Everyone
comes to a poem with a different background, a different set of life experiences, different
education so a poem can have many interpretations. Often, learned critics will unite in
identifying a central theme, but sometimes 'the man in the street' may have his own insights and
they are valid too. I will speak as one who Has actually had experience of a person with with
this disease:
Firstly, this brilliant poem gives readers a clue in the title
- as this can be a confusing subject for everyone (not least the victim) it is good to have the
guideline. An old gentleman has been in hospital and is returning home to his wife. Even without
the title we know he is not always rational ('crazy' - the piggy bank in the suitcase - brains
rattling.') The poem continues in the style of his mind racing,taking in the things he sees in
the way he sees them - (sunlight first,sparkling raindrops,the house highlighted,rosebushes that
were once obviously a central pre-occupation for him.)
The next bit of the
poem underlines the way in which memory is actually lost - not necessarily chronologically. In
some dementias patients have a perfect recollection of childhood events but cannot remember what
they were told 2 minutes ago. The short term memory loss becomes painfully obvious in the last
part - he does not recognise his wife. He is used to being a busy professional man of purpose -
now the only thing he can apply that to is working out who his life-partner
is.
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