Paul Durcan - Sport Flashcards
Durcan’s relationship with father - background
Father beat him for poor exam results
Name a phrase that is being repeated
“Mental hospital”
Perhaps for comedic effect, dark comedy
Examples of some puns
“There were not many FIELDS in which you had hopes for me but sport was one of them”
“On the side lines and OBSERVE me” (hospital pun)
A line where Durcan is desperately trying to impress father
I was fearful I would let down / not only my team but you
And
More than anybody it was you / I wanted to mesmerise
Example of vivid and comical descriptions
Men with gapped teeth, red faces, / oily, frizzy hair
The description of these guys really tells what craziness he’s up against and to be in gaols against these fellas shows bravery
Where do we see durcan bringing in his art
“That will to die / that is as essential to a sportsman as to artists”
Linking his bravery on the sports field to the risk and courage of publishing his inner most heart and soul through art. His father doesn’t understand art but he understands sport.
Physical vs mental performance
His father “sniffing his approval” shakes his hand and says “well played son”
What does this tell us about his father
His father is very masculine, hand shakes no hugs
It’s an insight into the fathers emotional restraint, he’s stern, Sever and uncompromising. He was a stereotypical judge (occupation)
How does durcan end on a high note/bitter sweet note
“I may not have been mesmeric / but I had not been mediocre. / in your eyes I had achieved something at last”
The first part shows the father is proud of his son and how he played that he had achieved something in his fathers eyes at last. But durcan knows he had achieved more before, maybe in other mediums eg art, but now at 21years of age, his father has finally found something to be proud of him for
Themes is the Poem
Family
Art/sport
Mental health
