‘The Lesson’, Edward Lucie Smith

“Your father’s gone,” my bald headmaster said.

His shiny dome and brown tobacco jar
Splintered at once in tears. It wasn’t grief.
I cried for knowledge which was bitterer
Than any grief. For there and then I knew 5
That grief has uses – that a father dead
Could bind the bully’s fist a week or two;
And then I cried for shame, then for relief.

I was a month past ten when I learnt this:

I still remember how the noise was stilled 10
in school-assembly when my grief came in.
Some goldfish in a bowl quietly sculled
Around their shining prison on its shelf.
They were indifferent. All the other eyes
Were turned towards me. Somewhere in myself
Pride, like a goldfish, flashed a sudden fin.

Questions

(1) Discuss the poet’s presentation of the headmaster (l.1-3) (4)

‘His shiny dome’ shows that his baldness is very noticeable and its one of the first things
people notice about the headmaster. ‘dome’ has connotations of grand structures, usually
very large, and quiet even and round. In line one it indicates to his bald head once again
suggesting that it is a very noticeable feature. It also implies that people may joke about it
from the multiple times the poet has stated the fact ofc his baldness. ‘Brown tobacco jar’
implies that also the fact that he smokes is noticeable. It suggests that he has an aura of
smoke around him.

(2) Explain the poet’s reaction to receiving the news of his father’s death (l.3-8). (6)
The poet’s reaction to receiving the news of his father’s death is sadness. ‘Splintered at once
into tears’ shows that he was upset and having sudden emotions about his father’s death.
‘Splintered’ has connotations of breaking into small sharp pieces, like his heart after the
news of the death. ‘a father’s death could bind a bully’s fist a week or two’ implies that for a
couple weeks after the news of the death of is father, his bully would feel some sympathy
and not hurt him. ‘I cried for shame, then for relief’ suggests he was shame full of the fact he
was using his father’s death to get out of being bullied. However, he then felt an urge of
relief as he realises, he will not get bullied, and that emotion is stronger than is guilt.

(3) Discuss the poet’s presentation of the scene in the assembly when his father’s death is
announced (l.9-16). (10)
‘The noise was stilled’ shows that he felt that he was alone and to himself in his thought,
thinking probably about his father. ‘Stilled’ has connotations of calmness and tranquillity
showing that he has accepted his father’s death and at one with his emotions.
‘Around their shining prison’ implies that he was looking at the goldfish and was thinking
that he felt trapped, imprisoned like the goldfish. As the news of his father’s death was
announced in assembly he felt alone like the fish in the bowl. ‘Indifferent’ has connotations
of neglect and no interest. ‘Pride, like a goldfish, flashed a sudden fin’ shows that
underneath all his despair and sorrow of the loss of is father, he is feeling proud of him. As
his father’s name is announced and everyone’s eyes are one him his is feeling proud that his
father served and died a heroic death. ‘flashed’ has connotations of bright, joyful, hopeful
like the boys memories of his father.