AQA GCSE English Literature Paper 2 Love and Relationships Poetry Anthology

Quotes to remember

Walking away:

Like a satellite wrenched from its orbit,

'wrenched' (onomatopoeic) emphasises pain

'satellite' is unnatural (separation is unnatural)

Like a winged seed loosened from its parent stem

'loosened' is gentle

'seed', 'stem' is natural imagery (growing more accepting of separation)

Pathos of a half-fledged thing set free, Hesitant figure, Finds no path where the path should be

'pathos' (evoking pity), 'half-fledged' (not ready), 'hesitant', 'no path' shows son as vulnerable

anxious tone

Scorching ordeals which fire one's irresolute clay

'scorching' is painful

'irresolute clay' shows he is forever changed

Love is proved in the letting go

You walking away from me

Physical separation of 'you' and 'me'

Eden rock:

Genuine Irish Tweed, Thermos, old H.P. Sauce bottle

Remembers small details (vivid memory)

The same three plates, the tin cups painted blue

Nostalgic tone

The sky whitens as if lit by three suns

Change in lighting (+ perspective)

Leisurely

Caesura, Pace slows down, shows hesitance (bad relationship with parents?)

Crossing is not as hard as you think

Parents present even at death (truly love him), encouraging

I had not thought it would be like this

Feels pressured to cross?

Follower:

His shoulders globed like a full sail

'o' (assonance) and simile emphasise father's strength

Image of Greek Atlas – superhuman, god-like

Nautical imagery – steady, unsinking like a ship

An expert. mapping the furrow exactly

Fact-like, emphasising father's skill, blind admiration of an awe-struck child

All I ever did was follow in his broad shadow

Unable to live up to expectations of carrying on family tradition

Tripping, falling, yapping

Triplet exaggerates his nuisance, contrast to father's control of horses

It is my father who keeps stumbling

Role-reversal – passing on family traditions, aging

Will not go away

Is son annoyed? Sad that father can no longer keep farming

Climbing my grandfather: