Examine the language and attention to detail in

the poem

Naomi Shi and Amrita Mangho

• 'Rear-View Mirror'o Metaphorically describing a reflection process, of somthing

in the pasto Association with a car, suggests the process of moving

forward

• 'behind your back'o Alliteration connotes a sense of longingo Idea of leaving the past behindo Creates a distance between the past and future

• 'standing' 'leaning' 'lingering' 'growing'o Use of present participle creates a sense of the difficulty in

letting go of the pasto Lengthy sound seems like a delay (almost onomatopoeic)o Mourning tone- treasuring past experience

Saying goodbye.....

• 'Tiny in your lengthening wake, still waving'o Imagery- people get smaller in your rear-view mirror as you

drive awayo 'lengthening wake' metaphorically conveys that memory

(past) will never go awayo Contrast between 'lengthening' and 'tiny', may suggest the

past will soon be insignificant, as the present is more important. Also the pain of leaving the past will soon start to dull.

• 'nameless people on a postcard'o Metaphor comparison to inanimate object ('postcard')

emphasises the insignificance of the past o Alliteration emphasises that past can be easily forgotteno 'nameless' suggests the past contains an accumulation of

unnecessary desires, which are unimportant for one's future

Past VS Future

Inviting independence...

• "Then, at the first turn, they're lost completely"o caesura creates uncertainty, emphasised in "lost completely"o "Then" creates a shift in tone, moving from a more secure

atmosphere to a more lonelier tone as the environment and the narrator's memories are all that's left to comfort him and remind him of his origins

o "first turn" represents the first steps to independency

• "places taken by someone's windbreak pines"o "windbreak pines" adds a personal touch to the poemo the use of "someone's" distances the narrator, showing that

others have added their existence to his lifeo "places taken" creates a sense that the holes in the

narrator's heart are never there for long and there is a prolonged happiness - creating new memories

• "nothing but empty road"o "empty" shows the uncertainty the future is and how

undeveloped a future is without any planso "nothing"creates tension, as there is ambiguity in having

nothing to guide not only the narrator but also the readero "road" contrasts "nothing" showing that there is some

guidance through life

• "towns where you will never know a soul"o adds to the theme of the "unknown"o "town" is a large area full of people, yet the narrator doesn't

"know a soul"o contrasts to "nothing but empty road" as decisions are

made about the narrator's future and places are being marked on the metaphorical map of experiences and the potential relationships that will be made

The Future Unknown

• "exits following exits "o metaphorically transposing life's road with the features of a

real roado exits symbolise opportunities and events that will comeo the repetition of "exits" show that there will always be

chances regardless if you miss one or another

• "you will pass and never take"o represents the many decisions of lifeo followed by "amassing a stiff toll finally to make good on"

"stiff toll" creates negative connotations, showing that the decisions that the narrator made felt wrong at the time but the result was good

also serves to show the distance the narrator is willing to travel to continues towards his goal or dream in life and away from his roots and family

Future Opportunities

• 'higher-powered reflective instrumento Metaphorically suggesting that we have our memories to

use for guidance. Ideology of learning from past mistakeso 'higher powered'- religious connotation emphasises the

importance of memorieso 'instrument' - comparison to an object suggest that

memories must only be used as a source of reflection, not as something to dwell on or feel sorrowful about

o Assonance emphasises narrator's point to reader. Creates fluidity

• 'bring back in view as large as life'o Simile conveys how close to us our memories are, and that

although we can make progress, our memories will be unforgettable

o Alliteration- lulling 'l' creates a reminiscent atmosphere

Conclusion

• "putting yourself in the pictures,o Alliteration - creates a serene and comforting toneo Metaphor creates a sense of togetherness that can

be gained purely through memories, despite the actual distance that is between the narrator and his family

o picture connotes that the image or the memory will last forever, suggesting that the bonds will last

• which makes thinking about them as you saw them lasting"o demonstrating how the love between family is so

strong that it can overcome time and distanceo creates a comforting tone and a sense of

togetherness