This poem was very hard for me to read because it is talking about something so realistic in many people’s lives. I have heard the saying, “you don’t know what you have until it is gone” and this seems to fall perfectly into that. The narrator does not realize that those memories of conversations and interactions are the bond that the father and child share. In the beginning of the poem it talks about the fact that this is the last time they see their father. It seems from their description that the father is looking healthy and has come to terms with the medical problem he has. He is calm and is talking to his child to reassure them that there is nothing to be scared of in death. Whether we as the audience can trust that the child sees the truth and is talking to us as if denying it or actually doesn’t see the truth is a problem when it comes to any writing with a first-person narration. In line 25 the narrator recounts what it was that they said to their father but never in the poem do they actually talk about any emotion or thoughts they have. This seems to allow the audience to come to one of two conclusions: either the narrator has no bond with the father and no emotion towards him or they are trying to keep them well hidden because the emotions are that strong that one slip and they will fall into their emotions. It seems to me that the second conclusion is the more accurate one for a few reasons, but the main one is the subtle regret that shadows the words and shows through in the fact that the narrator wanted that connection to be stronger and wishes that maybe they would have had more time later to be able to strengthen their relationship. The hardest part is seeing that the narrator talks about the fact that there is “no embrace, nothing dramatic”. It is mentioned for a reason and it seems as though the child has regrets about the way the last interaction went even before it ended, which explains the trembling of the hand and not knowing how to show their parents how they feel. If I could talk to the narrator there is only one thing I would explain and that is the fact that their parents, both of them, probably knew the truth and felt a bond with their child that made it worthwhile for them.
1 comment:
I think the phrase, "you don't know what you have until it's gone" is a wonderful phrase to metion for this poem. The love expressed in this poem shows that the love is very delicate. In the end it mentions about the trembling hand. What is meant by this, is that the person is upset and wants to be loved the same way they feel about that person. Good job going into depth about the poem. Well done!
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