Visiting Hour Flashcards
What are the main themes of visiting hour
isolation
facing loss of a love one
confronting mortality
suffering - patients and persona
what does the title visiting hour suggest
immediately introduces us to setting
“ hospital smell “
very characteristic
everyone will be able to identify it
“ combs my nostrils “
synecdoche nostrils are being used to describe the whole person
combs - suggest pushing your way in invasivly
discomfort is shown in the situation
“ what seems a corpse “
corpse is on the forefront of his mind
“ is trundled into a lift and vanishes “
finality of death
trundled - regular occurance
what is the tone of stanza three
anxiety
repition emphasises his fear of what he might find
“ i will not feel, i will not
feel, until
i have to “
his own personal battle
enjamblment
he’s trying to put off processing the death
determined to control his emotions
what is the tone of stanza four
awe
“ nurses walk lightly, swiftly “
efficacy
they are managing to do their job gracefully
admiration of the nurses
contrasts his inadequacy of him feeling out of control
here and up and down and there
they seem to be everywhere at once and so busy
their slender waists miraculously
contrast macCaig feels useless
physically delicate but mentally so strong
carrying their burden
weight of the responsibility
What is the tone of stanza one
light hearted
what is the tone of stanza three
anxiety
until, i have to
he’s trying to put off processing the death
distance
repition of distance shows he is isolated from her and him to her
not guzzling but giving
quite harsh and aggressive
the idea that she is laying helpless being attacked yet it is not taking her blood but instead giving
black figure in her white cave
black and white contrast shows the distance between them
shows how distant they now are
fruitless fruit
futility and pointlessness
oxymoronic
the whole visit was pointless as he couldn’t help her and feel inferior to the nurses
