In the poem a child is hiding and waiting for his friends to find him. He experiences both pleasure and fear during the game. The poem can also be read as a metaphor for how someone might deal with situations in life – waiting and enduring difficulties so they can eventually achieve. The poem takes the form of one long stanza and is written in free verse. The child is the narrator and throughout the poem we hear his internal voice/thoughts as he considers what he should do. Direct speech is also used when he calls out to the others, ‘I’m ready! Come and find me!’ and later towards the end of the poem. In the first few lines alliteration is used: sacks/seaside/salty/shout, the repeated s sound being like the sound of the sea. At the end of lines 4 and 5 there is the rhyme: out/shout and these lines convey his anxious feelings about hiding/being found. The floor is ‘cold’ so as well as excitement he feels discomfort. Line 8 – The word ‘prowling’ is often used to describe animal behavior and makes the others seem predatory. Line 10 – He gives himself brief instructions to deal with the fact that the others are nearby. The short commands build tension as he may be discovered at this point. Lines 12 and 13 – The poet uses assonance: stumbles/mutters/scuffle linking together the actions and noise the others make. Lines 14, 15, 16, 17 – Notice the half-rhymes: lane/again and clever/over. Lines 19, 20 – He is becoming more uncomfortable where he is hiding. Personification and alliteration are both used in ‘the cold bites through your coat’. Further alliteration is used to describe his discomfort with ‘The dark damp smell of sand’. Lines 25,26,27 – He has come out of his hiding place, having endured the isolation he felt and discovers that he is still all alone. Personification highlights this: ‘the darkening garden watches’ and ‘the bushes hold their breath’. Even the sun has gone as finally he asks, ‘But where are they who sought you?’
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