Poem 11 - Simon Armitage - Mother Any Distance Flashcards
When was the poet born?
1963
When was the poem published?
1993
What’s the poem about?
The narrator’s mother comes to the house he’s moving into to help measure things like the walls and doors. She holds the end of the tape measure while he walks away to measure things. It makes the narrator think about how his mother has always looked after him, but now she has to let him go. The narrator is looking forward to being independent, but he’s also scared by it, he doesn’t know if he’ll succeed without his mother or not, there are hints that she’ll always be there for him if he needs her though.
Describe the form of the poem.
The poem is loosely written in the form of a sonnet, which is traditionally used for love poetry, so this choice of form shows he still loves his mother. Unlike a sonnet, the poem has an irregular rhyme scheme, reflecting the narrator’s feelings of uncertainty. The uneven line length of the last stanza shows how the two are getting further away from one another emotionally as the narrator grows more independent.
Describe the structure of the poem.
The speaker talks about how he needs his mother in the first stanza, but in the second stanza he begins to explore independence, and in the final stanza he understands that “something// Has to give” if he’s going to be independent. The poem ends with the reader unsure as to whether the narrator will succeed or fail.
Describe how language about measurements is used in the poem.
Measurements and distances are an extended metaphor for the poet’s changing relationship with his mother, and how they get further away from one another, physically and emotionally as he becomes more independent.
Describe how language about movement is used in the poem.
Movement is used to show how the poet is breaking away from his mother. Walking around his new house is like exploring a new world.
Describe how imagery is used in the poem.
The visual imagery of the tape as a link between mother and son is reminiscent of an umbilical cord. The image of the narrator as a kite and his mother as the anchor suggests how she protects him and keeps him secure. At the end of the poem, this link seems to be at the breaking point, which shows the narrator is becoming independent from his mother.
What is the impact of starting the poem with “Mother,” (Line 1)?
The narrator addresses his mother personally at the start of the poem, much like a letter, it’s a personal message to her.
What is the significance of “single span” (Line 1)?
A single span is the distance between his outstretched hands, he needs help to measure anything larger than that, despite it being a relatively small distance, which shows that his mother is still quite important to him.
What is the effect of “doors” (Line 3) and “floors.” (Line 4)?
“doors” and “floors” rhyme, but “span” and “hands” are only a half-rhyme, this shows the dislocation between the narrator and his mother.
What is the effect of “acres” and “prairies” (Line 4)?
The metaphors and hyperbole create images of vast, open spaces, which hints at adventure and exploration, but also that the narrator feels slightly daunted by the size of it all.
What is the significance of “zero-end” (Line 5)?
The narrator’s mother holding the start of the tape measure reflects how she was the start for him, starting from his birth.
What is the impact of “up the stairs,” (Line 7)?
It shows he is moving away from his mother physically as well as emotionally.
What is the significance of “unreeling// years” (Lines 7 and 8)?
The tape measure reflects their shared history, with the enjambment reflecting how they’ve crossed into a new phase of their relationship.
