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Summary In-depth analysis notes of 'Mother, Any Distance' by Simon Armitage
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GCSE English Literature Poetry Anthology: Love & Relationships, 'Mother, Any Distance' by Simon Armitage, Annotation
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Child – Parent Relationship Mother, any DistanceFocus - Title captures 2 essential
aspects of text – focus on From Books of Matches
Central Subject of Poem - The
subject’s mother is the first thing speaker’s mother as central Simon Armitage
in poem and in title – shows subject and extended metaphor
importance, it is a direct address of measurement/distance
First Line - Title taken from first line of
poem; unusual for Armitage. Perhaps because
Ambiguous Verb – It is poem follows structure of pseudo sonnet
not that he wants her
help, but he needs or he is
not ready for solo Mother, any distance greater than a single span List of Items – demonstrates how
responsibility yet requires a second pair of hands. much there is to do and begins to
create a sense of size in house.
You come to help me measure windows, pelmets, doors,
the acres of the walls, the prairies of the floors.
Noun – Connotations of a wilderness
Metaphor – Related to growing landscape – speaker feels he is stepping
separation between him and mother. Hyperbole – Reveals how daunting into unknown territory. Similar
“zero-end” – She was there for him at the new empty house is to son imagery in ‘Waking Away’
the very beginning of life; sense that he
wants her to stay, whilst he moves Military Imagery – Literally, as the son reports the measurements; metaphorically,
away from her as he unspools the tape. seeing his mother at his “base” implies a sense of safety and security he finds with
Reference to umbilical cord? her – conveys son’s desire to retain connection and always return to her.
Ascent – Symbolises the son’s
You at the zero-end, me with the spool of tape, recording Enjambment – Illustrating
the tape lengthening and
gradual independence from length, reporting metres, centimetres back to base, then leaving creating distance
mother – Journey is symbolic
and continues through poem up the stairs, the line still feeding out, unreeling Noun – A “kite” flies high, yet is fragile,
years between us. Anchor. Kite. unstable and unpredictable – representing
Transformation – Shows how relationship is fragile and in flux. Is a
the “line” transforms from childish image contradicting images of
tape to thread of kite Caesura & End-Stop Line – Emphasises adulthood which is longing for.
struggle between dependence & Noun – The mother is the “anchor” =
Metaphor – Intensifies ideas of
independence between parent & child. security, necessary weight, yet a heavy
separation and distance, Ambiguous Noun – Could
enhances kite image - Shows burden preventing son from soaring.
symbolise possibility (starting
son is moving away, embracing a family) or metaphor for his
adventure of impending I space-walk through the empty bedrooms, climb
loneliness & apprehension
adulthood. Similar space
the ladder to the loft, to breaking point, where something
imagery in ‘Walking Away’
has to give; Moment of crisis Turning Point – “breaking point” symbolises the moment
Ascent – He’s at the furthest where relationship must change to prevent it collapsing.
point of his house – journey two floors below your fingertips still pinch
Comparisons to ‘ordeals’ in ‘Walking Away’. Also
ends at some window/portal the last one-hundredth of an inch… I reach deliberate line break to emphasise transitional point
– symbolising possibility &
new horizons towards a hatch that opens on an endless sky Scale & Full Rhyme – small amount suggesting she
is allowing him as much freedom as she can bear
to fall or fly.
Adjective – implies his life is without
Alliterate Metaphor – Shows two possible outcomes limitation, he could achieve anything, Verb – Implies tight hold, also pain; is she causing him
of independence – link to metaphorical phrase ‘flying though this may be daunting pain by holding on? This is the mother’s reluctance
the nest’ – Bird imagery showing break between
parent & child which has to happen for child to
become adult. Direct reference to ‘Walking Away’ Summary 1 Summary 3
The speaker talks directly to As she helps him with this step
Analysing Structure (A02) his mother, who is helping him forward into adulthood, the
Focus & Movement to measure his new house. The speaker uses the image of a
poem uses physical measures fledging bird to reflect on his
.
as an extended metaphor for need to break free and become
End of Poem growing distance between his independent, even as he still
Pseudo Sonnet Th
as a e sp eake r is imagined as a mother and himself. wants her support and help.
Poem loosely structured “fledging bird” symboli
th the dec isive cally
sonnet, wi ll or ready to fly the nest an
for spe aker to “fa d Summary 2
moment th gain independence. This
llin g over int o the 15 The growing distance is both positive and negative. The speaker
fly”, spi ascent best compared
suggests
line. The adapted sonnet ther. ‘Cl imbing my Grandfathe
to wants to be independent and sees this as a necessary part of
mo
the love speaker has for r’ growing up and become and adult. Yet he still wants his mother’s.
Ascent s support in some areas,
The speaker and mother gradually move upwards in house to much Contrasts & Repetition much as she wishes to
loft window to look at sky – shows movement away from • hold
Measurement & Distance hold onto a part of her
mother, speakers move into adulthood and to present ideas • child
Space, Freedom & flight vs imagery of child
of a journey. The sky is life and uncertainty. It is symbolic. foundations & Stability
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