Stanza Quotation Theme Analysis Device
/Line
Title ‘Passage’ ‘Passage’ of life, birth or perhaps
from a book or Bible
1/1 ‘halfway’ Links to Nine Year Old Self as the
girl is ‘halfway’ between child and
adult. The caesura halfway through
the line enacts this
1/1 ‘crouched’ Animalistic verb
1/1 ‘bikini’ Implies that it is summer or
perhaps shows vulnerability
1/2 ‘her family’s Not her own house. Distances her
house’ from them
1/2 ‘trembling’ Vulnerability and fear
1/3 ‘think/of the’ Line break effectively shows her
not wanting to think. Like The
Lammas Hireling
1/4 ‘sharp/ drop’ Last word on the line which enacts
the sharp edge
1/6 ‘half in love’ Period of transition. Friend and
lover at the same time
1/7-8 ‘Blond gravel’ Positive light imagery. Possibly
child imagery as hair grows darker
as you age
1/9 ‘open window’ In Wuthering Heights, open
windows are metaphors for
vaginas and sex. Perhaps shows
increasing sexuality of girl
1/10 ‘aluminium lever’ Flimsy, machine-made and
industrial. Could reinforce the
vulnerability of the child
1/12 ‘length of her Girl could be objectified in the
whole body’ poem. Body is mainly described
1/13 ‘warm flank’ Personification. She is halfway up
the house like a flank which is
halfway up a body
1/14 ‘crouching’ Animalistic. Suggests that she is on
the verge of change
1/15 ‘toes and Animalistic but also dainty
fingertips’
1/16 ‘petrified beach’ Personification
1/16- ‘tiny breasts rest Fetal position to perhaps show her
17 lightly on her youth and vulnerability. Perhaps
thighs’ slightly sexual