A child to his sick grandfather analysis and context

Who wrote this poem

Joanna Baille

Context?

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father died when she was 16

religious

Early Romantic

What is special about the play being written in the first person?

Builds empathy

lank, thin, white hairs, wan, hollow, brow, rough

semantic field of old age

final lines>?

truncated final lines, connotes sense of a sudden, jarring stop to their memories, because he died

I’ll lead you kindly by the hand?

Juxtaposes ‘and tell me how good children did’ reversal of roles

story about the knight?

wants the dad to be brave like the knight and overcome death

story about the fox?

wants the father to be cunning like the fox and cheat death and return

you will not die and leave us then?

rhetorical question, link to stages of grief, denies his death

expresses the idea that she is in grief

we’ll doff our shoes and softly tread

more denial, pretending he’s alive

take off shows out of respect

and when the weary fire turns blue

metaphor, when he dies, fire that reflects his life goes out

euphemism

weary represents his age

rhyme scheme?

AABBCC

shows strong relationship with father for the whole time

how lank and thin your bear hangs down!

how wan and hollow are your cheeks!

exclamations

shock at his age

I love my own old dad

possessiveness with ‘my’

and for your weal each neighbour cares,

and god men kneel, and say their prayers

internal and normal rhyme

emphasises the unity to save him

religion and community working together

simple syntax

straightforward relationship, no complications

form?

lament for the dead

Who could this be about?

poet’s father, died when she was 16

you love a story, dad?

rhetorical question, unwilling to accept death

dad

refrain, repeated at the end of most stanzas in the poem, emphasises her love for her father and her complete attention is for him only

regular form and structure?

she is devoted to her father