Paul Durcan - Father's Day, 21 June 1992

Question 1

Axe is symbolic for

Answer 1

Their impending split

Question 2

Their priorities any way of understanding the world are different. She sees no problem
He believes

Answer 2

A simple saw would do they job surely to god.

Question 3

Metaphor.
He compares the axe to a …
Ironic as it’s Father’s Day

Answer 3

A newborn babe

Question 4

He still loves her.
However their relationship is in trouble.
She’s happy to spend two weeks on her own

Answer 4

I always feel bad leaving her
But this time it was the worst
I could see she was glad

Question 5

He tries to remember happier memories: when she was pregnant and the fold up settee “snapped shut”

The hyperbole emphasis how their outlooks have always been different

Answer 5

Not a bother on her. I nearly died

Question 6

Dark humour as he tries to explain logically why he has an axe
So concerned about their relationship he blurts out to strangers

Answer 6

‘I am feeling guilty because she does not love me as much as she used to, can you explain that?’

Question 7

We = him + axe

Passenger left, action that Durcan is most afraid of (his wife leaving him)

Answer 7

We sat alone

Question 8

The speed of the daughters’ growing up and departure is likened to the speed of the scenery passing by on the train
The bond with his wife will be dismissed with the departure of the daughters.
Metaphorical and physical journey
Don’t acknowledge it’s Father’s Day
Green fields = happy memories

Answer 8

All the green field running away from us,

All our daughters grown up and gone away

Question 9

Themes

Answer 9

Marriage

Fatherhood

Question 10

Language

Answer 10

Prosaic
Simple
Conversational
Hyperbole
Imagery
Metaphor