Visiting Hour

Question 1

What are the key quotes of stanza 1 visiting hour

Answer 1

“The hospital smells combs my nostrils”
“Green and yellow corridors”
.

Question 2

Explain the quote “ the hospital smell combed my nostrils”

Answer 2

Personification
Compared the bad hospital smell, to going up his nose
Similarities are that the hospital smell is incredibly strong and is penetrating his nose
-shows experience of the hospital and suggests the smell is pongent to him

Question 3

Explain the quote “green and yellow corridors”

Answer 3

W.c
Connotations of vomit and pus
Emphasising how unpleasant the visit is

Question 4

Key quotes of second stanza visiting hour

Answer 4

“Seems a corpse is trundled”

“Vanishing heavenward”

Question 5

Explain the quote “seems a corpse is trundled”

Answer 5

W.c
Corpse has connotations of death
This reveals his state of mind when he sees the trolley as he assumes the person is dead

Question 6

Explain the quote “Vanishing heavenward”

Answer 6

Enjambent of heavenward
Shows his state of mind is giving much hope for his loved one and that the sick person going up the lift will die, which he believes is a reflection of his loved one

Question 7

Key quote of the third stanza visiting hour

Answer 7

“I will not feel, I will not feel”

Question 8

Explain the quote “ I will not feel”

Answer 8

Repetition
Talking to himself
He is avoiding his feelings as he is trying to avoid death and is trying to stay composed and detached
Soon he will have to face his feelings

Question 9

Key quotes of the fourth stanza visiting hour

Answer 9

“ here and up and down and there”

“So many deaths”

“Maraclously carries the burden”

Question 10

Explain the quote “ here and up and down and there”

Answer 10

Repetition of and
Highlights how well the nurses are at their job and shows a sense of business
Fast nature of the nurses

Question 11

Explain the quote “so many deaths”

“So many farewells”

Answer 11

Repetition
“So many”
Highlights the number of patients they deal with and the amount of emotional pain the nurses have to deal with

Question 12

explain the quote “miraculously carries the burden”

Answer 12

Wc VH
Connotations of magic
Shows how the nurses deal with death and shows what they face everyday

Question 13

Key quotes of the 5th stanza visiting hour

Answer 13

“Ward 7.”
“White cave of forgetfulness”
“Withered hand”

Question 14

Explain the quote “ward 7.”

Answer 14

Caesura

Reflect the pause the writer does before entering the room

Question 15

Explain the quote “white cave of forgetfulness”

Answer 15

Metaphor
Compares the loved one to someone who has a ill memory
Similarities are that the forgetfulness is isolating her from the rest of the world
She is loosing the grasp of reality
Her recognition is fading out

Question 16

Explain the quote “withered hand”

Answer 16

Wc
Connotations of dying
Suggests how fragile she is and is fading away

Question 17

Key quotes of stanza 6 visiting hour

Answer 17

“Too heavy to raise”
“Glass fang is fixed, not guzzling but giving”
“Neither she nor I could cross”

Question 18

Explain the quote “neither she nor I can cross”

Answer 18

Enjambent

Isolation emphasising with the ‘I”

Question 19

Explain to quote ‘to heavy to raise’

Answer 19

Wc
Connotations of weighted
Shows heaviness of patients eyelids and shows how she is trying to communicate

Question 20

Explain the quote ‘glass fang

is fixed, not guzzling but giving”

Answer 20

Metaphor
Compares the drip to a fang of a vampire
Similarities are that the fang extracts blood whereas the drip gives blood
Shows how un natural the poem feels about what is happening to the loved one

Question 21

Key quotes of stanza 7 visiting hour

Answer 21

“She smiles a little at this”

“Who clumsily rises”

“Growing fainter”

“Books that will not be read and fruitless fruit”

Question 22

Explain the quote “she smiles a little at this”

Answer 22

Wc “little” connotates to small amounts amd being brief

Shows how she doesn’t recognise her visitor and how she is now only existing, which dehumanises her and emphasises isoalation

Question 23

Explain the quote “who clumsily raises”

Answer 23

Wc
Connotations of stumbling and uncoordinated
Shows how the speaker is leaving in a highly emotional state
His self control is collapsing and could suggest he is full of emotions from the experience

Question 24

Explain the quote “growing fainter”

Answer 24

Pun
Trying to be funny and make light of the situation
The poet would grow fainter with the distance of the patient and he is so upset he feels faint

Question 25

Explain the quote “books that will not be read and fruitless fruit”

Answer 25

Paradox and oxymoron 
Books will be read
Fruit is fruit 
Two opposites side by side 
Shows the poets distress and confusion 
She is past eating and reading 
His presence no longer makes a difference in her outcome