Choose a poet who reflects on the idea of change
Choose a poet who reflects on the idea of change. Show how the poet explores this subject in one or more of his/her poems, and explain to what extent your appreciation of the subject has deepened.
introduction
‘Before You Were Mine’ and ‘In Mrs Tilscher’s Class’ are two poems by the Scottish writer Carol Ann Duffy that are chiefly concerned with change. In both poems Duffy uses a variety of techniques to describe the particular changes to the reader and to help the reader to empathize with the characters depicted. In both cases the techniques are effective, allowing the reader to get a greater insight into the subjects under discussion.
bridge (summary paragraph)
Although both poems deal with change they do not deal with the same type of change. ‘Before You Were Mine’ is focused on a mother/daughter relationship and describes the changes that women undergo emotionally when they have children. The poem takes the form of an address from a child to its mother, and the intensely personal nature of the reflection, as well as the mention of real places and realistic names – “George Square”, “Portobello”, “Maggie McGeeney and Jean Duff” – indicates that perhaps there are autobiographical aspects to this piece. ‘In Mrs Tilscher’s Class’ is different in that it focuses on the transition between childhood and adolescence, following a child as they progress through their final year of primary school. This poem, unusually, makes use of second person narrative – “You could travel…”, “Mrs Tilscher loved you” – and this enables the reader to feel more involved with the poem, and perhaps to make stronger connections with their own experiences at this time of their lives.
1st section – structure
In both poems Duffy uses structural features to illustrate the changes taking place.
‘In Mrs Tilscher’s Class’
• 4 stanzas – Scottish schools have 4 terms
• idea of a journey placed at beginning of the 1st line – “You could travel…”
• signpost phrases beginning stanzas 3 and 4 – “Over the Easter term”, “that feverish July”
‘Before You Were Mine’
• signpost phrases again beginning stanzas – “I’m ten years away”, “I’m not here yet”
2nd section – multi-sensory language
A feature of both poems that is used very effectively is multi-sensory language; through Duffy’s use of this technique the changes that the characters are going through are clearly described and therefore easy for readers to understand and empathize with.
‘In Mrs Tilscher’s Class’
• “skittle of milk”, “scent of a pencil”, “chanted”, “xylophone’s nonsense” at the start of the poem – all these sensory experiences emphasize childishness; “feverish July”, “air tasted of electricity”, “hot, untidy, fractious” at the end of the poem – these sensory experiences show clear signs of tension and anxiety in the children, highlighting the change in them
• ‘Before You Were Mine’
• “polka dot dress”, “shriek at the pavement” at the start of the poem – these sensory experiences emphasize carefree youth; later in the poem the sensory details are subtly altered to emphasize the changes the mother has made – “high-heeled red shoes, relics”, “stamping stars from the wrong pavement”
3rd section – imagery
Duffy also uses imagery very effectively to signify changes and engage the reader; in particular she makes excellent use of clear, concise, ‘snapshot’ images, which make scenes so clear to readers it is as if they are looking at photographs.
• snapshot images: (‘Before You Were Mine’ – to show the carefree nature of the mother, and how she adapts this as she takes on the responsibility of a child) “polka dot dress blows around your legs”, “you’d teach me the steps on the way home from Mass”; (‘In Mrs Tilscher’s Class’ – to show the innocent playfulness at the start and then the beginnings of a a tense adolescence at the end) “a window opened with a long pole”, “you ran through the gates”
• symbolism: (‘Before You Were Mine’ – again to show the way the mother changes as she becomes a parent) “High-heeled red shoes, relics”; (‘In Mrs Tilscher’s Class’ – again, change in mood created by symbolism) “good gold star”, “thunderstorm”
• metaphor: (‘Before You Were Mine’) “and now your ghost clatters toward me” – metaphor for the mother now that she has lost her youth? metaphor for a memory of a now-dead mother?; (‘In Mrs Tilscher’s Class’) “the inky tadpoles changes from commas into exclamation marks” – metaphor for the children and their physical changes, they are becoming taller, thinner
4th section – tone
In both poems tone is used to reflect the changes that are being described.
‘In Mrs Tilscher’s Class’
• safe, warm and happy at the start – “better than home”, “glowed like a sweetshop”, “Brady and Hindley faded”; but becoming tense and anxious by the end, vocabulary is more complex and frequently has sexual overtones – “stared, appalled”, “heavy, sexy sky”, “tangible alarm”
‘Before You Were Mine’
• romantic, warm, relaxed description of the mother and her life – “laugh”, “fizzy movie tomorrows”, “sparkle and waltz and laugh”; this is contrasted with the assertive and demanding narrator – “possessive yell”, “even then I wanted”
conclusion
In conclusion it is clear that, while the poems are not similar in the stories they tell, they use similar techniques and are equally concerned with the idea of change, of transition from one phase of life to another. Duffy’s effective handling of both her subject matter and her own style of writing makes it inevitable that the reader will not only be engaged by these two poems, but will also feel that reading them has provided a deeper understanding and appreciation of the phases of life represented; both of which – childhood to adolescence, and youthful frivolity to parenthood – are universal experiences.
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