Tomorrow By Dennis O Frediscoll

Dennis O’Driscoll’s poem, “Tomorrow” takes its reader through stages of optimism, jealousy, and pessimism within its three parts. While each part of the poem is different and has its own theme, it can be found that they tie together in the end. In the poem “Tomorrow”, we are taken through the stages of optimism for a better life, jealousy for those who already seem to have it, then pessimism for believing the future will bring anything new.

Part one of O’Driscoll’s “Tomorrow”, labelled “I”, brings the reader visions of hope and optimism. The beginning of the poem reads, “Tomorrow I will start to be happy.” (O’Driscoll, 2004 I. 11-12) a statement that the narrator believes is true. In the final line of “I”, “today is almost yesterday” the
The fence the narrator is referring to in this stanza is the metaphorical sand between his careless, erratic waves and his future that is solid land, a place for him find his footing in the world. “Tomorrow” that the narrator is confident with his future happiness. O’Driscoll said in an interview with Isabelle Cartwright, “on one hand fatalism keeps me in the job, on the other hand there is a side to me [that is hopeful], that always thinks something will actually save me.” (O’Driscoll and Cartwright, 2013) the beginning of the poem brings out O’Driscoll’s optimistic beliefs. “I” shows readers a hope for the future that is still
The narrator doesn't believe it will be a better year, “a so-so year most likely” (O’Driscoll, 2004 III. 11-12), he believes it will be much like others and failing to bring anything new with its “end-of-season sales” even when the season is yet to begin. In “Tomorrow”, this final stanza pessimistically believes there may not be anything new anymore (Murphy, 2001. 281). “III” shows readers that even 20 years in the future, the world will still most likely bring the same things it does