Poem SIMON ARMITAGE Title The title is surprising

Poem SIMON ARMITAGE

Title �The title is surprising general and fails to give a clear indication of the poem’s content. This may reflect how the actions of the poem’s subject become generalised in the final rhyming couplet.

Tone and Speaker �The tone is rather enigmatic (hard to unpick). �It is not a first person confessional narrative, as in some of the other poems, but instead, through the third person speaker, paints a picture of a man’s life. �It is realistic rather than pessimistic.

Divide his actions into good and bad. Good �Cleared the snow �Tucked his daughter up at night Bad �Slippered his daughter

Good Bad

Language �How often does the man show kindness to his family members? �How often does the man commit acts of violence and theft? �What sort of man do you think the poem’s subject is?

Language continued… �The final line of each quatrain/stanza jars as the speaker contrasts the man’s everyday good acts with his odd moment of abuse or theft. �Why do you think Armitage refers to the man using the pronoun ‘he’ rather than name him?

Language continued… �Look specifically at the verbs used to described the actions of the man: ‘tucked’ ‘praised’ and ‘blubbed’ as opposed to ‘slippered’ ‘punched’ and ‘lifted’. �What impression do we gain of the man through each of the aforementioned verbs?

Language continued… �Look at the pronoun ‘they’ in the final couplet. Who are ‘they’? �What impression is gained from the phrase, ‘when they looked back’? �What is the meaning of the final line and how does this contribute towards the poem’s meaning?

Layout �It is a sonnet (a poem of 14 lines) divided into 3 quatrains and a rhyming couplet. �Each quatrain maps out the man’s relationship with his daughter, wife and mother. �There is a suggestion that we are formed by our relationships.

Layout continued… �There is a rhyme scheme where each pair of lines rhyme or halfrhyme. In addition, there is a clear rhythm of iambic pentameter. �It is this clear, predictable structure that makes the shocking concepts of the poem, more shocking.

Your response to the poem… �What message is Armitage trying to get across in this poem? �What is your personal response to the poem? Remember, you should not say whether you like or dislike the poem but, instead, explain how it has prompted thought and contemplation.