On Her Blindness Flashcards
This poem is a retort to…
On his blindness by John Milton where he resolves to be brave and still serve God despite turning blind.
‘My mother could not bear being blind’
Plosive alliteration to represent the blunt/harsh reality and the rejection for John Milton’s idea of stoicism
‘One shouldn’t say it.’
Caesura is used to emphasise the mother’s aversion to admitting she is struggling and going against societal expectations.
‘handicaps are hell’
Lack of figuritive langusge to emphasise the blunt reality of her life.
juxtaposition between ‘Paris restaurant’ and ‘it’s living hell, to be honest Adam.’
juxtaposition between a romantic setitng and the harsh reality.
‘the usual sop’
suggests the son gives meaningless and generic responses to his mothers suffering
Why does the speaker describe himself as ‘the locked in son’
Perhaps it is reflective of him feeling trapped and helpless with his mother’s illness.
‘like a dodgem’ ‘my father joked’
Suggests that the family are using humour to cope with the mother’s condition - sense of stoicism
‘as black as stone’
Simile suggesting that her blindness is dehumanising her and taking away any degree of humanity she had.
‘golden weather’ ‘autumn trees’
-colour imagery used to represent the extent of things she has lost due blindness
‘no more sightless’ ‘it was up to us to believe’
shows the speaker’s family attempting to cope and comfort themselves by pretending it is okay.
