The Way My Mother Speaks Flashcards
“I say her phrases to myself / in my head”
The use of first person makes it personal and draws the reader in to the speaker’s thoughts. The speaker is repeating her mother’s sayings to herself which suggests the close bond she has with her.
“under the shallows of my breath”
Metaphor which makes use of the word ‘shallows’ which suggests rapid, short breathing. This implies her anxiety and nervousness. She is perhaps trying to comfort herself by repeating the phrases. She longs to hear the familiar words but the reason is still ambiguous to the reader.
“restful shapes moving.”
Oxymoron - insinuates confusion or complexity in the speaker’s feelings. The train is moving but the scenery surrounding her remains stationary or maybe the scenery is moving while she is still. The ambiguous image captures her uncertainty and mixed emotions. It seems like a moment of reflection.
“The day and ever. The day and ever.”
Repetition - This mimics the rhythmic movement of the train and emphasises the speaker reciting to make sure she doesn’t forget the sayings. She is perhaps nostalgic for the past and doesn’t want to let go. Use of italics shows that it is a direct quotation.
“The train this slow evening”
Transferred epithet - the train is the one moving ‘slow’ not the evening. Time has almost halted as she reflects and feels nostalgic for the past she is leaving behind.
“browsing”
Has connotations of relaxed and leisurely. This highlights the length of the train journey as it drags on. Use of long vowel sounds add to the emphasis of the slow pace.
“too blue swapped for a cool grey.”
‘Blue’ has connotations of sun, warmth and comfort whereas ‘grey’ has a darker undertone. This could be a metaphor for the speaker’s transition from her home to moving away. ‘Grey’ suggests the uncertainty of becoming an adult and the threats which may lie ahead. There is a lack of perfection between the two places.
“What like is it.”
Repetition - Her mother’s voice emerges with the use of colloquial language. This emphasises how connected they are to each other. She is within all of her thoughts and her sayings remain in the speaker’s head. Further suggests the sounds of the train.
“Nothing is silent. Nothing is not silent.”
Double negative and contradiction demonstrates that even though the mother isn’t present, she still has a very prominent presence in the speaker’s head. The sounds in her head are so real that it is overwhelming. This reflects her hesitancy to let go of the past.
“Only tonight”
The word choice emphasises that this is transition is a singular experience and the speaker will only grow up once.
“I am happy and sad like a child”
Simile - captures the speaker’s contradictory feelings towards her journey from childhood to adolescence. She is excited and hopeful for the future yet nostalgic for the past. She still has her connection with her mother to bring with her.
“at the end of summer”
This is a symbolic because it is the changing of seasons and also a period of transition. The speaker is growing up and moving on with her life. The days spent with her mother have come to an end.
“dipped a net / in a green, erotic pond.”
‘Dipped’ has connotations of a tentative and cautious approach which suggests the speaker is weary of what the future will hold and venturing into the adult world. The poet juxtaposes ‘green’ with ‘erotic’ as green is associated with innocence and naivety whilst erotic connotes sexual desire. The speaker is facing the adult world which offers little protection.
“The day and ever. The day and ever”
Repetition and enjambement captures the rhythm of the train and the speaker’s thoughts. This emphasises the continuing journey and permanent change she is enduring. She returns to her mother’s phrases to perhaps bring her some comfort.
“I am homesick, free, in love with the way my mother speaks”
The list of contradictory adjectives shows that she is homesick for her childhood and her mother but she is hopeful for the future and ready to be independent. These lines are effective in expressing the speaker’s conflicting emotions developed throughout the poem. The repetition of the title creates a cyclical structure and demonstrates the speaker’s love for her bond with her mother.
