Visiting hour Flashcards
“The hospital smell combs my nostrils”
1-2
Stanza 1
Strong, recognisable, pungent smell – characteristic of hospitals – first thing he encounters – “combs my nostrils” is metaphor comparing effect of smell on nostrils – almost painful - to
feeling of a comb
dragging through hair/scratching his nostrils
Olfactory imagery
Causes us to think of his introduction to hospital as unpleasant, causes us to recoil, feeling of revulsion – it affects him physically – the image stresses his discomfort
“The hospital smell combs my nostrils”
1-2
Stanza 1
Strong, recognisable, pungent smell – characteristic of hospitals – first thing he encounters – “combs my nostrils” is metaphor comparing effect of smell on nostrils – almost painful - to
feeling of a comb
dragging through hair/scratching his nostrils
Olfactory imagery
Causes us to think of his introduction to hospital as unpleasant, causes us to recoil, feeling of revulsion – it affects him physically – the image stresses his discomfort
Green and yellow corridors”
Colour symbolism- suggests that it’s to represent the sickness in hospitals.
Links to the fear of illness.
As they go bobbing along”
The smell is so overwhelming to him it’s as if it’s just bobbing along the corridor (his nostrils)
Olfactory imagery
Synecdoche
Shows us how MacCaig is overwhelmed by the cleanliness smell coming from the hospital
“slender waists miraculously
carrying their burden
Describes his surprise that they can do their job daily amidst so much suffering and death
The metaphor of “burden” suggests how hard it must be on them to cope with it all.
Here and up and down and there”
the unusual syntax (word order) is another
example of the poet trying to lighten the mood, while also emphasising the number of
nurses he sees. It suggests MacCaig is looking all around to find a distraction from his
thoughts.
so many farewells”
18
Describes fact nurses have seen so many die … part of job … yet remain cheerful – repetition of “so” stresses his amazement that they can be so cheery
white cave of forgetfulness”
20 and 32
This describes how he sees her room/ward – like a blindingly white cave, white suggesting heaven, her closing moments of life, and cave his fears of what is happening, where she is going – caves have connotations of dark passages, hidden recesses, death
“withered hand
Trembles on its stalk”
21-22
Her hand is compared to a dying leaf on its withering ‘stalk’ which in life connected it to its tree, to life
Effectively reinforces/echoes his realisation that her life is slipping away, fading
glass fang …
not guzzling but giving …
25-26
Compare drip to vampire – metaphor & alliteration (g) – again suggests he sees everything as threatening life/from perspective of death – ‘guzzling’ has connotations of stealing/assaulting/consuming which paints a visual image of pain/patient as passive body/having things done to it … no choice
Black figure in a white cave”
Metaphor, referring to the universal image of Death,
“figure” also suggesting the woman’s blurred vision. This emphasises the isolation of
the woman, as well as her impending and unavoidable death.
“Books that will not be read”
“Fruitless fruit”
Enjambment causes the last line to
seem like a bitter addendum, which summarises the poet’s despair at the hopelessness
of his situation, and the isolation both he and his relative have suffered.
This
captures the poet’s despair at the pointlessness of the woman’s death being prolonged,
and his inability to help – bringing fruit has been “fruitless”, ie pointless.
