The Way My Mother Speaks Flashcards
I say her phrases to myself
in my head
NV - I - Duffy writes in the first person and the reader is immediately drawn into her personal thoughts and feelings.
NV - her - refers to her mother
w/c - in my head - has connotations of private thoughts and suggests that the speaker’s relationship with her mother is personal to her. Could also refer to her mental health/state of mind.
or under the shallows of my breath,
restful shapes moving.
SS - enjambment (or under) - highlights her isolation - these thoughts are her own
metaphor - shallows of my breath - Just as something shallow is not very deep so too is Duffy unable to keep her anxiety hidden from those around her. The speaker has to be secretive to fit into England, which suggests her feelings of confusion surrounding her identity. The speaker repeats her mothers words to comfort herself and regulate her breathing.
metaphor - restful shapes moving - a literal reference to the scenery moving as the train moves. A metaphorical reference to the confusion in her mind as she struggles with her loss of identity and anxious thoughts (paradox - ‘restful’ and ‘moving’
The day and ever. The day and ever.
N.V - this is the speaker repeating the mother’s words. Nostalgic - a voice from the past and from home.
w/c - ever - has connotations of permanency and suggest her mother will always be with her
SS - italicised to represent someone else (the mother) speaking. The repetition is used to reflect the movement of the r train, emphasises loss and how long the negative feelings will last. She does not want to forget.
The train this slow evening
goes down England
assonance - slow, goes down - repeated, elongated vowel sounds slows down the pace of the sentence much like the slowing train.
browsing for the right sky,
too blue swapped for a cool grey.
w/c - browsing - has connotations of looking and suggests that the train hasn’t quite decided where it is going. The speaker is unsure of her destination.
w/c - ‘right sky’ - implies that she is yet to find a way of life that suits her.
w/c - blue - has connotations of the sun, warmth, comfort and happines. She feels content when she is home
w/c - cool grey - has connotations of misery and cold, uncertainty and this reflects how she feels about adult life.
contrasting colours - represent her conflicting feelings about home/leaving home
For miles I have been saying
What like is it.
w/c - miles - length of journey/how long this has been on her mind for.
NV - What like is it - again, we hear a phrase from her mother. The language is colloquial and represents their shared language and bond.
The way I say things when I think.
contrast - highlights the contrasting identities. The way the speaker thinks and acts are different. Link to roots and background etc.
Nothing is silent. Nothing is not silent.
repetition - nothing - connotes a lack of something and suggests the speaker feels that moving/growing up means losing a part of yourself.
double negative - nothing is not - implies that; what doesn’t exist in here and now (your memories, your past) still has a voice in your head. It still has influence.
What like is it.
Repetition - from previous line - used to highlight the lasting effect of the mothers words and now they repeat in the speaker’s mind.
Only tonght
I am happy and sad
like a child
w/c - only tonight - has connotations of how things are at present. It suggests the speaker’s feeling fluctuate.
w/c - only - suggests this journey is a singular experience.
contrast - happy and sad - the paradox between ‘happy’ and ‘sad’ shows her confusion.
simile - like a child - just as a child is young and naive, so too is the speaker feeling unsure as she approaches adulthood.
who stood at the end of summer
and dipped a net
in a green, erotic pond.
symbolism - end of summer - suggests a time of change, growing up and moving on.
w/c - dipped - has connotations of testing the waters and suggests a tentative, cautious approach.
metaphor - green, erotic pond - just as erotic suggests sexual feelings, so too is the speaker experiencing their emerging sexuality as they grow up.
w/c - pond - suggests new depths to explore, new experiences and excitement.
The day
and ever. The day and ever.
repetition - emphasises the continuing journey and permanent change. Relates to stanza 1 and the mother’s phrases.
I am homesick, free, in love
with the way my mother speaks.
NV - I am - personal pronouns shows we are hearing directly from the speaker.
List/contrast - homesick, free - contradiction (contrast) of positive and negative. Link to the past and stay in love with their roots and memories which will remain with the speaker.
enjambment - love - highlights positive tone
repetition - the way my mother speaks - full circle. The reference to the title suggests the speaker is free to create her own future but will remain thinking of her past. Poem ends on a positive tone.
