Compare the methods both poets use to explore parent-child relationships in ‘Material’

by Ros Barber and ‘Old man, Old man’ by UA Fanthorpe.

In your answer you should consider the following:
● The poets' development of themes

● The poets' use of language and imagery

● The use of other poetic techniques

STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS (AO1)
LITERARY DEVICE/LANGUAG ANALYSIS (AO1)
POINTS ARE EXPLAINED AND DEVELOPED (AO2)
COMPARISONS DRAWN BETWEEN POEMS (AO4)

Both ‘Material’ by Ros Barber and ‘Old man, Old man’ by UA Fanthorpe reflect
the changing dynamics of parent-child relationships with reference to time: the
past, present and the interrelation of the two. While both poets focus on
contrasting subject matter in their works, with ‘Material’ being centred around the
poet’s relationship with her mother, and by extension the former’s relationship
with her own children, and ‘Old man, Old man’ expressing the changing
characteristics of a father-daughter relationship, Ros Barber and UA Fanthorpe
use similar methods to relate these principal themes. The imagery, structure,
dialogue and tone of each poem convey its corresponding themes and are used
to explore parental roles within different spheres of life, both emotional and
practical, and their relative change over time.

Imagery is used in both poems to recount the individual experiences of each poet
with the central parental figure in question and explore how these relationships
have changed from the past to the present, with ‘Material’ focusing on the shift of
parental role and responsibility with regards to two generations, and ‘Old man,
Old man’ following the evolution of one parent-child relationship across the
passage of time. ‘Material’ by Ros Barber presents a clear distinction in the role
for mothers in the past and the present; the former exploring the established
maternal role of domesticity and an emotional core, the latter reflecting her own
method of upbringing while being a career-oriented, 21st century woman. The
metaphor of the handkerchief used throughout the poem is used to symbolise the
nurturing and caring role of maternal figures in the past, with the personification
of the item reinforcing these connotations. The humorous personification of
“hankies [falling] in love” and “raising little squares” and the colloquial terminology
of “hanky” furthers the idea of affectionate parent-child relationships. In addition,
the overarching semantic field of material within the poem, with references to
“cloth”, “lace”, “headscarves” emphasises the tangible importance of nurture, and
the closeness of parent-child relationships of the past.
The responsibilities of maternal figures in the past are also described by Ros
Barber, providing a stronger basis for contrast with the current mode of parent-
child relationships. Domestic imagery such as “ironing”, “boiling”, and the
emotional duties of a mother to “smudge the rouge from little dears” portray their
expected behaviour (in the patriarchal standards of the time) and the typical
relationship that existed between a mother and child. In contrast to this, ‘Material’
also explores parent-child relationships in the present, presenting them as a stark
contrast to the days of “material handkerchief[s]”. The constant comparisons and
inversions of personal pronouns to reflect upon Ros Barber’s own style of
mothering highlight these ideas, for example with “she’d have one, always, up
her sleeve”, compared later on with “there’s never a hanky up my sleeve”. The
death of childhood “innocence [...] in TV’s lassitude” which Ros Barber attributes
to herself - “it was me that turned it on” - emphasises the difference in the
personal nature of parent-child relationships of the past and the present. The
maternal contrast is also explored in terms of domestic role with children eating
“bought biscuits” as opposed to “bake[d]” ones, revealing the difference in the
practical duties of mothers. Imagery in ‘Material’ is thus used to mark out the
transformation of parent-child relationships in both the emotional aspect and the
domiciliary.

In parallel to these ideas, imagery is also used in ‘Old man, Old man’ to depict
the change of parent-child relationship dynamics, from the father being a man
who “did-it-himself” to being heavily reliant on the child for basic actions. The
father figure in ‘Old man, Old man,’ is shown to be the traditional male archetype,
involved in the domestic sphere of labour and a self-sufficient man. The
hyperbole used in reference to the father’s domination of the “shed, garage and
garden”, with regal and masterful language such as “Lord” and “World authority”
highlights the clearly defined power balance of the household and renders the
change in relationship more striking. The humorous tone of the hyperbole in
question, emphasised by meticulous detail - “twelve different sorts of glue”, also
functions to underline the contrasting nature of his current role in the relationship.
Despite being a “connoisseur of nuts and bolts”, the original relationship between
the parent and child seems to be contrary, with the poet directly contrasting the
line above with “not good with daughters”, indicating a lack of the aforementioned
expertise in emotional areas, the parent-child relationship being rigid and,
fittingly, mechanical. UA Fanthorpe contrast this imagery with the “self-demoted”
nature of the man’s current position. The previous forms of grand language are
contrasted with a lexical field of confusion with verbs such as “fretting”, “ramble”
and “shamble”, and ideas of routine - such as a “timetabled cigarette” - are now
actions actions “forgotten”. The loss of self-sustenance for the parent and
newfound dependence on the child is similarly portrayed through imagery
surrounding darkness, adjectives such as “contracted” and “almost-dark” and the
metaphor of a “cloud” being used to stress his physical loss as well as the
abstract transition of the parent-child relationship. The repetition of “Let me” on
the child’s part in response to the parent’s various issues, such as “find[ing] your
hammer” and walking to “Drury Lane”, signify the final shift of responsibility onto
the latter part of the parent-child relationship, which in the past had not been
necessary; the last line of the poem - “I am only a cloud” - symbolising the
newfound importance of the child to the parent in light of deterioration.

The structural differences in both poems serve to function as reflections of their

key underlying ideas. ‘Material’ by Ros Barber adopts a regularity of rhyme and,
to a certain extent, consistent stanza structure, particularly in terms of
punctuation and flow. The rhyme scheme of ABCBDEFE and end-stopped
octaves portray the consistent and intrinsic role played by the mother in the
poet’s life; the repetitive nature of this structure indicating a stability of
relationship and the mother’s steadfast presence. This, arguably, traditional and
simple structure, therefore also enhances the focus on ideas of conventional
maternal roles in life and the comparison of past versus the present. The main
stanzas of transition in terms of ideas - bridging the old-fashioned ideals of
“history” with their forthcoming loss, the fifth and sixth stanza, break the
previously rigid structure with the inclusion of enjambment and an additional line;
structure is therefore used by Ros Barber to evoke feelings of change and
cement the differences brought on by generational developments. UA Fanthorpe
similarly uses structure in ‘Old man, Old man’ to relay notions of change and
transition between the past and the present, in particular, the uncertainties of it.
The frequent enjambment in the poem, used most often when describing
remnants of the past - such as “disinherited children”, or change in behaviour -
“missing crusted streaks / Of food on plates” alludes to the haphazard nature of
the father’s transition (in role) to the present, and the irregularities it brings to a
person’s original characteristics. This idea of uncertainty of identity in the past
and the present is further emphasised by the fact that the enjambment in the
poem is woven between end-stopped lines and repetitive time markers
referencing the present such as “Now”. The increase in the use of short
sentences and end-stopped lines towards the end of the poem, “Let me find your
hammer. / Let me walk with you to Drury Lane. / I am only a cloud.”, suggest a
sense of acceptance and finality, with a new reform of the outdated parent-child
relationship the father and the poet shared.

The use of dialogue and tone, most notably in the latter parts of each poem also
add depth to the meaning and exploration of themes by both the poets, tying up
the poems with a sense of acceptance and a degree of certainty. Throughout the
poem ‘Material’, Ros Barber employs a nostalgic tone when traversing her
memories of the past and her relationship with her mother; anecdotal details
such as “embroidered with a V for Viv” and whimsical epithets such as “a hanky
queen” cement vivid images of her childhood and add to the personal nature of
the relationship. The transition of generational values and parental roles is also
solidified by the use of dialogue in the final stanza, with the mother’s advice -
“this is your material to do with, daughter, what you will” - contributing to the
concluding tone of acceptance that rounds the poem, the poet accepting that the
past “isn’t mine” and that she’ll “let it go”. Themes in ‘Old man, Old man’ are also
reflected by the tonal shifts in the poem and use of reported speech in the final
stanza, both building the idea of a switch in the parent-child relationship and
comparing the past and present. The praising tone utilised in the beginning of the
poem, with complementary language such as being a “dab hand with the Black
and Decker”, provides emphasis on the idea of the father figure’s self-standing
character, however the hyperbolic and humorous connotations associated with
this indicate, perhaps, undertones of resentment as to the self-contained nature
of the parental figure. This idea is highlighted by the change in tone as the
parental figure becomes increasingly reliant on the child for attention and help,
the poet loving her father’s “helplessness, you who hate being helpless.” The
childish and endearing tone of the address ‘Old man, Old man’, the word ‘Old
man’ having dual connotations, both referencing the physical state of the parental
figure but also being a phrase commonly used as an affectionate term for fathers,
emphasises this idea. The dialogue between the parent and child in the final
stages of the poem marks the first direct interaction between the two, his
acknowledgement of the child - “I can see you” - however limited, consolidating
the transition of the relationship from what is was in the past to its new angle in
the present.

Both Ros Barber and UA Fanthorpe utilise imagery, structural techniques,

dialogue and tone to explore parent-child relationships, in particular their focus
lying on individual parental figures, their personal relationships with them, and
the change involved in these relationships due to time, ‘Material’ reflecting this
idea in terms of generational progression, and the ‘Old man, Old man’ in terms of
old age.