On Her Blindness - Adam Thorpe Flashcards
What is On Her Blindness about? (3 points)
Title is from John Milton’s sonnet ‘On His Blindness’ - written in 1655 after the poet’s complete loss of sight
Milton initially copes badly with his condition and how it stunts his capacity to serve God, but he ends with determination to bear his blindness philosophically, stating that ‘They also serve who only stand and wait.’
Thorpe takes a different approach, acknowledging that his mother, like most of us, is less stoical for all her pretense at being able to see more than she does
What is the structure of On Her Blindness? (2 points)
The free verse narrative flows, especially with the frequent use of enjambment between lines and stanzas - mimicks mother’s disorientation
The short couplets create a brisk pace that may be interpreted as suggesting how fast life passes and the failure of humans to appreciate sufficiently its significance, especially once health and fitness break down
What is the language and imagery of On Her Blindness? (3 points)
The voice is that of the narrator, also the poet, using the first person singular pronoun ‘I’
The language is spare and conversational, with few poetic devices
There is little visual imagery apart from the reference to autumn colours at the end — the vivid description, ‘golden’ and ‘ablaze’ that contrasts with her blindness.
