THE WAY THINGS ARE

BY ROGER MCGOUGE

No, the candle is not crying, it can not feel pain.

Even telescopes, like the rest of us, grow bored.
Bubblegum will not make the hair soft and shiny.
The duller the imagination, the faster the car,
I am your father and that is the way things are.

When the sky is looking the other way,

do not enter the forest. No, the wind
is not caused by the rushing of clouds.
An excuse is as good a reason as any.
A lighthouse, launched, will not go far,
I am your father and that is the way things are.

No, old people do not walk slowly

because they have plenty of time.
Gardening books when buried will not flower.
Though lightly worn, a crown may leave a scar,
I am your father and that is the way things are.

No, the red woolly hat has not been

put on the railing to keep it warm.
When one glove is missing, both are lost.
Today's craft fair is tomorrows boot sale.
The guitarist weeps gently, not the guitar
I am your father and that is the way things are.

Pebbles work best without batteries.

The deckchair will fail as a unit of currency.
Even though your shadow is shortening
it does not mean you are growing smaller.
Moonbeams sadly, will not survive in a jar,
I am your father and that is the way things are.

For centuries the bullet remained quietly confident

that the gun would be invented.
A drowning surrealist will not appreciate
the concrete lifebelt.
No guarantee my last goodbye is an au revoir,
I am your father and that is the way things are.

Do not become a prison officer unless you know

what your letting someone else in for.
The thrill of being a shower curtain will soon pall.
No trusting hand awaits a falling star
I am your father, and I am sorry
but this is the way things are.
 LITERATURE ANALYSIS
Theme: reality versus fantasy

children should be taught to face reality, for childlike innocence may result in eventual
disappointment and disillusion as a result of ignorance and naive. it could be said that life is not a
bed of roses in which the lecture given by the persona to the child.
eg: stanza 7, line 4
"no trusting hand awaits a falling star" informs us that miracles, represented by a "star" are
rarities. We cannot expect fortune to descend to us and wait meaninglessly. Instead, children
should strive to achieve their goals through dedicated efforts.

Relevance of poem to life

The poetry about the fact of life is delivered by the father to his kid in the poem The Way Things Are.
The poem teaches us that life is not always as joyful as it appears in imaginations. It demonstrates
how children should be trained to confront reality, because childhood innocence can lead to eventual
sadness and disillusionment due to ignorance and naive. This poem is all about educating a child for
life's realities without truly taking away and damaging his creativity and curiosity, but also warning
him that not everything is as it appears. Bubble gums, no matter how sweet and lovely they are, do
not make hair smooth and shining; rather, they make hair stiff and oily. It is not safe to walk out and
about while the sky darkens. At first, the poem sounded exasperated, but it's ultimately about what
genuine parents sound like - kind and wise. The conclusion we may draw from The Way Things Are is
that we should not live in fantasy and instead learn the reality about the world, society, and the way
things are in our lives.

Tone: Persuasive
= the persona’s lecture to his child (caring)
=this poem is all about preparing a child for life’s reality without actually
taking away and ruining his imagination and curiosity, at the same time
warning him that some things are not what they seem

Language: figurative language (symbolism)

= Eg: Bubble gums, however sweet and nice, don’t make hair soft and
shiny; instead, they make hair stiff and greasy. When the sky turns dark,
it’s not safe to go wandering around.

- Style: Free verse

= Give a deeper emotional experience for the reader
= Give freedom for choosing words and conveying the meaning to the
audience

Language: figurative language (symbolism)

= Eg: Bubble gums, however sweet and nice, don’t make hair soft and
shiny; instead, they make hair stiff and greasy. When the sky turns dark,
it’s not safe to go wandering around.

Literary Devices

1. Allusion
An allusion is an indirect reference to something.
“Bubblegum does not make the hair soft and shiny.” Bubblegum, in
fact, is ruinous to our hair. This phrase indicates that things that are
pleasurable, such as bubblegum, are not necessarily beneficial. Hence,
children should be taught this lesson so that they do not thoughtlessly
indulge in disastrous pleasure.
2. Allusion
“No, the red wooly hat has not been/put on the railing to keep it
warm.” This can be interpreted as certain deeds that may appear to
have been done with kind intentions may have been done accidentally
or selfishly.
3. Allegory
An allegory is where abstravt ideas are described using characters,
events, or other elements.
“Moonbeams, sadly, will not survive in a jar.” Dreams being abstract,
unrealistic and unattainable are represented as “Moonbeams” which
have similar attributes. We should not be preoccupied with dreams or
illusions
4. Metaphor
Metaphor is a direct comparison of two things
“No trusting hand awaits a falling star” informs us that miracles,
represented by a “star” are rarities. W cannot expect fortune to
descend to us, and wait meaninglessly. Instead, children should strive
to achieve their goals through dedicated efforts.