mother, any distance Flashcards
Themes?
Bonds, Parental Love, Connections, Anxiety
Tones?
Apprehensive, Optimistic
Context
-The poem was published in 1993, when Armitage was
30 years old.
-It was part of a collection called Book of Matches. The
poems within this book were all short enough to be
read within the time it takes a match to burn. This
poem aims to convey a powerful parent-child
relationship in a short space of time.
Context, Meaning and Purpose
-The speaker describes how his mother helps him to
move into a house, using the event as a symbol for his
burgeoning independence.
-The tape measure they use is an extended metaphor
for their bond (and might symbolise an umbilical cord).
-His mother is his ‘Anchor” but he gradually breaks
away from her. He craves more freedom but is also
anxious about exploring the world without the security
of her support.
Form and structure
-Sonnet-like structure (but with an extra line
symbolising him breaking away), emphasises love for
his mother. Irregular rhyme scheme symbolises his
desire for independence conflicted with his anxiety
over loosening their bond.
-First two stanzas open with direct address, “Mother”,
“You” creating a personal tone with her as the subject.
Final stanza shifts to “I”: he is now the focus.
-Single-word sentences (“Anchor. Kite”) and regular
caesura slow pace and convey apprehension.
-Ellipsis in final stanza conveys uncertainty and how he
finally reaches out towards the “endless sky”
Language
-Language of exploration conveys adventure but also
anxiety about finding his independence: “the acres of
walls, the prairies on the floors”, “I space-walk
through the empty bedrooms, I climb the ladder to
the loft”, “I reach towards […] an endless sky to fall or
fly”.
-Tape measure is an extended metaphor of an
umbilical cord (support and nourishment): “the line
still feeding out, unreeling years between us”.
-She must now let him go: “breaking point, where
something has to give”, “your fingertips still pinch”
