Piano

By D.H Lawrence(from Unseen Poetry and Prose – Suzanne Choo)

Speaker’s childhood Speakers listens to piano and recalls his past Belongs to warm and stable family “old Sunday evenings … with winter outside” Contrast used to amplify security felt in

warm home setting Family sang hymns together indicates union

of its members Strong Christian background shows stability

Speaker’s childhood Close relationship with mother Poem begins with recollection of his mother Misses her and recalls how he used to sit and

loved to be in her presence – posture of security “pressing the small, poised feet” shows sense

of touch and closeness Aura around her of grace and beauty Adoration and admiration –watches her as she

plays

Mood of the poem 1st stanza – nostalgic Recalling past and cozy atmosphere Metaphor “the vista of years” compares

the events of his life to a long road indicating how far in time he is recalling

Sound devises and imagery to convey mood

Repetition of the ‘s’ consonant in phrase “who smiles as she sings” complements the soft, gentle music of the piano

Sense of sadness created as he misses her Onomatopoeia used in the lines “the boom of

the tingling strings” Contrast clear tingling of piano to loud

booming background Shows gentle, peaceful atmosphere of the

security of home

Imagery to convey mood

Nostalgia intensifies “the insidious mastery of song” indicates

the overwhelming power of the music “till the heart of me weeps”shows the

extent of his being moved by his memories

Mood is depressing and sad as tone intensifies to a passionate cry for his lost past

Imagery to convey mood

Climax “I weep like a child for the past” (simile)

Unable to control emotions any longer and breaks down

Speaker compares himself to a child, shows openness and childlike sincerity

Stuck in the present but like the child, he longs to return to security and warmth of his past

Childhood termed as glamour

“Glamour” suggests beauty and grace Childhood is glamorous because it is one

of security and beauty ‘Grace’ refers to the graceful quality of

the speaker’s mother Delicate and fragile frame complements

singing and tingling sounds

Childhood termed as glamour

Last two lines are ironic Recalls glamorous past yet breaks down

crying loudly “So now it is vain for the singer to burst

into clamour” indicates crying that is so loud and boisterous that it overpowers singing and background music.

Overwhelming longing – tears compared to ‘flood’ and ‘cast’ indicates strength of his emotion destroying his façade of pride

Title of Piano Instrument which links speaker’s

present to his past Symbolic of 2 main things he longs for

in his past: His mother. Recalls security and warmth of

her presence. Admires her for her grace and beauty. Strong respect for her.

Cozy, warm atmosphere of home. ‘Child’ repeated, desires simplicity and innocence.

‘Betrays’ reflecting speaker’s attitude

Strong word indicating sense of frustration Unable to stop himself from recalling his

past Shows how overwhelming, how deep, his

longing to return to his past is Suggests how different and perhaps how

unhappy his present life is compared to his past

“In spite of myself” – lack of self control “Insidious mastery” – subtle effect of music