Biblical reference to the Garden of Eden – a
perfect place for the narrator, which suggests this
place with his parents is perfect and peaceful
Eden Rock Present tense – this makes the scene Pronoun – it is ambiguous as the vague
he is describing feel more vivid description hints that this is an imagined scene
The introductions to the parents
They are waiting for me somewhere beyond Eden Rock: mirror each other – this reflects the
My father, twenty-five, in the same suit closeness of their relationship
Of Genuine Irish Tweed, his terrier Jack Alliteration – shows that they were simple. Also,
the speaker takes comfort in remembering
Noun – Still two years old and trembling at his feet
specific things about his parents
heavenly colour
associated with Shows how precious this memory
purity and My mother, twenty-three, in a sprigged dress of his mother is to the speaker
peace Drawn at the waist, ribbon in her straw hat,
The light in his mother’s hair is an angelic image which
Has spread the stiff white cloth over the grass. symbolises heaven – he is comparing his mother to an angel
Her hair, the colour of wheat, takes on the light.
The detailed descriptions of these specific, ordinary
Adverb – the actions of the parents
things show their importance to the speaker and the
are peaceful and tranquil
affection he has for the way his parents did things
She pours tea from a Thermos, the milk straight
From an old H.P. sauce-bottle, a screw Noun – a colour associated with
peace and calmness
Repetition Of paper for a cork; slowly sets out
of ‘three’ – The same three plates, the tin cups painted blue.
represents Simile – their love is beyond the Trinity just like it is beyond our
the Trinity understanding and knowledge – the speaker has faith in this love
The sky lightens as if lit by three suns This hints at something otherworldly, in contrast with
My mother shades her eyes and looks my way the ordinary descriptions of the first three stanzas – it is
Over the drifted stream. My father spins likely a heavenly light. The ‘three suns’ could also
symbolise that their family has been reunited
A stone along the water. Leisurely
Though they are on a different path, the stream is peaceful Slowly – adverb – slows the pace of the poem, which
– he will have no trouble crossing to get to his parents emphasise the feeling of peace. It may imitate the
They beckon to me from the other bank. way the speaker’s parents beckon to him
I hear them call, “See where the stream path is!
Possibly a metaphor for crossing into death
Ambiguous Crossing is not as hard as you might think.”
Final journey of life? Streams Dialogue – ‘Crossing’ would be intimidating and
and
are seen as journeys nerve-wrecking for a child (a difficult journey). The
universal
speaker’s parents comfort and encourage him – a
I had not thought it would be like this.
typical role of parents
There is a change in the fifth stanza as it only
The speaker desired to be free and
The one line could has three lines whereas the other stanza have
there is a sense of regret as he got
suggest that the speaker four lines – it is a routine, security, lack of
some freedom – the parents
is now lonely chaos, adds a sense that the speaker’s
wanted his son to be independent
childhood was secure. The last stanza where
Charles Causley the parents are mentioned.
It is ambiguous – we don’t know what The gap between the fifth stanza and the last
‘it’ actually means. He may be referring line is the stream that had separated the
to his preparing to be born or to die, or speaker from his parents (three become one).
he may be talking about afterlife itself.
perfect place for the narrator, which suggests this
place with his parents is perfect and peaceful
Eden Rock Present tense – this makes the scene Pronoun – it is ambiguous as the vague
he is describing feel more vivid description hints that this is an imagined scene
The introductions to the parents
They are waiting for me somewhere beyond Eden Rock: mirror each other – this reflects the
My father, twenty-five, in the same suit closeness of their relationship
Of Genuine Irish Tweed, his terrier Jack Alliteration – shows that they were simple. Also,
the speaker takes comfort in remembering
Noun – Still two years old and trembling at his feet
specific things about his parents
heavenly colour
associated with Shows how precious this memory
purity and My mother, twenty-three, in a sprigged dress of his mother is to the speaker
peace Drawn at the waist, ribbon in her straw hat,
The light in his mother’s hair is an angelic image which
Has spread the stiff white cloth over the grass. symbolises heaven – he is comparing his mother to an angel
Her hair, the colour of wheat, takes on the light.
The detailed descriptions of these specific, ordinary
Adverb – the actions of the parents
things show their importance to the speaker and the
are peaceful and tranquil
affection he has for the way his parents did things
She pours tea from a Thermos, the milk straight
From an old H.P. sauce-bottle, a screw Noun – a colour associated with
peace and calmness
Repetition Of paper for a cork; slowly sets out
of ‘three’ – The same three plates, the tin cups painted blue.
represents Simile – their love is beyond the Trinity just like it is beyond our
the Trinity understanding and knowledge – the speaker has faith in this love
The sky lightens as if lit by three suns This hints at something otherworldly, in contrast with
My mother shades her eyes and looks my way the ordinary descriptions of the first three stanzas – it is
Over the drifted stream. My father spins likely a heavenly light. The ‘three suns’ could also
symbolise that their family has been reunited
A stone along the water. Leisurely
Though they are on a different path, the stream is peaceful Slowly – adverb – slows the pace of the poem, which
– he will have no trouble crossing to get to his parents emphasise the feeling of peace. It may imitate the
They beckon to me from the other bank. way the speaker’s parents beckon to him
I hear them call, “See where the stream path is!
Possibly a metaphor for crossing into death
Ambiguous Crossing is not as hard as you might think.”
Final journey of life? Streams Dialogue – ‘Crossing’ would be intimidating and
and
are seen as journeys nerve-wrecking for a child (a difficult journey). The
universal
speaker’s parents comfort and encourage him – a
I had not thought it would be like this.
typical role of parents
There is a change in the fifth stanza as it only
The speaker desired to be free and
The one line could has three lines whereas the other stanza have
there is a sense of regret as he got
suggest that the speaker four lines – it is a routine, security, lack of
some freedom – the parents
is now lonely chaos, adds a sense that the speaker’s
wanted his son to be independent
childhood was secure. The last stanza where
Charles Causley the parents are mentioned.
It is ambiguous – we don’t know what The gap between the fifth stanza and the last
‘it’ actually means. He may be referring line is the stream that had separated the
to his preparing to be born or to die, or speaker from his parents (three become one).
he may be talking about afterlife itself.
