The Exact Moment I Became a Poet

“rapping the duster on the easel’s peg half obscured by a cloud of chalk”

• onomatopoeia and enjambment creates an unsettling tension and unease in the classroom setting

• the teacher looming in the cloud of dust has a domineering effect

“mark my words, you’ll end up in the sewing factory”

• this harsh, flippant, contemptuous and callous remark of the teacher degrades the work of women in the factory

• it was weaponised as a threat to keep girls in school

“those words ‘end up’ robbed the labour of its dignity.'“

• there should not have been such negative connotations with the work the women did - it was honest work and deserved honest respect

• full stop at the end of the sentence conveys the importance of the point the poet is making

“not that I knew it then, not in those words - labour, dignity”

• the poet reflects on the memory seared into her mind, and only appreciates the weight of her words in adulthood

• repitition of the words ‘labour’ and ‘dignity’ highlights the deep offence to the teachers uninhibited words

• however, though harsh and inconsiderate the teachers comment held some truth - adult Meehan acknowledges harsh reality

“I saw them: mothers, aunts and neighbours trussed like chickens on a conveyor belt”

• in spite of holding truth, the teacher’s comment was dehumanising/subverting and the women working to support their family deserve better.

• simile explores the condition/treatment of women at the time by comparing them to farm animals

• this graphic image is emotive and appeals to our sense of morality and empathy

• the word ‘saw’ is italicised to emphasise how the poet witnessed these people, individuals being treated poorly - the teacher’s threat was their reality

“getting sewn up the way my granny sewed the sage and onion stuffing into the birds”

• metaphor shows how women are trapped/suffocated by the expectation placed on them - dreams of being anything more are dashed out of them

• the harsh tone reflects the harsh and scathing treatment of women

“words could pluck you, leave you naked”

• alliteration of harsh consonants have an onomatopoeic effect

• power and pain of words is explored through the teacher’s careless remark, as it demeans women yet the poet turned it into a source of inspiration

“your lovely shiny feathers all gone”

• metaphor for creativity and optimism, and how easily they can be stifled by thoughtless word

• however, the poet harnesses the power of words to inspire, enlighten, empower and encourage people

• her poetry serves a greater purpose than mere leisure