The document provides an in-depth analysis of the poem "Mother, any distance" through discussion of its poetic devices, imagery, structure, and context. It examines the poem's use of rhyme, metaphor, and shifting tones to convey the speaker's changing relationship with their mother as they move into a new house and phase of life. The analysis suggests the poem implies the relationship is loosening but that the speaker feels both apprehension about the future and a sense of possibility from the newfound freedom and space.

1. PLASTICPoetryNotes– GCSE EnglishLiterature PastandPresent:PoetryAnthology –Love andRelationships –Mother,any distanceP.18
Poetic devices and their effects – form
(ballad,sonnet,free verse, dramatic monologue),
alliteration, rhyme, rhythm, onomatopoeia,
Dramatic monologue The speaker’sownperspective onmovingintoa
newhouse andtheirchangingrelationshipwith
theirmother
Rhyme – half rhyme,internal rhyme,endrhyme
Leaving,unreeling
Pinch/inch
Sky/Fly
Leaving,unreeling(the halfrhyme perhaps
suggeststhe changingrelationship,the moving
apart. Pinch/inchstressesthe lastattempttohold
ontoeach other.Sky/Flysuggests/stressesthe
opportunitytogrownand soar inan adultworld
of infinite possibilitiesawayfromthe mother
The overall lackof certainty inthe rhyme scheme
perhapssuggestsafeelingof dislocation –that
the speakerisfeelingunsettled.
Juxtaposition Anchorand Kite.The twometaphorical thingsthe
motherhas symbolisedtothe speaker.Anchor –
meaningsafety –a bedrockto make sure they
neverdriftedinlife.Kite meaningallowedto
enjoythemselvesandflyrelativelyfreelybutyet
still connected
Sonnetform Verynearly a sonnetform – stereotypicallyalove
poem.Obviouslythisisalove poemcelebrating
whathis mothermeantandmeansto him,and
whatshe hasallowedhimtobe able to do inadult
life.
Language and its effects – what sortof words
are in the poem? Violent, loving, colloquial,archaic,
semantic fields,diction,religious,romantic language
Words to dowithlandsize – acres, prairies Showshowhuge thisnewstepisin life forthe
speaker.Also,the prairie haswildechoes –
suggestingaplace to roam like aplayful animal
Language of space and the atmosphere –space-
walk,hatch,skyand fly
Suggeststhe endlesspossibilitiesof the newlife
of the speaker.Thisisa doorwayintoa newand
excitingtime andtheyare aboutto letgo forever.
Language of measurement–recording,reporting, The language of professionalism –couldreflect

2. PLASTICPoetryNotes– GCSE EnglishLiterature PastandPresent:PoetryAnthology –Love andRelationships –Mother,any distanceP.18
centimetres the adultworldof workand the waysin which
everythinginthatworldhasto be exactand
carefullymeasured.
Alternative interpretations – Can quotations
be read in two ways for different meanings?
Acresof walls Sense of space and freedom inhis newlife – a sense ofspace
that will never be filled – a void
The Zero-end The mothergivingbirthto the childat the start of
hislife.Zeroisnowa newlife startingforthe
speakerashe movesaway.
Somethinghastogive Theirrelationshipwillneverbe the same orthe
speakeristryingto gainhisfreedomwhichthe
motherisreluctantlyclingingonto.
Structure and its effects – tonal shifts,pace,
caesura,whatrhyme stresses,beginning, middle, end,
repetition,dialogue and where it happens,enjambment
Starts off witha sense of space on earth– starts
off indoorswithhouseholdimagery,thenlikens
the floorto acres,prairies
Sense thatthe task seemsachievable butthe flat
thenfeelsempty
Middle of the poem – sense of connectionfore-
groundedindifferentways,becomingincreasingly
looser
In the middle of the poem,yougeta sense that
the connectionisstartingto go.There is a
regretful impliedtone inAnchorasthat was the
motheronce was andthat is nowinthe past.
As to give – dramaticbreakof line instanza Sense thatthe connectionbetweenthe twomay
have finallyseveredandthe speakerhasbeenlet
loose intothe world
Tone and its effects – talking aboutmoods
which are evoked and where, narrative voice
Requiresasecondpairof hands Sense of necessityatthispoint.Alsotreatingthe
motheras somethingtosimplyhelp –a pairof
hands!
Unreelingyearsbetweenus Sense of time spinningaway.A tone of pace and
speed– like theirlifetogetherisflashing
momentarilypastthe speaker’seyes

3. PLASTICPoetryNotes– GCSE EnglishLiterature PastandPresent:PoetryAnthology –Love andRelationships –Mother,any distanceP.18
Endlessskytofall or fly An apprehensivetone possibly –the speakeris
not sure whetherornot theywill achieveinlife,
throughit isinterestingthatflycomeslast –
suggestingafinal tone of positivity
Imagery and its effects – metaphor,simile,
personification,visual sense
Spool of tape Representsthe umbilical cordwhichconnected
the childto the motherinthe womb.
Emptybedrooms – metaphor The lack of people thatare inthisnewlife –the
notionthathe has to populate the house withhis
ownfamily
The line still feedingout The connectionbetweenthemisstill there,but
gettingmuchweaker.The interestingthingisthe
use of ‘feeding’ –thishasconnotationof
motherhoodandsucklingababy.
Context – authorial,social and historical
The poem is from the ‘Book of Matches’ (1993)
which is a collection of poems without titles. Each
poem is meant to be read in the time it takes a
match to burn down - about twenty seconds,
unless you want to burn your fingers. There is a
pun in the title: we call a packet from which we
tear out the matches a book, but this is also a
book in the normal sense, with words for us to
read.