Visiting Hour Flashcards
How does the poem display contrast?
The speaker vs the patient - in particular in the final stanza
How does the poem display loss?
The poem’s central concern is mortality
How does the poem display suffering?
The speaker’s distress and pessimism & the
patient’s pain
How does the poem display relationships?
The speaker and the patient/Life and death
How does the poem display character and surroundings?
The speaker, patient, nurses and the hospital
How does the poem display symbolism?
It doesn’t
Contrast quotes
- “A withered hand/trembles on its stalk”
- “Into an arm wasted of colour a glass fang is fixed, not guzzling but giving.”
- “books that will not be read/and fruitless fruits”
“Into an arm wasted of colour a glass fang is fixed, not guzzling but giving.”
Metaphor comparing drip to vampire. Suggests his horror at seeing her attached to the drip. Highlights idea of weakness and life being drained from his loved one in contrast to his ability to visit.
WC Wasted of colour again highlights weakness and drained to his health
Loss quotes
- “What seems a corpse“
- “A withered hand/trembles on its stalk”
- “vanishes,/heavenward”
“What seems a corpse”
WC morbid, death the end. Shows speakers negative mindset and the fear of losing his loved one is on his mind.
“A withered hand/trembles on its stalk”
Metaphor comparing loved ones arm to a dying flower. Patient is weak and fragile as a dying flower would be and is showing signs of death.
WC withered and stalk suggest weakness and thinning of body close to death. Contrast of her weakness to his strength.
Suffering quotes
- “vanishes,/heavenward”
- “books that will not be read/and fruitless fruits”
- “but the distance of pain that neither she nor I/can cross.”
“vanishes,/heavenward”
WC suggests never coming back. Hospital he sees as related to death. Using lift in hospital to show speakers mindset is on death and losing his loved one and their relationship permanently, suffering with that thought.
Enjambement also emphasises last word of line, shows thoughts of finality in death.
“books that will not be read/and fruitless fruits”
Paradox to intensify distress and confusion. She is past normal activities like reading and despite coming to visit he can do nothing for her anymore in their relationship - left in the suffering of waiting.
Fruits oxymoron to emphasise distress and confusion, past the point of eating to, the hopelessness of his suffering
Alliteration emphasises it further.
“but the distance of pain that neither she nor I/can cross.”
Metaphor comparing their emotions and suffering to a divide or wall between them. Suggests the suffering and pain from her illness is too much for both of them and the isolation he feels in the hopelessness of reaching her.
