By Amber and Kay


Ornament- an accessory, article, or detail used to beautify the appearance of something

Caustic- severely critical or sarcastic

Reproach- to find fault with (a person, group, etc.); blame; censure.


On Sundays , when the rain held off , after lunch or later ,
I would go with my twelve year old daughter into town, and put down the time at junk sales , antique fairs.


There I would lean over tables, absorbed by lace, wooden frames, glass . My daughter stood at the other end of the room, her flame-coloured hair obvious wheneverwhich was not often-


I turned around.
I turned around.
She was gone.


Grown. No longer ready to come with me, whenever a dry Sunday held out its promises of small histories. Endings.


When I was young
I studied styles: their use and origin. Which age was known for which ornament: and was always drawn to a lyric speech, a civil tone.
But never thought
I would have the need, as I do now, for a darker one :


Spirit of irony, my caustic author of the past, of memory,and of its pain, which returns hurts, stings-reproach me now, remind me that I was in those rooms, with my child, with my back turned to her, searching-oh irony!for beautiful things.







Imagery

Shown mostly in first half of poem when setting the scene
Irony

Shown throughout the poem but mostly in lines 40-44
Minor Repetition

Lines 17 + 18 (also a transition in the poem. Line 17 ending the first half and line 18 beginning the second half)
Almost representative of an Aside
 actor’s speech, directed to audience, not supposed to be heard by other actors on stage- usually used to let the audience know what a character is about to do/is thinking.
Possible connotation

The word Sunday gives the reader a feeling of possible serenity (depending on what thoughts the reader associates with Sundays) and therefore creates the mood depending on the readers association with that day.
Didactic

Conveys a meaning/moral




Beginning is a Narrative tone-gets almost lyrical near the end. Speaker is a parent reflecting on past memories.(Inarguable)

Assumed the parent is a mother although it is not directly stated. [arguable]
The subject is a parent remembering antique shopping with their child. (Inarguable)

From the tone it can be assumed the parent enjoys this
(stanza 2 + 4) and that the child does not (lines 12-13 + stanza 3) [arguable]
Structure is 5 Stanzas, 44 lines (stanza1-7lines, stanza2-9lines, stanza3-8lines, stanza4-9lines, stanza5-11lines) no connection/pattern with lines per stanza (Inarguable)


Most important lines (portray poems moral best)


Lines 14-17
 her flame-coloured hair obvious wheneverwhich was not often-
I turned around.
Lines 40-44

I was in those rooms, with my child, with my back turned to her, searching-oh irony!for beautiful things.



Most Pivotal point in poem


Lines 17-19

I turned around.
I turned around.
She was gone.
Also somewhat ironic because it’s at the beginning of Stanza 3, almost directly in the middle of the poem.
Context that follows is also important because it changes from explaining antique shopping to explaining the importance of
‘time’ lost with the daughter.
Questioning/puzzling lines



Lines 1-2 (why Sundays? Why when there was no rain?
Where the antique fairs outside?)
Lines 12-13 (Did the daughter not enjoy it or was she looking at something else)
Line 30 (“lyric speech, a civil tone” refers to what exactly? History?)


This poem is about a parent who realizes through reflecting on a memory how quickly time goes by and how people try so hard to look for happiness in life that they miss the most wonderful parts, which are standing right in front of them.

Most significant line (stanza 5, lines 40-44)

“ I was in those rooms, with my child, with my back turned to her, searching-oh irony!for beautiful things.”
Searching for something that, at the time, she hadn’t realized was right behind her.