Mother Any Distance Flashcards
Quotes, themes, language and structure, context, links
Context for the poem?
Written by Simon Armitage from his collection Books of Matches
The poem explores the emotional connection of a mother and a child
When he first left home, he moved down the road from his parents so was never truly free
How is love presented in the poem?
Maternal Love,
Presented through Distance
What are some themes in the poem?
Fear, Distance, Being held back, Freedom, Falling or flying
“Anchor. Kite.”
Metaphor - the mother is supporting the child or could be holding them back
Caesura - separates the mother + child which creates a sense of distance between them
“You at the zero-end”
Metaphor - mother is the fixed point in his life
Also was there at his birth
Tape measure has a limit to how far their connection can stretch
“The last one-hundredth of an inch”
Hyperbole - mother is desperate to hold on, limiting him from moving any further
“Back to base”
Alliteration - emphasises the reliance on his mother as she could be physically at home or metaphorically the base of the tape measure.
Tape measure could be a metaphor for the umbilical cord, the connection they no longer have
“Acres of the walls”
“Prairies of the floors”
Hyperbolic metaphor- everything seems daunting to him, needs his mother to rely on
Also internal rhyme - emphasises childlike behaviour
“Space-walk”
Metaphor - out of control in unknown territory
-lonely in outer space
-has to rely on the rope to keep him attached, kite like + umbilical cord
“Endless sky to fall or fly”
Hyperbole - lots of opportunities for him now mother isn’t there
Metaphor - He is the kite and can either succeed or fail
Internal rhyme - emphasises the thoughtful end to the poem
Why is there a changing rhyme scheme in the poem?
To reflect the mother and child’s change in relationship
Why is stanza 3 longer than the others?
It could represent him thinking about his future and whether or not he is going to break the connection with his mother
Line 5 Caesura “You at the zero-end, me with the”
Separates the mother and child
Links to other poems?
Follower - being reliant on a family member but changing to leave them behind
Link to BYWM - both include a maternal relationship
