Nostalgia What is nostalgia Dictionary A sentimental longing

Nostalgia

What is nostalgia? • Dictionary: A sentimental longing or wistful affection for a period or place in the past. • Do you have any sentimental longing for a period in your past? What do you ‘miss’ (if anything)? • Although the word ‘Nostalgia’ was not used for its current meaning until the 17 th Century, it is a combination of two Ancient Greek words: ‘Nostos’ meaning ‘to return home’; and ‘Algos’ meaning ‘suffering’.

So when did the word take on its modern meaning? In the 17 th Century is was noted that Swiss mercenaries (soldiers who are paid to fight in battle) coming down from the hills to fight experienced various symptoms including weeping, anorexia and even suicide. A Swiss doctor, Hufer, coined the term ‘nostalgia’ in 1688 to describe these symptoms, which people connected to the soldiers leaving (and missing) home. Others thought the cause was the ringing of cow bells or even demonic possession! Subsequently, Dr Scheuchzer discovered that the cause was not homesickness as such but actually depressurisation (as the soldiers moved down from ‘thinner’ mountain air.

Nostalgia Why call the poem Nostalgia and not Mercenaries? Those early mercenaries, it made them ill – leaving the mountains, leaving the high, fine air to go down, down. What they got was money, dull, crude coins clenched in the teeth; strange food, the wrong taste, stones in the belly; and the wrong sounds, the wrong smells, the wrong light, every breath – wrong. They had an ache here, Doctor, they pined, wept, grown men. It was killing them. It was a given name. Hearing tell of it, there were those who stayed put, fearful of a sweet pain in the heart; of how it hurt, in that heavier air, to hear the music of home – the sad pipes – summoning, in the dwindling light of the plains, a particular place – where maybe you met a girl, or searched for a yellow ball in the long grass, found it just as your mother called you in. But the word was out. Some would never fall in love had they not heard of love. So the priest stood at the stile with his head in his hands, crying at the workings of memory through the colour of leaves, and the schoolteacher opened a book to the scent of her youth, too late. It was Spring when one returned, with his life in a sack on his back, to find the same street with the same sign over the inn, the same bell chiming the hour on the clock, and everything changed. Although Duffy uses the original example of the Swiss mercenaries who ‘missed’ home, it is important to realise that Duffy is also exploring the modern sense of nostalgia i. e. our longing for a former time or place.

Stanza 1 seems to suggest the mercenaries What alliteration and other repeated consonant sounds can you find? What is the effect of these? were wrong to leave their homes Those early mercenaries, it made them ill – leaving the mountains, leaving the high, fine air to go down, down. What they got was money, dull, crude coins clenched in the teeth; strange food, the wrong taste, stones in the belly; and the wrong sounds, the wrong smells, the wrong light, every breath – wrong. They had an ache here, Doctor, they pined, wept, grown men. It was killing them. What words are repeated and what is the effect of this? How does the narrative voice change on the 8 th line and what is significant about the word in italics? How are words in the lexical fields of height and weight for both literal and metaphoric meaning? What are the stated effects on the mercenaries who leave the mountains?

Stanza 2 seems to continue the message, What alliteration and assonance (internal vowel sounds) can you find? What is the effect of these? but could it be critical of staying behind? It was a given name. Hearing tell of it, there were those who stayed put, fearful of a sweet pain in the heart; of how it hurt, in that heavier air, to hear the music of home – the sad pipes – summoning, in the dwindling light of the plains, a particular place – where maybe you met a girl, or searched for a yellow ball in the long grass, found it just as your mother called you in. What does the oxymoron in this stanza suggest? How do you interpret the memory which is referenced on the final 2/3 lines? Find and explain an example of personification in this stanza. What is the name which is given to it? Why is it significant that the symptoms are given a name?

Stanza 3 could suggest that longing for something Find and explain how the letter ‘c’ is used to create different sounds in this stanza. which is no longer there can limit us What are the possible different meanings of the word being out? But the word was out. Some would never fall in love had they not heard of love. So the priest stood at the stile with his head in his hands, crying at the workings of memory through the colour of leaves, and the schoolteacher opened a book to the scent of her youth, too late. Which word is It was Spring when one returned, with his life in a sack on his back, to find the same street What point is repeated in with the same sign over the inn, the same bell Duffy making this stanza? chiming the hour on the clock, and everything changed. What paradox does the mercenary discover when he returns? What do you think the message in the final 2/3 lines is? What tone is conveyed by the people who have stayed behind (the priest and the teacher)? about love (and, indeed, nostalgia) as abstract concepts? Why might love be more real for those who leave home?

Stanza 1 seems to suggest the mercenaries Sound is used to convey a harsh and percussive (beaten) tone, though hard consonants, like: • Alliterative ‘c’s • Repeated ‘d’s • ‘t’s • ‘k’s. • The final ‘kill’ echoes the word ‘ill’ in the first line. These also help to create a rhythm which drives the poem on, like the mercenaries. were wrong to leave their homes Those early mercenaries, it made them ill – leaving the mountains, leaving the high, fine air to go down, down. What they got was money, dull, crude coins clenched in the teeth; strange food, the wrong taste, stones in the belly; and the wrong sounds, the wrong smells, the wrong light, every breath – wrong. They had an ache here, Doctor, they pined, wept, grown men. It was killing them. Repetition is used to convey their distress at leaving: ‘leaving’ ‘down’ ‘wrong’ A second voice (other than the narrator) appears to interject here as one of the displaced mercenaries identifies their pain. The paralinguistic Here in italics represents him pointing to his heart. The strength of the ‘grown men’ is undermined by their pining, weeping and, ultimately, ‘it’ killing them. Height and weight is used both literally and metaphorically. ‘High, fine’ and ‘down, down’ are contrasted to suggest their home air was precious, whereas repetition of ‘down’ could be literal descent down the mountains and a, metaphorically, reflection of their sadness at leaving home. The coins are literally ‘tested’ by biting but metaphorically this becomes the ‘wrong taste’ (and ‘strange food’) of the mercenaries and weighs them down like ‘stones in the belly’, rather than the ‘high’ air of home.

Stanza 2 seems to continue the message, There is a softer, different Sound in this stanza: Assonance (rhyming of internal vowels) creates a softer , wistful longing for the past/home. Sibilance, and the soft consonant ‘w’s also create this effect, and the use aspirants could be mimetic of a sigh (sadness or relief? ) or of tough breathing. But is this ironic? but could it be critical of staying behind? It was a given name. Hearing tell of it, there were those who stayed put, fearful of a sweet pain in the heart; of how it hurt, in that heavier air, to hear the music of home – the sad pipes – summoning, in the dwindling light of the plains, a particular place – where maybe you met a girl, or searched for a yellow ball in the long grass, found it just as your mother called you in. Oxymoronic: pain of leaving can ultimately be a sweet thing Detailed and seemingly precious memory but made vague by ‘maybe’ and mother’s call, though safe, may be limiting exploration. If the ‘yellow ball’ symbolises the sun, this could suggest the world behind is smaller. The pipes are personified as the mercenary’s memories are triggered by their (sad) sound. They are separated by parenthesis, as the mercenary is also separated from home. ‘It’ is given the name nostalgia. It is thought that once the relationship between a signifier and the signified is established it cannot be undone. Thus once the term ‘nostalgia’ was used, people would identify their symptoms as being those of this ‘disease’. The mythologising of the term ‘nostalgia’ therefore had a negative effects as people then avoided leaving and changing.

Stanza 3 could suggest that longing for something Although there again harsh percussive sounds and internal rhyme ‘ck’, change is shown by the softer ‘c’ in ‘chime’ and ‘changed’. Change is no longer a threatening thing. Indeed, change is required for one to be complete. which is no longer there can limit us But the word was out. Some would never fall in love had they not heard of love. So the priest stood at the stile with his head in his hands, crying at the workings of memory through the colour of leaves, and the schoolteacher opened a book to the scent of her youth, too late. It was Spring when one returned, with his life in a sack on his back, to find the same street with the same sign over the inn, the same bell chiming the hour on the clock, and everything changed. Repetition and ‘wrong’ in the 1 st stanza is now ‘same’. There is a paradox in the soldier returning at Spring (time of new life) to find everything the same but changed, as he himself is different. The final line could suggest a hope that one can embrace change and the future rather than remain in the past. The clock symbolises time passing. These two images show people left behind, who seem to have a narrowed perspective. The aspirants describing the priest’s stance suggest sadness, with ‘leaves’ from trees or the Bible. The teacher smells the scent of a wasted youth. A priest and schoolteacher are also emblems of culture i. e. those who shape society. A suggestion that the word ‘nostalgia’ is now in existence (‘out’) but could also be a command that we should all get ‘out’ and explore. Reiterates the idea that abstract ideas like love and nostalgia only become recognised when named – the power of language. It could show that you cannot truly fall in love unless you moved, changed and explored life.

STRUCTURE 1. Irregular and no fixed rhyme scheme, mimetic of disorientated feelings of the mercenaries. 2. Past tense throughout as Duffy focuses on the past and then resurfaces in the present towards the end of the poem. 3. Internal rhyme (‘sack on his back’) creates a wistful tone. 4. Use of repetition as the person constantly tries to go back to the past. 5. Discordance (lost sound) in the first stanza, the ‘wrong’ sound in the second stanza is finally found in the third stanza. 6. Alliteration used to highlight and link key words and to create a rhythm which drives the poem on, like the mercenaries.

What do think are key themes? • Your ideas… • • • Key themes: Time/ the past Home Change Etymology and the power of language What is the poem’s main message? • Your ideas… • Although change can seem painful, it can be better to move on and embrace the future than to desire the past.

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