Explore the Ways in Which Armitage Vividly Portrays a Relationship with a Parent in Mother, Any Distance Greater Than a Single Span. Remember to Support Your Ideas with Details from Your Chosen Poem
Explore the ways in which Armitage vividly portrays a relationship with a parent in Mother, any distance greater than a single span. Remember to support your ideas with details from your chosen poem
Armitage shows that the speaker and the mother in the poem have a strong relationship. At the start of the poem he shows a strong bond shown between the mother and child, even though they aren't together, this is shown in the quotation; “Mother, any distance greater than a single span requires a second pair of hands” This shows that Armitage will always need her in his life no matter how far away he is and he will always love her. Another quotation which shows their strong bond is;“you come to help me” this shows that the character realises no matter where he is in the world, his mother will always be by his side, whether in real life or just in his mind. This also tells us about the narrator’s mother, it suggests how she is caring, loving and helpful, and this suggests that Armitage had a loving childhood.
Also Armitage uses measurement metaphors in the poem to show the loving relationship he has with his mother. This is shown by “back to base” It shows that he will always go back to his mum. Another example of this is when he says “Up the stairs” shows that Armitage is going up on to bigger and better things in his life. “Feeding out” this gives the reader the image of the connection between him and his mother, like the umbilical cord.
“Anchor. Kite.” Both of these words show the connection between him and his mother, as they both have a line connected to them and one grounds the other to keep it safe. “Anchor.” illustrates that his mother is trying to hold him down, keep him at home. That she is heavy and determined. “Kite.” reveals that he’s left home, he can either ‘fly’ on to bigger things, or he can be pulled back down to home. It’s the risk he has to take. These quotations link in with the final line of the poem where Armitage says “to fall or fly”
Armitage shows that the speaker and the mother in the poem have a strong relationship. At the start of the poem he shows a strong bond shown between the mother and child, even though they aren't together, this is shown in the quotation; “Mother, any distance greater than a single span requires a second pair of hands” This shows that Armitage will always need her in his life no matter how far away he is and he will always love her. Another quotation which shows their strong bond is;“you come to help me” this shows that the character realises no matter where he is in the world, his mother will always be by his side, whether in real life or just in his mind. This also tells us about the narrator’s mother, it suggests how she is caring, loving and helpful, and this suggests that Armitage had a loving childhood.
Also Armitage uses measurement metaphors in the poem to show the loving relationship he has with his mother. This is shown by “back to base” It shows that he will always go back to his mum. Another example of this is when he says “Up the stairs” shows that Armitage is going up on to bigger and better things in his life. “Feeding out” this gives the reader the image of the connection between him and his mother, like the umbilical cord.
“Anchor. Kite.” Both of these words show the connection between him and his mother, as they both have a line connected to them and one grounds the other to keep it safe. “Anchor.” illustrates that his mother is trying to hold him down, keep him at home. That she is heavy and determined. “Kite.” reveals that he’s left home, he can either ‘fly’ on to bigger things, or he can be pulled back down to home. It’s the risk he has to take. These quotations link in with the final line of the poem where Armitage says “to fall or fly”