visiting hour Flashcards
title - visiting hour
immediately beings to mind a hospital or even a prison
concept of time constraints
suggests the patient has little time left
the hospital smell combs my nostrils as they go bobbing along
synecdoche- feels removed/detached as he doesn’t want to feel pain
“bobbing”
word choice reminds us of water
green and yellow corridors
the colours remind us of unpleasant bodily functions- urine and vomit
what seems like a corpse is trundled into a lift and vanishes heavenward
word choice of ‘trundled’ (onomatopoeia) into a lift seems uncaring and as though the deceased are being treated like an object
word choice - “heavenward” reverses the normal movement of the corpse. rather than going down to the morgue or grave, MacCaig describes the movement as upwards- towards heave, giving the poem a lighter and hopeful tome at this point.
I will not feel, I will not feel, Until I have to
PERSONAL PRONOUNS - here interject a personal feeling and point of view
it is a declaration of intent-narrator makes a vow
the repetition gives a heavy rhythmic fell the monosyllabic word choice
M does not want the pain to overwhelm him yet
nurse walk lightly, swiftly, here and up and down and there
adverbs - describes the airy grace of the nurses movement and their prompt efficiency
prepositions - describes the random movements as the nurses go about their business. M clearly respects their work.
their slender waist miraculously carrying there burden of so much pain, so many deaths, their eyes still clear after so many farewells
word choice ‘miraculously’ magical and religous imagery
‘burden’ is metaphorical - idea of angels of mercy here - the nurses have religious qualities.
repetition of ‘many’ emphasis the sadness found in hospital
but their eyes are still clear because they won’t allow themselves to cry. they must be strong and control their emotions
‘farewells’ - end of life. A reminder that M might not see his loved one again
glass fang is fixed, not guzzling but giving
alliteration reminds us of a snake or vampire but rather than sucking life from the person, the fang gives me
and between her and me distance shrinks till there is none left
but the distance of pain that neither she nor I can cross- there is frustration here. it summarises the inadequacy which we may feel sitting by a dying loved one
ward 7. she’s lies
caesura-writer pauses , thinks about the end of life and the fact he may not see the patient again.
‘in a white cave of forgetfulness’
- metaphor describes the cocooned of the ward. showing it is prison like.
a withered hand trembles on its stalk
Metaphor drawn from nature in the autumn
the fragility and impermanence of human life is conveyed
reminds us of the end of a flowers life as the coldness of winter settles in - in this case it is the coldness of death
