The Way My Mother Speaks Flashcards
“I, her, myself”
Reinforces the deeply personal connection between mother and daughter. Also suggests she misses her mother.
“my”
Word choice. Suggests isolation and deep thought.
“shallows of my breath”
Shallow breathing suggests anxiety.
“restful shapes moving”
The train, makes moving restful. The confusion echoes the confused feelings of the persona- she seems uncertain, perhaps because she is once again leaving the comfort of her mother’s presence.
“The day and ever. The day and ever.”
Creates a steady rhythm and mimics the movement of the train- change is in motion and now unstoppable. Also suggest the narrator is repeating phrases to reassure herself.
“slow”
Slow reading echoing the journey, dragging slowly on implies the narrator is struggling with the change and is uncomfortable with it.
“goes down England”
Blunt word choice. Suggests England feels like a foreign country to her- she seems disconnected.
“browsing for the right sky”
Suggests the speaker is searching for the right answers- for the right place, the right way to feel.
“too blue”
Word choice. Blue skies represent her nostalgia for childhood and home. ‘Too’ suggests she knows that she idolising her childhood memories.
“swapped”
‘Swapped’ suggests the change has happened too quickly to process.
“cool grey”
Grey suggests a lack of warmth and this uncertainty for her adult life to come.
“For miles”
Word choice of ‘miles’ suggests suggests the journey has been too long but also that she has been too long without her mother’s presence.
“What like is it.”
Word choice. Scottish dialect suggest the strong connection and comfort of her mother’s Scottish accent- it contrasts to the idea of being in England.
“Nothing is silent. Nothing is not silent.”
Contradiction. Double negative reflects the narrator’s conflicting and internal conflicts on leaving home. It also suggests the power of memory and bonds- you don’t forget your mother’s voice or her influence just because she is not there.
“What like is it.”
Repetition. Suggests a desperate need to hold on to this comfort and helps to mimic the train rhythm. Conveys feelings of anxiety/uncertainty.
“Only tonight”
Word choice. Suggests this is a specific moment in her life- only once will she leave home. A significant event and change in her life.
“happy and sad”
Word choice and contradiction. Simplistic childlike language reflecting her internal conflict. Struggling with the basic pull between the child self and adult self.
“stood”
Word choice. As though at the brink of a new life.
“end of summer”
Symbolism of season ending. Beginning of one life and the end of another. Nostalgia for the world of childhood.
“green, erotic pond.”
A new world offers depths of possibilities to explore. ‘Green’ suggests inexperienced . There are more new adult experiences on the horizon. ‘Erotic’ suggests sexual maturity ahead in new adult life.
“The day and ever. The day and ever.”
Repetition again emphasising that the journey is still in progress. Also reminds the reader of the importance of her mother’s influence.
“I am homesick, free,”
Oxymoron contrasts her mixed feelings: ready for her new life; leaving the old one behind but still carrying her mother’s influence with her. Enjambement of final two lines reinforces the connection between the two.
