Grandfather by Derek Mahon

They brought him in on a stretcher from the world,
Wounded but humorous; and he soon recovered.
Boiler-rooms, row upon row of gantries rolled
Away to reveal the landscape of a childhood
Only he can recapture. Even on cold
Mornings he is up at six with a block of wood
Or a box of nails, discreetly up to no good
Or banging round the house like a four-year-old —

Never there when you call. But after dark
You hear his great boots thumping in the hall
And in he comes, as cute as they come. Each night
His shrewd eyes bolt the door and wind the clock
Against the future, then his light goes out.
Nothing escapes him; he escapes us all.

Theme(s)

• Old age
• Childhood memories
• Isolation
• Familial relationships
• Death

Poetic Techniques

• Assonance
• Metaphor

Rhyme + Structure

• Petrachian Sonnet (14 lines)
• 2 verses
  • Verse 1: first 8 lines
  • Verse 2: 6 lines
• ABBAABBA CDECDE rhyme scheme

Tone + Mood

• Nostalgic
• Sombre
• Anecdotal

Imagery

• Industrial boiler rooms
• Docks / ship building / gantries
• Old man busying himself not even noticing others calling him

Symbolism

• “rows upon rows of gantries rolled to reveal the landscape of a childhood only he can recapture”
• “memories of the grandfather’s childhood” = could refer to his mind/memory
• “wind the clock against the future” = trying to prevent time from passing, getting old / dying
• “nothing escapes him, he escapes us all.” = the grandfather’s death

Quotes

• “wind the clock against the future”
• “then his light goes out.”
• “banging round the house like a four-year-old —”
• “Nothing escapes him; he escapes us all.”