Mother, any distance- Quotes + Context Flashcards
Finish the quotation- “Mother, any distance greater than a ______ ________” The caesura implies that the child is speaking to their mother directly and wants to emphasise their reliance on them at this point in the poem.
single span
Finish the quotation- “You come to help me measure _______, ________, __________.” The asyndetic list shows how many tasks that the child is reliant on the mother to help him with.
Windows, pelmets, doors
Finish the quotation- “You at the ____-___, me with the ____ __ ____” This quotation implies that the mother is the point at which the son begins and can always come back to, connoting the mother as a home for the child.
Zero-end, spool of tape.
Finish this quotation- “_________ length , __________ metres.” This repetition of active verbs implies how much of an active role the mother plays in the development of the child and is a metaphor for the strength and trust in their relationship.
recording, reporting.
Finish this quotation- “unreeling the years between us. ______. _____.” The separation created by the caesura shows the separation being created between them but the imagery of an anchor and a kite implies the mother is preventing the son from flying away.
Anchor. Kite.
Finish the quotation- “I ______-____ through the empty bedrooms” This metaphor shows the vastness of the size of the mother’s rooms and perhaps how small he feels in it or that the area is vast and empty.
Space-walk
Finish the quotation - “Your ________ still _______ to the last one-hundredth of an ____.” This metaphor implies that even when the son wants to break away from his mother she still wants to hold onto him, perhaps indicating that she is and never will be ready to let him go.
Fingertips, pinch, inch.
Finish the quotation - “that opens to an endless sky to ____ or ___.” The aliteration used here alludes to the fact that there is great risk in leaving his mother and that the speaker isn’t sure about it, implying that he is taking a risk.
Fall, fly.
Why does stanza three break the chain of quatrains used in the poem?
To hint that there is uncertainty in their relationship as the son leaves and presents a lack of structure in this time, which implies that it was perhaps stressful for both parties.
What does the use of polysyndenton imply about the feelings of the speaker?
That everything seemed to go fast for him, every action happened so quickly that he doesn’t have any breaks between them.
What is polysyndeton?
A list with only connectives.
What is asyndenton?
A list using only commas.
How is love portrayed in Mother, any distance?
It is a parental form of love that seems to be drifting however the mother is strong and attempts to hold it together. The speaker is more optimisitc feeling as if he can fly away from his mother.
How is the relationship presented in mother, any distance?
The relationship is formed on a strong emotional connection between the speaker and the mother and a reassurance she can help. However, the anchor/kite oxymoron could be a representation of her potential holding him back.
How can structure reflect Mother, any distance?
The poem has an irregular rhyme scheme, suggesting conflicting emotions that the speaker has about moving out.
