Poets Intention
In the Rear View Mirror- Robert Shaw
Analysis
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Robert Shaw addressed experience of rite of passage in his life - a change (increase) in maturity. The rear-view
mirror is symbolic of his “higher-powered reflective instrument”, which is his memory and one’s ability to
reminisce the past.
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Through the use of extended metaphor of life, Robert Shaw attempted to draw a parallel between a journey in
a vehicle with the journey of his life.
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Robert Shaw delivers, perhaps, his mixed emotion of fear, anxiety and excitement.
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Throughout the poem, we can see Robert Shaw’s intention to try and demonstrate that even though leaving
behind your loved ones may be hard it can leave you with memories that are hard to forget and will last
forever.
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He tries to show that even though your loved ones may become a smaller and smaller part of your life, you can
still remember the good moments with them with the use of memories
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He shows the importance of family and uses the mirror as a symbol of a persons ability to look back in life.
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Shaw’s intentions are to communicate to the reader, how easy it is to lost sight of your goal and lose meaning
in your life if you separate your family from your life.
Conclusion
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Shaw intended to demonstrate that, even though leaving
your loved ones behind may be difficult, a person is able
to mature enough and create something so valuable that
it lasts an eternity, and that a memory has the ability for
the to bring family back into the present.
Shaw also shows that the love of family is so powerful it
has the ability to defy any kind of distance or time and it
is also forgiving and unconditional.
This poem ultimately warns young people not to lose
touch with family and to not forget about them once they
become independent and leave the safety of their family.