n-depth essay plan on the theme Loss in Skirrid Hill. Covers an introduction and paragraphs. It has quotes, poetry terms, references, interpretations, context etc. All you need to write an A standard answer to the exam question.
Examine the presentation of loss;
Intro: Sheers presents loss as a natural closure to the victim but more importantly to the narrator.
On Going:
Title- euphemism for dying, symbolic of the circle of life or the idea that death is dragged out
and painful. The in memory of Jean Sheers indicates this is directed to his Grandmother
creating an intimate atmosphere.
Two semantic fields of nature and machines- it is clear Sheers grandmother wanted a natural
death as she rejects the “instruments” remaining “disconnected” to them. They made solely
to “measure, record and monitor” with the absence of cure/heal suggesting medicine and
human intervention only draws out the inevitable.
He describes her as an “ancient child” implying her vulnerability because of her mental state
being similar that that of a “child” and her “fragile” body is referred to as a relic. This idea is
again reinforced with her “paper temple”. “Paper” is an incredibly delicate material that can
almost come apart by touch suggesting her skin is flaking, cells dying.
The plosive sound in “blustery”, “breath” and “blind” reflects the effort and force she exerts
to simply breathe. He uses anthropomorphism to show how her “breath” was constantly
“working” to survive. It portrays a despondent and uncomfortable view on dying that’s not
as peaceful as sometimes portrayed and even romanticised in literature
Closure- for the narrator he hits the only closure “he needed anyway” which she managed to
give him was her being able to recognise him. The intimate forehead “kiss” initiates her
“eyes” to “flicker open” with “understanding”. The “half-second” is a moment where both
are in understanding and harmony; the goodbye he needed before she “disengaged” again
and communication is lost. The adjective “disengaged” could be symbolising of her actual
eyes or ambiguously her life, soul leaving her physical body
Sheers finishes with sibilance to create s soft sound where we presume, she dies. She
“slipped back into the sleep” being a euphemism of death. Although her death doesn’t
appear overly painful the verb “slipped” suggests it’s not a voluntary passing.
The Wake:
Title- double meaning with clear connotations of a funeral/death but also a boat
Sheers uses a narrative structure to create an intimate atmosphere between the man dying and
the reader/narrator. Sheers achieves this by opening honestly with him looking Sheers “straight
in the eye” and the use of personal pronouns.
Pain- the subject is in pain telling the reader “he doesn’t want this” to have the “doctor”
unnaturally “plumb” into the depths of his “scarred lungs”. The adjective “scarred” implies not
only the torment he has endured but their inability to completely heal
Boat imagery (extended metaphor?)- The “wake” is what follows a boat (title). Semantic field of
“oceans” “seas” “coastal winds” etc. Sheers uses the metaphor of the disease being “storms” that
are “gathering” In his lungs- “storms” can be deadly for boats. He uses a metaphor of “two pale
lungs” to describe his lungs as how they appear on x-rays.
Legacy- Sheers summaries his legacy in the metaphor of the wake “has left a wake that of a great
ship” symbolising the magnitude of his life’s legacy of being a doctor. It is that extensive and
powerful “It disturbs the sea for miles either side” to emphasise the amount of people his
presence has affected.
Death- the patient Is completely aware of his mortality being a doctor who had “spent so
many years” diagnosing others. Sheers foreshadows the inevitable when he “stands in its
frame” implying a coffin “to wave me away” to say goodbye. He is aware that his knowledge
is a “curse” and comes to the realisation “there has already been a passing”. Death is
imminent. His “passing” is subtly emphasised with the rhyme and the end of his poem to
signify closure.
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