Resumen
Summary English IEB Poetry: Touch
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In depth line by line analysis of Touch by Hugh Lewis
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Touch - Hugh LewisWhen I get out
I'm going to ask someone
to touch me
very gently please
and slowly,
touch me
I want
to learn again
how life feels.
I've not been touched
for seven years
for seven years
I've been untouched
out of touch
and I've learnt
to know now
the meaning of untouchable.
Untouched-not quite
I can count the things
that have touched me
One: fists
At the beginning
fierce mad fists
beating beating
till I remember
screaming
Don't touch me
please don't touch me.
Two: paws
The first four years of paws
every day
patting paws, searching
- arms up, shoes off
legs apart -
prodding paws, systematic
heavy, indifferent
probing away
, all privacy.
I don't want fists and paws
I want
to want to be touched
again
and to touch,
I want to feel alive
again
want to say
when I get out
Here am
please touch me.
Analysis
"Touch" by Hugh Lewis is a poignant exploration of the fundamental human longing for
connection and redemption. Composed during his incarceration at Pretoria Central Prison,
the poem delves into the various modes of human interaction. It starkly contrasts the
tender caress shared with a loved one and the invasive intrusion of a prison guard.
Despite portraying the despair and sorrow of the imprisoned, the poem concludes with an
optimistic promise of catharsis and renewal for the detainee upon re-establishing
contact with others post-release. This work, created by a political prisoner in the era of
apartheid, is also seen as a metaphor for the violence and indifference exhibited by the
apartheid regime towards black South Africans.
"Touch" adopts a free verse style, consisting of six stanzas of varying lengths. Notably,
the first two stanzas both comprise nine lines. The poem lacks a structured rhyme
scheme and adheres to an irregular meter, with lines varying in length and no recurring
pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. The lines are quite concise, typically
spanning just three or four syllables, generating a staccato or clipped rhythm that
mirrors the sense of confinement and tension, possibly echoing the experience of
incarceration.
The title of the poem is intriguing as it carries multifaceted connotations and
interpretations within different contexts. "Touch" can function as both a verb and a noun,
encompassing a wide range of meanings. As a verb, it can signify making contact, handling,
or affecting. As a noun, it can denote the act of stroking or patting something, a subtle
detail or suggestion, or the skillful ability to manage something. Common phrases involving
"touch" include "in touch," "losing touch," "out of touch," "touching on," "touching off," and
"touching down." The deliberate ambiguity of the title invites readers to contemplate how
a seemingly simple word like "touch" can possess a multitude of meanings, connotations,
and contradictions. It encourages exploration of how the concept of touch can be
viewed from diverse perspectives. In its literal sense, it signifies a physical connection
between two entities, while figuratively, it represents a psychological or emotional
connection between individuals or creatures.
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