After the Titanic' Derek Mahon

They said I got away in a boat / and humbled me at the inquiry.

Ambiguous pronoun, Passive voice - "They" suggests paranoia or bitterness; reflects how Ismay sees himself as a victim of public judgement.

I sank as far that night as any / hero.

Metaphor, Irony, Enjambment - He compares his guilt to death, equating survival with tragedy—shows self-pity and distorted perspective.

I turned to ice

Metaphor, Irony - He emotionally froze while others physically froze—highlights his detachment and guilt.

pandemonium of / prams, pianos, sideboards...

Explosive alliteration, Listing, Sensory imagery - The harsh sounds evoke chaos; domestic items highlight the loss of ordinary life and innocence.

Now I hide / in a lonely house behind the sea

Setting, Isolation, Enjambment - Suggests shame and withdrawal from public life; sea symbolises memory and trauma he cannot escape.

broken toys and hatboxes / silently at my door.

Symbolism, Personification, Visual imagery suggesting women and children - Objects suggest guilt and lost lives—possibly children's. The silence makes the guilt haunting.

The showers of April, flowers of May mean nothing to me,

Seasonal imagery, Contrast, Emotive language - Suggests depression and detachment from the world; he can't appreciate beauty anymore.

heart / breaks loose and rolls down like a stone.

Enjambment, Simile, Physical metaphor - Emotion becomes physical; shows how grief and guilt are heavy, real, and ongoing.

Include me in your commemorations.

Imperative, Biblical tone, Final line - Ismay demands to be mourned like the victims—reveals self-importance and desire for redemption.