Technique/idea Key Quotes and analysis
Key themes: What does Life The poem begins by exploring the
this poem explore? Faith theme of life, ‘all of us came from
Medicine Doctor Kerlin’s bag’. This is a rather
childish notion of conception,
comparable to a stork.
The speaker looks up to Ancient
Greek mythology relating to
medicine, such as ‘Asclepius’, the
God of medicine, ‘Epidaurus’ a town
in Greece and ‘Hygeia’, the goddess
of hygiene for inspiration and
wisdom, as well as the elusive
‘Doctorr Kerlin’.
The speaker recognises that
medicine and hospitals are present
at various times in our lives, ‘that
showed up again and again’. The
speaker also observed a surgery
with a fascinated tone, ‘blood
dreeps in the sawdust’.
Language: Any patterns Magician imagery Dr Kerlin is given a magician sort of
of language? Poetic Personification persona through magic imagery. He
techniques? Eg: similes, Grotesque imagery will ‘disappear’ and then ‘reappear’,
metaphors, verbs, etc. Greek allusions is ‘like a hypnotist’ and ‘held his
Light imagery arms out suddenly’, giving him a
Colloquial language sense of mystery.
The bag is personified to have a
‘trap sprung mouth’, giving it quite a
sinister grotesque image.
Grotesque imagery is used to show
the nature of Dr Kerlin’s work, ‘blood
dreeps’, the elongated vowels
making it all the more sinister.
The speaker envisions himself in
‘Sanctuaries of Asclepius’, being ‘at
Epidaurus’ and ‘visited… by
Hygenia’. These Greek medical
allusions add depth and complexity,
as well as widening the scope and
application.
An epiphany is experienced by the
speaker, who is ‘blinking and shaky
in the windless light’. The light
imagery suggests that he’s had an
epiphany.
The colloquial language of ‘wee’ at
the end reinforces the speaker’s
childhood and past.
Key themes: What does Life The poem begins by exploring the
this poem explore? Faith theme of life, ‘all of us came from
Medicine Doctor Kerlin’s bag’. This is a rather
childish notion of conception,
comparable to a stork.
The speaker looks up to Ancient
Greek mythology relating to
medicine, such as ‘Asclepius’, the
God of medicine, ‘Epidaurus’ a town
in Greece and ‘Hygeia’, the goddess
of hygiene for inspiration and
wisdom, as well as the elusive
‘Doctorr Kerlin’.
The speaker recognises that
medicine and hospitals are present
at various times in our lives, ‘that
showed up again and again’. The
speaker also observed a surgery
with a fascinated tone, ‘blood
dreeps in the sawdust’.
Language: Any patterns Magician imagery Dr Kerlin is given a magician sort of
of language? Poetic Personification persona through magic imagery. He
techniques? Eg: similes, Grotesque imagery will ‘disappear’ and then ‘reappear’,
metaphors, verbs, etc. Greek allusions is ‘like a hypnotist’ and ‘held his
Light imagery arms out suddenly’, giving him a
Colloquial language sense of mystery.
The bag is personified to have a
‘trap sprung mouth’, giving it quite a
sinister grotesque image.
Grotesque imagery is used to show
the nature of Dr Kerlin’s work, ‘blood
dreeps’, the elongated vowels
making it all the more sinister.
The speaker envisions himself in
‘Sanctuaries of Asclepius’, being ‘at
Epidaurus’ and ‘visited… by
Hygenia’. These Greek medical
allusions add depth and complexity,
as well as widening the scope and
application.
An epiphany is experienced by the
speaker, who is ‘blinking and shaky
in the windless light’. The light
imagery suggests that he’s had an
epiphany.
The colloquial language of ‘wee’ at
the end reinforces the speaker’s
childhood and past.
