Exploring Norman MacCaig's Poem 'Visiting Hour'

undefined
 
VISITING HOUR
ANNOTATION
 
POETRY OF NORMAN MACCAIG
Poet’s Main Idea
This poem describes a hospital visit that MacCaig
makes to a seriously ill female friend or relative.
He reveals the fear and anxiety that haunts him at
the start of the visit
He also explores the pain and suffering of the
woman he is visiting and shows that they are
distanced due to the pain that she is in.
At the end of the poem there is a hopeless or
despairing tone as he knows he can’t help her in the
way he would like.
In the interview ‘A Metaphorical Way of Seeing Things’,
MacCaig maintained that poetry is a 
‘psychological Optrex, it
clears your eyes and you see things’.
 
MacCaig reflects throughout the poem on the ways that
people try to distract themselves from death and illness and
how this is futile.
 
Reflective Nature of the Poem
Reflection on death and how we try to escape it by
distracting ourselves but ultimately we have to face
the reality of it. Death is inevitable
 
He also focusses on the suffering of the woman
patient and how that isolates her from those she
loves
Theme
Structure mimics his journey
through the hospital
Begins with him trying to
distract himself from the truth
of the visit and then reflecting
on the illness once he is
confronted by it.
Structure
The hospital smell
combs my nostrils
as they go bobbing along
green and yellow corridors
.
Stanza One
Think about:
-
What happens in this stanza?
-
Why do you think the poet concentrates on the smell?
-
What is suggested by the description of the hospital?
Stanza One
 
The
 hospital 
smell
combs my nostrils
as they go 
bobbing along
green and yellow 
corridors
.
Metaphor – emphasises strong smell and
discomfort
Synecdoche - All other senses are blocked
Establishes setting/know
visiting someone ill
Creates humorous picture – he is
trying to distract himself from
visit
Bobbing also has connotations of
lost/unsure/cast adrift
Helps reader picture hospital
Word Choice has connotations of
sickness/illness
Can’t escape the fact that he is in
hospital
A universal
smell –
something
everybody will
recognise
What seems a corpse
is trundled into a lift and vanishes
heavenward.
.
Stanza Two
Think about:
-
What happens in this stanza?
-
What words or phrases could be shocking to the reader?
-
What is the effect of this image?
Stanza Two
 
What 
seems
 a 
corpse
is 
trundled
 into a lift and 
vanishes
heavenward.
Brutal description of body –
shows finality of death/
Death is in his thoughts
Unsure of what he
sees/shows his
distress
Word Choice
Slow
moving/moving
something heavy
Disappears and
doesn’t come back –
as when someone
dies
Enjambment is used to emphasise three
words. An attempt at humour but also
shows his thoughts are focussed on
death
Word is emphasised. Shows
the inevitability of death
I will not feel, I will not
feel, until
I have to.
.
Stanza Three
Think about:
-
What is the poet wanting to do in this stanza?
-
What emotion is the poet feeling?
Stanza Three
 
I
 
will not feel
, 
I
 
will not
feel
, until
I
 
have to.
Repetition – makes statement
feel like a mantra or chant – he is
determined to put off his feelings
about what is happening
Is on a separate line (highlighted by
enjambment)  – reveals that he is
aware that he will have to address
his feelings – can’t escape what is
happening
Repetition of I – shows
his determination to not
feel
Nurses walk lightly, swiftly,
here and up and down and there,
their slender waists miraculously
carrying their burden
of so much pain, so
many deaths, their eyes
still clear after
so many farewells.
Stanza Four
Think about:
-
What is happening in this stanza?
-
How does the poet describe the nurses?
-
What is the poet’s feeling towards the nurses?
Stanza Four
 
Nurses walk 
lightly, swiftly
,
here and up and down and there
,
their 
slender
 waists 
miraculously
carrying their 
burden
Syntax – reveals the fact that
the nurses move quickly and
are everywhere.
The repeated use of “and”
reinforces this
Word Choice
Move elegantly and with
purpose
Shows amazement that
nurses can cope with so
much
Contrast to slender
Reveals weight of what
they do/something to
endure
Shows awe at what they
do – they are like angels
coping with their jobs
Poet feels envy because
he can not do the same
Stanza Four
 
of 
so much 
pain, 
so
many
 deaths, their 
eyes
still clear
 after
so many 
farewells.
Nurses don’t show any
emotion despite the pain and
suffering that they
see/experience
Lists the what they have to cope with – repetition
highlights the amount they deal with – in contrast to
MaCaig who can’t deal with one ill person
Euphemism for death – showing
that he can’t escape these
thoughts of death and dying
Ward 7. She lies
in a white cave of forgetfulness.
A withered hand
trembles on its stalk. Eyes move
behind eyelids too heavy
to raise. Into an arm wasted
of colour a glass fang is fixed,
not guzzling but giving.
And between her and me
distance shrinks till there is none left
but the distance of pain that neither she nor I
can cross.
Stanza Five
Think about:
-
What is happening in this stanza?
-
How does the poet describe the woman?
-
What emotion do you think the poet is feeling?
Stanza Five
 
Ward 7. 
She lies
in a 
white cave of forgetfulness
.
A 
withered
 hand
trembles
 on 
its
 
stalk.
Metaphor
Bed/illness has isolated her and made her forget.
Contrast to colours of before – highlights her
isolation
Non-sentence. Caesura.
Turning Point
He (and the reader)
shocked by ward
He has to face his feelings
Word Choice
Decay/dry
/shrivelled
up/losing life
She is
weak due
to illness
Impersonal
pronoun – body
as empty shell
Metaphor of flower –
usually romantic but
now emphasises the
illness of the woman
Stanza Five
 
    
Eyes move
behind 
eyelids too heavy
to raise
. Into an arm 
wasted
of colour a 
glass fang is fixed
,
not 
guzzling but giving.
Emphasises
illness/medication she is
taking – she is unable to
focus on the visit
Word Choice – description
of her body due to illness
Harsh “G” sound – reveals  his
feelings – pointless and intrusive –
even as it helps her.
Shocking imagery –
connotations of a
vampire. Highlights
distress of poet seeing
the woman in this way.
Alliteration of “f”
emphasises that it is
fixed in place
Guzzling
emphasises
the negative
impression of
the needle
Stanza Five
 
    
And between her and me
distance shrinks 
till there is none left
but the 
distance of pain that neither she nor I
can cross.
Metaphor – sense of
futility – physical and
emotional pain is a barrier
to her connecting with
people
Walking to the hospital bed –
wanting to be close to her
She smiles a little at this
black figure in her white cave
who clumsily rises
in the round swimming waves of a bell
and dizzily goes off, growing fainter,
not smaller, leaving behind only
books that will not be read
and fruitless fruits.
Stanza Six
Think about:
-
What is happening in this stanza?
-
What point of view is this stanza written in?
-
What is the final mood or emotion?
Stanza Six
 
She 
smiles a little 
at this
black figure in her white cave
who 
clumsily
 rises
in the 
round swimming waves of a bell
Repetition of cave imagery
reinforces isolation
Contrast between black and
white highlights their
differences
Black – connotations of death,
shows how ill she is/MacCaig is
worried that she might die.
His visit has brought her some
comfort .
It is not clear if she recognises him
(black figure)
Word Choice
He is overcome by the experiences
Synaesthesia
Less obtrusive than other senses –
gentler sound
Time going slower as he prepares
to leave?
Stanza Six
 
and 
dizzily
 goes off, growing 
fainter,
not smaller, leaving behind only
books that will not be read
and fruitless fruits.
Vision blurs due to illness
Also reinforces image if poet being
clumsy due to distress he feels
Bitter despair and hopelessness
Use of enjambment to focus on
final image
Oxymoron “fruitless fruits.”
Inability to help and so brings gifts
that are useless
He is helpless in the face of illness
and death
 
Stanza One 
– MacCaig describes the smell of the hospitals –
first hint at illness
Stanza Two – 
Tries to distract himself but reality of what he is
doing influences what he sees
Stanza Three – 
Desperately tries to avoid any emotion
Stanza Four – 
Admires the nurses because they do what he
can’t
Stanza Five – 
Reality hits (turning point of the poem. Shows the
pain and suffering of the woman
Stanza Six – 
End of a hopeless and pessimistic tone. He cannot
help the woman
 
 
 
An Overview of the Stanzas
Revision Tasks
To help you remember the key points of the poem you should:
 
Write a summary of the poem showing how the poet moves
from denying to facing his feelings
Identify a key quote for each of the following points:
A way in which the poet tries to distract himself
His admiration of the nurses
His shock and horror at seeing the woman
The hopelessness and despair he feels.
Write down and analyse any images used
Slide Note
Embed
Share

The poem "Visiting Hour" by Norman MacCaig portrays a hospital visit to a seriously ill woman, highlighting the fear, anxiety, and emotional distance felt by the poet. Through reflective imagery, MacCaig delves into themes of death, suffering, and the inevitability of facing reality. The structure of the poem mirrors the poet's emotional journey through the hospital, as he grapples with the harsh truths of illness and mortality.


Uploaded on Sep 17, 2024 | 0 Views


Download Presentation

Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.

The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author. Download presentation by click this link. If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. POETRY OF NORMAN MACCAIG VISITING HOUR ANNOTATION

  2. Poets Main Idea This poem describes a hospital visit that MacCaig makes to a seriously ill female friend or relative. He reveals the fear and anxiety that haunts him at the start of the visit He also explores the pain and suffering of the woman he is visiting and shows that they are distanced due to the pain that she is in. At the end of the poem there is a hopeless or despairing tone as he knows he can t help her in the way he would like.

  3. Reflective Nature of the Poem In the interview A Metaphorical Way of Seeing Things , MacCaig maintained that poetry is a psychological Optrex, it clears your eyes and you see things . MacCaig reflects throughout the poem on the ways that people try to distract themselves from death and illness and how this is futile.

  4. Theme Reflection on death and how we try to escape it by distracting ourselves but ultimately we have to face the reality of it. Death is inevitable He also focusses on the suffering of the woman patient and how that isolates her from those she loves

  5. Structure Structure mimics his journey through the hospital Begins with him trying to distract himself from the truth of the visit and then reflecting on the illness once he is confronted by it.

  6. Stanza One The hospital smell combs my nostrils as they go bobbing along green and yellow corridors. Think about: - What happens in this stanza? - Why do you think the poet concentrates on the smell? - What is suggested by the description of the hospital?

  7. Stanza One A universal smell something everybody will recognise Establishes setting/know visiting someone ill Metaphor emphasises strong smell and discomfort Synecdoche - All other senses are blocked The hospital smell combs my nostrils as they go bobbing along green and yellow corridors. Creates humorous picture he is trying to distract himself from visit Bobbing also has connotations of lost/unsure/cast adrift Helps reader picture hospital Word Choice has connotations of sickness/illness Can t escape the fact that he is in hospital

  8. Stanza Two What seems a corpse is trundled into a lift and vanishes heavenward. . Think about: - What happens in this stanza? - What words or phrases could be shocking to the reader? - What is the effect of this image?

  9. Stanza Two Unsure of what he sees/shows his distress Brutal description of body shows finality of death/ Death is in his thoughts What seems a corpse is trundled into a lift and vanishes heavenward. Disappears and doesn t come back as when someone dies Word is emphasised. Shows the inevitability of death Word Choice Slow moving/moving something heavy Enjambment is used to emphasise three words. An attempt at humour but also shows his thoughts are focussed on death

  10. Stanza Three I will not feel, I will not feel, until I have to. . Think about: - What is the poet wanting to do in this stanza? - What emotion is the poet feeling?

  11. Stanza Three Repetition of I shows his determination to not feel Repetition makes statement feel like a mantra or chant he is determined to put off his feelings about what is happening I will not feel, I will not feel, until I have to. Is on a separate line (highlighted by enjambment) reveals that he is aware that he will have to address his feelings can t escape what is happening

  12. Stanza Four Nurses walk lightly, swiftly, here and up and down and there, their slender waists miraculously carrying their burden of so much pain, so many deaths, their eyes still clear after so many farewells. Think about: - What is happening in this stanza? - How does the poet describe the nurses? - What is the poet s feeling towards the nurses?

  13. Stanza Four Word Choice Move elegantly and with purpose Syntax reveals the fact that the nurses move quickly and are everywhere. The repeated use of and reinforces this Nurses walk lightly, swiftly, here and up and down and there, their slender waists miraculously carrying their burden Shows awe at what they do they are like angels coping with their jobs Poet feels envy because he can not do the same Shows amazement that nurses can cope with so much Contrast to slender Reveals weight of what they do/something to endure

  14. Stanza Four Lists the what they have to cope with repetition highlights the amount they deal with in contrast to MaCaig who can t deal with one ill person Nurses don t show any emotion despite the pain and suffering that they see/experience of so much pain, so many deaths, their eyes still clear after so many farewells. Euphemism for death showing that he can t escape these thoughts of death and dying

  15. Stanza Five Ward 7. She lies in a white cave of forgetfulness. A withered hand trembles on its stalk. Eyes move behind eyelids too heavy to raise. Into an arm wasted of colour a glass fang is fixed, not guzzling but giving. And between her and me distance shrinks till there is none left but the distance of pain that neither she nor I can cross. Think about: - What is happening in this stanza? - How does the poet describe the woman? - What emotion do you think the poet is feeling?

  16. Stanza Five Non-sentence. Caesura. Turning Point He (and the reader) shocked by ward He has to face his feelings Metaphor Bed/illness has isolated her and made her forget. Contrast to colours of before highlights her isolation Ward 7. She lies in a white cave of forgetfulness. A withered hand trembles on its stalk. Word Choice Decay/dry /shrivelled up/losing life Metaphor of flower usually romantic but now emphasises the illness of the woman She is weak due to illness Impersonal pronoun body as empty shell

  17. Stanza Five Emphasises illness/medication she is taking she is unable to focus on the visit Eyes move Word Choice description of her body due to illness behind eyelids too heavy to raise. Into an arm wasted of colour a glass fang is fixed, not guzzling but giving. Shocking imagery connotations of a vampire. Highlights distress of poet seeing the woman in this way. Alliteration of f emphasises that it is fixed in place Guzzling emphasises the negative impression of the needle Harsh G sound reveals his feelings pointless and intrusive even as it helps her.

  18. Stanza Five Walking to the hospital bed wanting to be close to her And between her and me distance shrinks till there is none left but the distance of pain that neither she nor I can cross. Metaphor sense of futility physical and emotional pain is a barrier to her connecting with people

  19. Stanza Six She smiles a little at this black figure in her white cave who clumsily rises in the round swimming waves of a bell and dizzily goes off, growing fainter, not smaller, leaving behind only books that will not be read and fruitless fruits. Think about: - What is happening in this stanza? - What point of view is this stanza written in? - What is the final mood or emotion?

  20. Stanza Six His visit has brought her some comfort . It is not clear if she recognises him (black figure) Repetition of cave imagery reinforces isolation Contrast between black and white highlights their differences Black connotations of death, shows how ill she is/MacCaig is worried that she might die. She smiles a little at this black figure in her white cave who clumsily rises in the round swimming waves of a bell Word Choice He is overcome by the experiences Synaesthesia Less obtrusive than other senses gentler sound Time going slower as he prepares to leave?

  21. Stanza Six Vision blurs due to illness Also reinforces image if poet being clumsy due to distress he feels and dizzily goes off, growing fainter, not smaller, leaving behind only books that will not be read and fruitless fruits. Bitter despair and hopelessness Use of enjambment to focus on final image Oxymoron fruitless fruits. Inability to help and so brings gifts that are useless He is helpless in the face of illness and death

  22. An Overview of the Stanzas Stanza One MacCaig describes the smell of the hospitals first hint at illness Stanza Two Tries to distract himself but reality of what he is doing influences what he sees Stanza Three Desperately tries to avoid any emotion Stanza Four Admires the nurses because they do what he can t Stanza Five Reality hits (turning point of the poem. Shows the pain and suffering of the woman Stanza Six End of a hopeless and pessimistic tone. He cannot help the woman

  23. Revision Tasks To help you remember the key points of the poem you should: Write a summary of the poem showing how the poet moves from denying to facing his feelings Identify a key quote for each of the following points: A way in which the poet tries to distract himself His admiration of the nurses His shock and horror at seeing the woman The hopelessness and despair he feels. Write down and analyse any images used

More Related Content

giItT1WQy@!-/#giItT1WQy@!-/#giItT1WQy@!-/#giItT1WQy@!-/#giItT1WQy@!-/#giItT1WQy@!-/#