Visiting Hour Norman MacCaig.

Visiting Hour Norman MacCaig

What is the poem about? The speaker talks about his visit to an ill relative in hospital. In the poem, the speaker is determined to maintain his composure and avoid his emotions, in order to prevent transmitting his worry and fear to his friend This attempt to switch off his emotions, however, is ultimately unsuccessful and in the end he is forced to confront the reality of both his own and his friend’s mortality. He is overcome by his grief and anguish, and leaves the visit feeling as though it has been pointless.

Form STRUCTURE : Free verse used throughout poem in order to better convey poet’s confused emotions. TONE: The tone in the poem changes. Begins nervously/humorously then shifts to sadness when faced with patient.

Themes On your own, read through the poem.
In your jotters, make a note of any key themes or key ideas that you notice. You should also write down a justification – why have you selected it? Example: Theme = Inevitability of Death. Speaker is forced to confront his own mortality, as well as that of his friend. Although he puts off thinking about it, and doesn’t allow himself to feel the emotions he knows that he has – “I will not feel” – he understands that the death of his friend is inescapable.

Key Themes Inevitability of death/Mortality – faces his own mortality as well as that of his friend. Understands cannot escape death. Isolation – specifically the isolation caused by illness and/or death, as he is separated from his friend due to this. Spirituality – reference to afterlife suggests a belief in a greater being/plain. Fear – unable to control his emotions and is evidently scared about what is coming.

Task We will now go on to work at identifying these themes within the poem, as well as discussing how they work within it. You should answer the following questions as fully as possible. You can use your notes for this.

Some Techniques: Simile/Metaphor/Personification
Question One By referring to one example of imagery from lines 1-4, explain how the theme of fear is developed. (2 marks) Name the technique. Quote. What is being compared? What effect does this have/what does it show? Refer back to question – how does it develop theme of fear? Some Techniques: Simile/Metaphor/Personification

Example MacCaig uses a metaphor in the lines “carrying their burden/ of so much pain”. Here, the image compares the emotional pain that nurses endure, to a physical load. This emphasises the amount of weight that they carry on a daily basis, as well as conveying the speaker’s surprise – they are struck by the seemingly effortless way that the nurses (presented as fragile figures) can carry on their tasks in such a manner despite the emotional weight of grief and death. This stresses his feelings of despair as he (understandably) seems to struggle with the idea of death and tries not to let the situation get to him – he sees the strain that such issues has on these nurses, and is fearful of the pain he knows he will need to endure.

Question Two By referring to one example of a poetic technique in lines , explain how the theme of isolation is enhanced. (2 marks) Name the technique. Quote. What is being compared? OR Why is it used? What effect does this have/what does it show? Refer back to question – how does it develop theme of isolation? Some Techniques: Simile/Metaphor/Personification/ List/Word Choice/Repetition

Some Techniques: Simile/Metaphor/List/Word Choice/Repetition
Question Three By referring to lines 10-18, identify one poetic technique and explain how they develop the theme of mortality. (2 marks) Name the technique. Quote. What is being compared? OR Why is it used? What effect does this have/what does it show? Refer back to question – how does it develop theme of isolation? Some Techniques: Simile/Metaphor/List/Word Choice/Repetition

Question Four By referring to at least one example of imagery within lines 19-30, explain how the mood of the poem is conveyed. (2 marks) Identify the mood (pessimistic, depressing, despairing etc). Name the technique. Quote. What is being compared? OR Why is it used? What effect does this have/what does it show? Refer back to question – how does it develop the mood? Some Techniques: Simile/Metaphor/List/Word Choice/Repetition

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

Word Choice – “hospital smell” is something everyone is familiar with
Word Choice – “hospital smell” is something everyone is familiar with. Draws the reader in and creates a shared point of view as speaker can imagine the smell. Metaphor = discomfort. Emphasises strength of the smell – overpowering, has blocked out other senses. “Comb” is a brush. So the metaphor develops image of the smell physically raking through the speakers body, touching every strand of his sense of smell. We can relate to this smell – represents idiosyncratic atmosphere of the hospital, and emphasises abrasiveness of the clinical odour. This causes discomfort & emphasises discontent within setting. The hospital smell combs my nostrils as they go bobbing along green and yellow corridors. “go bobbing alone” = Synecdoche: Of course, not just his nostrils are moving along, as the image would suggest. This again emphasises the powerful nature of “the hospital smell”, since it has blocked out his other senses. “bobbing” – pleasant connotations: as though trying to trick himself into thinking it won’t be as bad as he thinks “Green and Yellow” Word choice: colours have connotations of sickness, which further stresses the poet’s discomfort in these surroundings. Reinforces reality of situation – the speaker is visiting a patient

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

is trundled into a lift and vanishes
Image of death: the speaker is clearly preoccupied with images of death and interprets the patient in a negative way. This links to the theme of despair: though not mentioning the word death, his mind automatically makes this assumption. This contributes to the pessimistic mood. Enjambment/word choice Throughout the stanza MacCaig uses enjambment to highlight words associated with death. What seems a corpse is trundled into a lift and vanishes heavenward. Introduces the themes of mortality and sense of despair. The lift may enact a physical ascension, however the mood of depression and grief that is evident within these lines links the journey to that of a soul ascending to heaven. From this, the patient represents death and mortality – whether they are alive or not. Betrays speaker’s unstated fear, that the person he is visiting could just as easily be the corpse. Therefore metaphor demonstrates both the theme of mortality through the speakers fear of death, as well as the theme of despair through the mood of grief that permeates the image.

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

I will not feel, I will not
Repetition: Poet seems to be chanting to himself – trying to control his emotions. his senses of smell and colour are vividly portrayed, but he seems determined to keep his emotions subdued. The speaker is trying to hold himself together. This is ultimately futile, however: the first two stanzas establish the stark reality of the situation: he is in a hospital and he is visiting a sick relative. “until/I have to” suggests a certain inevitability: just as the “hospital smell” was overpowering, so too the feelings of sadness and despair will eventually overwhelm him. I will not feel, I will not feel, until I have to. The use of enjambment especially emphasises the word “feel” and clearly conveys how desperately the speaker would like to remain numb.

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

Nurses walk lightly, swiftly, here and up and down there,
Structure: The unusual syntax creates the impression of the nurses surrounding the speaker and working quickly and efficiently. Word choice of “lightly”, “swiftly” & “slender” – connotations of delicacy, as though they are carefree. This contrasts to the dark ‘heavy’ image of the “corpse” from the previous stanza. Nurses walk lightly, swiftly, here and up and down there, their slender waists miraculously Word choice of “miraculously” = the speaker marvels at this capacity to cope with such a “burden” on a regular basis. Suggests that the speaker feels as though he cannot do the same.

carrying their burden of so much pain, so many deaths, their eyes
Metaphor/contrast: the speaker is struck by the seemingly effortless way that the nurses (presented as fragile figures) can carry on their tasks in such a manner despite the emotional weight of grief / death. Suggests his feeling of despair / helplessness as he (understandably) seems to struggle with the idea of death and tries not to let the situation get to him. Repetition: “so many” – we saw how smells overwhelmed his nostrils in the opening stanzas, here the speaker uses repetition to emphasise how ‘miraculous’ the nurses seem to him as they are not overwhelmed by emotion. However repetition of “so” instead stresses the frequency of the nurses’ unpleasant dealings carrying their burden of so much pain, so many deaths, their eyes still clear after so many farewells. The final line in this stanza draws attention to the word farewells which links to the next and reminds us of the main purpose of the speaker's visit. This word has connotations of saying goodbye to someone embarking on a journey. While death is the final journey all of us must make, there is an implication too that perhaps he will meet his friend again, suggesting his desire to believe in an afterlife.

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.

Ward 7. She lies in a white cave of forgetfulness.
Structure: A minor sentence (non-sentence) draws attention to this turning point in the poem. The speaker has arrived at his destination. The use of caesura– a pause that breaks up a line of verse– in the opening of this stanza illustrates the immediate, inescapable simplicity of the situation: Ward 7. Ward 7. She lies in a white cave of forgetfulness. Metaphor – suggests that the curtains/sheets are cave-like. Creates a physical separation/isolation between the patient and the speaker. “White” = connotations of purity & goodness, also a lack of colour. “Cave” = contrastingly has connotations of darkness – thus the metaphor jars slightly: unusual to hear of a “white cave”. Thus through the image of a white curtained bed, sense of emptiness/hollowness created – further strengthened by reference to the empty “cave”. The vivid colour of the hospital is not present here: there is no vibrancy. Is a suggestion of the patient’s lack of understanding / life slipping away.

trembles on its stalk. Eyes move behind eyelids too heavy
Metaphor = hand is likened to a flower. Mention of a “stalk” = the idea of a flower – her hand becomes a fragile flower on its stem. The word “withered” = pathetic image of degeneration, emphasises the loss of vitality within the woman, thus contributing to the development of the themes of both despair and mortality. Continued through “trembles” = reinforces a sense of weakness – a lack of strength and life. Emphasises the fragility of the woman's life, thus embodying the theme of mortality. A withered hand trembles on its stalk. Eyes move behind eyelids too heavy to raise Image: This links to the idea of the “withered hand”. The patient is extremely weak. She has insufficient strength to open her eyes and see him. Note: Despite emphasis in frailty, there is an implicit hope that, just as flowers and plants die and go to seed, so too there is the possibility for regrowth and new life, again revealing the speaker’s desire to believe in some kind of afterlife.

of colour a glass fang is fixed, not guzzling but giving
Senses (colour): The lack of colour creates the idea of life and vitality having been drained away. Again, this contributes to the theme of despair: the patient is very sick. This also complements “withered” as it emphasises the utter lack of strength. Into an arm wasted of colour a glass fang is fixed, not guzzling but giving “Fang” has connotations of vampirism – of life being sucked out of you, danger, sharpness, pain. These dangerous connotations jar with the fact that the ‘fang’ is actually supporting life rather than destroying it. “Glass” has connotations of fragility – again emphasising the patients fragility, as well as the tenuous connection she has to life: the only thing supporting/aiding her is the “fang”.

distance shrinks till there is none left
Theme of despair: As established in the opening of the stanza and the reference to her eyes, the patient is not able to interact. Metaphor: The speaker recognises that whilst he can physically touch the patient, she is dying and he is alive: they are in different places. He has entered the hospital, found her ward and reached her bedside but he cannot “touch” 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. Enjambment: Poet uses the gap between lines to emphasise distance between patient and visitor.

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 and fruitless fruits.

Contrast becomes an important feature in this stanza
Contrast becomes an important feature in this stanza. The distance between the two figures (one alive, one near death) is highlighted in the description of the black figure in her white cave. Contrasting colours show different situations of the speaker and the patient. The visitor, black, is bold and stands out starkly against the white surroundings. The patient, on the other hand, looks weak and insubstantial The “black figure” may = the grim reaper, again returning to theme of death/mortality. She smiles a little at this black figure in her white cave who clumsily rises in the round swimming waves of a bell Metaphor: the bell becomes waves / a swirling whirlpool. This links with the opening where his nostrils were “bobbing”. The progression is from someone who was managing to tread water (holding back his emotions) to someone who is now “drowning” in despair. The speaker has struggled to cope with the situation and it now becomes too much – struggle with emotions. The most difficult thing has not been visiting but leaving.

and dizzily goes off, growing fainter,
This continues the idea of the speaker as a presence in the room rather than someone the patient recognises / interacts with. Just as the patient seems to be fading (“withered”) so too their comprehension of the visit is a vague recognition / understanding that something was in the room. Pun: “growing fainter,” suggests both that he is growing fainter in the vision of the patient but also that the poet feels faint. and dizzily goes off, growing fainter, not smaller, leaving behind only books that will not be read and fruitless fruits. Theme: death / despair. The speaker acknowledged the uselessness of the tokens that have been brought. The vivid senses of the opening established the life of the speaker through Paradox/oxymoron: the patient’s inability to eat the fruit or read the books establishes their utter lack of life. The paradox highlights how desperate and hopeless the speaker’s situation is and ends on a sad note of despair. This contributes to the themes of death and despair: though the speaker repeated his intention not to feel, it is obvious that he recognises that death is inevitable. Though refusing to think about the situation at the start of the poem, the speaker admits to the reality of the situation.

Themes On your own, read through the poem.
In your jotters, make a note of any key themes or key ideas that you notice. You should also write down a justification – why have you selected it? Example: Theme = Inevitability of Death. Speaker is forced to confront his own mortality, as well as that of his friend. Although he puts off thinking about it, and doesn’t allow himself to feel the emotions he knows that he has – “I will not feel” – he understands that the death of his friend is inescapable.

Visiting Hour Norman MacCaig

Starter On your paper: Write down at least two facts about Norman MacCaig. Write down a brief summary of Visiting Hour – what happens and who is it about? Write down the key themes of Visiting Hour. What is a simile? What is a metaphor? What is personification?

Task We will now go on to work at identifying these themes within the poem, as well as discussing how they work within it. You should answer the following questions as fully as possible. You can use your notes for this.

Some Techniques: Simile/Metaphor/Personification
Question One By referring to one example of imagery from lines 1-4, explain how the theme of fear is developed. (2 marks) Name the technique. Quote. What is being compared? What effect does this have/what does it show? Refer back to question – how does it develop theme of fear? Some Techniques: Simile/Metaphor/Personification

Example MacCaig uses a metaphor in the lines “carrying their burden/ of so much pain”. Here, the image compares the emotional pain that nurses endure, to a physical load. This emphasises the amount of weight that they carry on a daily basis, as well as conveying the speaker’s surprise – they are struck by the seemingly effortless way that the nurses (presented as fragile figures) can carry on their tasks in such a manner despite the emotional weight of grief and death. This stresses his feelings of despair as he (understandably) seems to struggle with the idea of death and tries not to let the situation get to him – he sees the strain that these issues have on these nurses, and is fearful of the pain he knows he will need to endure.

Do Now 8 minutes to complete! What does the metaphor “in a/ white cave of forgetfulness” tell you about how close MacCaig feels to the patient? Does this metaphor relate to the theme of isolation? If so, how? Consider the lines “What seems a corpse/ is trundled into a lift and vanishes/ heavenward”. What does the word “trundled” mean? What are the connotations of this word? Why is it significant that the body/patient is taken “heavenward” by the lift, instead of simply saying that the lift took the patient up a floor? Extension: How does this quotation develop the theme of spirituality?

Question Two By referring to one example of a poetic technique in lines , explain how the theme of isolation is enhanced. (2 marks) Name the technique. Quote. What is being compared? OR Why is it used? What effect does this have/what does it show? Refer back to question – how does it develop theme of isolation? Some Techniques: Simile/Metaphor/Personification/ List/Word Choice/Repetition

Question Three By referring to lines 10-18, identify one poetic technique and explain how they develop the theme of mortality (death). (2 marks) Name the technique. Quote. What is being compared? OR Why is it used? What effect does this have/what does it show? Refer back to question – how does it develop theme of isolation? Some Techniques: Simile/Metaphor/List/Word Choice/Repetition

Question Four By referring to at least one example of imagery within lines 19-30, explain how the mood of the poem is conveyed. (2 marks) Identify the mood (pessimistic, depressing, despairing etc). Name the technique. Quote. What is being compared? OR Why is it used? What effect does this have/what does it show? Refer back to question – how does it develop the mood? Some Techniques: Simile/Metaphor/List/Word Choice/Repetition

Visiting Hour Norman MacCaig.

Similar presentations

Presentation on theme: "Visiting Hour Norman MacCaig."— Presentation transcript:

Similar presentations

About project

Feedback

Log in

Auth with social network:

Visiting Hour Norman MacCaig.

Similar presentations

Presentation on theme: "Visiting Hour Norman MacCaig."— Presentation transcript:

Similar presentations

About project

Feedback