1
The Hug by Thom Gunn
Lines 1 - 5
Title fitting to the poem? Yes, the whole The first line of the poem suggests that it
poem surrounds a moment the speaker was a birthday party, the couple had drunk
was in bed entwined in a hug with another and one of their friend helps them to a
person. SACAI 2022 room nearby which the poet reaches in a
single stride which signifies the poet’s urge
to sleep.
Lines 6 - 18
Then he suddenly wakes up to a warm
hug from behind in which the full
lengths of their bodies were pressed
and the poet’s heel meets his partner’s
instep and the poet’s shoulder blades
against his partner’s chest . The poet
clearly explains that it was not sex, but
unconditional love that he fails to put
into words. The poet says that he can
feel his partner’s warmth on his body
Lines 19 - 22
as if they are still twenty two
interlacing each other. The poet says After waking up, he had understood that he
that their grand passion for each other had forgotten few memories and the only
had still not made them a family. thing which he remembers was ‘the stay of
your (the partner’s) secure firm dry
embrace.
@Juffrou_Ansie
, 2
The poem is written in the past tense.
The Hug by Thom Gunn A hug woke the speaker up from his
slumber. SACAI 2022
The poet is reminiscing/looking back upon
this moment. SACAI 2022
The reasons why the speaker would sleep
over. SACAI 2022
Repetition
The speaker is reinforcing/emphasising
the fact that they had fallen into a
MOOD
slumber very easily SACAI 2022
The poem ‘The Hug’ is a simple nostalgic
love poem written by Thom Gunn. As the
title suggests.
Body parts that touched during the hug.
SACAI 2022 The poem is about how a couple had spent
their night after a birthday party
Indicates their relationship had
become so familiar that their initial
passion had cooled. SACAI 2022
@Juffrou_Ansie
The Hug by Thom Gunn
Lines 1 - 5
Title fitting to the poem? Yes, the whole The first line of the poem suggests that it
poem surrounds a moment the speaker was a birthday party, the couple had drunk
was in bed entwined in a hug with another and one of their friend helps them to a
person. SACAI 2022 room nearby which the poet reaches in a
single stride which signifies the poet’s urge
to sleep.
Lines 6 - 18
Then he suddenly wakes up to a warm
hug from behind in which the full
lengths of their bodies were pressed
and the poet’s heel meets his partner’s
instep and the poet’s shoulder blades
against his partner’s chest . The poet
clearly explains that it was not sex, but
unconditional love that he fails to put
into words. The poet says that he can
feel his partner’s warmth on his body
Lines 19 - 22
as if they are still twenty two
interlacing each other. The poet says After waking up, he had understood that he
that their grand passion for each other had forgotten few memories and the only
had still not made them a family. thing which he remembers was ‘the stay of
your (the partner’s) secure firm dry
embrace.
@Juffrou_Ansie
, 2
The poem is written in the past tense.
The Hug by Thom Gunn A hug woke the speaker up from his
slumber. SACAI 2022
The poet is reminiscing/looking back upon
this moment. SACAI 2022
The reasons why the speaker would sleep
over. SACAI 2022
Repetition
The speaker is reinforcing/emphasising
the fact that they had fallen into a
MOOD
slumber very easily SACAI 2022
The poem ‘The Hug’ is a simple nostalgic
love poem written by Thom Gunn. As the
title suggests.
Body parts that touched during the hug.
SACAI 2022 The poem is about how a couple had spent
their night after a birthday party
Indicates their relationship had
become so familiar that their initial
passion had cooled. SACAI 2022
@Juffrou_Ansie
