Plastic notesheet Eden Rock

1. Poetic devices and their effects – form
(ballad,sonnet,free verse, dramatic monologue),
alliteration, rhyme, rhythm, onomatopoeia,
Half rhyme – ‘rock’and ‘jack’
Makes the poemsound‘off-key,’thatsomething
isn’tquite right,and dreamyrelaxingtone
portrayingthe atmosphere inheaven.
Dramatic monologue
From the sonsperspective,nostalgicmemories
fromthe past.
Semanticfieldof water–‘ driftedstream,’
‘streampath’
The stream could symbolise the cross over to heaven,
as the garden of Eden (in the bible) is boarded by 4
streams.Or it could show the distance between himself
and his parents,or the path he musttake.
Language and its effects – what sortof words
are in the poem? Violent, loving, colloquial,archaic,
semantic fields,diction,religious,romantic language
Constantof lightand dark,‘the sky whitensasif lit
by three suns’
The suns couldrepresentthe narratorandhistwo
parents.Or the sky‘whiten(ing)’couldbythe
brightlightthat people are ‘supposed’to
experience whendyingandgoingupto heaven.
Thisis alsoa turningpointinthe poemas after
thisthe poemintroducesmotionintothe
structure otherthan a still photostructure.
Repetition –‘same three plates’,‘same suit’,‘still
twoyears old’
Thiscouldalso showthatthe narrator is
rememberingafond memory;howeveritcould
alsobe implyinganewmomentthathas
similaritiesfromthe pastasthingsare the ‘same’
as theywere before.

2. Alternative interpretations – Can quotations
be read in two ways for different meanings?
‘histerrierjack......tremblingathisfeet’
This couldsimplycharacterise the personalityof his
childhoodpet, or the dog ‘trembling’ couldsymbolise the
narrator’s fear ofdeath.
‘edenrock’ Edenrock isn’ta real place,so itcouldbe implying
that the poemisset ina differentplace from
earth– heaven.Oritcould be a place that onlyhis
motherand fatherknewaboutthatwas special to
him,and he isrememberingafondmemorythat
he had fromthis place.
‘I hadnot thoughtit wouldbe like this’ It couldbe about the speakerhavingtocross the
streamto become anadult like hisparentsand
howit issimple orit couldbe that itis about
joininghisparentswhenhe dies –andthe poem
isset inheaven – he picturesthemat their
happiestandmostrelaxed.
First2 stanzasare motionless –‘Genuine Irish
tweed,’‘colourof wheat,’
The firsttwo stanzas veryclearlydescribe the
twoparent figures,justlikelookingintoapicture,
or it couldalsobe the narrator pin-pointinga
clearnostalgicmemoryfromthe past.
Structure and its effects – tonal shifts,pace,
caesura,whatrhyme stresses,beginning, middle,end,
repetition,dialogue and where it happens,enjambment
Caesura– ‘myfather,twentyfive,inthe same
suit.’
Introducesa pause andshiftinmovement,and
drawsattentiontothe factthat the fatheris
‘twentyfive’.Thiscouldimplythathe isinheaven
where he will be foreveryoung,ora photothat
the author islookingat.
Emphasizesthe final thoughtsof the poem,it’s

3. One line stanzaat the end.‘ I had notthought
that itwouldbe like this‘
clearand un poeticwhichcouldsymbolise the
decisionthatthe narrator hasmade.‘I had not
thought’ispast tense thiscouldbe himchanging
hismindfromthe pastdecisionthathe had made.
Tone and its effects – talking aboutmoods
which are evoked and where, narrative voice
‘theybeckontome’ Encouragingthe son to perhapspassintothe
afterlife.Thishasa verycalm tone and has a very
slowpace dreamyatmosphere,whichcouldbe
implyingthatthe parentsaren’tforcinghimto
come overand that theyare ‘leisurely’waitingfor
himwheneverhe isready.
‘see where the streampathis!...notas hard as
youmightthink’ Thiscouldbe the parentsencouraginghissonnot
to give intodeathas there will alwaysbe a‘path’
to the otherside,whatevertime he wants,orthe
suddenchange intone and characterisationof the
parentspresentsamore forceful tone to
encourage the childtocross the streamand join
them
‘spinsa stone alongthe water’
Couldsymbolise the narratorbeingindecisive on
hisdecisiontopassoverto the ‘otherside or not’
or couldshowhowleisurelyandattractive the
afterlife is
Imagery and its effects - metaphor,simile,
personification,visual sense
‘driftedstream’ Symbolise howthe parentsandthe narrator
where separatedbuttheyare nowcomingcloser
together.
‘spriggeddress’ The intricatelypatterneddresshasflowersand
budswovenontoit – suggestsnature anda new
start to something(growth)
‘pourstea froma thermos,’same three plates,’
stiff white cloth’
The motherknowsthat the son iscoming,is
preparinga meal forhimwhenhe comesas she
knowstheywill meetagain. There isahomelyfeel
to the imageryhere – it isnatural and everyday.

4. Feelslike itanormal thingto happen
Context – authorial,social and historical
Born in1917, he was a Cornishmanandhisfather
diedwhenhe was7. His motherfell ill inhislater
life andhe nursedherfor 6 years until she died.
Throughoutall hispoemstheyshowinsightsto
hislife andfamily,and Edenrockis saidto be
abouthis motherandfather. Poemisperhaps
aboutwantingto be reunitedwithparentsin
deathor it couldbe about rememberingthe
specificdetailsof theirlives,theirdressandtheir
personalities.