Transcript Examine the language and attention to detail in the poem

Examine the language
and attention to detail in
the poem
Naomi Shi and Amrita Mangho
Saying goodbye.....
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'Rear-View Mirror'
o Metaphorically describing a reflection process, of somthing
in the past
o Association with a car, suggests the process of moving
forward
'behind your back'
o Alliteration connotes a sense of longing
o Idea of leaving the past behind
o Creates a distance between the past and future
'standing' 'leaning' 'lingering' 'growing'
o Use of present participle creates a sense of the difficulty in
letting go of the past
o Lengthy sound seems like a delay (almost onomatopoeic)
Past VS Future
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'Tiny in your lengthening wake, still waving'
o Imagery- people get smaller in your rear-view mirror as you
drive away
o 'lengthening wake' metaphorically conveys that memory
(past) will never go away
o Contrast between 'lengthening' and 'tiny', may suggest the
past will soon be insignificant, as the present is more
important. Also the pain of leaving the past will soon start
to dull.
'nameless people on a postcard'
o Metaphor comparison to inanimate object ('postcard')
emphasises the insignificance of the past
o Alliteration emphasises that past can be easily forgotten
o 'nameless' suggests the past contains an accumulation of
Inviting independence...
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"Then, at the first turn, they're lost completely"
o caesura creates uncertainty, emphasised in "lost completely"
o "Then" creates a shift in tone, moving from a more secure
atmosphere to a more lonelier tone as the environment and
the narrator's memories are all that's left to comfort him and
remind him of his origins
o "first turn" represents the first steps to independency
"places taken by someone's windbreak pines"
o "windbreak pines" adds a personal touch to the poem
o the use of "someone's" distances the narrator, showing that
others have added their existence to his life
o "places taken" creates a sense that the holes in the
narrator's heart are never there for long and there is a
The Future Unknown
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"nothing but empty road"
o "empty" shows the uncertainty the future is and how
undeveloped a future is without any plans
o "nothing"creates tension, as there is ambiguity in having
nothing to guide not only the narrator but also the reader
o "road" contrasts "nothing" showing that there is some
guidance through life
"towns where you will never know a soul"
o adds to the theme of the "unknown"
o "town" is a large area full of people, yet the narrator doesn't
"know a soul"
o contrasts to "nothing but empty road" as decisions are
made about the narrator's future and places are being
marked on the metaphorical map of experiences and the
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Future Opportunities
"exits following exits "
o metaphorically transposing life's road with the features of a
real road
o exits symbolise opportunities and events that will come
o the repetition of "exits" show that there will always be
chances regardless if you miss one or another
"you will pass and never take"
o represents the many decisions of life
o followed by "amassing a stiff toll finally to make good on"
 "stiff toll" creates negative connotations, showing that the
decisions that the narrator made felt wrong at the time
but the result was good
 also serves to show the distance the narrator is willing to
travel to continues towards his goal or dream in life and
Conclusion
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'higher-powered reflective instrument
o Metaphorically suggesting that we have our memories to
use for guidance. Ideology of learning from past mistakes
o 'higher powered'- religious connotation emphasises the
importance of memories
o 'instrument' - comparison to an object suggest that
memories must only be used as a source of reflection, not
as something to dwell on or feel sorrowful about
o Assonance emphasises narrator's point to reader. Creates
fluidity
'bring back in view as large as life'
o Simile conveys how close to us our memories are, and that
although we can make progress, our memories will be
unforgettable
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"putting yourself in the pictures,
o Alliteration - creates a serene and comforting tone
o Metaphor creates a sense of togetherness that can
be gained purely through memories, despite the
actual distance that is between the narrator and his
family
o picture connotes that the image or the memory will
last forever, suggesting that the bonds will last
which makes thinking about them as you saw them
lasting"
o demonstrating how the love between family is so
strong that it can overcome time and distance
o creates a comforting tone and a sense of
togetherness