I’ve Made out a Will
Simon Armitage

I've made out a will; I'm leaving myself
to the National Health. I'm sure they can use
the jellies and tubes and syrups and glues,
the web of nerves and veins, the loaf of brains,
and assortment of fillings and stitches and wounds,
blood - a gallon exactly of bilberry soup –
the chassis or cage or cathedral of bone;
but not the heart, they can leave that alone.
They can have the lot, the whole stock:
the loops and coils and sprockets and springs and rods,
the twines and cords and strands,
the face, the case, the cogs and the hands,
but not the pendulum, the ticker;
leave that where it stops or hangs.
Title, Context & Themes
From ‘Book of
Matches’ (based on
party game where a
person strikes a
match and has until
the flame burns out
to tell their life.
The  represents the
match being struck.

I've made out a will; I'm leaving myself
to the National Health. I'm sure they can use
the jellies and tubes and syrups and glues,
the web of nerves and veins, the loaf of brains,
and assortment of fillings and stitches and wounds,
blood - a gallon exactly of bilberry soup –
the chassis or cage or cathedral of bone;
but not the heart, they can leave that alone.
They can have the lot, the whole stock:
the loops and coils and sprockets and springs and rods,
the twines and cords and strands,
the face, the case, the cogs and the hands,
but not the pendulum, the ticker;
leave that where it stops or hangs.
Themes
Life and death and dealing with
death.
Form, Rhythm & Rhyme
With 14 lines it takes the form of an
atypical sonnet. The connotations of
a sonnet are generally that of love.

I've made out a will; I'm leaving myself
to the National Health. I'm sure they can use
the jellies and tubes and syrups and glues,
the web of nerves and veins, the loaf of brains,
and assortment of fillings and stitches and wounds,
blood - a gallon exactly of bilberry soup –
the chassis or cage or cathedral of bone;
but not the heart, they can leave that alone.
The poem consists of 3
sentences, quickening the
pace. The poem also acts as a
list, as the speaker sets out
the terms of their will.
Some use of rhyme (including
assonance and internal rhyme)
maintains fast pace; it adds a
mechanical quality which fits
into the ideas of the poem.
They can have the lot, the whole stock:
the loops and coils and sprockets and springs and rods,
the twines and cords and strands,
the face, the case, the cogs and the hands,
but not the pendulum, the ticker;
leave that where it stops or hangs.
Description of heart is literally separate
from the rest of the poem; illustrating
a physical and emotional detachment
from the rest of the body.
The almost child-like
simplification of vital organs and
body parts is somewhat lighthearted, suggesting the speaker
doesn’t place much importance
on them.
It could also show how simple the
body becomes when someone is
dead; simply an assortment of
things.
‘chassis’ (the body of a
car) is juxtaposed with
‘cathedral’; the body
is seen both as
something mechanical
and linked with
something holy.
Imagery-Body Parts

I've made out a will; I'm leaving myself
to the National Health. I'm sure they can use
the jellies and tubes and syrups and glues,
the web of nerves and veins, the loaf of brains,
and assortment of fillings and stitches and wounds,
blood - a gallon exactly of bilberry soup –
the chassis or cage or cathedral of bone;
but not the heart, they can leave that alone.
They can have the lot, the whole stock:
the loops and coils and sprockets and springs and rods,
the twines and cords and strands,
the face, the case, the cogs and the hands,
but not the pendulum, the ticker;
leave that where it stops or hangs.
‘loaf’ could be in reference
to the colloquialism ‘using
your loaf’ ; alternatively it
could put importance on
the brain as bread is the
staff of life
The imagery of the
clock links in with
time.
‘Stops’ indicates the
point at which life
ends.
Language & Tone
Indication that the speaker
has not always taken care of
their body
‘cage’ has connotations
of being a prisoner or
trapped in one’s body.
The heart is given
special significance
and importance,
perhaps as it is
commonly linked with
feelings.

I've made out a will; I'm leaving myself
to the National Health. I'm sure they can use
the jellies and tubes and syrups and glues,
the web of nerves and veins, the loaf of brains,
and assortment of fillings and stitches and wounds,
blood - a gallon exactly of bilberry soup –
the chassis or cage or cathedral of bone;
but not the heart, they can leave that alone.
They can have the lot, the whole stock:
the loops and coils and sprockets and springs and rods,
the twines and cords and strands,
the face, the case, the cogs and the hands,
Armitage juxtaposes a
selfless act and casual tone
with a selfish stubbornness
to keep his heart.
This suggests conflicting
emotions, perhaps showing
that the speaker hasn’t fully
come to terms with the
idea of death and wants to
keep a small part of
themselves.
but not the pendulum, the ticker;
leave that where it stops or hangs.
Associating their body with
a machine could be seen as
the speaker accepting
death as something natural
and not tying emotions to
it.
Compare
Poem
Compare
Contrast
Anne Hathaway, Carol Ann Duffy
Both 14 line sonnets with themes of
death.
Dealing with the death of someone else.
‘Anne Hathaway’ uses more lyrical and
romantic imagery; shows admiration of
the deceased, whereas in ‘I’ve made out a
will’ the body is seen as a machine.
On My First Sonne, Ben Johnson
Themes of death and coping with loss.
Both accept idea of death: Johnson sees it
as ‘fate’; the speaker in Armitage’s poem
uses the metaphor of a clock for his heart,
perhaps suggesting that people are
allocated a certain amount of time to live.
‘On My First Sonne’ deals with the death
of someone else. The speaker also
appears grieve the loss more.
Both 14 line atypical sonnets expressing a
single idea.
Both use a lot of imagery and description
to convey the subject matter.
Both fairly fast-paced (‘Patrolling Barnegat
consists of only one sentence).
Deal with different subjects: one death,
the other a storm.
‘Patrolling Barnegat’ is on 3rd person
narrative.
Tone: ‘Patrolling Barnegat’ is more
dramatic, whereas Armitage uses every
day objects to make the situation appear
ordinary.
Patrolling Barnegat, Walt Whitman
Whereas ‘I’ve made out a will’ simplifies
vital organs and other body parts to the
level of everyday objects, Johnson
describes his son as ‘his best piece of
poetrie’. Again, this demonstrates a more
romantic view of life and death.