follower Flashcards
(12 cards)
description
the narrator describes his father’s expert plougong. as a boy, he greatly admired his fathers, skill.
the boy followed his father around the farm. sometimes he’d stumble and fall, and occasionally his father would carry him on his back.
he wanted to grow up to be like his father, but all he ever did was to follow him around being a nuisance.
now they’re both older, the relationship has been reversed, and its the father who ‘follows’ his son
form
there’s a regular ABAB rhyme scheme, but some are only half-rhymes–this refects how the boy falls short of being like his father.
structure
the first three stanzas focus on the father. the next two stanzas focus on the boy’s struggle with his idedtity– he admired his father and wanted to be like him, but failed.
there is a role reversal in the last stanza – now the father is “stumbling” behind his son.
reflective language
the narrator sees himself as “nuisance” and maybe a failure but at the end of the poem he undertsnads that the father he admired so much as a boy is now dependent on him
self-criticm
the narrator worries that he’s a failure because he didnt follow in his father’s footsteps
family ties
despite not following in his father’s footsteps, the narrator still has a close relationship with him- “he will not go away”
“ clicking tongue”
Onomatopoeia draws attention to his skill- he can control the powerful horses just by clicking his tongue.
“An expert.”
Short blunt sentence
Makes it a confident inarguably statement
“Exactly”-> “ stumbled”
This stanza change emphasises the contrast between the fathers skill and the clumsiness of his son.
Unlikely to grow up like him.
“Broad shadow “
He felt like he was living in his fathers shadow.
Wanted to be skilful and impressive like him.
“Behind me”
This emphasises how the ‘Follower’ in the title is now the father not the narrator.- the title refers to both of them at different times of their lives.
“And will not go away”
This is ambiguous - the speaker may be frustrated that his father won’t go away or he may be glad that they still have a strong bond.
