Most near, most dear, most loved, and most far,
Under the huge window where I often found her
Sitting as huge as Asia, seismic with laughter,
Gin and chicken helpless in her Irish hand,
Irresistible as Rabelais but most tender for
The lame dogs and hurt birds that surround her,—
She is a procession no one can follow after
But be like a little dog following a brass band.
She will not glance up at the bomber or condescend
To drop her gin and scuttle to a cellar,
But lean on the mahogany table like a mountain
Whom only faith can move, and so I send
O all her faith and all my love to tell her
That she will move from mourning into morning.
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Comments
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From Guest: Santosh Kumar
From guest Santosh (contact)
The poem is really wonderful and good for young readers. -
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Barker's "Mother" is a stereotype I can readily assosciate with having met a few of these larger than life characters in my own lifetime.
So confident in their own capabilities and so aware of the need to "put on a front" so as not to alarm those around her. She is at the same time a solid rock to cling to and a quivering mass of humanity to embrace or be embraced by.
A grand description of a grand character. -
From guest nicx (contact)
i am going to talk about structue as the way Barker uses style and manipulates it in his poem is very interesting. firstly, since there are 14 lines it is obviously a sonnet. also, the rhyme scheme is ABCDABCD. however, in the second stanza there is no rhyme scheme and even the iambic pentameter breaks as the rhythm is reversed making it trochee! another point i recognised was the internal rhyme in the first line of the first stanza, 'most near, most dear, most loved most far.' thus, i can conclude that Barker was an amazing poet who emplyed traditional techniques when creating the structure but simultaneously broke the mould by not conforming to it. this may also reflect on the mother's character which may be viewed as free-spirited and non- conformist as she refuses to 'scuttle to a cellar' on the occasion of a 'bomber.' -
I think it's pretty fabulous too. 'Mother' an imovable force, the second line, tells me she is a large lady who shakes and moves when laughing - 'seismic with laughter' what a wonderful way to describe her. I also feel that she is a woman so full of love for everything around her and wears it like a shield, so much so that she refuses to shelter from the war surrounding her.
This poem is a tribute to not only a Mother but a stoic lady, of immeasurable love and strength.
George Barker describes her so well I can visualise her with no problem at all.
Excellent poem.
~Von~ -
wonderful
i think this poem is just fabulous
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