Isolation and confusion; beginning of poem
“I sat all morning in the college sick bay.”
Awkward responsibility; being the eldest child
“Whispers informed strangers I was the eldest.”
Father’s controlled grief; contrast with loss
“He had always taken funerals in his stride.”
Mother’s restrained grief; emotion
“Angry tearless sighs.”
Shocking ending; child’s death
“A four-foot box, a foot for every year.”
Sibling grief; personal perspective
“I carried him into the dark room.”
Atmosphere; quiet tension
“Snowdrops and candles… softly glimmering.”
Shock and innocence; sudden death
“A poppy bruise on his left temple.”
Contrast; normal life vs tragedy
“Couple of old men shaking hands.”
Final tone; reflection on mortality
“I thought that every hand on me would hold.”
