The Thickness Of Ice - Liz Loxley

Question 1

Language (rhythm) (connecting)

Answer 1

“At first we will meet as friends.” –> “at first we’ll be like skaters.”
“Later we will become less anxious to impress.” –> “later we will not notice the steady thaw.”
“Last of all we’ll meet as acquaintances.” –> “last of all we’ll be like children.”
The repetition of these connectives indicate the difficult stages of a relationship.

Question 2

Hoping - start

Answer 2

“Though secretly I’ll be ‘hoping’” “hoping that you’re hoping too” - it emphasis the amount of hope at the beginning of a relationship. Perhaps lack of hope, later in the relationship, leads to the breakup.

Question 3

Hoping - ending

Answer 3

“Though secretly, perhaps, we may be hoping…” - the reappearance of hope further indicates the cyclical nature of the relationship and presents hope of a friendship.

Question 4

Theme - relationship

Answer 4

“At first we meet as friends, (though secretly I’ll be hoping we’ll become much more & hoping you’re hoping too).”
“Testing the thickness of ice.”
“Having learnt the thickness of ice.”
“(Though secretly, perhaps, we’ll be hoping, to break the ice between us &I maybe meet again as friends.)” - goes from loving relationship to friend relationship. (The author and her ex partner frankly “friend zoned” each other.)

Question 5

Relationship not working

Answer 5

“Testing the thickness of ice.”
“The creeping cracks will be ignored.”
- strong message that relationship needs work.

Question 6

Friendship

Answer 6

“At first we will meet as friends.”
“(To break this ice between us & maybe meet again as friends).”
- the word “friends” is contained only in the first and last lines this indicates the cyclical nature of relationships - the poem has gone full circle.

Question 7

People take advantage of each other in relationships

Answer 7

“Having learnt the thickness of ice,” - learn’t not to take the ice for granted and not take each other for granted.