“Visiting Hour” by Norman MacCaig

Stanza 1 The hospital smell combs my nostrils as they go bobbing along green and yellow corridors.

Stanza 2 What seems a corpse is trundled into a lift and vanishes heavenward.

Stanza 3 I will not feel, I will not feel, until I have to.

Stanza 4 Nurses walk lightly, swiftly here and up and down and there, their slender waists miraculously carrying their burden of so much pain, so many deaths, their eyes still clear after so many farewells.

Stanza 5 Ward 7. She lies in a white cave of forgetfulness. A withered hand trembles on its stalk. Eyes move behind eyelids too heavy to raise. Into an arm wasted of colour a glass fang is fixed, not guzzling but giving. and between her and me distance shrinks till there is none left but the distance of pain that neither she nor I can cross.

Stanza 6 She smiles a little at this black figure in her white cave who clumsily rises in the round swimming waves of a bell and dizzily goes off, growing fainter, not smaller, leaving behind only books that will not be read fruitless fruits.

Title of the poem Title “Visiting Hour” immediately sets the scene in place and time.

Stanza 1 - annotated The hospital smell combs my nostrils Stanzas 1 and 2 evoke the idea of a journey Stanza 1 - annotated Sets scene by referring to the protagonist’s senses Sounds painful – smell pungent and unpleasant, acrid and acerbic The hospital smell combs my nostrils as they go bobbing along green and yellow corridors. Synecdoche: clearly HE is moving along the corridor, not just his nostrils! Focuses attention on nostrils in order to emphasise idea of “hospital smell” being so overpowering he can’t think about anything else. Intensifies his feelings of unease. Unpleasant connotations – vomit/ pus: clearly uncomfortable here. Finds experience distressing.

Stanza 2 - annotated What seems a corpse Stanzas 1 and 2 evoke the idea of a journey Stanza 2 - annotated Indicates what must be on his mind – assumption of it being a dead body. Word choice: suggests lack of care by porter – doesn’t need to take care if person is dead? What seems a corpse is trundled into a lift and vanishes heavenward. 5 Enjambment: Effect is to focus on the word at the end of the line – emphasising that his thoughts are on death and finality. Suggests his journey along the corridors as well as confused state of mind. On its last journey? Is he worried that he may be too late – for a sick relative, perhaps? Mood/ atmosphere: general feeling of hopelessness at this stage of the visit.

Stanza 3 - annotated I will not feel, I will not feel, until Repetition: as is he is talking to himself, denying feelings that are too painful. Trying to keep himself strictly under control, trying to keep upsetting emotions at bay. I will not feel, I will not feel, until I have to. Protagonist making a conscious, determined effort to remain detached (“I will not feel”) until the inevitable time when he has to face up to this situation – but not yet. 10 Enjambment and staccato rhythm, short verse, monosyllabic words plus repetition highlight the atmosphere of tension.

Stanza 4 - annotated Nurses walk lightly, swiftly Mood/ atmosphere – distracted and busy, moving on to a more sombre mood. Stanza 4 - annotated Connotations of easy efficiency Nurses walk lightly, swiftly here and up and down and there, their slender waists Syntax: unusual word order emphasises busyness of nurses, seemingly everywhere at once. Repetition of “and” creates jerkiness in rhythm like going up or down steps and adds to pace (“swiftly”) of previous line. Suggestion of health, so slight but with strength – distracted by appreciative eye for young women

miraculously carrying their burden of so much pain, so Word choice: reminds us how difficult he is finding it to be able to cope – contrast with nurses’ confidence and their coping abilities He is finding it hard to cope – word choice: connotations of difficulty/ weight miraculously carrying their burden of so much pain, so many deaths, their eyes still clear after so many farewells. Repetition reminds us of what he is yet to face – pain of the death of a loved one 15 Able to see clearly, unclouded by sentiment/ emotion/ experience. Young and confident. Repetition emphasises the responsibility nurses carry and, intensified by enjambment, strengthens contrast with protagonist, extent of his emotional pain, and his responsibilities

Stanza 5 - annotated Ward 7. She lies Short, abrupt. He comes to a standstill. Numeral stands out – we can visualise the door with its number. We can imagine his dread seeing the door. He cannot put off this moment any longer. Caesura – unexpected and indicates a long pause in his journey. He has arrived at his destination. As if he has to take a deep breath, pull himself together in order to brace himself for entry. Ward 7. She lies in a white cave of forgetfulness. A withered hand trembles on its stalk. Enjambment emphasises her helplessness and gender (wife or mother?) 20 Literally – white curtains round white bed, patient barely conscious (coma?). Metaphor – cut off from rest of world as is in a faraway “cave”. “Cave” connotations of womb – going back to where we began and then into oblivion. “White” as if seeing her through snow/ fog – vague and fading. White out or white noise – unable to communicate. Cave has connotations of past cultures where old people, when they become a burden, were left in caves to die. Extreme frailty “withered”/ “stalk” reminds us of flowers – fragility and beauty. Protagonist looks with love. With age or with disease – reminder of death.

behind eyelids too heavy to raise. Into an arm wasted Word choice – finished, irrecoverable. Enjambment – attempts to communicate but so weak she can’t. Burden of approaching death and leaving loved ones behind. Moving hand and eyelids emphasise her attempts to communicate which further emphasises how utterly alone each is. Alone with pain. We are born alone and die alone – no-one else can experience it. It is your own. Caesura – as if he has paused and now sees her situation more fully. Eyes move behind eyelids too heavy to raise. Into an arm wasted of colour a glass fang is fixed, not guzzling but giving. 25 Alliteration suggests his disgust at the blood flowing from the drip, feeding into her veins. Run on from enjambment suggests she has been sucked of her blood until she is colourless Vampire image Word choice: makes picture almost obscene Image of vampire in reverse helps to convey his dismay, distress and pity for her suffering. Feeling that whole process is intrusive and pointless.

distance shrinks till there is none left She is alone with her pain which creates an invisible, insurmountable barrier between them. He will never reach her now. Image of distance shrinking conveys his feelings of desolation/ helplessness at being able to reach or help her. and between her and me distance shrinks till there is none left but the distance of pain that neither she nor I can cross. Intimate Enjambment: focus back to protagonist and his distressing isolation. Longest line in poem intensifies his feelings of isolation and helplessness. 30 Repetition of “distance”. “can cross” is on a line by itself – connotations of crossing the Rubicon (passing the place of no return – death). Finality and aloneness. Imagery in this verse effectively monitors the opening of the floodgates to the feelings he was trying to hold back earlier.

Stanza 6 - annotated She smiles a little at this Understands the isolation and the futility of communication – she feels for him but smiles to reassure him that it is alright to feel distressed. When the bell rings he is in a highly emotional state. Stanza 6 - annotated He feels he is an intrusion – he doesn’t belong She smiles a little at this black figure in her white cave who clumsily rises in the round swimming waves of a bell Word choice: he has now lost control Visual words used unusually to describe sound (synaesthesia) Metaphor: escapes from his distress like a drowning man seeking dry land intense tears/ emotion losing control

and dizzily goes off, growing fainter, Emphasises loss of control Literally becoming fainter as he distances himself from the patient but – PUN – also feeling faint with emotion. Feels clumsy. He still means a lot to her. and dizzily goes off, growing fainter, not smaller, leaving behind only books that will not be read fruitless fruits. 35 She is beyond his reach now. He cannot help. Paradox: he has brought books he knows she will never read and fruit she will never eat. He visits but he knows he makes no difference to the final outcome. This is intensified by the oxymoron. Grief. Alliteration: intensification of the futility of the situation. Like a distressed sigh.