate actions done by the father
Quote about transport in stanza one and what does it show?
‘And still went to renew her transport pass’ - he wants her to be able to come back to him (make a journey to him) and will go to lots of effort to be able to get her back
What does stanza 2 show?
How the fathers grief has become quite inconvenient. Shown by the first line ‘You couldn’t just drop in. You had to phone’ caesura implies lots of waiting around and that the son is delaying his own grief
What did the father do before people were allowed to come in?
‘Clear away her things and look alone’ - suggests he’s embarrassed or knows that she’s not coming back he just cannot accept it
Does the son seem annoyed with his dad?
He does at some points but then also seems to be understanding and feel sympathetic ‘as though his still raw love were such a crime’
What does stanza three show?
The father and son having difference in opinion. ‘He couldn’t risk my blight of disbelief’ father doesn’t want to let go of the idea that she could come back
Use of metaphor in stanza three:
‘Her key scrape in the rusted lock’ - he’d been grieving for a long time but is still locked, won’t let go of the hope of her returning
What is the father persuading himself?
That his wife hasn’t died but has just ‘popped out to get the tea’ and he’s expecting her home any minute hence why he keeps ‘her slippers warming by the gas’
What changes in stanza 4?
The perspective - it’s now about the sons grief
The rhyme scheme - gone from ABAB to ABBA
How is the sons grief different to his dads grief?
He believes ‘life ends with death and that is all’ so doesn’t believe that they will return.
Quote from stanza 4 suggesting both parents have died?
‘You haven’t both gone shopping’
What has the son gone to the effort to do even though they are dead?
Write their numbers in his ‘new black leather phone book’ and the ‘disconnected number I still call’
