The Telephone Call Flashcards
Summarise the poem
The speaker receives a call suggesting that she has won the lottery however this turns out to just be a hoax. The speaker goes through several emotions including shock and disbelief.
How is the poem a metaphor for life?
In the poem, the speaker experiences hope and disappointment. It also suggests that we are all existentially numb and unable to live in the moment and that we are out of touch with our emotions and bodies.
Why might have Adcock written the poem?
To teach that it is better to live a life without expectation to avoid disappointment.
How does Adcock memorably convey the speakers thoughts and feelings?
-By conveying feelings of not only euphoria but also of confusion.
-The simile “I feel the top of my head has floated off, out through the window, revolving like a flying saucer” has connotations of giddiness and disorientation or perhaps even faintness
-The final line “And the line went dead” creates mystery and tension as the reader doesn’t really know what happened.
-The poem ends as abruptly as the phone call putting the speaker and reader in similar disbelief.
-Adcock may have done this to criticise how humans disregard experiences and often get carried away, forgetting to live in the moment.
